Trina Reid says Under the Stump gives her son Scott a purpose and a future he can help build

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A Rocky Harbour family's craft business is about far more than just a side hustle to bring in a little extra cash.

For them, it's the answer to a worry that's been in the back of their mind for years: what will their son do for a career someday when they can no longer support him?

Crafty mother and son duo Trina and Scott Reid are currently running a seasonal business, Under the Stump, but are moving towards operating year-round.

Trina serves as the manager/director while Scott is the designer, making soy candles and goat milk soaps that incorporate natural elements, such as seaweed and sea glass in their ocean breeze candles and blueberries and partridge berries in other soaps and candles.

They also make themed candles in the form of puffins, humpback whales, ocean creatures, pet paws and bones, as well as block soaps, and Trina also does macrame whale tails on driftwood.

But for the family, their small craft business is about far more than just making some crafty products as part of a side hustle.

“Our son Scott is autistic, and since Grade 9 in 2019, he kept asking us what will he be doing when he grows up. How will he pay the bills when we die?" says Trina.

"We have been worried about his well-being and what will happen to him, which are fears parents have for their children, especially if they have a disability. He just wants to have a purposeful life, so I looked at our business and how we could connect and incorporate the tours and products."

The Reids started creating their products in the fall of 2021 as a way to empower Scott, as it was “something he could do without us. He was able to design, create and take breaks when he needed. It is a win-win situation," says Trina.

She loves her craft business because “it gave Scott a purpose and we could work together to create something he could be proud of.”

She points out that living in a small town comes with restrictions as to programs and work options available to people living with disabilities. She feels their craft business offers a future for him and perhaps others.

“Hopefully, we can expand to offer others with disabilities a place to be creative, and find a place for them to feel purposeful," says Reid.

Another aspect of the family's Under the Stump business is taking visitors on guided tours of the backcountry, which also gives them ideas for their crafts, more specifically, “how we could incorporate our indigenous heritage and how to engage tourism.”

Their best seller is the soap box that contains individual soaps, the idea of which came about as a way to teach young children to wash their hands. “The box contains items like sea creatures (starfish, whale tails, and sea urchins), and Scott has fun naming them like Soapy Sea Critters, and Crustation Creations (crabs and lobster claws),” says Reid.

“We are partnering up with local businesses to sell these soaps and we are very thankful for all the support of residents in helping Scott succeed.”

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Out of work and into crafting: Islanders find alternative forms of income

Craft fair "season" is in full swing, and on the other side of the island, Mount Pearl's Kristan Wiseman is busy operating her Handmade by K craft business on the side when she is not working at her full-time job as an assistant manager.

“I started Handmade by K in December of 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic was still in full swing. I didn’t like being so isolated in my home like many others during the pandemic," she says.

Wiseman makes polymer clay earrings and accessories – such as hair barrettes, keychains, and clip-ons. All of her products are hypoallergenic and she can also complete custom orders.

Wiseman had moved home to Newfoundland from Ontario to continue her schooling and wasn’t looking to work full-time as school was her focus. When she was scrolling through Pinterest, she discovered polymer clay.

“It took a lot of experimenting to get me started, lots of trial and error, but now here we are almost two years later,” she says.

There are many reasons why she love’s doing what she is doing.

“I struggle with anxiety and within the last year or so I’ve been trying to practice more self-care, and polymer clay helps with that," she explains.

"If I have a rough day, when I come home and pick up the clay, all those feelings disappear, and I instantly have all these ideas float around in my head of what my next creation will be."

She gets her ideas from things around her, including her family and friends, and sometimes, she just wings it.

“I will also lay out all my materials and just start putting things together, and if I like it, then I create it," she says.

Her best seller is her Mummers or Newfoundland Province Studs, which she typically makes as earrings. This year, she will be making them as keychains as well.

“The idea of these just came from living in Newfoundland my whole life. I wanted to create something that represented my home, where I’m from and I did just that.”

Under the Stump: Craft fairs in Rocky Harbour, Norris Point, Corner Brook and Marble Mountain.

Handmade by K: Humpday Market (245 Freshwater Road, every Wednesday, 5-9 p.m.) and Mazol Shriners Centre (530 Topsail Rd, Oct. 16 and 30 from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. and Nov. 6 and 27 from 10 a.m.-4 p.m.).

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