Crafting a Revolution
303 episodes - English - Latest episode: 9 months ago - ★★★★★ - 24 ratingsA maker is someone who has a passion for creating something where formerly there was nothing. Making and being creative may be their full time job, a part-time hustle, or a hobby that brings them joy. Every week I will bring you two interviews of female and nonbinary makers of all kinds from all over the world.
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Episodes
Episode 240 - Thelma of TK Woodworking
March 30, 2022 12:46Thelma is a lover of all projects. She is a self-described small town, part-time woodworker that hates sanding and is always looking for ways to improve her skillset. It all started with a needed drawer which turned into what I will call power tool creep instead of project creep. Now she takes on commission work to fit into her day job schedule and is really enjoying working with her hands. You can follow along with Thelma on Instagram.
Episode 239 - Valerie Berlage
March 25, 2022 13:21 - 48 minutes - 90.7 MBValerie Berlage is a woodworker, artist, and owner of Lauraine Lillie Studios based out of Western North Carolina. She developed her craft and business name from her grandparents who taught her how to make. Tune in as we discuss the early days in the woodshop with her grandfather, to what is inspiring Valerie to create her contemporary jewelry designs, intricate wall hangings and other works now. You can find Valerie on Instagram @laurainelilliestudios. You can see more of Valerie’s’s wo...
Episode 238 - Nicole Crowder
March 18, 2022 13:26 - 1 hour - 59.5 MBNicole Crowder Upholstery is a Black-owned furniture and upholstery studio creating commissioned, generational, one-of-a-kind pieces of furniture and home furnishings like meditation pillows, poufs and more. Nicole’s work has been commissioned by the leading hotel chains, restaurants, and spaces. She also has created bespoke pieces for private clients and has been featured in design publications, including Architectural Digest, Elle Décor, and Martha Stewart Living. Nicole began her journey ...
Episode 237 - Polilla Cooperative
March 16, 2022 13:36 - 54 minutes - 50.4 MBRosi and Annikki work together as Polilla Cooperative, an artisanal carpentry business in Mexico. They have found in carpentry, a trade traditionally viewed as a male practice, that as queer women their access to the profession is limited. They have also faced things like sexualization, harassment, and being treated as less capable, restricted to a secondary status. Through their experiences of trying to learn while being treated as outsiders, they decided they wanted to build a collaborat...
Episode 236 - Rachel David
March 11, 2022 15:07 - 1 hour - 72.8 MBRachel David, raised in Maryland and resident of North Carolina, is a blacksmith, sculptor, designer and maker. Her metalwork practice is holistic, encompassing art, furniture, architectural elements, activism, collaborations and gardening. The work focuses on social and environmental justice, community, and communication, analyzing the many layers of colonization, restraints and expectations across bodies and landscapes. You can find Rachel and her work on Instagram and her Website. You...
Episode 235 - Sieng, Crafty at Heart
March 04, 2022 02:38 - 1 hour - 58.2 MBSieng, Crafty at Heart, is a nurse, wife, Mom, and maker. Her maker journey started when she made a teeter-totter for her kids with the help of a local woodworker. After that, she started gathering tools to fill up her garage and started seeing what she can make. She has enjoyed making everything from furniture, to home projects, and recently resin. You can follow along with Sieng and her maker journey on Instagram.
Episode 234 - Allie Katz, Geeky Faye Art
March 02, 2022 00:37 - 1 hour - 63 MBAllie Katz is a classically trained fine artist with a passion for 3D and digital art, which translates to never being good at doing just one thing. They created Geeky Faye Art to showcase their need for adventure. With Geeky Faye Art you will find a variety of projects across multiple styles, approaches, and mediums. Allie is constantly in search of new artistic expression. Everything with Geeky Faye Art is the work of one person, Allie. There is no team behind them, and as such every bit o...
Episode 233 - Jean Gray Mohs
February 25, 2022 14:00 - 40 minutes - 77.4 MBJean Gray Mohs is an abstract artist that uses inter-disciplinary techniques to create dynamic and colorful sculptures using materials such as wood, threads, cardboard and more. She is based out of North Carolina, is a homeschooling mom, as well as a double lung transplant recipient. In our chat Jean Gray shared her approach to balancing life and work in isolation for the past few years, while still appearing in a staggering and impressive 12 exhibitions in 2021 alone. Be sure to Jean Gray...
