Today we’d like to introduce you to Ashley Brannen.
Hi Ashley, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers.
I’ve been making handmade craft items for years, and I have a big heart for giving back to the community and donating to charities when I can, so I wanted to turn my handmade items into something that not only gives joy to those who buy them but also gives back! That’s where the idea for Crafting & Charity came from.
When I started out, since my sales weren’t very high, I reached out to collect personal donations and then I went downtown and handed out bags with necessities to the homeless. I started making reels of me making my tumblers, and that helped me to gradually grow my sales.
As my business grew, I started being able to donate to more charities, and I really love seeing my crafts make a difference to organizations that are helping people in need. I make sure to donate to a new charity every time so that I’m helping a wide variety of community needs. Last year, I officially made my business an LLC, and that felt like a huge accomplishment from where I started out.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Growing a business from the ground up all on your own is no easy task, and while the journey has been fun since I truly enjoy what I do, there were a lot of learning curves along the way in starting a business. I know there’s still a lot of growth to be made. My goal is to make enough sales to be able to donate to a charity every month, and eventually every week, but for now I’m grateful to be donating when I can.
One of the biggest struggles was being diagnosed with a neurological disorder this past December after having health problems since September of last year. From September to December, I was in a wheelchair almost full time with a lot of weakness which made creating new items and keeping up with my business very challenging.
In the last few months, I’ve gotten a lot stronger thanks to physical therapy so I’m thankfully able to ramp up the business again. I’m still in the wheelchair pretty regularly, but I didn’t want to let that stop me from the happiness crafting gives me or the goals I have. I had my craft room rearranged to be wheelchair friendly, and I’m actually able to create a lot of my items while staying seated! I’m thankful to still get to do what I love today.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
My business is all about my handmade craft items being made for a cause since proceeds from all sales go to charitable causes. I specialize in alcohol ink tumblers and vases since each tumbler and vase is truly unique and one of a kind. No two tumblers or vases can be made the same as the ink blends differently every time. I’ve taken many custom requests, and customers always love how they turn out!
I’m very proud to be able to give back to the community and make a difference with the items I make and sell. I also do sublimation tumblers, glitter tumblers, candles, coasters, and shirts. What’s great about sublimation designs is anything that can be printed can be made into a tumbler or shirt, which makes for a wide variety of offerings!
What were you like growing up?
I had a tough childhood growing up, but I still loved to be creative even back then. I loved to paint, draw, sing, or anything that let me have a creative outlet. In school, I enjoyed art classes and chorus and was in the chorus all the way from childhood to my senior year in high school.
Pricing:
- Tumblers: $18-$25
- Candles: $15
- Small vases: $15
- Large vases: $35
Contact Info:
- Website: https://craftingandcharity.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/craftingandcharity/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/craftingandcharity
