Crafters
%20Picture.png)
ajillinabox
she/her/hers
Larissa Osterbaan (ajillinabox) is a scientist and serial-crafter who finally picked up quilting 2 years ago after years of persistent encouragement from her grandmothers and mother-in-law. This is the second in her "DataBus Quilt" series. When she's not dreaming up ways to blend her loves of data and crafting, Larissa lives in Geneva, NY with her husband (ajackinabox) and cat who have managed to learn to live with the constant sound of a sewing machine.
AllThatsLena [HOT DRINKS]
She/Her
Lena (AllThatsLena) has been crafting rugs for over four years and primarily does so for fun. Unfortunately, she doesn’t have a store front or any crafter socials. She just made this rug to support Child’s Play and her husband’s Desert Bus addiction.
Austin "Flying Marmot" Hager
He/him
Former philosopher and aspiring cryptid. I like computer guided tools like laser cutters because they let me sidestep my essential tremor and make some art!
I remain convinced that making the world stranger makes it better, and hope to continue contributing to chaos and creativity!
Blaine/BrainStew
Blaine has been crafting for Desert Bus since 2012 (feel old now? I do) and has made etched glass, jewelry, chocolate pigs, stuffies, and so much more. A native of NYC, she likes to cook, craft, make perfumes and listen to podcasts. Despite being terminally online, she has sworn off most social media.
While it may look like her Etsy is abandoned, she has hopes to get it back up and running some day -- plus it's the best place to catch her if you win prize and need to reach out!
Blue Lotus Designs
She / Her
Blue Lotus Designs has crafted as far back as she can remember. It started with doodles, then cross stitch and kitting; then exploded with sewing when she stepped into the world of cosplay. Since then, she has gone on to win (small) awards for her cosplays, share her craft with a very sporadic twitch channel and rise her two little nerdlings with her husband and kitty. This is her seventh year being a desert bus crafter.
BringerOfSpiders (Amy)
Amy is from Maine, USA and currently lives with their partner and 2 cats in California. They have been knitting for 20sih years and also do various textile arts (spinning, weaving, embroidery), watercolor and paint making. They are a biologist and self-taught artist with an ever-growing list of artistic hobbies and interests.
Caffeinated Kitty
she/her
Caffeinated Kitty is a lover of coffee, cats, ttrpgs, cartography, and video games. She's a freelance artist, making custom fantasy maps and painting miniatures. Kitty first started making maps and painting miniatures in 2016 and is always excited to try something new with each new project. She also streams on twitch where she plays video games, and works on cartography, miniatures painting, and any other art project that strikes her fancy.
Carrie Emmerich
she/her
Raised in a crafting-positive family, Carrie dabbles in many creative hobbies, though scale miniatures are her primary love. She's been painting since 2000, and seriously practicing since 2012. Her first Desert Bus was 5 or 6, and she's been donating to the Craftalong since DB2018. She's got the full Delicious in Dungeon manga set on her bookshelf.
%20Picture.jpg)
Dequaerius (Deqs)
He/Him
I have been crocheting for about 20 years off and on with a rediscovered love 6 years ago which marked the beginning of my Amigurumi journey. I also dabble in a number of other crafts and hobbies ranging from crochet, knitting, and cross-stitch to wood carving, model railroading, and painting miniatures.
Dice By Dave!!
Dave likes tabletop RPGs. Dave also likes resin crafts. So it was only a matter of time before the two were combined, and Dice By Dave!! was born.
From his home in St Louis, Missouri, Dave loves mixing up new color combos, and sharing his love of dice.
Dave can also be found around LoadingReadyRun's Discord and TwitchChat as ThreeTwoOnePantsOff.
DigitalSeahorse
She/Her/They/Them
DigitalSeahorse is an illustrator that has been crafting with leather most of her life. Her artwork includes digital and traditional media, comics, portraiture, small sculptures, dioramas and anything else she finds new interest in. Hobbies also include playing 8-ball and 9-ball, video games and sometimes streams art and gaming on the DigitalSeahorse Twitch channel.
FishyLady
She/Her
FishyLady is a long time crafter who enjoys crochet, spinning, weaving, and cross stitch. Basically anything to do with yarn, especially collecting it and sitting on it like a dragon with its horde. This is her third year being able to contribute to Desert Bus prizes and she looks forward to doing it for many years to come!
