Monthly Featured Members 2021 - 2022

Debora began her adult life as a member of the United States Air Force. Though long before that, she always carried around a sketch pad. While in the military and as a dependent wife, she took her sketching to a new level and started doing commissioned art work. As life progressed, kids, moving all the time and changing employment, she put her art to the side. Upon her husband’s military retirement, they opened and operated a horse farm. By the time both kids left the nest to join the United States Air Force, she had been diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) which for some time had her in a wheel chair, with limited use of both her hands and eyes. Art was over for her, but a new chapter of her life was just beginning.

In the mountains of North Carolina she started three years of holistic treatment for her MS. Within a very short time, her chair was gone, hand braces no longer required, and started rebuilding her life. After a lot of work and determination, she was able to get back some use of her hands and some vision improvement. Trying to start sketching, she couldn't hold drawing instruments correctly or with enough control, so she turned to stained glass. Then beaded jewelry started a passion in her that just will not stop.

Polymer Clay was a godsend, since working with it really helped improve her hand strength. She incorporates beading and expanded her products to include wire work, stringing of pendants on multiple mediums, making some interesting beads, working with resins, and more. She is back doing custom orders and would like to get into doing more commissioned work.

Debora started learning about clay and techniques in fun classes at Master the Possibilities. She started doing shows in 2018 as her finished pieces started taking over her home. Trying new techniques, she incorporates several different mediums into one piece and loves expanding her skill set.  

Polymer Clay is much more than a craft for her, as it continues to be therapeutic, improving hand strength, expanding her imagination, and has given her a new chapter in life. Even though she will never sketch again, Debora has found a new release for her somewhat unique styles, as she does not just have one.  

Frank retired in 2016 after 22 years as a Hospice chaplain, and moved here from Niceville, FL with his wife Cindy. He chose making walking sticks because of the skill level to get started and his love for spending time in the woods. Searching for and collecting the potential walking sticks was part of the challenge, as was carrying freshly cut sticks for a mile in the woods.

The debarking process was a skill Frank learned from YouTube videos. Having built his own shaving horse and using a draw knife purchased from a local antique shop, he quickly learned that nothing is as easy as it looks on YouTube. Soon he began to carve spirals and shapes on the walking sticks, using a Dremel power tool. Then he progressed to making custom canes, being more useful in a retirement community. Carving evolved to more detailed wood spirits or Mountain Men. Using the correct bit and controlling the outcome has been a fun learning experience. His first carvings now look rather primitive, but one must never be afraid to start somewhere.  

Frank loves to see the wood grains and the flow of the piece take shape, always appreciating the natural beauty of wood which adds to the thrill of discovery. There is beauty within, even from a piece of discarded firewood from his brother-in-law's firewood business in Alabama, where several of Frank’s carvings are sold at his roadside stand. Each individual variety of wood shows their distinct characteristics, as he chooses white and red oak, hickory, pecan, cedars, walnut, and pine from Alabama and Florida. Using mineral oil brings out the wood grain, while using wood stains mostly for contrast or highlighting. Please visit Frank's listing on the Wood Page.

Leigh has been a porcelain painter for forty years. Having worked in oil painting during high school, she stopped when entering college. After her first year of teaching first graders in Nashville, her principal told her that she needed a hobby to get her mind off of work or she would burn-out. Not wanting to return to oil painting, she was introduced to Mrs. Stubblefield, a china painter wanting to teach others. Leigh fell in love with it, and stayed with her mentor for several years. 

Her husband John bought her a kiln for home. She later found a delightful group of painters called the PPP's, and painted with them until they moved here eight years ago. There are very few China painters in this section of Florida, so she started teaching her neighbors. That grew into an invitation to teach at Master the Possibilities.

Leigh has about twelve ladies who paint with her on a regular basis, including students at Master the Possibilities, where she tries to have one class each month. 

China painting is a very, very old art. They use dry paints which they mix themselves with several different liquids such as mineral oil, clove oil, lavender oil, and even water base oils. All kinds of brushes are used, and the canvas is glazed porcelain. As they paint, they fire their projects in a kiln at a low temperature compared with the high temperatures of ceramics. This way of painting is very forgiving and very versatile. You can paint jewelry, dishes, vases, lamps, dolls, and porcelain boxes. If it has a good glaze on it, you can paint on it. Please visit Leigh's listing on the Arts Page. 

