We’re thrilled to announce our 2024 Craft Industry Alliance Scholarship recipients. We launched our scholarship program four years ago in an effort to make Craft Industry Alliance membership available to creative small business owners who would benefit from the resources and community support we offer, regardless of financial means.
We had a record-high number of applicants this year and reading through the applications was truly inspiring! We had applicants from every craft sector including upcycling, quilting, jewelry, garment sewing, bath and body care, rug hooking, spinning and dyeing, paper crafting, and more. Some were at the beginning stages of their business, and some were further along. We had high school and college students, mid-career professionals, and retirees starting on a new path.
Eleven applicants truly stood out and we’re thrilled to offer them one-year memberships. Each recipient has their own hopes and aspirations for their craft business and we can’t wait to welcome them into the Craft Industry Alliance community. Thank you to the ten recipients for allowing us to share a bit about their stories so you can get to know their businesses and celebrate this special day with us.
Cynthia Asije
Cynthia is the founder of Adirelounge, a creative textile business founded in 2022 to preserve and modernize the traditional Nigerian art of adire (hand-dyed fabric). They create sustainable, small-batch textiles for fashion and interior brands by combining heritage dyeing techniques with digital tools like AI-assisted pattern design and digital product passports. Their business model is B2B-focused: they produce made-to-order fabrics for designers and retailers while offering licensing for original textile patterns. They work closely with women artisans in Nigeria and aim to scale their impact through training, fair wages, and eco-friendly practices. In the future, they plan to expand our export operations, launch a digital design showroom, and build a tech-powered sourcing platform for ethical, African-made textiles that serve global fashion and lifestyle markets.
Emily Cline
Emily Cline, the founder of The Hive, South Pasadena, has turned her lifelong dream into reality, hosting this space where creativity thrives and people of all ages build community. Emily has many roles in life: boy mom, youngest child/only daughter, fierce friend, feline lover, avid chocolate eater. Studying independently in NY, Oregon, Mexico, England, and at the Pasadena Art Center, Emily grew passionate about the creative + healing properties of art journaling. A former model and actor for 25 years, she has taught art classes in schools, private homes, garages, shops, online, and in NY and LA, and for SPEF for over 15 years. Emily has dreamed of this shop + studio gathering space forever and a day.
Kai Cole
Kai Cole launched ButtonTHIS in 2012, inspired by a desire to create bold, joyful, collectible buttons for sewists, quilters, and DIY creatives. By 2014, the business had caught the eye of brands like Lion Brand Yarn as well as Disney and experienced a strong run on Etsy. But after facing burnout—partly from undervaluing her work in a notions distributor deal—she paused. Kai explored mass production and consulted with a fashion industry mentor, but realized her deepest value was staying small-batch and handmade. Kai arrived at a moment of clarity: she wanted to build a button brand that celebrates artisanal craftsmanship, supports well-being, and centers around playful, intentional design.
Leia Lewis
Leia Lewis’s creative business, Art by Oriade, centers on sharing narratives and storytelling informed by the African American cultural experience. At the heart of her work is RECLAIMING INDIGO, a multidisciplinary arts and crafts initiative she launched to revive and reimagine ancestral indigo traditions through visual art, education, and enterprise. She creates original artwork and original designed and hand-dyed textiles inspired by West African tradition called “adire” (tie-and-dye).
Her business model combines the sale of authentic textiles, art reproductions, and community-based engagement as a teaching artist. She partners with schools, museums, cultural organizations, and community spaces to lead public programs that educate and inspire creativity through the lens of African American heritage and indigo crafts.
TC Carruthers
From the soulful city of Memphis, Tennessee, TC is an artist, fashion designer, andinnovator who embarked on a creative journey that has become a powerful means ofself-expression and healing. In their artistic journey, TC delves into the transformativepower of collage as a means to heal the wounds of childhood trauma. Through theintricate arrangement of disparate elements, they aim to unravel the tangled threads oftheir past, exploring the intricate layers of emotions and memories that have shapedtheir existence. By embracing the medium of collage, they aim to foster a sense ofempathy and connection, shedding light on the universal human experience of healingand resilience.
Judy Morgan
Pamela Giles
Pam has been a registered nurse since 1980, and has worked in nursing education since 1993. She has lived in Sierra Leone, W. Africa, all over the Midwest,down in southern Virginia and now in East Tennessee. She first dabbled in creative art in 2013, then had to put it aside from 2014 – 2021 due to work/family issues. In 2022 she discovered the art of ‘quilting with paper’ – making multi-layered designs with a wild variety of cardstock textures, finishes, colors and elements. She launched Paper Girl in 2023 and is proud to share her work in two boutique/artisanal shoppes in East Tennessee. She’s eager to work on the next big step – launching an online business presence, and can’t wait to retire so she can do all of this full time. Pam lives with her husband, Todd, their dog Wylie, and cats BooBoo, Mittens and Muffin in East Tennessee.
Brittney Boyd
Brittney Boyd is the owner of B. Boyd Crafts, LLC. She creates custom gifts, apparel, and keepsakes for just about any occasion, big or small. What started as a hobby at her kitchen table quickly turned into something way bigger than I imagined. Now, she runs a business built on creativity, faith, and love. She’s also a recent Shopify Partner and coach, helping other small business owners get set up online and feel confident running their shops. She’s a wife, a mom, and a business owner trying to balance it all, but feels this journey has been so worth it. Her goal is to keep creating with purpose and using my gifts to serve and inspire others.
Jessica Whittaker
Jessica’s creative retail business is Silver State Stitch Shop. Started in 2023 and located in Boulder City, Nevada, she officially opened the brick-and-mortar storefront in May of 2024. The shop specializes in quilting and cross-stitch supplies, offering a carefully curated selection of fabrics, patterns, threads, kits, and notions for makers of all skill levels. Beyond retail, they’re committed to fostering creativity and connection through classes, clubs, and events that bring stitchers together in a fun, welcoming, and inspiring environment.
Dawn Lombard
Dawn Lombard launched her creative business in 2003, driven by a desire to create bold, expressive jewelry that speaks to women who want to be seen. Her work is rooted in metalsmithing and enameling, with a strong emphasis on vibrant color, unusual surface treatments, and one-of-a-kind design. She primarily works with powder-coated steel, laser-engraved aluminum, and enameled recycled copper, combining traditional techniques with a playful, contemporary aesthetic.
Her business model blends direct-to-consumer and wholesale approaches. She sells her work through juried art shows along the East Coast, her own e-commerce website, and a selection of curated galleries and national art catalogs. In addition to creating new collections, she also teaches enameling and metalwork—something she’s deeply passionate about—as a way to empower other makers and expand the field.
