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
July 2021 or Earlier
Sashiko stitching artist Reina Nishida-Lee was raised in a small village in Japan, where her grandmother was often engaged in handicrafts, sparking Reina’s own creativity. In 2019, she began making custom denim jackets for children and deepened her craft by learning Sashiko, a traditional Japanese hand stitching method. Reina
July 2021 or Earlier
Have you ever met someone who instantly makes you feel happy? Artist, photographer, maker and content creator Jaclyn Altieri is one of those people. So if you could use a dose of joy, definitely check out her Instagram. I met Jaclyn in real life around 2012, and I was drawn
July 2021 or Earlier
Cat Ferraz is an artist, painter, color explorer and co-creator of cantravel.today, a travel blog. She and her partner Nick Rother are traveling artists who document life through adventure on the site, which also features Cat’s art installations. She’s painted murals in Ecuador, Chile, Peru and other
Big World of Little Dude is an educational platform that teaches social and emotional skills to children. “Our mission is to foster positive outcomes of love, kindness and empathy through experiencing a rich and engaging evidence-based social and emotional curriculum,” said Cara Zelas, author, educator and founder of the company.
Natalie Garay is the founder and CEO of {ther • happy}, which offers handmade, small-batch mists made with essential oils and flower essences. Featuring product names like Calm The F*ck Down, the brand stands out with its sense of humor. Before launching her line of mists, Natalie, a post-baby rehabilitation