Donna Downey
Donna Downey is a bestselling author, instructor and all-around creative force in the crafting industry. In 2000, she got into scrapbooking as an extension of her paper product and photography addiction. This was only the beginning. From working as a popular columnist for Simple Scrapbooks magazine, to traveling the world inspiring women to push the boundaries of their own creativity, to developing her first fabric scrapbooking line with Prima in the Spring of ‘09, Donna is consistently on the leading edge of all things cool related to memory preservation art.
As a craft-media artist, Donna is a born experimenter, blending and transforming both traditional and unexpected items into meaningful pieces of self expression. A former elementary school teacher, she has synthesized her first love of teaching with her passion for craft and brings this to women via workshops at scrapbook stores and events, writing books, and through her popular blog and website.
Alyssa Light was born to create. As a three year old, she would sit and make button bracelets from her grandmother’s mending box. In the past ten years her interests have focused around paper, paint, fabric, and embellishments. Yearning to share her talents with others, Alyssa works hard to continue growing as an instructor. Alyssa is an eclectic teacher who believes that communities are created around love and art. With a passion for creative expression, she facilitates engaging workshops that awaken the creative Spirit and foster the imagination. Her commitment to each participant is demonstrated in her communication, interaction, and listening.
In 2005, while in school for Goldsmithing, Alyssa was chosen to make the 20th anniversary gifts for Blue Rodeo [by their booking agent, Trick or Treat Entertainment]. Alyssa travels all over Ontario to teach classes to women, children, families and people with special needs. She designs programs that are shared in quilt shops, yarn stores, local libraries, schools, and with community groups. Alyssa regularly volunteers in local high schools with the goal of inspiring budding artists and opening new doors of opportunity for them. Full time, she heads a Sensory Exploration Arts Program in the Deaf community.
Karen Ellis
Karen is the owner of the Art House Studio in Kitchener and host of this creative event!
Crafting in multiple mediums all her life, she loves to teach and share her creative experience whenever she can. Her weekly USTREAM broadcasts (Friday 6:30pm EST) offer a peak into her creative life at the studio, her successes and even her "fl-opportunities". She believes that creativity is a process that should be celebrated and shared.
Karen is also a product designer for The Crafter's Workshop and MyStamp Box (products launching at CHA Winter - Jan 2012) and a contributing writer for Canadian Scrapbooker Magazine. Her article "A Scrapbooker's Gift" offers tutorials using scrapbooking and artists materials in many "off the page" ways.
Patrice found Silver Precious metal Clay in 2001, and was stunned by its versatility and affinity to texture. The recent introduction of Bronze Clay on the market has been even more exiting as the firing process creates amazing and unpredictable colours as the bronze sinters.
Last April marked the beginning of Silverfish Studios in Fergus, Ontario. This is the first time Patrice has owned her own studio space with all of her jewelry making tools in one place. The studio is on a quiet residential street overlooking a ravine full of trees and birds. Here she has several different projects on the go working on each of them as new ideas come to her.
Melanie MiljanMelanie is a massage therapist and acupuncturist by day and a jewelry creator by moonlight. Her passion is to work with natural untreated stones and wire using various wrapping and knotting techniques. She has always loved to craft and has created since a young age. Melanie started making jewelry when she was pregnant with her daughter in 2007. Many of her projects involve an element of macrame and are often one of a kind creations. She loves the intricacy and versatility of knotted work. She has worked with hemp and wax linen but now primarily creates jewelry of all kinds with fine and sterling silver.
Carmi Cimicata is a full time artist who specialized in handmade greeting cards, altered books, resin crafts and wearable art pieces.
Carmi is a regular craft presenter on the Shopping Channel in Canada.
She is a social media designer who writes several on-line posts a day demonstrating different craft and jewelry making techniques for two major companies; Environmental Technology Inc. and John Bead Corporation.
Carmi has a degree in Fashion Merchandising from Ryerson University. www.carmi.ca
