Ho Ho Ho and All that Good Stuff

Last year after I became ill, I decided that I wanted to take some time to work on some craft projects---Christmas Ornaments---that I'd been dying to do, but never made the time for. As many of you already know (from the fabulous projects I've seen on your pages), having a creative outlet is a great stress buster.

A month or so into it, a friend who is also a family caregiver came by. I showed her my projects, and she asked if she could join me. Her daughter, who has Down Syndrome, thought she might enjoy creating things, and then we were three.

Big Kid was talking in his therapy group (young adults with mental health issues) about our little band, and a couple of his compadres wanted to join. As one said, "Even Goths love Christmas!" Seeing these young men---tatted and pierced---sitting around my dining room table in a sea of ribbons and bows is a vision I'll never forget! ;-)

We hauled a bunch of our creations to a craft fair over the summer, and did very well. And an idea was born.

So I organized and funded a collaborative craft studio to help market the creations of adults who have disabilities and their family caregivers in an effort to help them become more financially independent. If they aren't mobile or prefer to work in their own homes, we pick up and deliver the supplies to them. Every step of the process is a collaborative effort---from ornament design, photography, our new website----and of course the crafting!

Before the doo-doo hit the fan with Big Kid's illness, we had already sold to a few gift shops around the country. Unfortunately, we lost 6 weeks because of our crisis, and I feel awful for our crafters.

But it's not too late! Please visit our website and see if there's a "must have" gift or ornament for your tree! They're wonderful---the pictures really don't do them justice!

Highland Roses Design; A Collaborative Craft Studio

ATM