About Us

Hi, I'm Eileen Bergen. I'd like to tell you how I came to be "The Artful Crafter" behind this website.

My husband, Chris, and I retired several years ago. It didn’t take long for me to get bored with full retirement. Looking for something to do with my idle hands, I started designing my own greeting and calling cards using some user-friendly computer programs - since I had zero graphic design background.

My friends said they loved them; but I thought they were just being nice. When they started saying, “I’d like you to design some for me. How much would you charge?” I thought I might have the makings of a home-based business.

I moved on to place cards, invitations, and fliers. Soon my friends were bringing me completely unrelated product ideas. They said, “Eileen, you can make this!” So I started sewing again. I hadn’t sat at a sewing machine for about 30 years! Next came oilcloth tote bags, wine gift bags, panadières (fabric bread baskets), double eyeglass cases, etc., etc. I named my company …

Two years later, after I had added beaded jewelry, fabric painting and woven bamboo placemats to my product line, Chris said, “Why don’t you put up a website? I can do the tech stuff … and with all you’ve learned in this business – what to do and, just as importantly, what not to do! – it would be very valuable to other home crafters.”

I've since taken up polymer clay craft, scrapbooking, and photo editing, as well as dabbled in numerous other craft forms. I delight in trying out new products and helping readers solve their craft quandaries or find instructions and supplies.

Over the years we have built up quite extensive coverage of a wide variety of crafts. So here we are! We hope you find what you are looking for at The Artful Crafter.

We provide a lot of free services for our readers. Please take advantage of:

• The Artful Crafter Google Friends Community (Join the fun at the bottom of any page of this website);
• The Artful Crafter Digest monthly e-zine;
• The Artful Crafter blog; and
• Subscriptions for automatic updates of new articles and tutorials.

On the website look for the RSS feed sign-up and on the blog look for the Feedburner button so you can be among the first to know what's new at The Artful Crafter!

Eileen Bergen
5802 Bullock Loop
PMB 328C44
Laredo, TX 78041
214-550-4850

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