You can find Amelia's shop here.

Meet Your Maker (MYM): Describe what you make and how you got your start.

Amelia (A): I've been involved in arts and crafts for as long as everyone else;
preschool, maybe earlier. I loved art classes best of all throughout grade
school, junior high, and high school, and always looked for an excuse to
turn a class project into an art project.

I studied fiber arts in college, along with painting, design, sculpture,
etc. What I really love, though, are papers and fibers. And I love
creating new things out of old things. So I find cool stuff, I collect
bits and pieces of things wherever I find them, and I make whatever the
materials inspire me to make.

Currently, I'm focusing on hand-bound books made with the reclaimed covers
of old books. I call these ReBound Books. I also make cards, hats, and
whatever else I feel like making on a given day.

This current project is also helping me live up to my New Year's
Resolution of buying no new craft materials. It's been a challenge, but so
far glue and thread are the only things I've needed to buy new. Recycling
and reusing gives me a feeling of accomplishment.

MYM: Is this your largest source of income or do you have another job?

A: I work as a graphic designer for a publishing company. Most of my job
entails designing book covers (surprise!) and advertising fliers for the
books we publish.

MYM: Any advice to someone about making the leap from hobby crafting to
selling?

A: I recommend having another source of income to back you up for a good long
while. I also recommend Etsy. They have pretty low seller fees, great blog
posts to help sellers, and a wonderful feeling of community. Also, if
you're going to do craft shows like Meet Your Maker, have business cards
available. Sometimes people don't have cash on-hand, but will contact you
later to make a purchase.

MYM: Have you had any big breaks? How did they happen?

A: Not yet. I tend to prefer small breaks, though. They're easier to handle
stress-level-wise. And they heal faster. ;)

7. Where else can we find you online?

I blog, Facebook, MySpace, Spoonflower, and Etsy. This link will take you
to my web page, where all of my various contact information can be found.

MYM: Any further info or comments?

A: I'm really glad to be part of the Meet Your Maker events, and I hope
attendance continues to grow!

You can find more of Kyle's great work here.

Meet Your Maker (MYM): Describe what you make and how you got your start.

Kyle (K): I'm a letterpress printer specializing in cards, stationery, invitations, posters, music packaging, and other printed ephemera.
I loved the printmaking classes I took in college, but it wasn't until a few years ago that I discovered letterpress. A friend of mine suggested it might be something I'd be into, and when I moved to Portland from Maine in 2005, I decided to take a class. By the end of the first hour, I was pretty certain I had found something that was going to stay with me for a very long time. After a year or so of workshops and fooling around with the presses at a community printshop, I decided to start looking for an apprenticeship. I wanted to print every day, and I also wanted to learn about how to run a shop. I packed up and moved to Asheville, North Carolina, to work with Blue Barnhouse, a small printshop specializing in the most amazingly off-color greeting cards as well as beautiful custom work. I learned an overwhelming amount in that year, and formed some lasting friendships with the folks there. I spent another few months apprenticing at Wolfe Editions in Maine before moving back to the west coast and starting up my own business.

MYM: Is this your largest source of income or do you have another job?

K: This is currently my largest source of income, though I do take on odd jobs every now and then.

MYM: Any advice to someone about making the leap from hobby crafting to selling?

K: The most important thing for me has been to bring my personal expenses down as low as possible. Go for the cheapest rent you can find! I had the good fortune of finding a mostly free living situation (work/trade) and it made all the difference for those first few months when I wasn't making any money. Even if you can't live rent-free, it takes so much stress off of the business and allows much more creative freedom to use your money efficiently.

Also important is finding the right balance between computer/marketing/networking time and actual studio time. It's essential to put some effort into getting your name out there so people know what you're doing, but not if it means you're at your computer five days a week instead of actually making stuff!

MYM: Have you had any big breaks? How did they happen?

