Ashley English has earned degrees in both holistic nutrition and sociology. Life has provided her with numerous career paths, including working as a medical assistant and nutritional consultant, manager of a bed and breakfast, wine and beer sales rep, baker, and caterer. Additionally, she has worked over the years with a number of non-profit organizations committed to social and agricultural issues. She is currently a member of Slow Food USA. Ashley is the author of the Homemade Living book series, which address varying topics related to sustainable small-scale homesteading. Ashley, her husband, and their young son, along with a menagerie of chickens, dogs, cats, and bees live in Candler, North Carolina, where they are converting their land into a thriving homestead. You can find her detailing those adventures in homesteading on her blog, Small Measure. She also writes a weekly column, “Small Measures with Ashley,” on the popular design blog, Design Sponge.
Tim Holtz is the Creative Director for Ranger Industries, one of the leading manufacturers of innovative inks, paints, and embossing products. Tim plays an integral part in the development and design of cutting edge paper crafting products. Tim has also teamed up with various key companies like Advantus/idea-ology, Tonic Studios, Stampers Anonymous, Sizzix/Alterations, and Coredinations to bring unique product collections that work hand in hand with Ranger’s extensive lines. As a well known designer, Tim travels across the country and internationally to educate and introduce people to his world of distress techniques and philosophy of embracing imperfection. His book “A Compendium of Curiosities” is filled with creative and inspiring ideas for beginner paper crafters and beyond. He truly lives his motto to live the life you’ve imagined.
Susan Branch is the self-taught artist and author of fourteen Heart of the Home books. From her Martha’s Vineyard studio, she writes about the “home arts” of family, cooking, gardening, sewing, and the little things that make life sweet. Susan illustrates her books in watercolors and hand writes every word in pen and ink. You’ll see some of her work in the new Celebrations cookbook debuting at THE CREATIVE CONNECTION event in September. Susan has a monthly newsletter, famous in certain circles, named “Willard,” after her grandfather. Susan’s artwork has graced many products over the years, from pajamas and teapots, to hooked rugs, calendars, and scrapbooks. She also designs quilting fabrics for Cranston’s “Quilting Treasures.” Please visit her “ancient, but still beautiful” 14-year-old website, 
Susan will be featured in the Autumn 2011 issue of WHERE WOMEN CREATE and will be signing copies at the Autograph Party.
After working for clients for a dozen years, Janine Vangool decided to pursue her own creative path through publishing books on creativity, craft, and design. With a love of things creative and curious, she publishes, edits, and designs 
Holly Becker is the founder and editor of 
Becky has a passion for living well and documenting life. Since 1997 she has been authoring books, creating artwork, writing articles, teaching classes, and designing products—all in the name of scrapbooking. In her personal evolution she came to find herself relating to everyone who has said, “Scrapbooking is too time-consuming, too complicated, too expensive, too much.” In 2009, 
Amy Barickman is the founder and owner of 
Melanie Falick is the editorial director of STC Craft/Melanie Falick Books, which is part of Stewart, Tabori & Chang and Abrams Books. She is also the author of numerous books, including Weekend Knitting, Kids Knitting, and Knitting in America, in addition to serving as the former editor-in-chief of Interweave Knits magazine.
Annie Modesitt has been designing hand knits since 1986 and loves all types of yarn. A champion of the Combination Knitting Method, Annie believes that there is no wrong way to knit–but MANY “right” ways to knit. As long as you’re getting the fabric you want, and can perform the knit tricks you’d like, then you’re knitting just fine!
Trisha Malcolm’s life in needle crafts began at the age of four and has spanned summers knitting, sewing, crocheting, and embroidering while at the beach, backpacking around the world, and during academic years as a high school needlework teacher. An editorship at McCalls Needlework and Craft magazine led Trisha to a career in craft publishing. She worked as the Craft Editor at Family Circle magazine Australia and other publications before she took over the helm of Vogue Knitting in 1997. Her role at the company has expanded in the ensuing years, to encompass Knit Simple magazine, a book publishing division (publisher of the Stitchionary series, Knitopedia, and more), custom publishing, and stitching-themed events. Trisha lives in Brooklyn, New York, with her son.