Episode 232 - Stephanie of Uncommon Outpost
February 18, 2022 12:29 - 1 hour - 64.3 MBStephanie of Uncommon Outpost is an artist, maker, and general collector of hobbies. She has tackled pretty much everything between car mechanics to sewing, pushing herself to always take her projects outside the box. Stephanie grew up with two parents who did everything themselves way before being DIY was cool, and she was included in that from the very start. You can be sure she always has at least one project in the works. Be sure to follow her on Instagram and YouTube. Find your host...
Episode 231 - Annie Evelyn
February 16, 2022 14:21 - 1 hour - 59.4 MBJoy, laughter, and the unexpected are at the heart of Annie Evelyn's work. Employing a range of materials (handmade paper flowers to Swarovski Crystals) and processes (tessellating metal pieces to create soft upholstered seating or embedding fresh cut flowers to add aroma), Evelyn uses furniture’s inherent interactive qualities and relationships to the human body to create new and surprising experiences. From 2014-2017 Evelyn was resident artist at the Penland School of Craft in North Caro...
Episode 230 - Ceramicist Alex Simon
February 11, 2022 01:29 - 1 hour - 62.8 MBAlex is a queer sparkle queen, ceramic artist, Jewnicorn, community enthusiast, rhinestoner, dog-mom, and extroverted-Aries who is currently making magic and art in Portland, OR. Everything she makes is about her unique experience in this world as a multifaceted extravagant being. After graduating from Bennington College with a concentration in Visual Arts, she followed her heart and adventurous soul westward, landing in Oregon. Before starting her own business, she worked in multiple produ...
Episode 229 - Uruba Slaughter
February 04, 2022 12:19 - 56 minutes - 51.8 MBBorn in New York City and currently residing in St. Louis, Uruba is a professional artist whose focus is abstractions. Her use of custom and unique textures and acrylic colors enables her to portray visions with commanding depth. Her passion for becoming an artist was put on hold for over 20 years as she was completely engrossed with her role as wife and mother of four. Now with an empty nest, she has found the time and attention to focus her spirit and energy into her creative works. You ...
Episode 228 - Christina Vincent
February 02, 2022 15:05Christina is a Maine native, now living on North Haven, an unabridged island in Maine's archipelago. Her mission is to create innovative pieces coupled with artistic applications while highlighting the beauty of natural wood. Christina intends for each piece to be versatile; useful and lasting, while intriguing interest and engagement. Every piece is designed and crafted beautifully to live beautifully. You can find her work on Instagram and her Website.
Episode 228 - Christina Vincent
February 02, 2022 15:05Christina is a Maine native, now living on North Haven, an unabridged island in Maine's archipelago. Her mission is to create innovative pieces coupled with artistic applications while highlighting the beauty of natural wood. Christina intends for each piece to be versatile; useful and lasting, while intriguing interest and engagement. Every piece is designed and crafted beautifully to live beautifully. You can find her work on Instagram and her Website.
Episode 227 - Sadie Mae of The Awesome Orange
January 28, 2022 00:51 - 1 hour - 56.2 MBSadie Mae is a woodworker, DIYer, maker, wife and fur mama. It all started when she tagged along with a friend to go get some barn wood. She ended up buying some wood herself and making her first dining room table. This was during a time where she left a job that had become exhausting and was looking to see what she would do next. She started making more pieces for herself and for others. Eventually she started a blog and learned about how to make money as a content creator which includes ma...
Episode 226 - Craft Equity
January 20, 2022 22:28 - 1 hour - 55.6 MBWe are a group of queer and racially diverse craft artists who work in each of the traditional mediums (clay, glass, metals, wood, and textiles). With Craft Equity, we want to provide a space of healing and support and sharing. This account is for people who have been harmed: people who have never spoken of how they were mistreated and people who have spoken out only to be disbelieved or dismissed. It is also for people who have been sheltered from harm, so that they can see all facets of th...