K: I wouldn't say it was exactly a "big break", but I did get to attend the National Stationery Show this year as an exhibitor. My friends at Blue Barnhouse have had a booth at the show for a few years now, and this year they invited me to share booth space. It was a great opportunity to pitch my work to vendors from all over the world, and I picked up a few good accounts that will hopefully place more orders in the future.

MYM: Where else can we find you online (blog, etsy, facebook, flickr, twitter, etc.)?

K: Etsy is currently the best place to find me, though I do also have a blog, which I update every now and then.
And the website (www.powerandlightpress.com) will be up and running in a few weeks. Facebook may be coming soon?

MYM: Any further info or comments?

K: I feel so lucky to have found work that I love. Even when things get crazy around the shop with missed deadlines, finicky antique presses, ordering the wrong paper for a client, etc, I still can't think of anything else I'd rather be doing. Making a business out of a craft you love doing is a tricky thing - just because I'm a good printer doesn't necessarily mean I'll run a good printing business. The past year has been a big learning curve, but I'm starting to figure it out.

Ericca Heim of Bellybaloo is a maker at our July 31st show at PRI.

You can find her work here.

Meet Your Maker (MYM): Describe what you make and how you got your start.

Ericca (E): Mostly I make fabric hand bags, tote bags, pouches and change purses. I like mixing new and modern fabrics with vintage fabrics. I love finding tablecloths, bedspreads, and curtains from different eras with big, bold, colorful designs on them and mixing them with contemporary patterns and motifs. I also make hair clips and hair bands with fabric covered buttons. Great way to use up the scraps from the wonderful fabrics that I can't waste an inch of! Some of my other creations are decorative bud vases using antique bottles and recycled materials, creative name signs made with paper covered wooden letters, and funky aprons.

I feel like I've always been crafty. I loved art in school and I always remember liking to make homemade gifts for people. I guess that's where the hand bag making started. For like 4 years in a row, for Christmas, I made my sister a different bag. People would constantly ask her where she got them, and she really pushed me to start making them and selling them.

MYM: Is this your largest source of income or do you have another job?

E: This is mostly a hobby....something I can't stop doing......
I am a full time student, getting my degree in Elementary Education. I also work PT at an insurance company as as Admin Assistant.

MYM: Any advice to someone about making the leap from hobby crafting to selling?

E: Hmmm.....not sure.....I still think of it totally as a hobby. I think for me, that keeps it really fun!

MYM: Have you had any big breaks? How did they happen?

E: No, none that I can think of....I'm just grateful to have the opportunity to be a part of Meet Your Maker.

MYM:  Where else can we find you online?

E: I just started writing a blog.

I am so grateful and thankful to all of those who have ever purchased one of my creations! What a great feeling it is to share my creativity with others.

Holly Grippe is a maker at our July 31st show at PRI.

You can find her work here.

Holly (H): I handcraft natural, organic products for body and home. I first learned how to make herbal infused oils and salves while attending the Arizona School of Integrative Studies for massage therapy in 1999. I also became increasingly aware of the dramatic impact on the environment and our bodies and health that commercial cosmetics and cleaning products have. I began experimenting with making my own formulations for body care products and cleaning solutions. Then in 2004 my husband and I learned we were going to have a baby, this made me determined to live as green and nontoxic as possible and I began making all of my own products including baby products. I was so pleased with the ability to control what were using on our bodies and in our home. I began sharing my formulations with friends and family, and before to long Garden of Holly was born. We are proud to offer a full line of products that never contain synthetic harsh ingredients.

Meet Your Maker (MYM): Is this your largest source of income or do you have another job?

H: It was my determination to be a stay at home mom if it was at all possible, so yes Garden of Holly is my only source of income .

MYM: Any advice to someone about making the leap from hobby crafting to selling?

H: Selling anything is a challenge, and owning your own business is a tremendous amount of work, but what better way to  work then doing something you love and believe in.

MYM: Have you had any big breaks?  How did they happen?

H: No it has been slow and steady all along.

I am grateful to live in Eugene were there is a love and respect for handcrafted products as well as an abundance of fresh organic ingredients, all of which allow me to continue to do what I enjoy.