Once upon an amazing time there were 3 women friends who loved the plants and animals and stones of Earth, loved the splashes of color in all the growing, blooming things, loved the music of the sky by day and night and loved to gather weekly to share their dreams and dramas.  The 3 women found that this love they had for life began to change them from the inside out.  They got bolder and louder and juicier and helped each other think new thoughts and imagine new possibilities. 

As the owner and fiber artist of The Twisted Purl, Cyndi Minister has been producing handspun yarn and other handmade fiber creations since the start of 2007.  Her passion for handmade yarn and fibers began after not seeing the color combinations and textures she wanted to see in the market.  Now, The Twisted Purl is on a mission to fill the world with handspun yarn and handmade fiber goodies.

Style By Shanna is a mother-daughter fiber artisan team from Gravel Ridge, Arkansas. Shanna has been crocheting for 27 years, knitting for 3 years, and loom knitting for 2 years.  Her mother Beverly has been crocheting for over 50 years.

Like most artists, I have been drawing and making art since before I can remember.  I continue to dabble in a variety of media, but work primarily as a painter and illustrator.  I have always lived in Arkansas, a place I love for its natural spaces.  My family loves the outdoors, so I have enjoyed the lifelong love of nature.  Most of my work reflects this love, not just because of nature's beauty, but due to the affect that the environment has on us as human beings.  I seek to make visible the emotional component that is satisfied through experiencing the natural world.

Brittany Madalone is an artist and art teacher who dwells with her puppy in Central Arkansas. Although I she is not originally from here, she feels at home in the Natural State. Her prints, drawings, and paintings often depict nature. She has grown to greatly value the beauty and the importance of the inhuman world. In her work, Brittany ultimately aims to weave together the real and the unreal in order to rouse unique yet universal experiences of escape and adventure.

Have you ever heard a friend say;
•I wish I could make that...
•I wish I had one of those...
•I wish I had the time/patience...
and then;
•Can you make one for me...

Krystal started like most of us did; with a box of crayons. The thing is, she spent a great deal of time breaking those crayons and melting them on light bulbs to see what new colors she could invent. (NOT an advisable behavior). Twenty some odd years later and she is still trying to create colors and experiences to both excite and inspire the eye. She finds beauty in everything and tries to capture it in her artwork. In early 2010 Krystal took on the pseudonym of Tisiphonni as an art label.

We are a family trying to lead more creative lives and inspire others to do the same by re-envisioning everyday items and producing less waste as we make lovely crafts. While GLG is a collaborative effort, Cherie is the primary artisan/up-cycler while Paulette writes poetry and depicts scenes from nature in her art.

Pat Haggard, Linda Sigler, and Jan Guthrie comprise Creative Coffee Club Jewlery.  We started in January 2012 making earrings on a kitchen table.  We are now in our own studio.  Through workshops and practice we have honed our skills and displayed our products at two craft fairs. We also have an Etsy website, and some of our work is in a downtown Conway shop.

I am a teaching artist so I have BFA in ceramics, but I also teach High School Art during the school year and as well as small workshops and make my own Art whenever I have time.   I have a small studio in the back of my home where I spend lots of evenings and weekends.  

I have been selling my work online for about 5 years now and while I like seeing my work go out into the world I think that shopping local is extremely important and I try to support local businesses whenever I can so I am looking forward to the Locals!