Aiken Crafters have formed a community of supportive people with a passion to create and socialize with one another.
~ Kathy Klein
Amy Moore was going through the motions of dealing with the grief that followed her like a dark shadow after the death of her husband in 2016. Never forming any close friendships, she felt loneliness envelope her even as she drove to her son’s soccer tryouts at the church in Midland Valley. She decided to talk to a couple of moms about making crafts and sensed a strange lifting of her sadness.
Amy felt a glimmer of joy in that moment. It was August of 2019, and it was the day she got inspired to change her life.
The moms were hopeful there was an organization or page on the web for local crafting. Leaving work the next day and facing a stretch of time when she would be alone, Amy recalled how happy she had been discussing crafts with the other soccer moms. Sitting in the parking lot, Amy realized there must be others like herself who sought to be part of a crafting group, so she created a small crafting circle before starting up the car.
This is how Amy’s two online craft pages were born. “On August 14th, 2019, I made the Aiken County Crafters page and we are almost to 2,000 members. September 2019 I launched the Aiken County Professional Crafters page and we have over 120 members,” Amy says. “They started sharing their own personal crafts and it got fun for everyone to show off or get feedback.”
“I thought of doing giveaways because I wanted to give back, I wanted a reason to do “lives” on social media, and I knew it would grow the number of members. I went to the Dollar Tree and bought pads, pens, candles, and candy for giveaways. My page grew instantly.”
Amy asked her friend Franny at Fox & Lady for help. She was given pens and coupons after purchasing Carolina and Clemson cozies. Other businesses and vendors gave her donations — awarding prizes reaped more members. “Now I meet new people at Vendor Street on Fabian Drive. Sharon Squires was opening Vendor Street the same time I created the group so that worked out perfectly.”
This group is an absolute blessing! Not only do I get to share my passion for creating, but I interact with other crafters. We support and inspire each other through our projects and encourage each other.Jackie Thomas (Hart’s Desire Crafts)
Aiken County Professional Crafters – Vendors Only is an organization that provides a platform for crafter seeking selling events. Amy states this business is growing rapidly. Amy hopes this group will soon teach new vendors the “ins and outs, and to ultimately be very profitable. My goal for the regular page is to continue to grow our member count, do more live tutorials to teach certain crafts, boost local businesses, and get folks to downtown Aiken.”
Amy’s new creation has awakened a passion for living in her where she sees that people come together to learn from one another and help their craft become successful. She is hopeful about life’s outlook when she sees the support local artists give each other. “We have a market every Tuesday on the regular page which gives a chance for everyone to sell their creations.”
Amy is grateful her life is now full of purpose as she realizes she is the one making connections for businesses growth and profit for her members. “This year most of my professional vendors will be participating in the Christmas Tree Lighting in downtown Aiken. They will be lined up Laurens Street and the Alley. I am very excited about future events in downtown Aiken.”
You can find Amy on Facebook where she explains the rules of membership and the advantages of joining. Soon she will have her own web page.
I love that I have found a community that shares my passion for creating something from nothing. Jennifer (Vinyl Disorder Creations)
Amy is an Aiken native rooted in the entrepreneurial spirit. Her grandfather owned Bell Cabinet Shop on Whiskey Street in the 1950s. Her father opened the Aiken Antique Mall when she was in her teens.
By Phyllis Maclay
