Meet The Makers

Sheila Bindon

Silverhill Design is a jewelry line made of primarily natural materials such as leather and cork, and tends towards a more classic minimal style. The owner, Sheila, has lived in Maryland since she was three and loves being part of the close-knit maker community here. When she’s not creating, Sheila enjoys spending time with her family, practicing gratitude, and running her own retail store, Chosen, which is located in Cockeysville.

Yvette Cousar

Uniquely Vetty Artistry creates unique jewelry and home décor items, carefully taking the time to handcraft each individual piece. The owner, Yvette, is a Maryland native who spent 22 years serving in the U.S. Air Force. When Yvette is not making, she loves to sing, listen to murder mystery podcasts, and play pickleball. Yvette says that her passion is creating and she puts her heart into every item.

F. Guldal Kirkali

Keche is a line of gorgeous hand-made scarves, shawls, pin & bags. They are crafted from the finest fabrics such as merino wool, felting silk, organic cotton, and linen. Guldal Kirkali, the owner of Keche, is originally from Turkey and was a professor of Biochemistry before starting this business. She enjoys jazz and classical music, which she listens to while she creates. She also enjoys traveling to see her granddaughter and loves that she can make people happy through her creations.

Jen Aranyi

Jen Aranyi is a talented watercolor artist who focuses her work on brightly colored, nature-inspired scenes. She creates most of her designs from places she has seen combined with images from her imagination. Jen loves music and always has something playing while she paints. She also sings and plays the ukulele. Jen is happiest when she is outside in nature, taking walks or hiking, and she is so excited to have recently purchased a new home with her husband.

Jessica Kratchman

The Projects Lady was born from its owner Jessica’s energetic and creative personality. As a child she was constantly creating and constructing new things. After graduating from the University of Maryland and obtaining her doctorate degree, Jessica took a job as a nuclear engineer for the federal government, where she currently works. Jessica is a proud mom to two young children, and is an outspoken advocate for encouraging women to enter STEM fields. She even incorporates that message into her art. 

Linda Schoengold

Linda, the owner of Dolly Doodle Designs, is a Maryland native who grew up in Montgomery County. She specializes in drawing abstract colorful doodle art designs inside of recognizable images. Her art focuses primarily on animals, nautical/beach themes (crabs are her most popular), and musical instruments. She also draws a series of fun character faces. Linda uses her unique original art to make prints, notecards, and coasters. When she’s not making art, Linda enjoys listening to audiobooks, cooking, and baking.

Laura Silberman

The name is self-explanatory, as the primary medium for Laura’s art is clay. She makes FUNctional pottery with a whimsical flair and enjoys the challenge of a customer request or collaboration with others. Laura currently works from a cooperative studio in Rockville where she keeps her array of tools and has her own space to create. She believes in treating others with kindness and respect, has a generous nature, and also makes a delicious peanut butter cookie!

Karen Larochelle

Fig and Fire specializes in handcrafted all-natural self-care products made with essential oils, including soy candles, wax melts, and sugar scrubs. The owner Karen, who was born and raised in Maryland, named her business from some of her earliest memories with her parents. With a background in science, Karen spent two years conducting research in order to create the safe, non-toxic high-quality products that she now produces.

Jennifer Cash

Jennifer has taken her appreciation for vintage postage stamps to the next level with her business, Modern Postmarks. From her vast stamp collection, Jennifer selects appropriate themed and colored stamp to creates art by intentionally inlaying them into a hand-cut design.  Jennifer is inspired by history and color, and enjoys including historical information about the stamps she uses in each of her pieces. In addition to creating,  Jennifer works full-time and has two small children who also keep her busy.

Sydney Zintchem

Poppy and Olive (named for the owner, Sydney’s, two guinea pigs) is all about handmade stone tile coasters. Sydney’s designs are inspired by her extensive international travel. The designs and patterns are eclectic, rich in cultural importance and have an antique weathered charm. When Sydney is not creating, she most enjoys spending time with family, being around nature, listening to documentaries, and salsa dancing.  Her personal motto, “find a way or make one” reflects her strong determination.

Jen Garancheski

No offense to Kraft Foods, but Mad Marshmallows are not your typical bagged grocery-store treat! These are serious gourmet marshmallows in lots of delicious varieties such as S’mores, Peanut Butter Cup, and Chocolate-Covered Cherry. They are lovingly handcrafted with the finest natural ingredients by owner, Jen, who describes Mad Marshmallows as a true passion project.  When she’s not making Marshmallows or spending time with her family, Jen is a full-time beauty influencer on You Tube with 288K followers. 

