Stephanie Tiddens

Name: Stephanie Tiddens

Age: 40

Location: Buffalo Grove, Il

Profession: Homemaker

Craft(s) of Choice: Beading, Knitting, Crochet, Quilting

My husband comes from a very large family and all of his nieces and nephews are having babies. I started to make Amigurumi animals for the children we see at Christmas. Well after about 3 years of making animals, food, and various other types of toys it is time for an all Christmas theme. Gingerbread houses, Nativity Scenes, Nutcrackers, etc. Last year I made a lemur for one of the babies who is Autistic, he kept holding onto that tail for dear life. It’s so rewarding to see his face light up when he gets his present. When I find a new pattern I always think about which child will like it the most. It is rewarding to know my work is loved.

Claudia Dunitz

Name: Claudia Dunitz

Age: 55

Location: Santa Fe, NM

Profession: Maker (of Natural Skin Care Products and Graphic Design)

Craft(s) of Choice: Knitting, Freeform Crochet, Art Quilting, Baking, Mosaics, Beading, Sewing, Embroidery, Surface Design, Painting, Printing, Fusing, Burning, Yikes – I can go on and on!

Blog: http://www.healmyhands.typepad.com

I don’t think there was a time when I didn’t make things with my hands.  In those days we “played outside” until it was time for supper.  We made forts and mud pies and played games with balls and sticks.  As I got older, I made cloths for my dolls, then clothes for myself.   As a young wife, I made clothes for my children to stretch the family budget.  I learned to knit and quilt.  My daughters learned to make what they didn’t have by watching me.  I was the Brownie Leader and we crafted constantly, at our meetings and at home.  We fed ourselves and warmed ourselves.  We baked, canned sewed and quilted by hand.  They made quilts for their dolls’ beds while I made quilts for our beds.

Today, both my daughters are makers.  My eldest daughter designs knitwear for children in addition to raising three, holding down a full time job, baking from scratch and knitting constantly.  She has just taught my youngest granddaughter, who is five, to knit.  My youngest daughter knits, sews, gardens and is a graphic artist.  Making has always been more than a crafty afternoon for us.  It has defined us as women and as a family.  It’s what we talk about on the phone.  What we share.  The first question always is: “So what are you making?”

Laura Nabhan Reichhardt

Name: Laura Nabhan Reichhardt

Age: 25

Location: Honolulu, Hi

Profession: Disease Management Project Specialist

Craft(s) of Choice: dancing, knitting, crocheting,sewing, baking, on occasion beading, learning screenprinting

Blog: http://gussyrose.blogspot.com

My grandmother decided it was time for me to learn how to knit when I was 8, and thus began my crafting life. Coming from a family that thrives on creating, made objects have always been cherished. As an off-shoot, my dad became very involved in the local food movement several years ago and encouraged me to make items that support this movement. Today, I focus mainly on dancing, knitting and sewing, making items like “Play!” beer coozies and “Eat Locally” panties. I try creating items that carry a message, in a fun, joking way, but above all, I try to work on something every day.

Patricia Huntoon

Name: Patricia Huntoon

Age: 48

Location: Stamford CT

Profession: Website Owner, Technique Junkie Newsletter Publisher

Craft(s) of Choice: Stamping, Scrapbooking, Beading

Blog: http://patstamps.blogspot.com

In October 2002, I started a publication called the Technique Junkie Newsletter that teaches rubber stamping techniques using step-by-step, picture tutorials. Although they are easy to find on the internet now, I have published for 7 years, and have over 500 tutorials completed in this manner. This is the most comprehensive library of rubber stamping techniques on the internet!

Tammy Bullins

Name: Tammy Bullins

Age: 51

Location: Gladbrook, Iowa

Profession: They call me a sandwich, I take care of my mother and son. Which they both have Bipolar and my son also has Autism. I am wanting to take some college classes soon.

Craft(s) of Choice: Crochet, Beading, Sewing, Alot of different crafts too!

I crochet a lot. I have time doing so watching my mother. I do crafts with my son, He and I pass the whole day with paper mach’e to stamping. He has so much inspiration he really gets my creativity going. Then their is my sis who gets me everytime, to craft or do something new. What a good life!

Jennifer Morris

Name: Jennifer Morris

Age: 46

Location: Toronto

Profession: Craftsperson, Designer- Maker  Day job Salesperson

Craft’s of Choice: Beading, Bead weaving, Embroidery, Wirework, Crochet, Knitting, Collage

Blog: http://embellishment.ca

How craft saved my life or a least made the process of illness and recovery better. I have a genetic disorder so I was in and out of hospitals as a kid with many operations so I leaned to entertain myself with crafts. In my 20’s a family friend took me to the One of a Kind show and told me I could do this as a living (I didn’t know you could) So I went to craft college so you could say I am a professional craftsperson I have been in some gallery shows but I have never made a living at it. Craft is a part of my life I need to make stuff it’s almost like food or air to me.  I always have a project going and usually carry something to work on.  In May of 2004 I was diagnosed with breast cancer I had a mastectomy, chemo the full deal. But because I had my work I felt that it was easier for me then others. I did my embroidery till my hands shook too much then I went to knitting and crochet during my chemo I made a sweater coat and 2 afghans. I was lucky because no matter what I always had something to do and think about other than the sickness and how I felt. Going all through this I decided that I am only going to do what makes me happy. My goal is to get to the point where I can make a living as a craftsperson.