Florence Sullivan
Florence is an avid knitter, hand-spinner, basket weaver, and general crafter who draws inspiration from the environments of the Pacific Northwest. Having been following the Bus since 2009, she’s delighted to have finally joined the craft along! When not busy crafting or laughing at the antics of the Bus, Florence is a biologist studying the ecology and distribution patterns of mammals in the marine environment.
Hieroglyphica
Tyra (they/she) is a painter, beader, and baker living in Seattle with her partner and senior corgi. They love plants, natural minerals and geology, and sharing joy. There's always room for a little more whimsy and Tyra's name online, Tiny Bison, is also her favorite character to draw. He's just a little guy, a tiny bison having miniature adventures in a big world. When they're not doodling another itty bitty bison, they're beading, both of which are sold on their website.
IaCthulhuFthagn in Twitch chat
Hi!
I am slowly but surely approaching being able to call myself a long-time watcher of Desert Bus, and, as an avid maille weaver, I am now also working towards being able to call myself a regular Craft-Along participant. When not found lurking in DB chat I spend my time pondering wrong my orb the fact that while a softer metal ring can't scratch tongs made of harder metal, they sure can and will dent them.
(...and yes, I style my name like that on purpose)
Jamie Brindley
Golden Bat Studios is the creation of artist Jamie Brindley. Jamie is a multimedia artist and maker working in her hometown of Austin, Texas. Jamie's studio space can be found at ArtUs Co in The Arboretum where she also teaches in person weaving classes.
Approaching art as alchemy is an important aspect of Jamie’s creation process. From working with naturally dyed fibers to turning scraps of yarn and fabric into intricately woven finished works, every piece is about the transformation: Lead into Gold
Jamie is a self–taught fiber artist with a formal education in studio art and art history from Austin Community College and Texas State University. She currently works for Austin, TX based non-profit Imagine Art as an Americorps Artist-In- Residence where she works with and teaches adult artists with Intellectual Developmental Disabilities.
Jennie Fuchsia
Jennie Fuchsia works backstage with the Huntington Theatre Company maintaining costumes and dressing actors. Some favorite recent productions include Sing Street, The Band’s Visit, and John Proctor is the Villain.
Jewelry Jelly
This is my 2nd time participating in the Craft Along after my embroidered dice bag in 2019. I’ve recently gotten back into crocheting after a few years, but I’m also branching out into other crafts! Aside from gaming, streaming, and writing about Nintendo games in Nintendo Force I am also a doll collector.
Jexebele
she/her
Joanne has 3 things that she deeply enjoys; Art, video games, and her cat Peep. Peep is not super relevant to this specific bio, but Joanne feels she is worth mentioning anyway. She has been painting pottery most of her life and now manages a paint your own pottery studio where she teaches others about different types of paints and techniques. When she is not working she relaxes with video games (and Peep). Avatar is one of her favorite shows due to its perfect blend of comedy and emotion. She has donated many projects to desert bus over the past few years and loves that it gives her a chance to share her passion and push herself to make some of her best work.
Johanna Iles Art
She/her
I am an artist and surface pattern designer based in New Zealand, where I live with my husband, two children, three rescue cats, and our dog. This marks my sixth year participating in the craft-along, and I thrive on embracing new creative challenges. While I work in a variety of mediums, I particularly enjoy the versatility and rich textures of natural fibres, which I use to bring my sculptures and pictures to life.
K.S. Brenowitz
K.S. Brenowitz (they/she), specializes in either dip-pen illustrations with carefully applied spot blacks and tight toning....or collages and sculpture formed and molded from trash and the cast-offs of society. (They see the dichotomy as a feature, not a bug.). Oh, and comics about robot monks or weird little inter-dimensional dudes.
They have shown work a variety of festivals, conventions, and outdoors in a tent. She hopes their work can both reveal a new way of look at the ordinary, along with everyone having a good time along the way.
keysaunt
she/her
I always enjoyed traditional arts and crafts and taught myself how to knit and crochet nearly 20 years ago. I made a few projects but didn't really focus on fiber art until I got caught up in the tapestry crochet fad in 2023 and it has consumed me ever since. Last year, with encouragement from my fiance and best friend, I decided to apply for the Craftalong and the experience really inspired me. I now have around 1000 hours worth of experience in this particular method and while the process has been challenging it is so rewarding. I am beyond grateful for the opportunity to contribute in a meaningful way.
knittinginbinary
I first started working with clay about 8 years ago. I had a long break from it, but was fortunate to recently find a local studio to work in. In addition to pottery, I have a love of crafting in general, to my own dismay when I encounter the limited amount of space in my home. I have a dog that was quite offended I started to spend so much time in the pottery studio and not with her. I also have two cats that have no opinion on anything I do as long as I provide food, water, and head scritches.
