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. 

Jennifer Pritchard

Ow.Fi.Co is a combination of its owner Jennifer’s three children’s names. Her blankets are really lap pads, which are smaller weighted blankets that are sized to fit on people’s laps. These pads have the same calming benefits as full-sized weighted blankets but are much more versatile and machine washable. Jennifer loves sewing and working with new fabrics that “speak to her.” She also loves spending time with her family and friends, and tries to appreciate and make special memories even from routine every day events.

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.

Kimberly Swanner

Through KimNKaboodle, Kim creates primarily ceramics, but also enjoys graphic design, drawing, and painting. Her “day job” is teaching art classes at the VisArts in Rockville, and she is happy to use the studios there to create when she isn’t teaching. Kim is a self-described “nerd” who enjoys playing video games and exploring her Japanese heritage. Her art is happy and reflects her preference for bright colors and her personal motto that the most important principle in art is to have fun.

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.

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).

Alison Maxwell

Alison is a Maryland-based fiber artist whose art is inspired by nature. Her fiber sculptures, primarily woodland critters and characters, are created to reflect a sense of whimsy and wonder. Although fiber is a medium which requires a great deal of time and care, Alison loves the versatility of this natural material since it can be used to create whatever she wants. Alison listens to music while she works, and loves to bake in her spare time.

 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.”

Jaime Bramble Schell

Jaime creates her original art through a combination of digital illustration and analog collage. She uses different patterns and layers to give her work a free fun vibe, a style that she describes as “playfully elegant.” In both her life and her art, Jaime is inspired by nature, travel, vintage textiles and topography, wildlife photography, and beach culture. Jaime is also an extremely proud mom to twins – one boy and one girl, whom she loves to explore with.

Nina Wolfe

Nina’s Flying Needle specializes in creating practical and eco-friendly reusables to offer a simple solution for living more sustainably. All of Nina’s products are handsewn by her and meet CPSC safety rules and regulations. Originally from Germany, Nina moved to Maryland teenager, met her husband (a Navy pilot), and they now live in Annapolis with their three young children. Nina loves spending time with her family, and says her kids inspire her passion for creating products that help improve habits for the betterment of our planet.

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.

Corinne Hart

Originally from Australia, Corrine Hart named her soy candle line after her native Country since she wants her candles to represent who she is. Her dragonfly logo symbolizes happiness and change. All of Corrine’s candles are made from pure soy wax and 100% natural oils, and her line includes some earthy wood tone fragrances, as well as some lighter scents with floral and botanical notes. Corinne has an in-home studio with large windows facing out to nature and she listens to classical music while she works for a relaxing peaceful environment.

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!

Alyssa Johnson

Alyssa creates beautiful and intricate art in the style of Mandala and Zentangle by drawing structured patterns that form a particular image.  Most of her work focuses on nature-inspired objects and animals, such as birds, frogs, and plants, and represents the interconnectedness of all living things. She loves to adventure in her free time, and her life philosophy includes being open to try new things and living life to its fullest. Being out in nature is the one thing that inspires her the most in her art and her everyday life.

Rashmi Das

Rashmi creates unique and original abstract art using alcohol inks as she finds this medium fun and intriguing. Because of its fluid nature, it can be tricky to control, but Rashmi welcomes and enjoys the challenge. Rashmi listens to Jazz and Smooth R&B when she creates since it gives her the serenity and focus as she creates. Born and raised in Montgomery County, Rashmi is a native Marylander and Terps fan. She also loves to travel, explore new cultures, foods, languages and ethnicities. She is most inspired by beaches and seaside scenery.

Johari Barnes

JohariMade is a line of delicious jams, jellies and fruit butters handcrafted in Maryland. They carry traditional flavors such as Strawberry and Blueberry, but are most well-known for their unique flavors such as Pomegranate Jelly, Mango Jalapeno, and Peach Habenero.  All of her products are small batch and made from her home kitchen. Johari is most inspired by people who use their talent to work for themselves, and her philosophy is “when attempting to reach a goal… it doesn’t matter how long it takes as long as you get it done!”

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.

Lauren Barnes

Lauren Barnes, the owner of Poplar Brook Arts, creates modern stained and fused glass art that is both decorative and functional. Her business is named after the farm in Howard County that has been owned by her family for many generations, and where she resides with her family and has her art studio. Lauren’s creations are inspired by nature, Art Nouveau, and Art Deco design. When she is not creating with glass, Lauren enjoys gardening, ice skating, hanging out in bookstores, and playing her concert harp.

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.

Amy Fields

As a professional flight attendant, Amy is always on the go. When she’s not up in the air, Amy loves making all-natural gourmet dog treats using human grade ingredients such as peanut butter. She bakes her dog treats in small batches from her home and hand packages each one with adorable embellishment. Although Amy is originally from Colorado, she moved to the DMV area and attended Gallaudet University, where she learned American sign language.

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!

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.

Ferzan Jaeger

Kin and Care makes soy wax candles that are hand-poured by refugee women who have settled in the DMV. The brand name represents kinship and the intention to create products that will let people care for themselves and for other in within their community. Owner, Ferzan, is originally from Turkey and has lived in the DMV are for the past 10 years. While she and her team work, they listen to international music from Greece and Turkey, in Arabic and French, and Ferzan says that she is most inspired by Mediterranean colors and patterns.

Audry Woods

FAWNE is a jewelry line whose name is an acronym for “For All Women Now Elements.” Audry designs the beautiful styles which she says must be simple, affordable, and durable for every day wear. Most of her designs are simple and dainty, and they’re always crafted from high-quality metals such as gold-plated brass and surgical stainless steel. Audry, who is originally from the Philippines, loves spending time with her son, and says that she is motivated by an appreciation of her privilege and her determination to make the most of her life to pursue her dreams.

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.

Lissa Cunningham

LZC Style is an eclectic mix of fashionable accessories with an emphasis on handcrafted jewelry. Owner Lissa believes that accessories make an outfit and that the magic of a wardrobe is in the details. The primary focus of her work is to help bring a look together, and she describes her line as simple, clean and interesting – they are statement pieces that enhance instead of overpowering an outfit. Lissa enjoys working one-on-one with clients, helping them feel empowered and enhancing their self-confidence.

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’.

Betsy Morningstar

Betsy Morningstar is a high school art teacher in Howard County and has been creating ceramic art for years. Her work symbolically represents two sides of her personality - half is brightly colored ceramics that are jammed full of smiles and joy while the other half is functional sculptures that resemble lined notebook paper that we all love and utilize. In the latter work, she includes a simple message or moment from a day in her life, taken from her own notebook.

Terrena Smith

To Terrena, Knotty Boutique is more than just cute baby products. It’s building a community of strong parents and creative children because she believes in people. Her work includes handmade bows, headwraps, turbans, and matching Mommy & Me sets. In her spare time, she loves doing arts and crafts with her own little Knotty Kids - her almost three-year-old daughter and one-year-old son. She has a very active household, always singing the kids tunes to music while crafting, and is actively inspired by the strong women and resilient men in her family.

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.