Clocks made with simerupa wood by Irene's Creative Handicraft of Linden.
Irene Bacchus-Holder was pregnant with her second child when she decided to quit her job in the insurance business and become a full time mom.
But she soon got restless and needed something to occupy her time. "I saw some products by an artist at GuyExpo and fell in love with the art form," she says, explaining how Irene's Creative Handicraft in Linden got started.
Irene's craftwork involves burning images into carefully selected pieces of Guyana's finest woods.
It was the perfect hobby as she could do it from home although she first used to make gifts for family and friends until the recipients encouraged her to go commercial.
Being a mother of three and operating her own business can be hectic especially when there are deadlines to meet. But Irene gets a lot of satisfaction from the work and her husband helps out. "When it comes to giving me my space he is there."
Being a businesswoman also means "in a lot of cases you get, overlooked," in a field dominated by men. "In terms of buying wood, the wood dealers can't believe - well look - it is a woman!"
But once they realise she knows about wood species, they are less sceptical even though she often pays more.
With assistance from the Guyana Office for Investment(Go-Invest), Irene was able to import US$5,000 worth of equipment to shape, smooth and burn designs into the wood.
"Now I am trying to expand it [the business]...hopefully with input from LEAP (Linden Economic Advancement Project)," she says.
There is financing available for small businesses and Irene hopes to go bigger although not too large. "I don't want to copy China," she says.
Irene's Creative Handicraft attended its first overseas exhibition in 2001 at the Caribbean Gift and Craft Show in Barbados. Following this show, appearances were made at shows in Grenada, Antigua and at the Guyana Folk Festival in New York. Some of her pieces were also displayed at exhibitions in England and France and in June at a Go-Invest trade show in Canada.
She did not get any large orders but the cash sales helped her break even.
She says it can be a bit of a struggle given there is not the vibrant tourism industry here. But she regularly supplies Guyana Stores and other craft shops around the country.