About Me

A happy accident

It all kind of started by accident while idly fidgeting with a cool piece of glass-mounting hardware that someone had left on my desk.

I have always loved leather

Growing up with a father who was a custom muzzle loading rifle maker, complete with buckskin outfits, I was always exposed to the leather products that went along with his trade. One of his friends, a leathercrafter, made me a leather pencil case with my initials engraved on it. I had the coolest pencil case in school and I still have it!

Don’t quit your day job

I’ve been an Art Director/Graphic Designer for over 30 years now. For 16 years, I worked for a retail merchandising design company which afforded me the luxury of handling many interesting materials and hardware fasteners. I’d often find miscellaneous odds and ends lying around the recycling bins of the warehouse that I’d find inspiring so I would rescue them and save for later.

This old thing?

One day, I was suddenly inspired to make myself a cool leather cuff using this piece of smooth, round, glass-mounting hardware. I went to my closet and found an old belt that was far too worn out to wear any longer and started chopping. I had some snaps and a setting kit from my various adventures in Halloween costume making, so I dragged them out and went to town on this cuff. I was quite impressed with the result, so I wore it to work the next day.

I received so many compliments on the cuff! One colleague even asked me where I had bought it. When I told her I made it myself, she asked if I could please make her one too. I happened to have another one of the pieces of glass-mounting hardware, so I did just that, and she purchased it from me. Then another colleague asked if I could make her something, too. And so this adventure began.

Flaws are beautiful

My reason for creating these pieces of art from recycled materials is to make use of old, discarded items that just end up in the landfill. I see potential in discarded and broken things. I see real beauty in the imperfections. Flaws are what make us all unique, one-of-a-kind creatures, and to me, that is the true definition of beauty and perfection.

Every piece I create has a story

Just like every person on this earth has her or his own story. Why wear something that hundreds or thousands of others have, pumped out of a factory in a third-world country, unremarkable and unimaginative? Wear a piece of history, handmade in Canada, and help make a small difference in the amount of junk that ends up polluting our planet.

Gone to the dogs

The name, Pink Daisy Leather, was inspired by my first dog, a Boston Terrier named Daisy. Since my favourite colour is pink, she would always be decked out in a pink collar, leash and coat. I fell in love with the Boston Terrier breed and joined Boston Terrier Rescue Canada – a 100% unpaid, volunteer-run, registered Canadian charity, as a volunteer. I wanted to help in any way I could, so I made a bunch of warm dog coats to donate to the foster dogs in rescue’s care. I made a little label for them and decided to call my “company” Pink Daisy Designs in honour of my sweet little muse. I now operate my graphic design business under Pink Daisy Designs, and my leather jewellery business under Pink Daisy Leather.

I donate 20% of all my sales to Boston Terrier Rescue Canada

Every penny donated goes directly to helping the dogs in our care.

“Dare to be different.”

These are the words my father always said to me as I was growing up, when I wanted to be like everyone else. Back then, I thought he was crazy, and I didn’t want to be different. Now, I embrace his words with all my heart and thank him deeply for encouraging me to be creative and teaching me how to be different.

Laura Mark