My Journey
I was born and raised on a grain/cattle farm in southern central Saskatchewan. The only girl with 3 brothers, I learned all aspects of farm life from fixing fence, making hay and calving cows, to looking after kids and making a big meal when needed.
I have so many amazing childhood memories of cattle drives, family trips to Cypress Hills and Cochrane, day trips to the Wood Mountain pool, water fights on our lawn, and visiting grandparents and family that were no more than half an hour away.
In my first year of college, my family moved to northern BC. In the fall of 2000, after a custom combining job from Texas to Alberta had come to an end, I came to BC to stay with my family while between jobs and met my husband, Steve….and never left.
We settled down in Chetwynd BC in 2003. A tiny northern town nestled in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. Here we have enjoyed raising our daughter and son on our little acreage; roping at our local arena, hauling our kids to rodeos and enjoying a trip to the family cabin when possible.
My family is my greatest accomplishment and my most prized possession. So thankful for them.
The Beginning of Rockin' PT Rustics
I have been artistic most of my life. Horse shoe flower arrangements and acrylic paintings in my teen years, and antler carvings in my 20’s.
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In 2009 I started to tinker with some woodworking tools that my mom was storing in my shop. I started off creating picture frames, mirrors and small end tables.
Soon it grew into creating custom orders such as bedroom sets, living room entertainment systems and display coffee tables.
The western lifestyle has been a huge part of me, so I really try to bring that to life in the pieces I create.
My path to pottery...
I have always loved pottery. I have a little collection of mugs that my husband has bought me over the years from different places he has visited.
In 2024, I lost my dear friend and sister in law, Jamie. She was an incredible artist, making the most beautiful leatherwork. We had always talked about creating together, but never had the chance. In the early spring of 2025, I thought about starting to learn pottery. It came to me that I could use Jamie’s leatherwork on some of my pieces. And so here we are, creating together. Every piece with Jamie’s leatherwork imprinted in it, has a small engraved “JH” to honor her work. At night when I see the stars, I saw hello to her. I feel she is my star; always there, always guiding me…the star in the bottom of every mug/cup is for her.
I am so incredibly grateful for this journey. Now that our kids are grown and on their own, I plan to have more free time to put towards this business that fills my soul. ~ Trista
