Paula Smith, Sheila Murphy-Czifro and Carrie Darrah pose outside of their new co-op Handcrafted in Seeley Lake in the Filling Station Mall in downtown Seeley Lake. Randee Cantrell won the gift basket that they gave away to visitors last weekend. They will be offering other promotional giveaways and sales throughout the rest of the summer.
Handcrafted in Seeley Lake offers a wide assortment of products including pottery, candles, fudge, jewelry, glassware, mugs, keychains, wall art and other novelty gifts from three separate businesses Obsession Pottery, The Stubborn Moose and Montana Girl.
Because the space is small, Handcrafted in Seeley Lake will rotate the inventory regularly and fill custom orders. Montana Girl is currently raising funds for the Blackhawks Football Team by selling black and gold bracelets and key chains. All proceeds will support the team.
SEELEY LAKE – With the COVID-19 regulations limiting vendors at farmers markets and closing fairs and festivals, craft vendors have been "left in a lurch." However the restrictions did not stop local craft businesses Montana Girl, Obsession Pottery and The Stubborn Moose from finding a creative solution. They opened a new cooperative named "Handcrafted in Seeley Lake" in the Filling Station Mall. They offer a fun, unique selection of locally handcrafted items and classes for the community and visitors.
Owner of Obsession Pottery Carrie Darrah approached Sheila Murphy-Czifro, owner of Montana Girl, and Paula Smith, owner of The Stubborn Moose, about starting a co-op as an alternative to the farmers market. Darrah met Smith last year at the Seeley Lake Market and Murphy-Czifro has taken her pottery classes.
They rented the space next to Good Times in the Filling Station mall and in less than a week opened Handcrafter in Seeley Lake Friday, July 10.
Each business still retains its autonomy but between the three of them working and managing the stop, they are hoping for more visibility and can easily accommodate their customers. They feel that the different businesses complement each other well with each of them offering a different niche of handcrafted items.
Darrah opened Obsession Pottery six years ago and opened her studio in Seeley Lake in November 2018. She makes functional, affordable artistic pottery including mugs, bowls, platters and the very popular butter bells. She also offers etched and slumped glassware.
Darrah is still offering her classes in her studio, 629 Morrell Creek Drive. However they are for private parties, by appointment only and social distancing is on place.
When people ask what they can do with pottery, Darrah is quick to respond, "Everything! You can cook with it. You can eat out of it. How can you not love something that you create, is something beautiful and is so functional?"
Murphy-Czifro opened Montana Girl in January 2019. She offers fudge, jewelry and wall art.
An artist at heart, Murphy-Czifro enjoys painting, making fudge and jewelry and learning new things.
"Classes are always fun, that is how I met half the people I know in Seeley Lake," said Murphy-Czifro.
She has been making her fudge for the last 20 years. While she tries to keep the huckleberry fudge available year-round, she offers around 100 flavors seasonally or through custom orders.
"I do it all hand-mixed, single batches," said Murphy-Czifro adding that each batch makes about three pounds.
When Murphy-Czifro taught elementary school in Great Falls, she started doing macramé with the students in their free time.
"It was something I knew how to do and I had friends ask me if I could make them this and make them that," said Murphy-Czifro. "Hemp jewelry is coming back around in popularity so it was just handy that I already knew how to do it."
In addition to offering her fudge, hemp jewelry and wall art, Murphy-Czifro purchased Seeley Lake Vintage's chalk art inventory and is excited to start offering classes again. The first "Shading with Sheila" will be July 28 at 2:30 p.m. Class sizes are limited due to COVID restrictions. Sign up at the shop or on Montana Girls' Facebook page.
"Everyone is tired of being inside. We want to be able to give people something to do, a place to come, something different, something local," said Murphy-Czifro.
Smith has been a photographer and loves to capture wildlife and landscapes. She started The Stubborn Moose about a year ago after her husband Chris encouraged her to learn the sublimation process and start printing her photography and designs. While she prints a range of images on mugs, water bottles and t-shirts she can do custom orders with someone's photo or design.
She named it The Stubborn Moose after she and Chris's favorite restaurant during their honeymoon "The Stubborn Mule." Since they are moose in the area, she changed the name to "The Stubborn Moose." Her daughter Beth Walcker made the logo.
Smith added custom soy candles to the list of products she offers after incorporating yet another hobby into the mix. All of her candles are made in small batches. She accepts custom orders but does not always have all flavors in stock.
Because space is limited in the store, each business looks forward to rotating inventory often and filling custom orders.
"Need a last-minute gift for something, we've got you covered," said Murphy-Czifro. "I'm sure if there is something anyone needs made, if you don't see it, between the three of us, we can get it done.
They are open Wednesday and Thursdays, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. and Friday – Sundays 10 a.m. – 7 p.m. Mondays and Tuesdays are by appointment only. Call and they can meet you at the shop. For more information about specials and classes check out Montana Girl and Obsession Pottery on Facebook. To make an appointment call Darrah, 406-461-0671, Murphy-Czifro, 406-750-7734 or Smith, 406-210-3322.
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