|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
|
 |
 |
|
 |
|
Diana May Clay Ltd is the largest manufacturer of Ukrainian giftware and glassware in North America. The beautiful designs are adapted from the exquisite cross-stitch and embroidery patterns found in the many areas of Ukraine. The designs are transferred carefully by hand to the raw material,and the finished product exudes the pride, the magic and the uniqueness of the true Ukrainian spirit. Diana Budzinski started her business in the mid-1970s and ran the operation as a small cottage industry for several years. This all changed the day a representative of Canada's National Ukrainian Festival walked into the small shop on the Yellowhead Highway in Theodore, Saskatchewan. "I had clay in my hair, on my clothes, everywhere. I was literally covered in clay," says Diana. "The lady said she was interested in my work and wanted to buy one of each for the Festival." "This was my big break to expand the business," says Diana. At the time she was commissioned to do the work for the annual Ukrainian Festival held in Dauphin, Manitoba, Diana had only 35 pieces in her collection. She now has a selection of over 2000 different articles. Diana had five days to make the 35 articles. "I had only one kiln and was also managing a dress shop in Yorkton at the same time. I lived on five hours of sleep a night to finish the order." "Two days before the lady was scheduled to pick up the order, we had an unfortunate incident. While I was at work, my mother-in-law unknowingly sold all but two of the pieces to passing customers." It was panic time, but Diana worked steadily until she had the missing items finished in time. The problems which faced Diana in her first commission are now a thing of the past. Her operation is streamlined and sophisticated, producing a steady flow of finished goods.  Diana currently distributes her products throughout Canada, the United States and other parts of the world. Diana is in the wholesale business, but they also sell many items to tourists and local people and also at festivals, celebrations and special events throughout the country. "The festivals are a lot of fun," says Diana. "There's a lot of work involved in setting up the display and then taking it down after, but the festival itself more than makes up for the hard work. We love meeting the people and discussing the pieces we sell." It is not unusual for Diana and seven helpers to take eight hours to set up the display. "There are vans to unload, shelves to put together, and hundreds of pieces to unwrap and set up on the shelves. Many of the pieces are very fragile, so we have to be extra careful. But it sure is worth it. I just love dealing with people." Diana and her helpers enjoy meeting people and having fun with them. "It's more than just a business," says Diana. "It's like a way of life. We go to neat places and we meet great people, and we have lots of fun." At present, there are about 20 people involved in the operation. They mix the clay, cast the molds, clean the greenware, glaze the bisque, then decorate each piece by hand,and fire it. This makes Diana May Clay a major employer in the town of Theodore, and a valuable contributor to the local economy. "You can't buy pottery like this in Ukraine, or anywhere else. This type of work is strictly a Canadian phenomenon. These pieces will eventually be collectors' items." Diana's original work can be identified by the logo found on the bottom of each piece, which reads "DMC Canada." The "May" part of the company name is Diana's middle name. "It's a lot easier to spell than Budzinski, and it is a good Ukrainian name," says Diana. "It gets funny when someone at a festival sees the sign that says 'Diana May Clay,' and they come up to me and say that they are researching the Clay family, and they want to know which branch I'm from." Decorating a piece can take several hours, as each item is unique. Very seldom are two pieces exactly alike, unless they are made as matching sets, the individuality of each piece is what creates the artform. We keep striving for a quality product, experimenting with different aspects of the piece." Eventually, Diana would like to expand the business, but she says she does not have the time right now. "I'm too busy keeping up with the orders we have," she says. The workshop sits unobtrusively on the side of the Yellowhead Highway in the metropolis of Theodore, Saskatchewan. "Most people don't even know we're here," says Diana. "Once in a while, people see the sign, and they drop in just to see what the place is all about. The classic line is that they have passed by the place so often that they just decided to stop in to see what it is happening here." Diana believes that a person can start a successful business anywhere as long as they can make the proper connections. "What we've done here is take a hobby and make it into a business. It seems to have worked out quite well for us." Diana believes her business will carry on indefinitely. "As long as there is a love for Ukrainian art, it will continue," she says. Her work is sold in every kind of store, including hardware stores, jewelry stores, bake shops, gift shops, grocery stores and restaurants. She has expanded the wholesale business into the United States, and now ships to stores in New York and Pennsylvania. In Canada, Diana ships her work right from Pugwash, Nova Scotia in the East to British Columbia in the West and to the NorthWest Territories. Often, individual international orders are processed, and pieces are shipped to many other countries. Diana says part of the success of her business stems from the fact that all of her items are individually made by hand. "Here at Diana May Clay, we mix the clay ourselves, pour the molds and decorate by hand each and every item we produce. The pieces are not mass-produced and the business involves many people, making it the success it is today." -Danny Evanishen- |
|
|
|