Tassia Lacerda

Tassia created her drink mixers after years of bartending and having customers ask about her recipes. Due to high demand she decided to bring her unique mixer blends to market. Tassia and her team handmake each bottle from a community kitchen in Baltimore where they work side by side with other food and beverage makers. Having originated from Southern California, Tassia says she puts a little sunshine into every bottle. 

Martina Sestakova

RADOST, the czech word for “Joy” which is evident in owner Martina’s vibrant and colorful work. Originally from Prague, Czech Republic, Martina has lived in Maryland for 20 years and currently works from her home studio in Kensington.  She is a painter, textile designer, and art educator, whose work has been featured at the Smithsonian American Art Museum and other notable venues. Each of her pieces has a name and story which she enjoys sharing with her clients. Martina is active in the Maryland art community and currently serves on the Board of the Montgomery Art Association.

Michele Duke

Michele Duke is a digital illustrator who is truly passionate about her art. She loves to create colorful whimsical patterns which are then printed onto high quality paper and textiles such as pillows, tea towels and lavender sachets. From start to finish, all of Michele’s products are designed, produced and assembled by her. In addition to art and sewing, Michele enjoys being in nature, listening to music, and spending time with family. Michele donates 5% of her sales to NAMI (The National Alliance on Mental Illness).

 Eric Brose

Through his business, Urbana Canvas, Eric uses waxed canvas to create all types of products, including tote bags, aprons, dog jackets, and custom tool rolls. Eric describes his products as rugged, yet refined. The business name derives from Eric’s fondness of the Urbana area since he moved there a few years ago with his wife and their two dogs. When Eric is not creating his waxed canvas designs, he works at his “day job” as a software engineer, enjoys spending time outdoors, and riding his motorcycle.

  T.J. Turner

From a workspace in his garage, TJ creates beautiful modern wood furniture, primarily tables, inspired by minimalist Scandinavian and Japanese design. His business name has special meaning as it incorporates his father’s and his own middle names.  TJ is a Maryland native who grew up in Montgomery Village and now lives in Urbana. He loves music, art, traveling, and Jiu Jitsu (in which he’s a black belt). We love TJ’s personal motto - “do what makes you happy – there’s no time in life for things that don’t.”

Sarah Lewis

Sarah is a talented watercolor artist whose business name is a nod to her friends and family and also reflects her work. Sarah’s art is best be described as light and airy with a bit of punny humor thrown in. So it makes sense that why she enjoys listening to a “happy hits” playlist from Spotify when she creates. Although Sarah is a Maryland native and has lived here most of her life, she is obsessed with traveling and has already visited and explored 25 different countries.

Nicole Gable

Sunshine Street is a handbag line made from lightweight, water-resistant, and eco-friendly cork.  Owner, Nicole, is a practicing Pediatrician with three young children of her own. Despite her busy life, Nicole makes time to create because she feels it is therapeutic for her to create something with her hands and it allows her time to process daily events. Nicole uses solid and patterned cork with unique fabric lining to create a variety of styles and sizes of bags. She also makes adorable cork bookmarks.

Vanessa Dinterman

Vanessa’s business, Centaur Rising, was named with her son, Atlas, in mind since he is a Sagittarius with the Centaur as its symbol.  The second part of the name represent Vanessa rising into her creative power. Among other products, Vanessa makes adorable and unique stuffy dolls, washable “paper” towels, whimsical children’s handbags and much more. When Vanessa is not sewing, she loves to camp out and garden. And her personal motto, “Why be moody when you can shake your booty” is one that we could all benefit from adopting!

Becky Sher

Ruth & Dottie combines lots of things that owner Becky loves: color, kindness, crafting and the '80s. The business is named after her grandmas, Ruth and Dorothy, who were also creatives. Becky describes her products are “whimsical handmade.” Flair buttons (pinback and magnets) were Ruth & Dottie's signature item for many years, and foil-stamped pencils joined the crew in 2021. Becky currently lives in Bethesda with her husband and two teenage kids. She loves to read, knit and watch baseball (Go Nats!).

David & Daphne Lee

Potahto Home creates cement and wood plant holders for air plants and succulents, vertical live garden wall décor, and air plant terrarium kits. Owners Daphne and David say the goal of their business is to help enhance their customers’ home aesthetic through accessible designs, and to bring joy to those who see their products. They create from their home and from their shop, and they (and their plants) enjoy having classic jazz and blues music on in the background while they work.

