Wendy Peters
Spirit of the Wench

From creating creative cocktails to custom laser cut coasters to making her very first quilt, Wendy Peters is a person who understands how working in a creative hub can lead to all sorts of connections and collaborations. 

And for her, that space has been Fuse33 Makerspace.

“I think that without a space like Fuse, I’d still just be stuck at home, working on three different things a little bit at a time,” she says. “Just being there excites and invigorates me. And that helps me to keep putting one foot in front of the other, especially on the days when growing a business can get a little too overwhelming!”

Since the Start

Wendy has been a part of Fuse33 since the very beginning.

“I think I filled the last member spot when Archeloft was just getting started at the old downtown location in Victoria Park and then moved over when the Forest Lawn spot first opened,” says Wendy. “I was doing cocktails then too, but very much as a hobby. My first cocktail classes were held in the old Archeloft space. From there, I met Elle Nguyen with Latte Art Love and we did some collaborating with coffee and cocktails under the name Barista & Bartender, doing coffee and bar catering for events part time. We also experimented with using the laser cutter to make custom gift boxes for coffee and barware.

“The makerspace also helped me add a personal touch to my day job when I was working in sales at Hotel Arts. For any of the bands I had booked rooms for, I would use the laser cutter to make them custom coasters in the form of records or even artwork from their labels. I’ve made coasters for the likes of Tom Cochrane, Tokyo Police Club, Billy Talent, and many others.”

And the connections didn’t end there.

“A couple of years ago, I did my first collaboration event with Fuse33 for an engineering association,” she continues. “We used smoking boards from Spirits With Smoke (who also make their cocktail smoking boards at Fuse33) for individual smoke boards and hosted the group for a cocktail making class alongside a laser demo where the attendees each took turns picking out an image or verbiage to edge on the back of each of their smoke boards. They then learned how to smoke their glasses to make an old fashioned. Such a fun event!”

Taking Full Advantage of the Community

Although cocktail culture is at the core of a lot of Wendy’s work with Fuse33, she has also utilized the space to engage her creative side.

“I try to make use of the different classes at Fuse to help me develop my skills in other areas as well. For example, I’ve used the sewing machines in the sewing lab to make my first quilt,” she says.

Now, Wendy has moved upstairs into Fuse33’s new studio space. For her, having a neat, affordable, and unexpected space to host private events makes it special. 

“Imagine coming to a cocktail party that you have to walk through a legitimate workshop to get to? But also just the creative energy that’s pulsing through Fuse from its members at any given moment,” she explains. “I never end up short on ideas there or skilled people I can hire or trade with to help me if I’m stuck on something.

“Also, I’ll be participating in the resin class and learning to use the lathe to help me make my own barware and make elements for the bar I’m putting together in my loft space.”

She also believes that Fuse33 is an important creative space for Calgary that stands out.

“Anyone can fit in and find a sense of purpose and belonging at Fuse. That has a lot to do with the mindset and heartset of the people running it,” she says. “[And] having affordable access to tools and workshop space isn’t easy to come by. Fuse invests in tools that help individuals and companies make something without necessarily needing a lot of investment up front.

“The diversity of workshop spaces from metal and woodworking to laser cutting [and] 3D printing to the sewing lab allow for people like myself who enjoy learning to work with new tools and explore new mediums to do so with ease.”

Creating Creative Cocktails

And Fuse33’s community connections with other organizations have been extremely helpful.

“I attended a business accelerator workshop that was hosted by Momentum at Fuse33 in November 2023 and went on to complete the 20 week self-employment program that Momentum offers,” she says. “I wouldn’t have had that connection without Fuse. The program helped me bring together what I thought were different ideas that I dabbled with as hobbies (cocktail book, cocktail classes and a possible podcast) into a cohesive business plan that I’m now executing.”

Even her new venture is about connections. 

“I think cocktails (whether with or without alcohol) present a unique vehicle through which we can connect people, stories, and ideas through our senses,” she adds. “With Fuse33 as my home-base, I’m hopeful that Spirit of the Wench can grow into something that can eventually support me full time while also providing a fun and engaging environment for guests of my classes.”

Learn more about Wendy’s cocktail passion at Spirit of the Wench.

Impact Statement