The Colorado creative scene is vibrant and inspiring, much like our mountains and people. My parents moved here in their college days from Pennsylvania and Missouri, meeting in the school library in Denver. Family time in libraries has opened a world of self-empowered education and discovery to their seven children since that day. I have stayed near the Rocky Mountains my entire life and raised my own family here to be creative and proud library card holders. As my mother said, “When you have a library card, the entire world is your playground.”

My early focus on book learning has evolved to experiential learning over the past 50 years. Fiber art was my first creative passion as my parents, George and Bonnie Leman, founded the Quilter’s Newsletter Magazine around our kitchen table in the 1960s. That publication and family-operated mail order business gave me access to the earliest years of the quiltmaking community in the US and beyond. In later years, I have been a professional fiber artist, using wool needlefelting and applied techniques to create handmade home decor items. And more recently, since 2010, my passion for other fine craft mediums has emerged! My Nestle and Soar Studio is home to Art Glass, Mosaic Art, and Ceramics. I love connecting with others who love all art and fine crafts! Let me see your techniques and best pieces. I still have so much to learn.

A new endeavor at the Nestle and Soar Studio is the creation of my Creative Kids Club. In this club, we’re on a mission to inspire creativity through our monthly arts and crafts kits. These inventive kits are designed to develop essential STEAM skills for the future. Our members can purchase a single kit for the beloved child in their life, or they can choose a series of 3 monthly kits mailed to homes in the US. In the early stages of development, I am limiting myself to mail order delivery in the US and do hope to fulfill orders internationally in the future. I’m certainly open to collaborations in this regard!

Can you imagine sitting next to a child who is 4-10 years old, and watching them open a box filled with fun and educational arts and crafts projects and supplies? The memories my club members are making are what feels so special to me. Kids love sitting side-by-side with a beloved family member, unpacking a monthly kit, and feeling encouraged to make art! Even when that beloved family member doesn’t have an art background, these kits make it easy and fun for everyone to learn and grow. Kids love sharing time with a parent, grandparent, aunt, uncle, or older sibling, as my earliest days in Colorado libraries with my own family proved. I do hope to continue my passion for making, learning, and growing in my creative life!