Amanda Coelho

Amanda is an oil painter whose style is primarily contemporary realism with a bold, graphic influence. Through her paintings, she focuses on the meticulous details of an object to capture its quiet and complex beauty, and she is particularly intrigued by color and textures and the way that light and shadows play with them. Amanda is a Maryland native who currently resides in Bethesda, where she paints from a home studio with lots of natural light. Her paintings were most recently exhibited at Brookside Gardens in Silver Spring.

Jacqueline Cassana

Originally from Lima, Peru, Jacqui Cassana moved to the U.S. seventeen years ago and started her business, Boite (which means “box” in French) after graduating from UMBC. Jacqui creates colorful one-of-a-kind pieces of wood and acrylic jewelry and accessories, as well as high-quality apparel items with clever and unique sayings. Jacqui is a self-described dreamer who believes that life should be a vibrant and joyful experience, and she reflects that philosophy through her art. In her personal life, Jacqui loves spending time with her husband and four year old son and listening to Spanish rock music.

Carrie Morin

Woodnote means “a natural and untrained musical note like wild birdsong,” and that is exactly how Carrie Morin approaches her jewelry line. Instead of following traditional methods while creating, Carrie tries a variety of unusual combinations of metal and stones until she is satisfied with the final product. She describes her pieces as being made for  the “magical and creative at heart” and reflects the wearer’s free spirit.  Like many creative people, Carrie enjoys being around art and other artists, and loves museums, music and pop culture.

Megan Prikhodko

Megan is a writer, editor, life-organizer, and author of the beautiful poetry collection, Leap, which is a compilation of poems and prose written over a fifteen year period. The six chapters take the reader through stages in Megan’s life from Childhood, Self-awareness, Pain, Love, Success, and Adulthood, each exploring the nuance of  everyday occurrences. Megan finds poetry to be an amazing medium for artistic expression and skillfully uses the written word to describe her own experiences while invoking independent thoughts and feelings from the reader.

Jacki Szimanski

Charm City Fidgets is the brainchild of owner, Jacki Szimanski, a Maryland native from Baltimore. Jacki makes jewelry and key chains that have a kinetic quality for people (particularly those with ADHD) to fidget with. While she’s making her products, Jacki likes to concentrate on her work by listening to ADHD Focus music, which is comprised of binaural beats and can create the same brainwaves as meditation. In addition to creating her fidget products, Jacki enjoys being outdoors and watching the Great British Baking Show.

Arlen Groban and Froma Sandler

Bows, etc. began in 1997 when Froma and her daughter, Lisa, started creating quality hair bows for her young granddaughter. Arlen joined the team in 2003, helping Bows Etc. expand into a thriving business with products featured in more than 25 stores throughout Maryland, DC, and across the country. Arlen describes their products as a rainbow of color and a garden of flowers, and says that they love creating classic, fun, sparkly and trendy hair accessories because they provide the finishing touch to an outfit that bring smiles and happiness to those who wear and see them.

Victoria Meaney

Victoria creates adorable hand-crocheted stuffed animals. She gives each animal a name which she believe appropriately fits their personalities. Among them are Maisie the monkey, Lianna the lion, Una the unicorn, and Geraldine the Giraffe. Outside of their cuteness, Victoria’s animals are durable and  hold up very well for small children with their tight stitching and safety eyes. Victoria has an endless list of animals that she would eventually like to create, and we can’t wait to see who she brings to us next!

Jen Wexler

Jen specializes in making artful home décor using alcohol ink. She describes her work as having a colorful minimalist aesthetic. It is intended to provide a small pop of color to add interest to a home without overwhelming a space. When it comes to her art, Jen says that she is most inspired by her kids’ creativity and carefree nature, and she tries to apply those traits to her creations. In her free time, Jen enjoys being with her family outdoors, especially hiking on the many trails and parks near her home.

Dani Woo

XOXO Chocolates is as delicious as it sounds! Dani creates custom chocolate treats appropriate for any event, season, or holiday. Some of her specialties include chocolate-covered pretzels, Oreos, lollipops, rice krispie treats, and marshmallow pops. Originally from New York, Dani attended the University of Maryland and has been living here since 1993. Dani was formerly a professional dancer, and now enjoys spending time outdoors, playing tennis, and spending time with friends and family, including her young son who inspired her business name.

Iryna Okunieva

Raw Blossom produces luxury artisan-crafted body care products including all-natural soap, body scrub, body butter, pillow mist, bath bombs, and shower steamers. Owner Iryna handmakes all of her products in small batches using botanicals and plant-based oils and butters. She aims to give her customers a spa-like experience with products that are the highest quality, beautiful, and luxurious. And there is also a lot of science that goes into producing Raw Blossom products so she must be focused on the correct percentages, temperatures, and timing of ingredients.

