I've known little E's mom for almost 15 years...which doesn't seem possible. It's been so amazing to thing back to those first days when we were heading into college, to now, seeing her as a wife and mother.
We've had countless adventures together...from stalking certain members of NSync to taking her engagement photos (before I really knew how to use my camera). Getting photos of her beautiful blue-eye babe is just another chapter in our story.
TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF: Hello - My name is Kerri Mackey; I am the creator of Louie's Hardware. I make jewelry from copper, brass and beads. My day job is as an architect for a commercial architectural firm. Although my job requires a great deal of creativity; I still crave an outlet for my own designs and ideas. I also just love making things! I come from a very crafty family. My mom can sew anything and she's a wonderful cake decorator - she made my wedding cake! My dad is a jack of all trades, plus he's very good at instructing. My younger brother does some amazing woodworking. My husband and I are expecting our first child and he made us the most beautiful toy chest And finally; my older brother is in culinary school; he makes some really delicious dishes. So I think the crafty gene was passed down.
WHAT IS YOUR SHOP AND WHAT DO YOU SELL: My shop is Louie's Hardware. I sell jewelry - most is made from hammered or brushed copper or brass. I also work with some semi precious stones and pearls. I've also started creating collage art which are mounted on wood boards. I really like doing both even though they are so different.
HOW DO YOU PROMOTE/MARKET YOUR SHOP: I promote primarily with Facebook. I have a fan page. I also like to do give aways at local events - silent auctions, swag bags, charity events, etc. Plus, family and friends wear my jewelry and tell people about it.
WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST SHOP GOAL IN THE NEXT 6 MONTHS: I guess I have two biggest goals - one is to create more pieces to add to my shop. Especially the metal pieces as well as more collage art. The other goal is to be more consistent about my Facebook posting in order to draw more fans.
WHAT ARE 5 THINGS THAT MAKE YOU HAPPY: 
I'm so happy to share that Kerri is doing a giveaway of one of her beautiful pieces of jewelry.
TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF: My name is Karen Buoncristiano, I am 34 years old, and I have always enjoyed making things myself and crafting. I am married to a great guy who is very supportive of my crafty goals, and he is also crafty himself, from learning to throw pottery on the wheel to designing and creating mosaic tables. I suppose we have lived in Ohio for about five years. Before that, I have lived all over, but mostly in Annapolis, Maryland. I really love Ohio and the people here are so friendly and charismatic. I have been taking ceramics classes here at the Columbus Cultural Arts Center for about four years. If anyone is interested in trying their hand at making pottery on the potter's wheel (or any other art form), I highly recommend the Cultural Arts Center. In fact, I still take classes there to this day and I hope to never stop taking ceramics classes there! It is a great place and very welcoming for new artists and for people who are just starting to try pottery or any other art form offered there. Lastly, I do have a full time job, too, besides my Crafty By Nature Studio endeavors. I work for the gas company doing Geographic Information Systems (GIS) which is basically computer mapping of gas lines and much more. I do cherish my crafting time because I enjoy it so much when I am making something wonderful and natural and useful for people to use! Crafting and pottery keeps me going, and really lights my fire!
WHAT IS YOUR SHOP AND WHAT DO YOU SELL: Crafty By Nature Studio is my shop. I try to keep everything sold by Crafty By Nature Studio as ecological or earthy as possible. I think the theme of my shop is right in the name, because I handcraft nature-inspired crafts, crafts that use all natural ingredients, and I recycle as much as possible including my clay. Crafty By Nature Studio sells a variety of all natural body care products, handmade pottery, and nature themed arts and gifts. Right now, the focus is on the all natural body care products including Healthy Skin Body Butter, Working Hands Skin Repair, relaxing bath salts in two scents (Relaxing Lavender and Breathe Better Mint), luxurious Eco-Lovely Lip Balms available in two savory flavors (Vanilla or Mint), the sensuous Eco-Lovely Lotion Bars, and aromatherapy candles for ambiance. Pottery has been ranging from bowls to mugs to goblets lately. Nature inspired art gifts currently underway are the cute "peanut hummingbirds". I created hummingbird ornaments using a peanut and a toothpick for the beak, then painted them to look like ruby throated hummingbirds and added wings. They're really cute!
HOW DO YOU PROMOTE/MARKET YOUR SHOP: I am on Etsy of course and I have links on Facebook. I have recently started a blog and that has been a lot of fun. Occasionally, I send crafty emails to friends and ask them to pass them along. I haven't tried twitter as of yet and I am not sure if I am missing out or not. I do also have my own website, which I have made several sales off of already. Sometimes, word of mouth is helping me to get business and then I can just tell people, "Go to www.craftybynaturestudio.com and you can buy your body butters, hand creams, pottery, or lip balms right then and there" 
WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST SHOP GOAL IN THE NEXT 6 MONTHS: My biggest shop goal in the next six months is twofold. First, I aspire to survive and learn from my very first crafty show, which is the two day Grove City Fall Arts and Crafts Bazaar held on Saturday, November 13th (9am-4pm) and Sunday, November 14th (10am-4pm). I am so excited for my first show ever! I want to learn as much as I can from it, and my second goal for the next six months is about more shows. I plan and hope to get into more shows and gain more exposure and more learning. I already have figured out that part of making goals happen means that I just be more vigilant on keeping track of the calendar for when the shows are held and also for when the application deadlines are for applying to be included in a given show. Sometimes I say "Get it together, Karen, and use a calendar!"
5 THINGS THAT MAKE YOU HAPPY: Just about anything purple, my whippet dog, crafting, throwing on the potter's wheel, and of course my crafty, very handsome husband is apprenticing with me to be a potter too (and he's learning quick!).
A huge thanks to Karen for letting us in on the secrets behind the shop! She's also doing a giveaway to one special reader. Here is the info you need to know:
Words that I misspell on a consistent basis...like every time I type them. 
Many years ago, probably in my Christmas stocking or Easter basket, my mom gave me a pair of cat socks. Not socks you put on cats, but socks that you put on me...with cats on them. Know what I mean. The cat design is not just printed...but embroidered (I guess that is what it would be...the cat designs are actually stitched with thread onto the sock) Man, I'm making this sound so difficult. Just see above photo if you are confused.