I tend to bounce from interest to interest as the ideas strike. It was so much fun to commit to DB24 and be so motivated to complete the Inscryption Mugs by combining three major interests: Inscryption, pottery, and supporting this event!
Kuebiko Krafts
she/her
I am a disabled crochet artist based in Melbourne who has been crocheting since 2017. It started out as a way to help with my anxiety, but quickly and unexpectedly evolved into a small business. I love to make cute, spooky and nerdy amigurumi critters inspired by my favourite video games, anime and films, as well as cute alternative accessories, and digital crochet patterns.
Ladyrhea
she/her
Hello! My name is Suzanna, Ladyrhea online. I’ve been tuning in to Desert Bus for Hope since Desert Bus 10 in 2016. This is my second year participating in the Craft-Along.
Crocheting has been a fun hobby of mine since I picked it up in high school while working on my Girl Scout Gold Award, the Girl Scout equivalent to the Eagle Scout Rank in Boy Scouts. For my Gold Award project, I taught myself how to crochet and worked with other craft groups to send over 500 hacky sacks to Haiti, Honduras, and South Africa.
Since my project ended, I have primarily crocheted little plushies. I’ve crocheted Christmas gifts for family and friends. I enjoy surprising friends with little crocheted guys. For Desert Bus for Hope 2024, I donated 8 crocheted rainbow cows and am already looking at what I want to make for 2026.
I greatly enjoy looking back to see how my crocheting has developed over the years, and I look forward to hopefully participating in more Craft-Alongs in the future!
Levi
Hello, my name is Levi. I live in Mohkinstsis (colonially known as Calgary, Alberta). I am a Métis man who has been beading for around four years, my designs tend to lean towards non-traditional flat stitch work in a single needle method. I like to make nerd culture items that I hope resonate with others.
Beadwork is a way I connect to my heritage, it is meditative, healing, and an act of creation that brings me great joy. I hope what I make shows others that Indigenous art is beautiful. Please follow my instagram account if you wish to see more of what I create @thatbeadedfellow
Lilian Young
she/her
Lilian has been making boxes for the Craft-Along for seven years now, and crafting in various ways for years before then. She recently left behind a career in software to spend some time focusing on Art, but now has to learn what it means to make Art. In the meantime, she's learning lots of ways to make useful and beautiful things. She lives in Seattle with as many as three cats.
Linna
Mark Burge
He/Him/His
Mark is a fourth year apprentice Cabinetmaker based in Vancouver BC. When he's not cutting pieces of wood up and then gluing them back together to make bigger pieces of wood, he can be found backpacking, cycling or loafing at home with his partner and three tuxedo cats.
Michelle Kuipers
she/her
Michelle has been a proud member of the craft-a-long for many years. She enjoys mixed media painting as a hobby along with video games, crafting, and cooking.
Michelle Rapp
She/They
Michelle is secretly a family of possums masquerading as an artist in Boston, Massachusetts. When she isn't wrangling her toddler, she enjoys various crafts and acts of devilment such as weaving, embroidery and D&D. A nominal Magic the Gathering content creator, she also spends her time tackling her cat, reading sci-fi/fantasy and screaming at the Patriarchy on Blue Sky.
Mika Peek
she/her/hers
Hi, my name is Mika Peek and I'm a full time Speech-Language Pathologist and a part-time artist/streamer/cosplayer based in rural Alberta. I've painted everything from 10-foot tall murals to custom wedding shoes! Although traditional art is my specialty, I've recently fallen in love with digital art where I've been commissioned to do TTRPG art and emotes. As an avid gamer, cosplayer, anime lover, and self-proclaimed nerd, projects that I enjoy the most are the ones that include any and all fandoms!
molden_eye
Sailor Moon was my first anime before I had ever heard the word 'anime', and I'm very happy for the chance to share my homage with everyone! I'm a Grown Man living in Texas who has enjoyed learning crochet and beadwork as a hobby for the past three years, and outside of crafting also have a strong interest in nature and astronomy.
