If you have a jewelry designer on your gift-buying list this year, why not get them something that can fuel their creativity? Handmade beads and findings can be unique and thoughtful gifts for jewelry makers, especially when they support small businesses. We’ve rounded up several of our favorites. Handmade
career change
After immigrating to the United States from Greece in 2019, Vicky Gkarmiri launched Next Door Goddess, a brand of limited-edition statement jewelry pieces inspired by her homeland. Though designing jewelry had been her passion for many years, Vicky’s decision to start Next Door Goddess wasn’t an easy one.
art
Sabine Joseph is the founder of All of Us, a line of skin tone crayons. Though when she made her first beeswax crayon, she didn’t intend to start a business. Sabine created it to solve a problem she had. “My daughter asked me to draw a photo of Grandma,
halloween
Many pet parents get a kick out of dressing up their furballs for Halloween, and the practice spreads joy. It’s hard not to smile when we see a cat, dog or hamster in costume. Here are three artisans who sell handmade Halloween costumes for pets. They all take custom
fashion
Handmade Halloween costumes are top of mind as the spooky day is quickly approaching. Since handcrafted clothing usually requires lead time, now is the perfect time to discover where to get handmade Halloween costumes. Artisan Joy knows just where to look. This article features two fashion designers who sew children’
A few years ago, Allegra Murray donated 36 handmade paper flower centerpieces crafted from upcycled book pages to her local library for a Jane Austen-themed event. “They were so well received that I decided to open The Petal Peddlerʼs Shop in 2018 to meet the demand,” she said about starting
Colleen Williamson was a marketing executive but charted a new course as an artist and entrepreneur, launching Kisco Print Shop in 2014. Colleen recalls that she wanted to explore her creative passions while spending time with her family. Colleen combines colors, patterns and shapes in her work and describes her
Yuliya Shulman creates colorful handmade jewelry and home and kitchen accessories made of polymer clay. We recently interviewed the artist to learn more about what motivated her to become a creative entrepreneur and the inspiration behind her work. AJ: How did you get started creating your art? YS: I’ve
artist
Interview with Crystal Walen One of the ways you can earn money from your art is to sell your designs on Spoonflower. We talked with Crystal Walen, the fabric pattern designer and artist behind the surface design brand Crystal W Design. In her interview, Crystal shared how she began selling
E.M. Corsa, a fanciful nature artist, creates original watercolor paintings on antique book pages and vintage postcards. She also paints watercolor on Yupo paper with antique ephemera. If you’re unfamiliar with the term like me, here’s how The Ephemera Society of America defines it: “In a nutshell,
July 2021 or Earlier
When her youngest child was born eight weeks early at just 2 pounds, 2 ounces, Royce Timoshevick found calm and comfort in sewing him one-of-a-kind clothing out of soft organic fabric. Once her baby was home, she continued designing children’s clothing and felt an entrepreneurial spark. Soon after, Royce
crayons
In her first year of teaching elementary school art, former teacher Nicole Lewis began upcycling broken crayons. She planned a kindergarten art lesson on texture rubbings and created her first multi-colored crayons by melting the broken crayon bits in wax cups. Nicole’s students loved them, which inspired her to