The business of Valentine’s Day

Facebook has created more than just a space for people to share content and create friends but also a virtual marketplace for young entrepreneurs. Recently, The Barbados Advocate spoke to two young and innovative women using their skills to make unique gifts for Valentine’s Day.

Eden-Marie Rouse, 26 years of age, makes homemade Valentine’s Day cards. The artist told the newspaper that she usually sells canvas paintings but decided to do something more affordable. The beautifully stenciled cards are authentic and personal. For Rouse it can take 1-2 hours to make a card and she has done the traditional cards as well as pop-up and large cards for clients.

The former Coleridge and Parry student who completed Art at CXC level said she noticed that all Valentine’s cards look the same.

“I think that even though it may be a small gesture, there is more thought put into it because it isn’t an ordinary card you just happened to pass in a store,” said Rouse.

Taking the advice of her pastor, the young artist is using her talent to make something of herself. Her work can be seen at MadeULook Artistry on Instagram.

Soap Maker: Shawanda Albert
Another young female artist and entrepreneur, twenty-two-year-old, Shawanda Albert explained that as a stay-at-home mom with a two-year-old, she wanted to do something. Albert found a webpage on soap making and made a decision to give the art a try.
The young mother who is also a Coleridge and Parry alumni told The Barbados Advocate that she started to take classes and eventually created skin_lovers_bb.

Currently, she specialises in baby-themed and scented natural soaps which feature local plants like neem, moringa, hibiscus, turmeric and ginger. She hopes to add other skin products in the future.

For Valentine’s Day, Albert created a range of candy inspired soaps so well-moulded they could be mistaken for real sweets. An experience she had recently during a pop-up shop at Azul Boutique in Welches, St. Thomas.

The young artist explained that she learned to perfect her skills through months of research and she taught herself the Valentine-themed soaps using online videos. She revealed that soap making was not difficult to learn, as she did so quickly.

“When I attended a soap making class I was also ahead of everyone because I researched for a year,” said Albert.

Her advice to those who are seeking to be an entrepreneur – is to go for it even if it seems too difficult.