Making useful and beautiful items with reclaimed wood and low-impact finishes in a solar-powered wood shop. Matt Darring started Cherry Hill Woodworks in 2024. The idea was born to make making useful and beautiful things out of reclaimed wood more than just a passing hobby. From bluebird houses to menorahs, city flags to coasters, the joy of making things out of the sometimes challenging material of reclaimed wood motivates Matt every day.

Hi! I'm Emily Roberts, an illustrator and graphic designer in Charlottesville, VA. I create relatable works of art that prompt and inspire empathy, joy, and positive change. I'm passionate about exploring and naming the ways in which art and design are used to amplify and silence diverse voices and lived experiences.... as well as making people giggle when they see my art!

Emily caught the crafting bug early in her life. From sewing lessons with her mom and grandma, painting lessons with her nana, woodworking lessons with her dad, building Legos and designing dollhouses with siblings and cousins, and many, many hours of playing Minecraft, she’s been creating ever since she could be trusted with a pair of scissors. Her journey into the world of beads, buttons, and wire started with a picture of button earrings she saw on Pinterest back when she was a middle schooler. Many years later, she got her hands on some headpins, ear wires, and beads from the Scrappy Elephant, and started making simple earrings. Since then, she has expanded her craft to little beaded critters, more earrings, suncatchers, flower bouquets, and anything else her brain can come up with! On the rare occasion she is not crafting, Emily enjoys watching Lord of the Rings with friends, playing Minecraft, and conversing with her cat, Tansy, on whether it’s time for Tansy’s second breakfast (spoiler alert: it’s not).

I’ve always worked with children (public schools, running creative after school programs and summer camps, children’s mental health) and they are excellent teachers about the value of creativity and play. Adulting is hard and my favorite ways to recharge are by learning a new technique, imagining a design and creating a new piece and exploring new materials to include in my work. I’m drawn to color and unique natural stones that help to create little pieces of wearable art. A bonus is finding and reusing recycled or reclaimed items, like those at Scrappy Elephant in my process and my displays.

In 2014, Kirtly Raether began teaching himself to crochet as a means to help cope with severe depression. Ever since, the act of crocheting and bringing smiles to people's faces with his creations has been a continued passion. As a gay transgender man, Kirtly particularly enjoys crafting items that help support and uplift the LGBTQ+ community. In these particularly tumultuous times, he hopes that his creations can remind others that they are loved and valid for who they are.

Heather Kiser is a self-taught painter and mixed media artist who lives in Charlottesville, Virginia with her husband and three children. She holds a PhD in English Literature from the University of Virginia. Her life-long interest in art was deepened while working on her dissertation, which explores women artists and Victorian poetry. After leaving academia following the birth of her first daughter, Heather realized that she most desired to become an artist herself rather than to write about the work of others. Heather creates multi-layered pieces, drawing inspiration from her academic background, her role as a mother, and her faith. Her work is impressionistic and emphasizes the emotional resonance of her subjects. Fascinated by the ways in which Victorian art forms can be reimagined through modern technology, Heather creates fresh perspectives on traditional cyanotype and pressed-floral art by digitally painting scans of flowers. Heather’s highest goal is for viewers of her art to more clearly see the complex beauty inherent in the everyday world, and in so doing, to experience hope and joy.

Made by Caylea is a handmade brand creating sustainable and slow-made jewelry and fine art. Founder Caylea Barone, a studio artist by training, began making jewelry out of a desire to look good through unique accessories, do good through giving back, and feel good with products that drive social impact. As a small business, we know that change starts at home. A portion of our profits have always been donated to organizations that support issues we care about, including social and environmental justice. Propelled by slow, steady growth and long days at markets, Caylea creates from her home studio based in charming Charlottesville, VA. When she is not in the studio, Caylea can be found at North Grounds, where she is currently a third-year law student at UVA Law.

We are your local crafty queers, Trevor and Jake! We've loved making candles and wanted to share it with our Scrappy Family. Our candles are poured in repurposed containers with the cleanest burning wax and scents we can find! If you want to be a part of our closed-loop efforts please return your empty candle vessel to the Scrappy Elephant so we can clean it and reuse it! Also, if you have other candle vessels (or things you think could work as one) feel free to bring them to the Scrappy Elephant as well! Our wax melts are poured in plastic-free silicone molds. You might like our fun shapes we use to make our wax melts. It’s always a surprise to see what shapes will be in the bag! Is there a scent you want that we ran out of? Make sure you check back often because we are always making more candles in new vessels (well, new for us). We would love to hear your feedback about our candles! If you have comments about how your candle burns, the strength of the fragrance, or the fragrance itself we are open to them!