Moma
As a full-time software developer I like to get away from the pc and enjoy all things handcrafting, like knitting, sewing and crocheting. I've been knitting for about 6 years now and put a huge focus on creating unique, fun and functional clothing items for myself, my friends and my family to wear.
Northern Redsmith
Northern Redsmith is the wood, metal and luthier shop specializing in creating unique art. From a prize cup ukulele to a dual chamber violin and even a recent comical foray into the world of banjo restoration, Northern Redsmith is a workshop dedicated to experimenting and having fun in the field of music and luthiery.
Odd Fox
Odd Fox are a husband-and-wife crafting team from Doylestown, PA. They create wondrous items with love and a little help from a powerful laser. Odd Fox has had the pleasure of partnering with Desert Bus For Hope for many years and was honored to donate the Beauty and the Beast clock from Desert Bus 2024.
Orin Drake
they/them
At this point, Orin would have to do math to figure out how long they've been making chocobos, and that's not going to happen, so we'll just say "over a decade". With an adoration for video games and the neat critters that inhabit them, and a good few (MANY) years of practice in jewelry, plushie, and art doll making, it seems to have worked out pretty well.
Patch_Witch
She/Her
SJ (Patch_Witch) learned to crochet in grade 5, sitting on the steps in her best friend's basement while her grandmother dug through her yarn stash to find them scraps to start with. She immediately fell in love, and crochet became a way for her to relax and calm her anxiety. 20+ years later, she's also learned to sew and quilt and spin, but crochet is always what she comes back to. Streams sometimes on Twitch under the same handle, usually hand sewing or other crafty things, but sometimes Pokemon or Final Fantasy games.
Rabbat
Hi! Im Rabbat, I'm an up and coming content creator and Vtuber who's just getting started after many years of saying "I'm so going to start this year."
I enjoy management sim games such as Planet Zoo and The Sims, as well as enjoying action-heavy games like Overwatch and Helldivers. When I want to relax a little more, I enjoy a cozy game like Stardew Valley or Dave the Diver on the side. I also am a passionate creator, particularly about dioramas and sculpting. I am currently learning 2D art as well, but my first love is 3D mediums. Join me on my future streams for adventures in gaming, crafting, and v~i~b~e~s. You can find the links to my Youtube and Twitch channels through Mastodon!
Despite recently developing a chronic illness that has caused me to take some major detours, art and content creation has been able to give me the opportunity to still create a positive impact in the world. I'm very excited that my first professional art piece is going towards such a great cause!
Ronald "r10pez10" Lopez
In a world where it really feels like things don't exist unless they're posted onto the internet, I feel more and more that the time I could spend documenting myself doing the thing is better spent doing the thing.
While diving deep into miscellany,
Following through on ideas (too many).
And though I have doubt,
Some times it works out!
With time and money (don't have any).
Sadtinypanda
She/Her
I’m a crafter specializing in handcrafted lightboxes that blend intricate paper art with ambient LED lighting.
Each piece is designed to bring a unique scene to life, whether it’s a tribute to a favourite game, book or a movie scene.
This year, I launched my Etsy shop—a big step for me, inspired by the confidence I gained from donating my work to Desert Bus for Hope.
Seeing how much my art could connect with others and support a meaningful cause was a turning point.
Sam's Skunkworks
He/Him
Sam is an amateur creator of props and replicas of famous object from all kinds of pop culture. Inspired by the likes of Volpin Props and Adam Savage he one day hopes to be able to make a living from his craft, but for now he is content to create things simply for the love of doing so.
Sarah Serinde
She/Her
Sarah has been a crafter since her early teens and a geek since she learned how to read, so it was only a matter of time until she found a way to combine the two. She also works as an editor, where she gets to be a geek about the English language. When she isn't busy with overly ambitious embroidery projects (and sometimes even when she is), Sarah is a moderator for Desert Bus, LoadingReadyRun, and several other communities.
SmithKurosaki
They/Them
I'm just a crafter that exists on the internet a lot of the time.
I do a lot of fiber crafts in my free time when I'm not working on a lego build or VST things. I used to sell these kinds of crafts at conventions in the GTHA (Hamilton/Toronto, ON area) after learning how to knit/needlepoint/crochet from my grandmas and friends.
smoljigglybug
Smoljigglybug has been playing video games for as long as she can remember, all the way back to playing Duck Hunt with her big brother. Her longest-lived video game loves are the Pokemon, Final Fantasy, and Kirby series - even if she's really bad at beating the games.