Episode 225 - Pam Robinson
January 18, 2022 22:14 - 1 hour - 121 MBPam Robinson is a metalsmith, goldsmith, jewelry maker and designer based out of Chicago, IL. She is the owner of Garnet Studios and is the Education Director for national non-profit The Furniture Society. In this episode we sit down to hear Pam’s background and journey as a maker and artisan, and how she balances the duties of being an education director, business and studio owner, and artist. You can find Pam on Instagram and Garnet Studios. You can see more of Pam’s work and informati...
Episode 224 - Sherry Shine
January 14, 2022 00:35 - 1 hour - 58.3 MBSherry has always loved to draw and create. While in high school became a strong mentor for her. She then went to college and studies Business. Many years later, she met a quilter and she fell in love with the medium. The quilter offered to teach her traditional quilting. She then attended a lecture on the dyeing of fabrics and how to make the fabric an art quilt. Her creativity and curiosity were ignited and her passion for art quilts was formed. During the pandemic she has been able to cre...
Episode 223 - Joanie Sprague
January 07, 2022 18:16 - 1 hour - 66.2 MBJoanie is a carpenter, maker, DIY expert, and handy ma'am. She went from America's Next Top Model to being a carpenter on TV. Perhaps not the traditional path, yet she loves working with her hands and creating. She still does work with TV shows, in fact she has one on Discovery Plus now, Remix my space, releasing on January 12th. When not showing off her skills on TV though, she does a wide array of work for clients in California, from building out closets to making furniture. You can foll...
Episode 222 - Ann Johnson, Sole Sister
January 05, 2022 12:20 - 1 hour - 63.5 MBAnn Johnson is a mixed media artist and a professor at Prairie View A&M University in Texas. Her passion for exploring issues particularly in the Black community has led her to create series of works that are evocative and engaging. Ann's work has been exhibited nationally in solo, group and juried exhibitions. Most recently she has focused on experimental printmaking, and in 2015 she was acknowledged as an "Artist to Watch" in the International Review of African American Art. Ann aspires to...
Episode 221 - Brandy Clements, Silver River Center for Chair Caning
December 22, 2021 02:31 - 1 hour - 67.2 MBBrandy is a self-proclaimed chair nerd. She loves chairs and has learned so much about them. She feels compelled to share her knowledge and encourage others to learn chair caning. Chair caning is a skill that is on the verge of becoming lost. Brandy actually comes from a long line of chair caners. It has allowed her to meet people from all over the world, letting her learn more as well as share her knowledge. You can follow along with Brandy and her husband Dave on their Youtube channel, I...
Episode 220 - Jocelyn, Cheeky DIY home
December 17, 2021 14:32 - 58 minutes - 53.5 MBJocelyn is a lover of all home DIYs. When her and her husband closed on their home in 2019, she automatically knew that there were updates going to be made. After getting painting out of the way she began to tackle some more difficult tasks leading her to use power tools for the first time. She admits that it can be scary, so that is why she takes you along on her journey. You can see her build confidence as she progresses in her woodworking and carpentry skills - leading others to overcome ...
Episode 219 - Laura Pipitone of Oakley Soap Company
December 15, 2021 01:21 - 1 hour - 56.9 MBLaura started making soap as a hobby, something to do for fun, with no intention of ever starting a business. After sharing her creations on social media, friends started asking if they could buy the soap. Once more and more friends bought soap, she realized she had a business on her hands and decided to go legit. Laura's soaps start with a fun name, usually something referencing pop culture, and then she designs the soap from there. You can follow along with Laura and her one-of-a-kind so...
Episode 218 - Tania Made
December 10, 2021 12:20 - 1 hour - 62.2 MBTania lives in Southern California, slowly building out her workshop one tool at a time. After a series of traumatic life events, and finding herself in a depression, she found her way to woodworking. It started with just a few tools her father had, and then it continued to grow. Learning all she can from YouTube, Tania spends as much time as she can in her workshop. She continues to grow her skills in wood carving especially. You can follow along with Tania on Instagram.
Episode 217 - Becky Blanco
December 08, 2021 02:13 - 1 hour - 61.7 MBBecky is a Cuban American living her best life with her wife in their new to them home. She found herself looking to fill her time with something that brings her joy and came into power tools and DIY home projects. At first, she was all about sharing her journey on social media and then found the community and came to love the community. You can follow along with Becky and all of her shenanigans on Instagram.
