Living Lotus Chocolate is the maker of bean-to-bar chocolate using ethically sourced ingredients. All of their products are made from organic ingredients and are refined sugar and gluten-free.
Can you tell us a little bit about the bean to bar chocolate method and your products?
Bean to bar chocolate is chocolate that is made straight from the cacao bean. We take the cacao beans that have been through the post harvest processes in their native country and crack, winnow, grind and mold them into chocolate. We use beans that have been ethically sourced, procure organic and local ingredients and use coconut sugar as a sweetener. We have three standard bars in 70% Arriba Nacional Dark, 57% Oat Milk, and Blonde (Vegan White) Chocolate. We do limited releases and over the holidays we will have a Raspberry Dark chocolate bar and Mocha chocolate bar composed of Oat milk chocolate and coffee.
How did you begin your journey with chocolate and how did you decide to turn your craft into a business?
Where in Strathcona are you based and what makes this neighbourhood special to you?
We are located on Cordova street between Hawks and Heatley but we don’t have a storefront. If you go South on Hawks to Keefer four blocks you’ll bump into McLean Park. My father’s family had a house on Keefer before that park was built and my grandfather had a shoe repair shop on Main Street back in the day.
How does the bean to bar chocolate method make an impact?
We’ve always been a vegan company, and by adding bean to bar chocolate we get to source from the farmers who take so much care and attention to the cacao trees, harvesting, and fermenting the beans. This ensures we are truly a cruelty-free company.
Where can we find your products?
Our products can be found online at www.livinglotus.net
Visit our blog for more on our Maker of the Month series.
Corinne Leroux is the owner of Awesome Sauce Designs operating out of MakerLabs in Strathcona. She offers quirky, handmade art pieces (available to order on her Etsy shop) and teaches regular classes on how to make your own stained glass art.
Tell us a little bit about your art and what you make.
I make stained glass art with a modern twist. I try and veer away from what people think of when they traditionally think of stained glass. My pieces focus on a more modern geometric style and the weird and whimsical.
How did you begin your journey with stained glass and how did you decide to turn your art into a business?
I’ve always been crafty and had many hobbies including learning to knit at the age of 6. Stained glass was one of many hobbies I tried, and I took a class at the Surrey Arts Centre in 2005, and then really loved it. I made more and more pieces and was giving them away to friends and family. I also had other things I was making – you can only have so much stained glass in your house – so I decided to combine all my hobbies into one business and start selling my work. This included things I had sewn, knit, greeting cards I designed, and stained glass, but eventually, the glass just took over all of it.
In 2015 after having lots of practice in the medium, and seeing that there were very limited places to learn this art, I started teaching stained glass classes in my studio.
Where in Strathcona are you based and what makes this neighbourhood special to you?
My studio is based out of MakerLabs. It’s a really creative space, filled with other makers, that I find inspiring just to be in. There’s always an energy here that makes me excited to work on my art. I also love all the history in this neighbourhood seeing all the colourful historic buildings as well as the newer murals that have been painted in the last few years. I think it adds to that creative energy that we have in MakerLabs.
Where can we find your products?
I sell my work mostly on my Etsy shop, but I also accept commissions for custom work as well. My products and information about classes can be found on my website and inquiries about commissions can be emailed to hello@awesomesauceart.com.
Visit our blog for more on our Maker of the Month series.
