About Quirk Society
Quirk Society creates quirky and FUNCTIONAL housewares perfect for adding personality to your home.
A seed was planted in 2018 when Jessica asked Tanja if she could create a gingerbread-themed ornament for a colleague. This reignited Tanja’s joy for working with polymer clay and led to the creation of gnome and gingerbread-themed ornaments, the Gnomingtons and GingyKeks. This cast of characters include Chefs, Steampunks, Gamers, Doctors, Athletes, and more.
Soon after, they participated in a ceramics workshop, building quirky-faced mugs. They had so much fun making these mugs, and Jessica’s dream of exploring pottery finally became a reality. From there, they joined their local makers’ studio with their first creations being monster-themed bowls that they call Monsters and Pretty Things. These bowls feature handbuilt or handpainted monsters adorned with delicate details. After all, even monsters have a pretty side.
In 2020, Tanja and Jessica decided to give this endeavour a name and launch it as a small business, and that’s how Quirk Society came to be.
Since then, Quirk Society has grown to include plates, platters, charcuterie boards, butter dishes, mugs, bowls, jewelry, mini houses and its much-loved Peaty M. Pots and Poppy V. Pots planters. Every item is a reflection of their collaborative process. Jessica and Tanja’s creative journey is a continuous exploration of new mediums and techniques. They’re always looking forward to what’s next and excited to share their quirky creations with you!
Why Shop Quirk Society?
We offer a unique mix of collections. Our pieces are one-of-a-kind designs bursting with personality and charm. We are a proudly Canadian, women owned and operated business. All of our products are handmade with the utmost care and attention to detail. We take pride in creating beautiful items that you’ll be proud to own.
Meet The Makers
Tanja
Tanja has always had a keen eye for cute, unique, and quirky things. As a kid, she was obsessed with Hello Kitty and Snoopy (let’s be honest, she still is) and would often bug her mom to stop by the toy shop on the way home from school to “just have a look.” While in high school, she started exploring the polymer clay medium, making little animals and figures as gifts for her family. Eventually, she went on to create custom pieces and nameplates which were sold in the gift shop at Black Creek Pioneer Village and various markets.
She took a break for a while as she started a career as a Massage Therapist, kneading people rather than clay. But, in 2018, the hiatus was over thanks to a gingerbread request from Jessica, and she has been happily thinking up and creating new characters and pieces ever since.
After working with polymer clay for longer than she will admit, in 2020, Tanja branched out into ceramics. Building on her experience with polymer clay, Tanja mainly creates Quirk Society’s handbuilt pieces and does the painting.
For Tanja, one of the hardest parts of creating is knowing when to edit cause if she had it her way, Quirk Society would have an endless array of collections.
Jessica
Jessica has always had a creative spark. And for a long time, she wanted to try pottery but wasn’t exactly sure how to go about it as someone with a congenital hand amputation. But Jessica isn’t one to shy away from figuring out a way to make things work. So, an upcoming afternoon workshop of funny-faced mug building seemed the perfect opportunity to get her feet wet. She signed up, and after getting comfortable and having a lot of fun, Jessica decided to take the next step and join the local pottery studio. And guess what? She found her groove and was an absolute natural!
Admittedly, getting the pieces just as she wants them takes a lot of practice and patience. But the satisfaction of creating something beautiful from a raw lump of clay is what motivates her. And, for Jessica, being at the wheel is the perfect place to disconnect from the daily grind and focus on being present.
Another of Jessica’s creative outlets is in graphic design. When Tanja first conceived of the idea for Quirk Society’s logo, Jessica was able to fulfill that initial vision. That skill set is a definite asset and has really come in handy as Jessica has been able to transform some quirky ideas into a line of custom stickers. And, whether in the pottery studio or on the computer, Jessica is always busy thinking up new ideas and making them come to life.
