I met Chris and Lorraine when I was perusing the winter 2018 One-of-a-Kind show. I saw this booth that was decked out in laser etched pieces, and everything in there was so cute. I mean like Gudetama and Totoro cute! So I confidently went up to a dude (who I later found out was Chris) and squealed in his face about how cute and adorbs these pieces were. And 2 minutes later, I signed us up for a laser etching workshop at The Maker Bean Cafe on Bloor.
Laser Precision
The Maker Bean Cafe is a maker and creative space. You can use their machines that includes the laser etching and cutting machine and their 3D printer. There is a cost associated with using it, and it’s totally worth it! If you’re a small business owner, like myself, and want to create gifts for your clients but don’t have the budget for a 1000 minimum that most vendors require, have a nice chat with Chris or Lorraine and they can help you out with whatever designs, cuts or edging you’re looking for.
Did we mention it is also a cafe? Delicious espresso bevvies with even deliciousier sandwiches. I know that Angie is cringing at another made up word. Haha! Bring your laptop, get a coffee and snack on a croissant, and enjoy the warm space. They also have very cool art hanging around. It’s so cool that Angie purchased two of the pieces!
Mosaic Puzzle of Toronto
It was the Maker Bean Cafe that inspired me to design the Toronto puzzle map where each artist of that specific neighbourhood can decorate on that puzzle piece. They were super patience, consistently confirming any changes that happened, and providing feedback to improve the design before final product. Now that’s customer service! 8 hours of design, 2.5 hours of printing later, the puzzle is done!
The Workshop
I met up with Lorraine before the workshop to discuss the puzzle map and well suffice to say, I already had a ton of experience going into the workshop. But I didn’t let that go to waste! Chris and Lorraine started the class by explaining how the laser machine worked. The gist that I got from it was, the longer the laser held its place, the darker the colour would be, and ultimately, it would cut the material. You use a stroke to indicate a cut, and a black fill to indicate etching. They of course go in more specific details, I don’t want to spill all their beans. You should sign up for a class. It’s only $40 for everything!
So with my pre-informed knowledge, I immediately drafted up designs for a pin of our logo. Here’s a fun hack: if someone says your design space is 3 inches by 3 inches, that doesn’t mean you have one piece to make, that’s just your workspace. I made 9 pieces from that space! I made 6 I Love You Toronto pins and 3 Meow Meow pins. Pin backings not included in the class, I already had that material.
Explore Your Creativity
If there’s any interesting material you want etched on like macaroons (which they’ve done before) or slate (again, they’ve done), no material is off limit. Test your creativity and explore the unlimited! The Maker Bean Cafe is a great space for friends to hang out, and let your mind do the wandering.
TRY THE CHICKEN CURRY SANDWICH!