Episode 216 - Aspen Golann
December 03, 2021 01:33 - 1 hour - 130 MBTo furniture maker and artist Aspen Golann it’s more than just a tenon - seemingly simple details have a vast backstory and implications within a larger social narrative that Golann can’t help but see with every joint she makes. She is also an instructor and educator, and is currently traveling and launching The Chairmaker’s Toolbox, an equity initiative to get the tools and knowledge of Windsor chairmaking into the hands, minds and hearts of those who have been historically excluded from th...
Episode 215 - Beth Walker, Joinery Journal
December 01, 2021 01:13 - 1 hour - 61.6 MBBeth is an artist, a teacher, and a bench jointer. While in art school, she actually started her informal education in the construction and carpentry trade as well. She used these informal skills to do a complete van renovation that she then travelled and lived in for a year. During her travels, she worked in make shift maker spaces, helping to build things for refugees and others in need. Though she graduated with an art degree, and spent some years as an art teacher, I would say her passio...
Episode 214 - Morgan Meyer, Wood Art Woman
November 24, 2021 01:17 - 1 hour - 60 MBMorgan is a woodworker and artist living just outside the twin cities in Minnesota. Morgan has always been creative, yet after graduating college she went the corporate route. She was doing well in work, but found it unfulfilling and eventually started a creative side hustle. She started with photography and video and then found her way to wood and wood art. During the pandemic she decided to take the leap and turn her wood art side hustle business into her full-time business. You can fol...
Episode 214 - Morgan Meyer, Wood Art Woman
November 24, 2021 01:17Morgan is a woodworker and artist living just outside the twin cities in Minnesota. Morgan has always been creative, yet after graduating college she went the corporate route. She was doing well in work, but found it unfulfilling and eventually started a creative side hustle. She started with photography and video and then found her way to wood and wood art. During the pandemic she decided to take the leap and turn her wood art side hustle business into her full-time business. You can fol...
Episode 213 - Molly Prewitt
November 19, 2021 00:50 - 1 hour - 57.7 MBMolly is a wife and Mom and is a general contractor in Santa Fe building designer homes. On the weekends, Molly and her husband do projects in their own home. She graduated college with a degree in sculpture and dance. In order to chase her dream of being an artist, she started working in construction and as a welder. Eventually she bought her first house that she flipped. From there, she became a construction manager for a company and used the skills gained there to launch her own design an...
Episode 212 - Laun Los Angeles
November 17, 2021 00:25 - 1 hour - 61.9 MBLaun is a collaborative design firm marrying glamour and delight with the built world. In 2018, friends Rachel Bullock and Molly Purnell brought together their backgrounds in woodworking, metal working and architecture to build a practice of enduring spaces and products. Laun's object-line harnesses the unique talents of Los Angeles-based manufacturers to craft timeless, heirloom quality furniture suitable for both indoor and outdoor use. You can follow along with Laun on Instagram and the...
Episode 211 - Christy Wilkerson of Wilkerson Handmade
November 12, 2021 12:29 - 1 hour - 67.2 MBChristy is a woodworker and digital fabricator. She runs her business, Wilkerson Handmade, where she designs home goods and then crafts them using predominately her CNC and laser. She sells these goods online and at craft markets all across Ohio. She learned a love of woodworking and her woodworking skills from her Father who still helps her in the shop as her business continues to take off. You can follow along with Christy on Instagram and her Website.
Episode 210 - Andrea de Leon
November 10, 2021 00:44 - 1 hour - 57.5 MBAndrea is a Mexican-American artist based in Texas. She obtained her BFA in Studio Arts from the University of Texas and has received multiple awards, including residencies at Ox Bow School of Art and Penland School of Crafts. She has worked and exhibited internationally and currently teaches metalsmithing in several institutions in Texas. With metalsmithing she creates sculptural pieces as well as knives. She is also pursuing a passion in scientific glass blowing. You can follow along wit...
