The Creative Connection

Jo Packham has been a leading innovator in the creative industry for more than 30 years. A successful entrepreneur with her own
publishing company, Chapelle, Ltd., she currently partners with
Stampington & Company to produce two magazines WHERE WOMEN CREATE — Inspiring Work Spaces of Extraordinary Women, and WHERE WOMEN COOK — The Heart and Soul of Cooking. Jo has authored more than 40 arts and crafts titles, including her newest book Where Women Cook: Celebrate. She also now has her own
imprint with Sterling Publishing: CREATIVE CONNECTION PRESS which will work with such brands as MaryJanesFarm, Stampington, Tracy Porter, UpperCase, and others.

MaryJane Butters was instrumental in creating the present-day organic movement in America. She was chair of one of the first state-sanctioned organic advisory boards and is proud to say her first organic inspection certificate listed her as “grower #8.” Born to a large, self-sufficient family in Utah, she was raised on homegrown food and knew from the tender age of five that she would grow up to be an organic farmer. But her real passion is that of teacher. Featured in The New Yorker in 2004, a lengthy article stated, “MaryJane Butters, a natural teacher, has a gift for simplification, and makes it seem that everything she does is easy and attainable.” Those who’ve attended her non-profit Pay Dirt Farm School, now in its 14th year, all agree.

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Comfort and American style define the heart and soul of Nancy Soriano, whether she’s consulting with companies on their brand extensions, cooking Sunday dinner for her family, or pursuing her own creative projects. During her 10 years as editor in chief of Country Living magazine, Nancy redefined “country” to embrace casual, comfortable living as the core value of American style. She brought readers a fresh, updated look as she grew the magazine into a multiplatform brand that included book publishing, live consumer events (like the Country Living Fair), an online presence through countryliving.com, licensed products, broadcast media, and SIPs. She has always been passionate about creative women and women entrepreneurs and was the driving force behind the Country Living program of women entrepreneurs. Nancy’s understanding of comfort continues to be her filter for how America lives today. She is a lifestyle expert on Good Morning America, a design and home keeping expert on Martha Stewart Sirius Radio, and sought-after expert to discuss decorating, lifestyles, and the growth of women entrepreneurs. A longtime collector of all things vintage and handmade, Nancy loves traveling the country to attend the biggest and the “best” of the antique shows, flea markets, furniture shows, and craft fairs. She is known for her ability to scout out up-and-coming under-the-radar shops, artisan shows, occasional sales, and creative individuals. Nancy is currently the Publishing Director of Craft for F+W Media where she and her team are producing books and are working to build the distribution of craft content through emedia, ecommerce, online learning and community experience.

Leigh Standley is the artist, writer and owner of Curly Girl Design, Inc. In it’s seven years, Curly Girl Design and Leigh’s line of clever and colorful greeting cards and gift items have taken the industry by delightful storm. Focused on the magic of the small moments, her product peeks into the corners of life and taps into the hearts of all.Founded in 2003, the company began with just 12 greeting cards and grew steadily. Now with seven amazing full-time employees, it sells to more than 2300 shops nationwide and distributes to Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the UK. In 2008 Leigh began the process of licensing her art. Carefully choosing some of the most renowned and artist-driven companies to work with, her brand has expanded to include calendars, napkins, larger giftware items and a full line of holiday decor.
In 2005, Leigh was the recipient of her first LOUIE award for greeting card excellence and is nominated for 3 more in 2010. Her work and studio have been featured in creative publications like Where Women Create, Stationery Trends, Boho Magazine
Leigh believes firmly in the power of a creative community and the power of that community to unlock our truest selves. She is proudly “Living imperfectly with great delight.”
For more about Leigh and Curly Girl Design visit www.curlygirldesign.com

Laurie Crowell is founder and owner of Golden Fig Fine Foods Inc. The retail shop in St. Paul’s historic Crocus Hill is a locavores dream. The shelves are stocked with hundreds of exclusively Midwest produced items, and Laurie also manufactures a line of more than one hundred products under the Golden Fig name that are available at finer stores nationwide. With her retail shop, wholesale production facility, booth at the farmers market, regular television appearances, and a cookbook in the works, Crowell has maneuvered virtually every aspect of the food world, and loves working with others who are just starting their journey as entrepreneurs.

