The CraftSanity Podcast

Maya Pagan Donenfeld tells the story of how she healed herself and wrote a book in the process. “Hope, Make, Heal: 20 Crafts to Mend the Heart” is a thoughtful and inspiring book that aimed to help readers create their way through life’s most trying times.

Interview with Clara Parkes, author of the newly released “Knitlandia: A Knitter Sees the World.”

An interview with Yulia Brodskaya, the artist who designed the 2016 Love stamp for the U.S. Postal Service. She's also featured in CraftSanity Magazine Issue 10, that's now for sale.

I can think of no better way to wrap up another year of podcasting than to bring you an interview with Lisa Congdon, a fine artist, illustrator and author who has inspired countless people to be true to themselves, love without regret, do the work, follow their hearts and have the courage to call themselves artists – even if it’s just in a whisper at first.

If you live in the Midwest U.S. and have noticed that most of the craft con action happens on East and West coasts, Grace Dobush (co-organizer of Crafty Supermarket) has some good news for you. She joined forces with Brit Charek (organizer of Crafty Mart) and Megan Green (organizer of Craftin’ Outlaws) to plan and invite you to Midwest Craft Conslated for Feb. 19-21 in Columbus, Ohio.

Artist and author Valerie McKeehan tells the story behind the 2012 launch of her Lily & Val hand-lettered art business that now employees both her and her husband full-time.

If you think bigger is better when it comes to weaving looms, Syne Mitchell may convince you otherwise if you page through her new book that explores the vast potential of the rigid heddle loom.

Lotta Jansdotter, the Brooklyn-based Swedish designer of items ranging from home goods to textiles, discusses her new book “Lotta Jansdotter Everyday Style.”

If you like knitting, sipping tea, building forts and watching the clouds roll by, this episode was recorded just for you. My guest is Lea Redmond, author of the sweet new book, “Knit the Sky: Cultivate Your Creativity with a Playful Way of Knitting.” She is also the creative force behind LeafcutterDesigns where you’ll find an fun selection of the clever things she dreams up including the Knit the...

Like many of us, Anne Weil got urge to quit her day job and follow her handmade dreams. But it didn’t all fall into place over night. On this episode of the podcast, Anne talks about what led her to walk away from a finance career in New York City and settle out West. Even after launching her Flax and Twine blog was there were hiccups and even a temporary return to the career she left.

Artist Jedediah Johnson found a interesting way deal with a “life long fear of kissing people.” After scheduling a makeout appointment, he applies a lot of lipstick and kisses women (and sometimes men) and then photographs the big messy aftermath.

Those who admire Anna Joyce’s beautiful textile and design work from afar might assume that these things come easily to the artist and textile designer. But Anna, 38, of Portland, Oregon and author of the new book, “Stamp, Stencil, Paint: Making Extraordinary Patterned Projects By Hand,” has dealt with her share of setbacks. And some thing tells me that after listening to her story you’ll want to...

In five short years, Heather Jones, 39, has transitioned from a rookie quilt maker to founder of the Cincinnati Modern Quilt Guild and an accomplished designer exhibiting her work and teaching on the national quilt scene.

Interview with Rosa Rojas, a quilter from Spain helped me improve my appliqué game with her Apliquick tools.

Learn more about Jonathan D. Lopez's “claylist” entry for ArtPrize 2015.

Interview Erin Paisley, 34, a self-taught artist whose painted, fiber and ceramic art I have admired online for quite some time.

When Jesse Genet was about 16, she launched a t-shirt business from the basement of her parent's house in suburban Detroit. She started researching ways to print photographs on textiles and traveled across the country to track a guy down who owned the rights to a product that flopped on the market before her time. Initially, the man blew her off, but she didn't give up. Determined and business sav...

On this episode of the podcast I have a lovely chat with a kindred spirt Sonia Lyne. A fellow embroidery enthusiast, list maker, Sonia is a delight to chat with and her handmade Dandelyne business has been inspiring stitchers around the globe since 2011.

If you attend national quilt and craft trade shows, chances are good that you've run into Michele. She is a craft industry insider with a generous spirit who gets a real kick out of connecting other creatives with the people who can make big things happen.

Erin Beckloff, 31, of Ohio, recognizes that there is something very precious about the knowledge and skill letterpress printers accumulate during a lifetime of printing and she's on a mission to preserve it for future generations as co-director of "The Letterpress Film."

On the this episode of the podcast, you’ll meet Liz Reed, co-creator of the Cuddles and Rage comic featuring humorous hand drawn and clay characters.

In honor of National Stress Awareness Month, San Francisco-based crochet designer Twinkie Chan has teamed up with the Craft Yarn Council to help all of us reflect on the stress busting wonders of knit and crochet.

I wanted to help Mary Colucci, executive director of the Craft Yarn Council, spread the word about the organization's 30 Days of Creative Ways to #StitchAwayStress campaign that kicks off today and runs through the whole month of April.

A self-proclaimed cat lady who studied fashion design in London, Sara, 30 of Nashville, Tennessee started Scooter Knits, an Etsy shop featuring handknit hats for cats in 2009. The hats were a hit and six years later, Sara is still knitting like the wind for feline friends and their owners around the globe. This week is an exciting one for Sara, whose first book, "Cats in Hats: 30 Knit and Crochet...