Marta Vergara & Elymar Vargas

MEL jewelry represents three generations of lovely ladies - Marta, her daughter Ely, and Ely’s young daughter, Lucia. Marta emigrated to the U.S. from Venezuela in 2014 to be with Ely and her family. It was here that she began making jewelry, which she says gave her strength during difficult times, helped her discover a new passion, and begin a new life. MEL’s jewelry is entirely handcrafted from precious metals and gemstones, and their designs have a contemporary minimal aesthetic.  Both ladies agree that they while they love making jewelry, they are at their happiest when spending time with family.

Meghan Najewicz

When Meghan lost her job as a graphic designer at the beginning of the pandemic, she seized the opportunity to go out on her own and start a business creating original designs, both digitally and through hand illustration and lettering. As a Maryland native born and raised in Baltimore County, Meghan has always had intense Maryland Pride, so it’s not surprising to see many Maryland-related items such as crabs & Black Eyed Susan flowers in her art and products. In her free time, Meghan loves to run and gets much of the inspiration for her designs while she’s listening to music while out running.

Alison Baraf

Facets is a line of jewelry created by owner, Alison, with hand-selected semi-precious stones and precious metals. She describes her designs as both classic and current, and always special. Her business name came from Alison’s love of all things bright and shiny and the fact that her jewelry collection is composed of wide and varied pieces. Alison’s work is inspired by making her customer feel beautiful and confident when they wear pieces.

Matthew Parker

Matt uses his skills as a photographer and professional architect to create amazing photo collages in which he reinvents an image through spatial relationships, time and composition. After Matt chooses his subject (typically places and sites around the DMV), he takes photos of the same subject from different angles, over many days, and at different times of the day. He then arranges those photos in collage style to create one incredible scene. We love Matt’s personal motto to live in the moment and always appreciate what is around us.

Courtney Stevens & Chloe Cocco

 Courtney and Chloe are a dynamic mother-daughter duo with an incredible amount of creativity and talent between them. Among other projects, they make wood signs, knitted accessories, water-painted greeting cards, original sea glass art, and more. It seems that there is very little these two ladies cannot do. Both ladies are Maryland natives and currently reside on the Eastern shore near Annapolis. When they aren’t making art, Courtney and Chloe like to spend their time cuddling their pugs.

Kristina Huddle

Bozie’s Bags is a collection of handcrafted bags and accessories made from ethically-sourced and environmentally friendly cork fabric. Kristina prefers that material because it is lightweight, vegan, washable, sustainable, and scratch-resistant. Kristina is a native Marylander, born and raised in Chevy Chase, and currently lives in Silver Spring with her family (including two cats and one dog). Her studio is in her home basement which is filled with fabric, sewing notions and machines. She describes her style as “practically creative,” and aims to make products that are both aesthetically beautiful and practical.

Megan Dignan

MegDig Design is a western Maryland native who creates colorful art prints and stickers that focus on fun patterns and positive messages. Her art and small business are passions of hers and is something she’s loved pouring herself into over the past couple of years. She’s inspired by strong women, nature, literature, and fun color palettes. Her personal motto is ‘anything worth doing is worth doing well’ and we couldn’t agree more!

Lauren Pulz

Lauren Pulz is the maker behind Single Barrel Soaps. She designs and creates handcrafted artisan bath and body products all inspired by her life and the places she’s lived. Her goal with Single Barrel Soaps is to give people a little piece of self-care that they can have every day and deserve. As a mom of three herself, she knows how much those five minutes can mean for your sanity!

Elise Ruland

Charm City Treets is an evolving collection of sustainably crafted homewares featuring reclaimed and live edge wood pieces paired with vintage, antique, and upcycled hardware and accents. Created to be unique and functional home decor and gift items, each piece has its own story and each individual marking helps tell its tale. Elise enjoys getting outside, hiking, and is all about seeing ‘what is’ and imagining ‘what could be’.

Joanna Horrar

Joanna from JK Handmade surrounds herself with art she’s made and collected. Among the products she makes include embroidered keychains, finished pieces framed in hoop or on a canvas, and ornaments for the holidays. She additionally offers DIY embroidery kits that include all the supplies and instructions needed to complete your own projects making it accessible and easy for any new embroiders to start the journey themselves. She aims to create designs with deeper meaning that includes, but not limited, to messages of body positivity, LGBTQ+ representation, and mental health advocacy.

