Dina Petrillo of Belfast Bay Shade Company brings her view of the natural world to her stunning handcrafted lampshades.

Illinois native Michael Angelo Menconi might have been fated to pursue a life in the arts. Though his middle name “Angelo” was a paean to his great-grandfather, who hailed from Lucca, Italy, first-time acquaintances are stopped cold by the aural similarity to Renaissance sculptor, architect, painter, engineer, and poet Michelangelo. 

It’s ironic that business-savvy artist Sue Beatrice has become known for her absolutely captivating sculptures made from watch pieces, clock gears, and other mechanical gadgets that smack of bygone Victorian elegance. Adept and versatile, the indefatigable artist can work magic with her hands, but the one thing she seems to lack is time. 

Nearly 170,000 fans and 21 million YouTube video views are numbers usually reserved for major corporations or famous musicians with millions of advertising dollars at their disposal. Sarah Takacs, the driving force behind SoCraftastic is neither. She is, however, widely known for her fun and personable “how-to” instructional craft videos on YouTube. With an incredibly loyal fan base and plans to form partnerships for future growth, it’s safe to say that Sarah is here to stay as she brings a fresh take on crafts to a whole new generation of crafts people. Here, TCR asks for her secrets to internet stardom in the crafts world.