She learned to cross stitch as a kid, taught by her grandmother and several great aunts. The hobby was put aside as a teenager, but she picked she it back up a few years ago and came to the conclusion that pixel art and cross stitch are meant to be besties. She's planning to learn more complex embroidery to create more stitched friends.
Smoljigglybug has never met something round and pink she didn't love, and is amassing an army of plush Kirby and Jigglypuffs in her home - much to the amusement and concern of her wife. Especially since she's also gathering Moogle air support.
In FFXIV, she is also known as Moogle Postmaster Cara Weyseid, long-time member of Free Company Undersquallified on Siren server.
Steve Willis
He/Him They/Them
I'm a Welsh artist living in North Wales, and I draw a lot of inspiration from the landscape and the media I consume. I’m fond of expressing myself through various materials, such as oil paint, watercolours, copper, digital designs, or any other medium I can access. My work is an opportunity to share what excites me with others.
A few years ago, I had the opportunity to learn how to use maker space equipment, and now I use lasers to explore ideas which would otherwise be barred from me if I used a traditional approach.
Tess LeNoir
Any
I grew up in the apartment above my mother’s letterpress shop, doing linoleum projects as a kid and typesetting jobs with her since high school. After four years majoring in art, running that shop and working in letterpress, printmaking, and book arts has been my full-time job for ten years. For personal projects I do a lot of broadsides in lead type, and work with digital, ink, and linoleum or wood block illustration.
trevor_impersonator
Trevor is a designer, artist, and operator of Dead Tech Press from San Jose, California.
Try0again0bragg (He/They)
A 200 year grumpy spirit in a 30 something body, bragg has been working wood since he was a child. After several angry neighbors, and discovering how *fun* hand tool woodworking was, he started only working with cheeseburger powered tools. When I was laid off in the middle of DB2023, Desert Bus was a desperately needed salve. Getting to help Desert Bus for Hope with this eclectic skill set is the least I can do after Loading Ready Run and Desert Bus have done so much for me.
Water Clock Creations
I am a mixed-media artist who dabbles in a bit of everything. I come from a family of artists and began drawing, painting, and sewing as a child, however I have minimal formal education in the arts. I made my first cloth doll about 15 years ago and have focused on doll-making since around 2015. I love making mixed-media dolls because it feels like "cheating" - I can use all sorts of techniques, tools, and materials in a single project, so I don't have to admit that I have too many hobbies!
William Stroup / Adam Kelly
He/Him
Woodworker by hobby and slightly by trade, I have been working to perfect my craft for the last 7 years. From large furniture pieces to small crafts I've found a real joy for woodworking and am overjoyed to be able to share my designs with the Desert Bus family that has been the best part of my year for over a decade now! This year my good friend Adam Kelly was able to help with the design of the piece to really make it shine... Literally.
WolfnOtter
She/her
I have spent the majority of my life bouncing between various different creative and artistic crafts. I went to school for scenic design and came home with a degree in oil painting. I have been crocheting over a decade, have a growing obsession with pottery and do various other crafting as the hyperfixation gods see fit. It makes my heart happy that I have this opportunity for my geeky gamer side to merge with my artistic side and create something which can support an amazing cause.
Wren Snow
she/her/they
Brenna has always loved watercolour art, but didn’t “get” it for a long time. In the last six years or so has she overcome the baffling highschool feedback “you used too much water” to really dig into the medium. She also sews, gardens, and snuggles her very good calico Moriarty.
Xylophobian - Jen P
Xylophobian has been crafting all things big and small for as long as she can remember. Her favorite things to create are those that don't come with a pattern. She has been been riding the bus since Desert Bus 1 and part of the craft along since it came to be and loves being a part of this community.
Yalc321
I am Yalc.
I'm often described as an Omnicrafter thanks to my collection of over 3 dozen crafting hobbies.
This is my fifth year with the Craft-Along.
I've played World of Warcraft on and off over the years, with my most active periods being in Shadowlands and The War Within. I raid weekly with the LRR fan guilds Snorsh United and Pluto.
I usually craft for fun, but if you like my work you can visit my website and request a commission.