Episode 209 - Scout Cartagena
November 05, 2021 00:20 - 57 minutes - 53.5 MBScout is a multidisciplinary artist, practicing crafts such as printmaking, glass, and audio and video work. She draws from mental health and her personal narrative as a queer black woman to create a strong thread of representation in larger compositions and forms of installation. Her work reflects on family, memory, mental health and chronic illness. In her early 20's she was diagnosed with a rare auto-immune disorder. With each year, she loses parts of her memory and mobility, all increasi...
Episode 208 - Kirtan Tom, Allied Woodshop
November 02, 2021 21:58 - 1 hour - 66.1 MBKirtan is a woodworker and furniture designer based in Los Angeles. She fell in love with woodworking in Brooklyn, New York, and promptly quit her day job to focus on it full-time. She spent as much time as possible practicing the craft and taking classes to learn from others. Her only rule while building is that each new project has to include a new technique she has never tried before. Today, she continues to learn from the wonderful community at Allied Woodshop, of which she owns and dire...
Episode 207 - New Co-host Katie Thompson
October 28, 2021 21:42 - 1 hour - 56.7 MBI am excited to learn more about Katie Thompson, founder of the Women of Woodworking project in addition to editor and chief of the monthly online journal, Pen and Chisel. I first chatted with Katie a while back when she was a guest on the podcast, then called Maker Mom. Since then, we have continued to orbit in similar spaces. We have a shared passion for growing the accessibility of craft and learning, sharing, and elevating the stories of women and non-binary folks in that space. Please j...
Episode 206 - Marite of Crazy Happy Casa
October 27, 2021 00:02 - 1 hour - 60.8 MBMarite is a wife, mom, and all around DIYer. Marite went the college route and then into the corporate world. She really found herself though working to make her house feel like a home through all sorts of projects. Rather recently, she has left the corporate world and is at home with her kiddos, making, baking and DIYing. You can follow along with Marite on Instagram.
Episode 205 - Delia Dante
October 15, 2021 01:24 - 56 minutes - 52.9 MBDelia Dante is an award winning metal art and glass enamel artist currently living and working in Idaho. Her fine art gallery, Enamel and Welding studio is in the heart of downtown Boise. Delia discovered her artistic passion in the creation of metal and enamel sculptures, wall pieces and jewelry. She works with copper and steel. The popularity and demand for her fine art enameling and welding classes are a result of her outstanding reputation as an art teacher for 12 years and working as a ...
Episode 204 - Brittany & Heather of Beautiful Fight Woodworking
October 12, 2021 21:38 - 1 hour - 59 MBIn 2015, Brittany and Heather started Beautiful Fight Woodworking after Brittany wasn't able to maintain her job due to complications in her fight with a rare blood cancer. They had just enough money to buy a discounted miter saw, three 8-ft boards and only one design in mind. They slowly built one table at a time as they could afford to. Years later, they have filled hundreds of orders from small yard games to large dining sets, and furnishing full homes. They just celebrated their 1 year a...
Episode 203 - Tamar of Woodworker Rehab
October 08, 2021 01:58 - 1 hour - 57.9 MBTamar is a former Olympic figure skater, coach, and recent Wharton MBA graduate. As an athlete, she sustained multiple overuse injuries which forced her out of the sport sooner than she would have liked. That experience spurred her desire to help others have long and healthy careers in their desired profession. Woodworkers are a lot like professional athletes: they do repetitive movements for hours daily while striving for perfection, making them susceptible to overuse injuries. Tamar's miss...
Episode 202 - Leilany Velasquez
October 05, 2021 21:35 - 1 hour - 58 MBLeilany is a maker with a passion for both woodworking and mental health. She started woodworking about two years ago and it came very unexpectedly, sort of as something the help work through time as she figured out how she was going to find work in the pandemic. It has been the biggest blessing in her life. It very quickly turned into a business. Now she wants to use her business to help people regain their confidence and be able to see their true potential. There's something about building...
Episode 201 - Seven Bailey
October 01, 2021 00:51 - 1 hour - 62.8 MBSeven is a welder, fabricator, and weld inspector living and working in the twin cities. Seven has been in love with welding since they saw the movie Flash Dance as a young child. Though they started out in college, life ended up taking them out to California and then back to the midwest, learning to weld and fabricate along the way. Now they work at the Fire Art Center, leading the fabrication effort for several large metal sculpture pieces. Recently they competed in the Metal Shop Masters ...
