When Craft Meets Ambition

Turning a Hobby into a Full-Blown Business Remark & Rose | Fairview, AB

Kelsie Rose, Owner of Remark and Rose

Countless paths can lead someone to build their own business from the ground up. For Fairview’s Kelsie Rose, 31, it all started when she became a mother.

“At 24, I was a new mom looking for a creative outlet,” said Rose. “My husband encouraged me to pursue something I love.”

In 2024, she launched Remark & Rose to offer unique custom, hand-made pieces including home décor, custom engravings and more. From keychains to large property signs, Rose’s business has something for everyone.

Today, Rose’s offerings are available on her website, but she will soon have a retail storefront on her property where customers can purchase her wares.

Looking back, Rose always knew she wanted to be a business owner.

“When I was in Grade 7, we did a scrapbooking project. It featured my crafting, but there was also a spot to write what we wanted to be when we grew up. I put business owner,” said Rose. “I always imagined it would be a dance studio called Remark [Rose’s maiden name].”

Rose took baby steps toward entrepreneurship shortly after she became a mother when she purchased a Cricut—a machine for DIY projects—from a friend. Afterward, the two began getting together for playdates to craft home décor.

Slowly but surely, Rose became hooked on crafting functional art, so she ran with it.

“When I was pregnant with our second child, we were building our house. I started revamping old furniture and decorating the walls,” said Rose.

Throughout COVID, her thirst for creatively bringing objects to life became more insatiable. Borrowing and collecting second-hand tools to bring her ideas to life, she added macramé to her growing set of skills.

“Friends and family saw what I was doing and told me I should turn it into a business,” said Rose.

So, she started selling her work to family and friends, but her “hobby” just would not stop growing.

“When I invested in a laser for woodworking, I went legit with my business,” said Rose. “It’s really blown up since.”

Launching her business was an eye-opening experience for Rose.

“I don’t even know where to start. In the beginning, I really relied on customer reviews. I knew nothing about building a website,” said Rose.

Self taught, she learned from her mistakes.

“All my customers have been really transparent with me if there’s ever an issue, which has allowed me to improve,” said Rose. “I’ve never had a job that I am so passionate about, so that really motivates me.”

With a background in the industry, Rose loves to create agriculture-focused designs. In fact, one of Rose’s memorable orders came when a large company bought 50 of her canola and wheat signs in the shapes of the prairie provinces for their top retail locations across Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba.

“This was a huge sale for me,” said Rose. “To have these pieces across the prairies is so amazing.”

Rose wants her work to last, so when she’s working on a project, the materials and methods she uses matter.

When working on other parts of the business—from bookkeeping to website design to social media management and more—wearing “all the hats” is challenging.

“I try to focus on the positive, but sometimes the negative feels louder,” said Rose. “You’re also constantly working, and as a mom, it’s hard to separate yourself.”

No two days are ever the same, but Rose says she has finally gotten into a rhythm that works for her and her family.

“For two days a week, I’m in the shop working. When the kids were younger, I was hustling during nap times, so having two consistent days working in the shop is huge for me,” said Rose.

Rose is thankful for family members who always step in when orders and fulfilment get backed up.

“I am kept busy, which I am so thankful for, but I’m always working in the business rather than on it with things like my website and marketing,” said Rose.

Before investing in her laser and officially launching her company, Rose’s clients were mostly women.

“I felt like there was a big gap in customers I wasn’t reaching,” said Rose. “Now my ideal customer is literally anyone. Customers come to me because they know my pieces are unique. No matter the stage of life you’re in, I can work with you to create something meaningful and long lasting.”

The support from her customers and community has been key.

“The Fairview business community is really great,” said Rose. “A owe a huge part of my success to their support.”

Eyes on the future, Rose hopes to one day support her community by taking over her grandfather’s [Ben Kramer] scholarship.

“He was a woodworker. For each scholarship awarded, he’d hand-make a wooden cross to be given with it,” said Rose. “I’d like to carry on that tradition.”

To learn more visit remarkandrose.com or connect via social media.

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Words by Siobhan Kennedy | Photography submitted