Who We Are
Our team, created on April 23, 2012, is a group of artisan shop owners who create and sell our handmade works on Etsy. Our members are committed to "keeping the hand in handmade" and raising awareness about the importance and value of artists' handmade products in an increasingly mass-produced economy. We strive to promote and support handmade artists and to provide assurance to Etsy buyers that purchasing from a team member is purchasing authentic handmade directly from the artist or artists.What We Do
Within the Etsy venue, we provide a place where members gather to uphold the "spirit of handmade." Our members support one another by providing mentoring, critiques, suggestions and how-to's to the team. We work to provide members the necessary tools to have a successful venture on Etsy, and to alert them to any new changes to the site. Most importantly, we work toward keeping buyers aware of what and from whom they are buying on Etsy.How We Work
Within the team framework, there is a Captain who coordinates duties among members, Leaders who lead the group in carrying out its work and staying true to the team mission, and our Members. We have committees dedicated to specific work within the team, and members participate on the committee(s) of their choice. Most team ideas and practices originate from the General Discussion Forums where members carry on discussion and debate about current issues and how we as a team might act upon them.Meet Your Leaders
Kathi (a/k/a Kathijane) Proctor of Pomegranate Farm is a full-time craftsperson who enjoys turning the ordinary into the extraordinary. Crocheting, sewing and beadweaving top the list of her favorite crafts. She considers herself a "country girl," and favors farmhouse vintage and country chic styles as reflected in her work. Her motto is "anything worth doing is worth doing well." Kathi lives with her husband and teenage son south of Atlanta, Georgia.Kelli of Accessories by Kelli is a retired Realtor, banker, insurance claim processor. She learned handwork skills from her grandmothers and mother, which she now uses in designing and creating knitted hats, caps, scarves, & mitts, she loves Nordic designs and also textured stitches. She also knits or sews tote bags and handbags that she sometimes applique’s, and children’s sun hats that she decorates with lace and rick rack from her mother’s and grandmother’s stashes. She uses recycled fabric for the sunhats that were once clothing or aprons. She loves the process of selecting style, size and color palette, then watching the item build itself in her hands into a finished product.
Lisa Erickson, aka Tinycloud, is a graphic designer and creative director in San Francisco who loves to make stuff - especially clothing for children. Her favorite design was invented for a friend's wedding - a cozy shirt with a built in felt collar, complete with buttons and a wide striped felt tie. Finally, a wedding outfit for kids that is super comfortable to wear but still looks fancy! Lisa is also quite enamored with eyeball buttons and uses them whenever possible. Crafters Unite!
Nancy Andrews, aka TheBakersDaughter, is Art Director at a graphic arts firm in Central Illinois - the land of corn and soybeans. In her spare time (!) she makes yarn and felt wreaths, along with other holiday decor items. She loves gardening, and even built her own backyard platform deck and remodeled almost every room in her house herself - the only room left to do is the dreaded bathroom. She's also a reading junkie, especially American history, biographies, and bodice-ripping romance novels. Her style runs the gamut from farmhouse chic to to modern simplicity.
Sylvie a/k/a Albina Rose comes from a long family history of people who work with their hands. Her business is named after her grandmother who taught her how to crochet at age 9. Her mom, a seamstress taught her how to sew at age 11. And everything took off from there. Sylvie is a self-taught artisan who beadweaves, crochets, knits, makes decoupage and pretty much anything else that can be turned into an item of jewelry. Her love of faerie tales, faeries, woodland and nature, in some way inspire every item she creates. She particularly loves medieval Renaissance and Victorian styles. Her favorite motto is live life with a pure heart and good intentions. It will never fail you.
Toni of Cool Tricks grew up making, drawing and dreaming in a creative family. Toni says: "Finally my doodling skills are counting for something tangible, I turn them into toys, pot holders, and other fun things. Color, pattern, design are my favorite thing, making too many of one thing is my least favorite. I love to see the smiles on the faces of those who receive my creations. I live in rural NW Montana, am a mom of five and a granny of five. My husband and I have just had our 31st anniversary."