Episode 200 - Stacy Motte
September 29, 2021 14:46 - 1 hour - 61 MBStacy is a California native who lives and works in Pennsylvania currently. She received her Bachelor's degree in Photography and Furniture Design at California College of the Arts and her MFA at the University of Wisconsin. Her work has explored vulnerability as it relates to the female body, normative behavior, and hygiene. She is currently exploring the historical erasure of women from craft in her collaboration with Eleanor Rose as the Ladies Who Wood. You can follow along with Stacy o...
Episode 199 - Eleanor Rose
September 22, 2021 00:05 - 58 minutes - 54.7 MBEleanor is a woodworker, sculpture artist and tool maker. From a small rural town in California, with no real exposure to art, to going to art school in New York, Eleanor enjoyed creating. It took losing access to a shop and realizing that she could make her own tools to start her on the journey into tool making. She grew her experience through working at different schools and running different shops, learning to machine and to cast. All through this her art reflected the very real internal ...
Episode 198 - Tay Crib
September 17, 2021 01:41 - 1 hour - 66.7 MBTaylor, or Tay, is a degreed architect and designer who found her way to woodworking and turning during the pandemic. She has really always enjoyed working with her hands, perhaps why she pivoted into construction and project management after college instead of going further with architecture. She found herself during the pandemic needing to keep her hands busy. A neighbor offered to teach her some woodworking skills in his workshop. Now she owns her own lathe and is excited to be making sma...
Episode 197 - Ruth Amos
September 15, 2021 01:25 - 1 hour - 59 MBRuth Amos is an engineer, inventor and entrepreneur. When she is not travelling giving inspirational and motivational speeches, you can find her as managing director of her first invention and company, Stairsteady, or building fun things kids have invented for her YouTube channel, Kids Invent Stuff. An accomplished speaker and event host, Ruth is living proof that engineering and science is not boring. You can follow along with Ruth on her personal Instagram and Kids Invent Stuff Instagram...
Episode 196 - Ladies Who Wood
September 10, 2021 01:25 - 1 hour - 63.7 MBThe duo, Ladies Who Wood, is comprised of Stacy Motte and Eleanor Ingrid Rose. Stacy and Eleanor have known each other since they both lived in San Francisco. They then attended grad school at the same university and have really been a collaborating duo since. Their collaboration currently focuses on the many ways that women have been erased from craft throughout history and they make sculptural pieces that speak to that. This episode will be followed up with individual episodes with each a...
Episode 195 - Adriana, Texas DIY Mama
September 08, 2021 11:22 - 58 minutes - 54.4 MBAdriana is a wife, mom, and DIYer. She spent her childhood fascinated by watching her Uncle, who was a finish carpenter, use all of his power tools on the weekend. She would later go work for that same Uncle in the office at his finish carpentry business. Adriana spent a few years as a nurse, enjoying her time helping others. Then, with the diagnosis of her oldest being autistic and the birth of her youngest, she decided it best to stay home. That is when her own journey into DIY and buildin...
Episode 194 - Karla Vazquez, Black Poppy Woodworks
September 03, 2021 01:02 - 1 hour - 60.2 MBKarla is a wife, mom, artist and woodworker who says creating and using her hands is her happy place. Karla loved art as a kid and went to school for art. She then went into military and into the corporate world from there. As she was looking at having young ones at home and making things for them, she thought why not try to turn it into a business. That is how Black Poppy Woodworks began. Now she experiments with woodworking and resin, never wanting to make the same thing twice. You can f...
Episode 193 - Lisa Laughy
September 01, 2021 01:41 - 1 hour - 55.5 MBLisa is a traditional wood carver with a strong background in design and painting. She has spent over 15 years carving, in addition to the decades that she has worked as a designer and illustrator. It wasn't until she began exploring wood carving that she realized how much of her earlier, 2D work had been conceptualized in her mind in relief. The years Lisa has spent designing, drawing, and painting on paper have provided a careful preparation for working in wood. You can follow along with...