Meet the Contributors


Marie Chorak


Hi, I’m Marie from Blooming Homestead! I have a passion for all things crafty, this includes home decorating, organization, digital design, DIY and cooking yummy comfort food! As a recent first time home buyer, I enjoy making our house into a home while sticking to a budget (gotta love those student loans!) This usually requires me to think outside the box and get creative. I love sharing my tutorials and projects in hopes that I can inspire others. When I am not crafting, I like to read, shop, watch movies, and visit with family & friends. Most importantly, I love spending time with my husband of 12 years and our two children who keep us on our toes.


Mandy Beyeler


Hi, I’m Mandy from Sugar Bee Crafts! I am a craft blogger who loves to blog and enjoys all things crafty, sewing, and DIY – I feel that if I can do something, you can too, and I provide tutorials to help you along the way. I love being a mom to four awesome kiddos and I blog from the Kansas City Area.


Kim Purvis


Hi, I’m Kim from Made in a Day! I am an avid crafter, blogger and business owner who dabbles in photography and graphic design. On my blog you will find easy “Do it Yourself” home décor, crafts and floral designs, mixed in with a dash of my family’s favorite recipes. My goal is to provide you with simple tricks and tutorials to make creating projects easier than ever.


Kim West


Hi, I’m Kimbo from A Girl and a Glue Gun. I love crafts that are fast and easy that anyone can do!  Creativity is a part of me–I love to be able to express myself with paint, washi tape, fabric, mod podge and hot glue! I love it all! I have 3 kids that get to be my inspiration for most things (and my models sometimes even though they hate it!) And my poor husband hates leaving the house because he never knows what he will be coming back to (whether it be a huge mess or a giant wall mural!)  If I’m not blogging…I can be found making crafts for blogging (it’s a wicked cycle.) I live in Idaho and eat copious amounts of chocolate.


Courtney Sanchez


Hi, I’m Courtney from Crafts by Courtney! I am a mommy to three great boys (who keep me busy) and wife to a loving husband. Crafts by Courtney is where I make easy-to-follow craft tutorials and post all the do-it-yourself parties I’ve made! Crafting has always been a big part of my life since I was a child, and some of my favorite childhood memories are crafting with my mother and sister.


Ashley Philips


Hi, I’m Ashley from Simply Designing!  I am an interior designer turned DIY and Craft Blogger located in the Indianapolis area.  My passion for interior design grew into a love of creating and one day I simply knew I needed to blog about it!  It has changed my life in many amazing ways: I absolutely love it!  I love power tools and my hot glue gun, and occasionally I love to bake too!  I love life and I try my best to find joy in the simple things!  I love my family and friends and I am a firm believer that a good cup of hot cocoa or bowl of ice cream can cure most things.  I am grateful for all I have been blessed with every single day.


Cindy Groom-Harry


Cindy Groom-Harry leads an accomplished group of product developers, designers, writers, public relations and marketing experts at Craft Marketing Connections, Inc. The CMC team has created over 15,000 project designs for manufacturers, book publishers and magazine editors. Clients include well-known consumer products companies such as Black & Decker, Reynolds/Alcoa, 3M, SC Johnson, FloraCraft Corporation, The Dial Corporation, Elmer’s Products and LexJet/Avatrex. With a Masters degree in education and fifteen years of experience in teaching all grade levels, Cindy and her team have developed multiple national educational programs featuring lesson plans that promote the use of arts and crafts products. Cindy was selected by a leading trade publication as one of the most influential people in the industry. She served for nine years on the CHA Board of Directors and received the industry’s highest honor, the Meritorious Award of Honor.


Dondi Richardson


Hi, I’m Dondi and I’m the Senior Designer at FloraCraft.  I’ve been with FloraCraft in the design room for 20+ years and have created thousands of foam projects in my career.  Some of my favorite projects are the larger than life models that I get to create for industry trade shows or our customers, but my real passion is for flowers and floral arranging.  When I’m not in the design studio, you can find me cruising around Ludington, MI on my motorcycle with my son, Billy, in the sidecar!