Celestial Sipes has been working in retail/online retail for almost 20 years (nearly since the internet was invented!). She has launched multiple e-com sites and spent several years as an e-commerce business advisor/instructor with the OR SBDC. Currently she is the owner of Thunderpants USA, a DTC apparel brand based in Portland, Or.
Chelsea Snow is an artist, business owner, educator and self-described experimental entrepreneur, living and working in Portland, OR. She is the owner/operator of SnowMade, a wholesale handmade gift company. Chelsea has been making and selling things for as long as she can remember. She received her BA from The Evergreen State College in 1999 and her MFA in Applied Craft + Design in 2017. In between, she raised two children, was in a rock band, owned a boutique and gallery, organized community arts events, drove for Lyft, taught hundreds of people to sew, made thousands of handbags, sold advertising, designed clothing, dabbled in mycology, and lived in France. She is passionate about understanding the role of artists and makers in late-stage disaster capitalism.
Claire is the artist and miniature enthusiast behind the business Crunch Supply. 8 years ago she signed up for her first craft fair with a small line of screen prints and ornaments inspired by 90’s pop nostalgia and a lifelong fake food obsession… she had a blast and never looked back! Since then she has learned by experience and developed her own unique techniques and visual voice in the maker landscape. Her colorful, funny, glitter covered creations are a feast for the eyes like the tiny props of a wacky kids TV show, theme park, or roadside attraction.
Domonique’s bachelor’s degree in economics, entrepreneurship-focused MBA, and her fifteen years of experience working within the small business community produce a solid, balanced foundation of academic knowledge and practical experience. Domonique has been with Business Impact NW since 2014 and has worked as a business coach and trainer, a program leader, and today the Chief Program Officer.
Emma Swartz is the owner of Squeezebox Press, a Portland letterpress studio making stationery for snail mail enthusiasts near and far. In addition to letterpress printing and letter-writing, she has been a knitter since the age of seven, and loves gardening, cooking, reading books, and carving spoons. She loves meeting and collaborating with other small business owners and is excited to be teaching at Camp Thundercraft for the first time this year.
Jamie Von Stratton has been working as a costume designer in the Seattle area for over 2 decades. She had a humble start reinventing clothing found at thrift shops for two local boutiques, before venturing into opening her own shop at 25 years old. From there she cultivated her craft and moved into the costume world, a glamorous and creative pivot. She since designed for film and commercials, and works with seattle alumni Jinkx Monsoon, Ben DeLaCreme, and Macklemore.
Kanda Mbenza-Ngoma (they/she) is an artist of many mediums and the owner of Psychedelic Baddie which is a tie dye company started in 2020. They live in Portland and spend a lot of time working on personal and commissioned dye pieces. Their main focus in all the art she participates in is showcasing the healing of the fat, black, femme in its many facets. In spare time, Kanda can be found playing the guitar, listening to music, podcasts or audiobooks, spending time with loved ones or working on spiritual healing.
Kendra Russo (She/Her) is a plant based artist who finds joy in adoring others in her natural garments.
She is currently traveling the US working fine art shows and running her business Found and Foraged Fibers. Most of her time is spent experimenting with the plants and trees of the region she is visiting, creating simple dye vats and deepening her level of knowledge on which foliage prints best.
Kristen is one of the organizers of Urban Craft Uprising, a maker, a baker and a reader. UCU takes up a good chunk of my time but when I’m not clacking away on my computer, I can often be found in my studio crocheting a variety of food items, baking for an occasion or simply because I have an extra tablespoon of lemon juice I simply can’t let go to waste OR reading. My goal for 2023 is to have just as much fun as I work and continue to build on community. I LOVE the maker community and feel so grateful to have landed in a craft show over 25 years ago. I have participated in many craft shows in the country over those years, wrote 8 or 9 craft books and love working with small businesses SO MUCH. Camp is definitely one of my favorite events to plan for all year! When I think of camp I am almost as starry eyed as I am here looking at this amazing dessert. I can’t wait to see you all!
Laura is a creative career coach who specializes in partnering with people who desire to grow their creative endeavors.
Since leaving her corporate career in consumer product goods, Laura has built a coaching business around creativity and connection. She combines her hands-on interests with her coaching by creating watercolors for her clients.
Whether you’re balancing a corporate 9-5 with a hobby or running your small business full time, Laura will advocate for your value and creative purpose.
A lifelong entrepreneur, Lindsey Ross has been organizing the Urban Craft Uprising for 18 years, and craft show vending for 15. She is also the owner of Yarnia, a custom yarn shop in Portland, which she recently transitioned from a brick & mortar to an online-only business out of her home. She loves finding ways for businesses to run more efficiently, and designing systems to make that happen. She also loves spreadsheets…A LOT. On her off hours you may catch her biking around town with her husband and a jambox, catching live local bluegrass, clocking her 10,000 steps with her pitbull Tucker, or knitting simultaneously with any other activity that doesn’t require both hands.
London Tierney is the owner of Particle Goods, a small home fragrance brand in Seattle, Washington. Particle’s scent line explores the connection between memory, nature and emotion. London’s candle-making videos have been viewed over 2 million times on Youtube and she is passionate about sharing her knowledge and helping other small businesses grow. She credits Particle’s growth (even during a pandemic!) to strong wholesale relationships, and values driven email marketing.
Lydia works full-time as a portrait photographer in the Magnolia neighborhood of Seattle. She lives with her husband, teenage daughter and a wealth of furry family members. She obtained a degree in commercial photography in the 90’s and has done one form of photography or another ever since. Aside from photography, her hobbies mostly involve roller skating, rabbits, holiday decorating, cross-stitch, all things 1960’s era, podcasts and David Bowie. This is her fourth year teaching/attending Camp Thundercraft and she could not be more excited!
I grew up in Minnesota and was the creative child; drawing, painting, sewing, crocheting and dancing. I moved to Pacific Northwest in 1998 and started my journey as a parent and brought arts and crafts back into my life for my daughters. Like many artists and crafters, I explored various mediums and I found paper quilling. I immediately took to quilling for its versatility and it combined my love of art and craft. I’ve been quilling for over 10 years, the past 4 years have been experimenting with visual art and the past year as a businesswoman and maker. I hope to continue to educate people about this not well known art form and the beauty and relevance of traditional craft.
Twinkie Chan is a San-Francisco based crochet designer known for her colorful, food-themed accessories like cupcake scarves, hamburger mitts, and slushee cup purses. She has two published crochet books, is a full-time artist coach, instructor, and content editor at Creativebug, and currently has a whimsical crocheted bakery installation on view at Sweet Tooth Hotel in Dallas.
Zoe Frost, the creator/crafter/owner of Junebug and Darlin, is a queer femme currently living in Portland, OR. Having spent most of her life in California, she is eagerly adventuring through new surroundings of pine trees, ferns and rivers with her partner and their two dogs. She believes that art should be useful and crafting should be for everyone. She combines nature, queerness and good ol’ fuck the system attitudes to make her artistic endeavors what they are today.
Camp ThunderCraft wouldn’t be nearly as awesome without our generous sponsors! All these wonderful businesses are helping out in some way to make sure the weekend is super fantastic.
