Leap of Faith: Scotch/Rye on Canadian Soil.

Tired of living the nine-to-five routine, Stephanie Ward broke the cliché and escaped from the mould that bound her. She closed a window of “opportunity,” and an entire world of fortuity appeared in front of her! Stephanie was born in the UK and lived there until 2010. When she moved to Toronto, all she had was her creativity and a strict determination to make use of it. She now runs her own business, Scotch/Rye, breaking the mould every day as she creates remarkable pieces of arts and crafts converting what used to be into what is a fashion statement.  

“I've always been a fairly creative person. My great grandmother would travel for hours on the bus back in the early 1950s to Edinburgh airport with a suitcase full of handmade brooches and little dolls.”

Typewriter Rings

To be able to see everyday items in a way no one else can, is a sign of true genius. We may throw out something that is broken and seems to be useless. But enter Stephanie’s world, and it finds a whole new meaning. Imagine putting on rainbow-coloured glasses and seeing everything in the brilliance of innovation; that is how Stephanie sees the world.

“I really like the idea of up cycling and reusing forgotten pieces. Not only does it give a discarded item a new lease on life, but it also means I can keep the costs of my products quite low for my customers.” 

Magnets, Rings, Cuff Links

Stephanie’s art doesn’t involve desecrating items in order to find material she can process. On the contrary, it is the exact opposite of that. She saves items that have value but may have gone out of fashion or have been forgotten because we have become bored of them. She has used old scrabble tiles, pieces of marble, typewriter keys, mason jars, and cuff links. With your first look at the items on display, the extraordinary in the ordinary preludes the awe that follows. 

“Being in the Arts Market has been great. All those who attended wanted to talk to me about something I had made, which felt truly gratifying. I earned millions in the benevolence of swell Canadian folks!”

Miniature Teacups

It forces you to wonder out loud, “Well, why didn’t I think of that!” The answer simply is, because you are not the artful-brimming mind of Stephanie from Scotch/Rye.