Crafting with Pride: The Story Behind my Rainbow Collections

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Every June, my studio bursts with rainbows. It's not just because I just LOVE color and rainbows (though, I really do). It's because each hue holds meaning: visibility, joy, courage, love, becoming, and truth. My Rainbow Collections have always been more than a celebration of color - they are a love letter to those who find comfort in magic, whimsy, and small corners of the world where they feel like they belong. 

When I learned to astonishing number of teens whose families turned their backs on them because they felt different from the societal norms imposed upon us, my heart broke. I pride myself in maintiaing a positive, safe space for all who vist Cottonwood, but I felt the need to expand that security to those who are left alone in this world. That is what inspired me to donate a portion of proceeds, every June, to The Trevor Project. I believe, in my whole heart, that every child deserves love and acceptance, just as every adult does.

Growing up in the 80's, rainbows have always held a special place in my heart. Learning to love one another through Mr. Rogers and the Reading Rainbow, and decorating my room with My Little Pony and Rainbow Brite (which I still do!), I was destined to be a kind, colorful soul with big feelings of love and equality. It's amazing how kindness and color can lighten up even the heaviest hearts. 

So, I'm starting this month with intention: to create with love, to honor the stories that need telling, and to send a little bit of magic into the world, and love to those who need it most.

We're all going through something. Wouldn't it be nice to know that someone will hold your hand while you go through your "something"?