Catherine Guadagnolo

Paint by Numbers is not just for kids, and Catherine makes the kits to prove it. Most of her paint kits feature themes from nature, like plants, flowers and trees.  They make a perfect relaxing activity for a rainy day, as a gift to yourself or for anyone you know who enjoys DIY projects. Catherine describes her products as contemporary creative kits that anyone can enjoy, regardless of their artistic talent or experience. She believes strongly in the benefits of creativity and artistic expression, which she thinks should not be reserved exclusively for “artists.”

Lindsay Sher

Lindsay and her daughters love bright colors and rainbows, which is evident from their business name and the fun colorful products they create together. These include beaded jewelry, accessories, and decorations that are intended to spark joy.  Like a Rainbow products are hand made in the family’s home studio, with aqua blue walls, surrounded by rainbows of yarn, beads, paper, paints, and pens. Lindsay and her family enjoy listening to 90’s hip hot and yacht rock while they create, and playing and watching sports in their free time.

Violeta Barcenas

Violet Red Studios is all about bold colorful art with feminist messaging. Artist, Violeta, originally from Nicaragua, started painting and drawing fifteen years ago following a cancer diagnosis. She incorporates positive inspiring messages in her art, which she hopes will bring joy to people and help lighten the struggles of every day life. Violeta works from her home studio in Kensington which she describes as tidy and colorful, with lots of big windows that help her connect to nature and animals. We love her personal motto that what is coming will be better than what is gone.

Monica Gomez Biderman

Monica, who moved to the DMV from her native country Columbia in 2016, brings us her beaded jewelry line, Amaya Accessories. Her business is named for her daughter, Amaya, which means “beloved daughter” in the Quechua language spoken by an indigenous tribe in Peru. When creating her accessories, Monica draws on two primary sources of inspiration – contemporary art from painters like Henri Matisse and Omar Rayo, and traditional crafting techniques like beading and crochet. Monica says that combining modern and traditional is at the heart of Amaya Accessories.

Elana Mendelson

In addition to her career in Interior Design, Elana creates beautiful and intricate string art that is colorful, whimsical, unique and fun. She makes diverse designs, including college logos, children’s room décor, and humorous bathroom signs. When it comes to art, Elana is most inspired by the relationships between form, function, color and texture. She is a proponent of using upcycling material, including string from her grandmother’s collection that she found in an old cigar box. Those pieces are extra special to her.

Phil Brower

Gracefully Rustic is a perfect description of Phil’s woodwork designs. And the business name has special meaning as it incorporates his daughter’s middle name, Grace.  Phil’s full-time job is in law enforcement, but he loves to spend his time off making wood projects in his garage. One of his staple products are charcuterie boards made from wood that Phil locally sources from farms near his home.  Many of the boards are accented with colored epoxy resin. They are all unique pieces, every one beautiful and functional.

Jennifer Dunbar

Jennifer handmakes gorgeous Southwestern-inspired boho chic artisan jewelry using semi-precious gemstones and genuine leather. She says that she comes up with most of her design ideas from her dreams when she is sleeping – hence, her business name. Jennifer grew up in a military family and has lived in various locations around the country, but she has been in Maryland the longest and considers it home. Like many other makers, Jennifer’s work studio is located in her home, where her dog sits at her feet or on the nearby sofa and carefully supervises her work.

Nagihan Altinas

Nagihan has been sewing since was eleven years old in her native country, Turkey. As she grew up, her interest in fashion design led her to pursue an undergraduate and masters degree in that subject. Nagihan now lives in Maryland with her husband and two children, and she is still sewing, focusing primarily on making neck wraps and eye pillows, available in both unscented and scented with lavender. Nagihan strongly believes that handmade items, especially those created with natural materials, carry positive energy that she is happy to share with customers.

Sibel Biyik

Sibel, who originates from Turkey, makes placemats, napkins, and napkin rings that make family members and guests feel special with an elegant and stylish table presentation. Sibel uses the highest quality fabrics, many of which are accented with beautiful lace and embroidered with fine detail. Sibel started her business in 2020 while sailing with her family so its not surprising that many of her designs have a nautical theme. She is proud that her collection of home and marine textiles are works of art that combine traditional handiwork and modern design.

Brittany Wolf

When Brittany got hooked on the sticker craze, she was disappointed in the lack of snarky but beautifully designed options — so she did something about it! SHEWOLF's mission is to create whimsical and offbeat designs that empower individuals to live boldly and unapologetically. What started as just stickers has evolved into a lifestyle brand that offers everything from mugs and stationery to dog bandanas and bottle openers. Brittany is a self-taught graphic designer who is passionate about uplifting other women and anyone who embraces the unconventional.