Paula never considered herself a crafty, artsy person. Her new hobby was inspired by her sister who is a craft guru and can knit and crochet anything.

Having moved here seven years ago from New Hampshire, although her sister keeps in contact, Paula hasn't seen her since. Missing her sister who is also her best friend, Paula wanted to give her something personal that would remind her of their bond every day. So, that's when she decided to surprise her by making an original creation. 

Eyeing some beautifully crafted fabric flowered pillows and framed button art on Pinterest she thought, "I can do that"...and sew (pun intended), it began.

Not knowing where to start, it became her obsessive-compulsive mission to find just the right scraps, pillows, fabric, buttons and anything else that might inspire her creativity.

It turns out, to her surprise, that she really enjoys the hunt, zipping through hobby and fabric stores and even thrift shops in the area to find just the right elements that could be joined together into something that would amaze her sister.

Working for 5 years as a spa attendant at The Ranch Fitness Center & Spa, she decided it was time to fully retire. With all her newly realized free hours, Paula decided to pursue making more pillows and button art to fill the void.

After a while, she ran out of places to showcase her art around the house, and much to her husband's delight, it was time to sell some of these colorful distractions that were created. Please visit Paula's listing on the House Page.

Susan has been sewing, cross stitching, and crocheting since she was a child, and recently made a natural progression to embroidery. She got hooked on creating all sorts of embroidered items and now graduated to three machines.

Embroidering towels, wine bags, t-shirts, bookmarks, door hangers, tissue holders, earrings, tote bags and other small items were some of the initial items she made. Although still creating these, Susan found her real passion in embroidered artwork. This involves using a photo, either one she has taken or a customer has sent to her, digitizing it with computer software, and embroidering it on canvas. Every creation is unique and sizes can range from an 8x10 inch to 11x14 inch frame. Her specialty is now in Pet Portraits which has proved to be popular with pet parents. The customer e-mails her a photo, which then gets digitized and sent back for their approval. In about a week, they have a unique portrait of their fur baby. It makes a great gift for the hard to buy pet lover and provides a lasting memory for parents who have lost their pets.

Susan uses only 100% cotton towels for durability, and the wine bags are 100% linen. Her monogramming customization on any product includes over 60 thread colors, and customers could use their own favorite phrase or over 30 wine, beer and coffee sayings. 

Creating free standing lace ornaments and earrings involves using only water soluble stabilizer and thread. Once the design is complete, it is soaked in warm water for a few minutes. The stabilizer disappears leaving a beautiful lace design. 

Having moved here in June from the Carolinas, she had regularly participated in many local craft and art shows. Susan's work can be viewed on her website and place a custom order for the holidays or any occasion. Please visit Susan's listing on the Gifts 2 Page.

Karan learned how to knit from her mother and grandmother when in her teens, and learned to loom on her own.

She then began making baby items to sell for fundraisers for pregnancy clinics in Minnesota. After being a recipient of much needed items for her own unplanned baby decades ago, she gives back as much as she can to other young moms.

Throughout her career, her background represented a Jill of all Trades with jobs ranging from cashier, accounting, vendor relations, airport administration assistant, receptionist, secretary and office manager, education, insurance, legal, Post Office truck driver, HOA president, including in the medical field as clerk, transcriptionist and clinic manager all rolled into one. Among her lovely creations are premie hats, blankets, baby scarves, and baby cocoons that wrap the newborns from birth to about three months. Whenever it is priced right, craft tools and supplies are purchased at sales, stores and online.

Having lived in Minnesota and Wisconsin, she made the move to Florida last spring.

Recently her friends have asked her to make them scarves and so she began making Skærfėnæktïns (scarf a neck tin) with a large button that picks up the colors that coordinate with their coat. Currently, Karan is looming plush, lusciously soft scarves that are double the thickness of other scarves, and selling these as well as the baby items.

Mindy has been involved with various mediums of arts and crafts from her early teens until the present day.

Originally from Long Island, New York, she attended SUNY Farmingdale majoring in Art and Design. At that point she was very much into pen and ink drawings including the art of decoupage, which as one of her favorite mediums, she still uses today.

