The maker · Cushla Unique Crafts
Hello — I’m Elizabeth, and I paint things by hand.
I’m originally from Ireland and I’ve made my home in the Kanata–Stittsville corner of Ottawa. Under the name Cushla Unique Crafts I paint cards, bottles, jewellery and keepsakes — each one made and finished by my own hand.
Because every piece is painted one at a time, no two are ever quite the same. That little bit of difference is the character — and the care — I put into the work.
— Elizabeth
Where the name comes from
A word my family used, and a habit I couldn’t put down
Cushla comes from the Irish a chuisle — “pulse of my heart.” It’s an old endearment, the kind of thing you’d say to someone you love. When it came time to name what I make, nothing else felt as true to it.
I grew up in Ireland, where making things by hand was simply part of the day. I carried that with me to Ottawa, and somewhere along the way a pastime became a small studio. These days I paint most mornings — a bottle here, a run of cards there, whatever the season and the light ask for.
I still write, too — a few novels have come out of the same quiet hours — but painting is the thing my hands return to. There’s something in finishing a piece knowing it will only ever exist once.
a chuisle — pulse of my heart
In my studio
What I make
A little of everything, honestly — hand-painted greeting cards on bamboo, glass bottles lit from within with fairy lights, jewellery, embellished denim jackets, painted stones and small pieces of art and décor. If it will hold paint and mean something to someone, I’ve probably tried it.
01
One of a kind
No two pieces are ever the same. The small differences in the paint and the hand are the point — not a flaw to be tidied away.
02
Hand-painted, always
Every card, bottle and keepsake is painted by me from start to finish. Nothing is printed, and nothing is made by anyone else.
03
Made to be given
Most of what I make ends up as a gift. I like knowing a piece is going to someone who will keep it — and that it was chosen with care.
Looking for a custom gift?
Elizabeth can create a gift for almost any occasion, including custom gifts when provided with basic specifications. Tell her what you have in mind and she’ll send you a quote.
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