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).
Contact:
Web: www.frenchgeneral.com
Wendy Addison was born in Missouri and raised by artist parents. She studied fine art at an early age. In 1993, she opened her studio in an old garage and began creating what she called “objects for an imaginary life.” Made from old sheet music, tarnished tinsel, vintage crepe paper, Victorian scrap, and other flea market treasures, Addison’s work evoked some lost sense of magic from times past. Her signature look quickly evolved and found its way to fine stores across the country, such as Bergdorf Goodman and Tiffany. In 1997, Wendy moved to a tiny town north of San Francisco. Her shop “Theatre of Dreams” is open by chance or appointment, and she continues to create new and innovative paper objects. Her designs are licensed to Tinsel Trading Company in NYC and Midwest of Cannon Falls, and are sold in gift stores everywhere.
Contact:
Web: www.wendyaddisonstudio.com
Kathy Cano-Murillo is a writer and artist. Since 1990, she has sold her handmade “Chicano Pop Art” crafts to hundreds of retailers including Bloomingdales, Target, and Hallmark. From 2000-2008, she wrote a weekly syndicated Arizona Republic newspaper column, and has authored seven books including Crafty Chica’s Art de la Soul and Crafty Chica’s Guide to Artful Sewing. In 2001, Kathy launched 
Kathy Hester develops vegan recipes that make it easier to get a nutritious dinner on the table night after night. She is passionate about teaching people how to eat better with less effort and without spending a fortune. Kathy went meatless back in 1983 when it was hard to find tofu and tempeh, much less modern-day luxuries like vegan marshmallows and a range of non-dairy milks. Kathy spends her free time transforming her front yard into a veggie garden, entertaining (vegan fondue anyone?), writing her Healthy Slow Cooking and Busy Vegan blogs, and developing delicious meatless recipes that even picky eaters and omnivores love. If you’ve been wanting to get more greens, whole grains, and vegan protein sources into your diet you’ll definitely want to learn Kathy’s innovative methods for fitting healthy, whole foods into your busy schedule. Kathy’s first book, The Vegan Slow Cooker: Simply Set It and Go with 150 Recipes for Intensely Flavorful, Fuss-Free Fare Everyone (Vegan or Not!) Will Devour, comes out this October from Fair Winds Press. Here’s what people are already saying about the book:
In December 2008, Kim decided to leave her career in real estate to stay home with her young kids, Tommy and Kate. Always crafty and creative, she started a blog to share her craft projects, decorating, and party ideas. She had recently decided to convert a room in her home to a craft studio and came up with the blog name “TomKat Studio” from the combination of her kids’ names. Kim’s blog quickly gained a loyal following and readers asked if they could buy things that she was making, including hand-decorated frames and invitations. On a whim, she decided to open an Etsy shop. Within weeks she was overwhelmed with orders. After her daughter Kate’s lollipop birthday party was featured on a popular party blog—Hostess with the Mostess—in April 2009, demand for her creations soared. Not being able to keep up with the demand, Kim closed up shop that summer and took a short break. She came back and reopened as a printable party shop. 
Kristin Nicholas is the author of 8 knitting and stitchery books including her latest Color by Kristin. For sixteen years she was Creative Director of a large yarn company where she designed yarn, knitting patterns, graphic materials, and more. Her work has been featured in Vogue Knitting, Interweave Knits, Knitters Magazine and many women’s magazines. She is a “knitting expert” on PBS’s Knit and Crochet Now. She lives with her family on a working sheep farm in western Massachusetts with over 500 sheep, numerous chickens and cats and two obsessed Border Collies.
Laura C. Martin is the author of 24 books, the latest of which is the 
Laurie Meseroll has lived as an artist her entire life. One of her first paintings, of an angel, was shown publicly in 1963 at the Columbus Museum of Art. She went on to train as a sculptor and an architect but realized that, above all else, she is painter and must follow her bliss. Laurie lived in the “amazingly intense” New York art scene of the 1980s, concentrated on architectural commissions in the 1990s, and entered the folk art world in 2000, finding inspiration in magical and romantic experiences. Laurie chooses the slow road to capture the scenery and enormous depth of feeling she sees in everyday activity. Her folk-outsider-art-ish paintings and portraits flow from the realm of characters and stories into unexplored areas of stillness and reflection.
Leslie Shewring is a Canadian from Vancouver Island currently living in Los Angeles, California. She relocated to the U.S. to earn a degree in Architecture and Interior Design. Immediately after finishing school, Leslie had the opportunity to team up with a manufacturing and distributing company. Collaborating together, Leslie developed, designed, and handled packaging direction for many products sold in major retailers throughout North America. Although she loved her job, the deadlines, cross-country travel, and long trips to Asia did not fit with her ideal of family life. When Leslie had her first child four years ago, she stepped away. She still consults from time to time, but most of her days are spent with her two little kids, or in her home studio where she paints, collages, styles, and photographs. Leslie shares her creative projects on her blog A Creative Mint and she also authors a popular monthly column on the blog Decor8 called “Color Me Pretty.” Recently, Leslie has teamed up with Holly Becker to teach “Blogging Your Way,” a popular e-course that has been running twice a year. You may also find Leslie’s colorful work in Stampington’s Somerset Life, where she is a columnist.
A leading national advocate for championing the inspiring story of women transforming our food system, Lisa Kivirist serves as a distinguished 