Decoupage work abounds on her Christmas ornaments as well as on the beautiful jewelry boxes and trays that she designs.

Over the years Mindy has dabbled in creating gorgeous brooches, stick pins, earrings, as well as hair accessories and necklaces. Her inventory of beads, findings and various bits and pieces is quite extensive, even though she is still constantly on the hunt for new items to use in her work.

Throughout the year as each holiday presents a different theme, you’ll see hearts, patriotic items, or other seasonal gifts which are truly unique. During the winter holidays her focus is on Christmas ornaments which are always a big hit at the Tuesday Craft Shows. She has added a collection of mini Christmas trees which include various beads, trimmings and crystals to create a beautiful holiday glow to each one. Some are ready for hanging with a beaded hanger, while others are stand alone on small black easels. 

Mindy has enjoyed being artistic her whole life and plans on continuing her passion for many years to come. Please visit Mindy's listing on the GIFTS 2 Page.

Having built single family homes for over forty years in Colorado, Missouri and Kansas, working with wood is engrained in Rick’s blood. So after retiring in 2018 and moving here, Rick needed something to do. After making friends with some other wonderful residents, he built various types of tables, shelving units, and other miscellaneous wood items for them. It was on a trip back to Kansas in November of 2020 and visiting family in the small town of Fredonia, that his newest art came about. This area has a number of Amish families and the famous Amish Barn Boards. On a building in the small downtown area, he saw miniatures of the quilt patterned barn boards and decided he could do those. So instead of just marking them off on plywood and painting them, Rick individually cuts each piece of the pattern in premium pine wood. They are then painted and, using construction grade Gorilla glue, they are glued to a quarter inch plywood backing and drilled for hanging. 

Rick’s wife Carol had envisioned her retirement as going to the pool and getting involved in other crafting and clubs. However, with such a detailed endeavor, once Rick started the quilt pattern plaques, the painting became Carol’s job. So Lewis Woodworks is truly a partnership. Soon all the available wall space in their home was full of the plaques, so another option had to be sourced. Last fall they started selling at various vendor events around the Marion County area, recently having participated in the Habitat for Humanity Strawberry Festival, the Trenton Quilt Festival, and Marion County Days. Their wide variety of custom styles include military branches, sports teams, business and quilt patterns. They can also personalize the graphics for your order.

Cyndi started crafting at an early age as her mother taught her how to sew and crochet, including enrolling her in local ceramic classes, which brought out her creative side. It snowballed years later into making curtains, draperies, duvet covers, pillows, baby blankets, and quilts.  

Several years ago Cyndi began dabbling in machine embroidery and purchased a six needle Baby Lock embroidery machine. Having taken many embroidery classes as well as for her Brother ScanNCut which uses vinyl transfers, she enjoys making cards, invitations, and even cutting out fabric and marine vinyl pieces to use as appliques on embroidery projects. She is addicted to “in the hoop” projects which are embroidered and sewn together in the embroidery hoop and include such items as her wristlets, dog poo bag holders, key fobs, and hand sanitizer holders. One day soon she wants to learn end-to-end quilting and jewelry making using her embroidery machine.  Cyndi welcomes the delightful challenge to do special orders with only a general theme or idea from the customer. Please visit Cyndi’s listing on the GIFTS Page.

Sherry has been involved in all types of crafting for over thirty years, especially paper crafting. Her love of paper crafting and card making evolved into scrapbooking. After several years of making traditional large scrapbooks and lack of space in the RV, the idea of making a mini scrapbook took hold. When her son was getting married, she made his save the date cards, wedding invitations, and a mini book for his wedding album. Her love of making these books grew from there. After watching many videos, she learned to make these books from scratch. Sherry's books are made with lots of pages that have extra flips, pockets and many places for photos and memorabilia. Custom orders are welcome to include your particular interests or needs, like weddings, babies, or sports. 

Rediscovering her love of using a Cricut electronic cutting machine, she is a member of the Cricuteers, making characters for the different holidays, and numerous paper engineering projects. Her membership here also includes the Rubber Stamping and Card Making Club, highlighting the creativity to take a plain piece of paper or card stock and make it into something beautiful. Please visit Sherry’s listing on the GIFTS Page.