Kay Lynn Odle-Moore

Name: Kay Lynn Odle-Moore

Age: 52

Location: Tok, Alaska (about 90 miles from the Yukon Territory, Canada; Interior Alaska with ranges in temperature from 80′s in the summer to -70 degrees F. in the winter – closest large city with supplies – Fairbanks, AK – 210 miles away)

Profession:  Interpretive Park Ranger for Tetlin National Wildlife Refuge – (previous career – educator for 30 years)

Craft(s) of Choice:  Tatting, beading, quilting – mostly wearable art and small wall hangings, cross stitch, stenciling, and crochet – combining original art (i.e. embellishing quilting with tatting stencils, and beading)

About 29 years ago, a good friend of mine and I decided we wanted to take tatting lessons. At that time, I lived in a small city in central Ohio, and a local quilt shop was offering a tatting class. My friend, Holly, almost immediately mastered the double stitches and picots. She innately felt the tension and began working on her first tatted piece. I just ended up with knots! For the first time in my life, I felt like the slow student who didn’t quite understand what was being taught.   Nevertheless, I followed advice that I’d given my own school students: persevere! Week after week I kept trying to get a knot that would slide. Finally, during the fourth class, I “got it”. 

Despite my rough beginnings with tatting, my skill level improved rapidly once I was able to master the proper tension for my fingers and the shuttle. Soon, my shuttle “flew” and I was creating tatted gifts for others. Because tatting is so transportable, I often carry it in a little purse and bring it out on planes, in doctors’ offices, or in any other situation where I’ll be sitting and waiting. Often others sitting nearby ask me about my tatting, and I share with them my humble beginnings.  I’ve also had the pleasure of successfully teaching many others to tat. Because I had to struggle with mastering the skills for tatting, I credit tatting for teaching me some life lessons: humility, perseverance, dedication, and ultimately pride.

Stacy Schyler

Name:  Stacy Schlyer

Age: 35 (36 this September)

Location: Wichita, Kansas

Profession:  Work at home mom.

Craft(s) of Choice:  Sewing, mostly.  I like to ‘dabble’ in other crafty ventures such as knitting, simple beading, and various other crafts that might appear on the internet that pique my interest!

Blog:  http://www.StacySews.com

If you talk to my mother, she would mention that when I was little, I used to ‘design’ Barbie clothes. Apparently, I spent a great deal of time drawing elaborate gowns for her – and at times trying to sew them up (by hand). That must have been a passing fancy since that’s about as far as my sewing got until I hit the 8th grade and took a home economics class. When we got to the sewing unit, we were told to make a sweatshirt – what a horrible experience that was.  I wound up getting so so far behind, my mom had to help me finished it. After that experience, I vowed I would never sew again!  Fast forward several years. After having my daughter and spending lots of time at home and watching craft shows, I decided that I that I would attempt sewing, again.  Finally, I invested in an inexpensive  floor model sewing machine, a pajama pattern for my daughter, and some cotton fabric. The worst part of the whole experience was learning how to thread that darn machine – I swear that it took 2 hours for me to get it right, but I did it and made some pjs.  Of course, I neglected to follow the size chart so the  pajamas were too big and I sewed the pants with one leg right side out and the other wrong side out, but I completed a garment and had the confidence to keep on sewing!”

Lori Anderson

Name: Lori Anderson

Age: 39

Location: Easton, MD

Profession: Jewelry Designer and Mommy

Craft(s) of Choice: beading

Blog: www.lorianderson.blogspot.com

I never, ever, ever thought of myself as creative.  None of my “real” jobs had the slightest thing to do with creativity – Air Force linguist, IT sales rep, pre-med student.  I’d never been encouraged to be creative, pushed more towards excelling academically, so while I’d longing gaze at colored pencils and paints, I never indulged my inner artist.

But then came my wedding, and I knew exactly how I wanted everything to be, and rather than turn into a bridezilla, delegating everything to stressed-out professionals, I decided to have fun and do it myself.  I made the favors, the table cards, the programs – and I found out I dearly loved making things.

After the wedding, I thought about becoming a wedding planner, and even built a web site to sell my handmade greeting cards, but it wasn’t until I was pregnant and on bed rest that I received my calling.  A friend brought me some beads to keep me busy, and things just clicked.  Things immediately started selling, I started amassing a frightening inventory of beads and wire, and I’ve never looked back.

I wish I’d allowed myself to explore my creativity a long time ago – who knows where I would have gone with it?  But it’s never, ever too late to start something new.  I continually find exciting art forms that intrigue me, and this time, I’m jumping in feet first, trying it all, and caring not a whit if I’m good at it or not.

Leslie Petrovski

Name: Leslie Petrovski

Age: 48

Location: Denver, Colorado

Profession: Freelance writer

Crafts of choice: Knitting, crochet, beading, spinning and soapmaking

Five years ago, I decided I wanted to combine my profession—writing—with my hobby—knitting. At the time I felt stuck in my writing life, while my knitting flourished. Why not combine the two?

It took a bit of persistence, but I finally placed a short article with Vogue Knitting. I was elated. Soon I was writing for them regularly, which gave me an excuse to think about knitting even more. I launched a knitting blog, designed a few sweaters and began writing personal essays.

More importantly, I began to love words again. Daily blogging kept my writing loose and I felt inspired by the words and knits of other bloggers. Knitting’s meditative qualities created space for new ideas and phrases to emerge. I went from feeling trapped to feeling liberated.

How come? Because now my office is filled with yarn and knitting books along with to-do lists and file folders. Most days I get to indulge the spirit that compels us to turn words into prose and yarn into sweaters. Though sometimes it’s a struggle to stay focused—it’s so easy to dabble and get distracted—I’ve realized that to stay vibrant, I can’t deny the curiosity that pushes me to ask, “What would happen if…?”

Knitting helped remind me of that.