It usually starts small. In a kitchen
laboratory, a garage workshop, a
stolen corner of the guest bedroom,
it begins as a recurring thought, a
pleasantly nagging idea, a simple pipe
dream. The first customers are family,
then friends, then friends of friends, until
that first request appears — where can I
find some more?
Then there are orders to fill, products
to develop, displays and websites to
design. The next thing a crafter knows,
there is enough interest and revenue to
sustain what was once just a spark of an
idea. A business has bloomed from so
many seeds.
This month, we’ve peeked into the creative
processes of some of the Cape Fear’s
favorite crafters for a behind-the-scenes
glimpse into their business and art.
By hand
by Karen Fuller | photography by Allison Potter
22
WBM november 2011
Plush UP-cycled sweater owls by Mary Fitzgerald Holst.