Christen Olivarez is Director of Publishing for Stampington & Company and Editor-in-Chief of Somerset Studio, Somerset Life, and Belle Armoire Jewelry. She leads a talented team of editors, designers and photographers and oversees the production of Stamping & Company’s 30+ magazine titles. She’s an avid reader, knitter, and art journaler and a supporter of the Slow Food movement. In her free time, you can find her curled up on the couch with yarn in hand, or out searching for the latest and greatest restaurants.
Christen will be featured in the Autumn 2011 issue of WHERE WOMEN COOK and will be signing copies at the Autograph Party.

Christine is a confirmed dabbler, and is now working under the title “at home expert.” After 10 years of retail merchandising and owning a vintage shop, Christine left the world of retail to focus on design. She has since worked with many home and shop owners, and as a designer for HGTV. Her own homes have been featured in Country Living magazine and on the DIY network show Sweat Equity. Always a big fan of reusing and recycling vintage objects, her time with the Creative Connection Event has also nurtured a newfound love of crafting. She spreads her love of pie baking and shares homemaking tips on her blog, Pies and Aprons.
Christine will be featured in the Autumn 2011 issue of WHERE WOMEN COOK and will be signing copies at the Autograph Party.

For the past 19 years as an interior designer, Julie Cove has been celebrated as the Martha Stewart of Victoria. As owner of one of the most-loved home decor stores on Vancouver Island, Julie has helped thousands discover how to create beautiful spaces. Julie loves sharing her knowledge of design and do-it-yourself creations, and has been a popular speaker and workshop leader on the West Coast for 20 years. Appearing as a regular design expert on TV, hosting her own radio show, Island Lifestyles, and writing for a variety of magazines as well as a blog, Julie has a unique gift as a teacher and instructor—inspiring her “students” to be creative, innovative, and to do it with passion! Julie’s design work has been featured in magazines, and she’s been the creative force behind several successful home tours and special events. Julie also has a passion for giving back. She uses her love of design and creativity as a way to raise thousands of dollars for community charity groups.

This award-winning designer is excited to take on her new passion: marrying beauty and creativity with healthy living. After a health crisis, Julie was forced to pour her creative energy into discovering everything she could about nutrition, exercise, and healthy living. She discovered an abundance of information on health, but a lack of innovative healthy recipes. Given her sincere appreciation for creativity and food, this inspired Julie to make healthy living more desirable, beautiful, and delicious to others. Her blog features health tips and delicious recipes, beautifully styled with her own vivid photography. Julie’s passion is to inspire a healthy lifestyle for everyone–especially busy crafting moms!
Julie will be featured in the Autumn 2011 issue of WHERE WOMEN COOK and will be signing copies at the Autograph Party.

Kaari Meng has been designing vintage glass jewelry for more than 20 years. After moving to New York City in 1988, Kaari began exhibiting at trade shows and designing for specialty shops, including Anthropologie. Armed with experience in all facets of jewelry manufacturing, she began teaching jewelry making out of her shop, French General. In 2003, French General moved to Los Angeles, where it continues to offer workshops and creative kits to people who enjoy working with vintage materials.

Kaari is the author of several books, including French-Inspired Jewelry: Creating with Vintage Beads, Buttons & Baubles (Lark/Sterling, 2007) and Treasured Notions (Chronicle Books, 2010).
Kaari will be featured in the Autumn 2011 issue of WHERE WOMEN COOK and will be signing copies at the Autograph Party.

The mother-daughter design team of Debbie Murray and Shea Fragoso has been collaborating in creative ways for as long as both can remember. When Shea was growing up, Debbie taught stained glass classes in the community college system and owned a custom design business and fine art painting studio. When Shea finished school, they owned gift shops together in Southern California. Shea became a highly sought-after jewelry designer; her creations appeared in dozens of fashion magazines and graced the red carpet several times. Both women designed products for the gift industry and sold pieces to collectors around the world. In 2009, Debbie and Shea completed a major remodeling of a gothic church in Dallas, Texas. Here, they indulged in their love of crowns and European design and were constantly inspired by the architecture and the light.

Debbie and Shea will be featured in the Autumn 2011 issue of WHERE WOMEN COOK and will be signing copies at the Autograph Party.