Collection: Sandy Hayden

As a young child Sandy’s mother always encouraged her to be creative and make ‘things’. Her Mom taught her sewing and embroidery, crocheting, baking and decorating, gardening, the joys of nature and the fun process of making their own decorations for each season. Sandy and her childhood friends enjoyed making things for each other’s birthdays instead of purchasing store bought toys or games. 

Sandy continued on this artful journey by attending painting parties later in life, and was delighted to find she wasn’t too bad at acrylic painting and could actually follow the instructor and make a beautiful painting.  From there she learned wood sign making techniques and taught classes in person.  All wood, paint, stencils and embellishments personally designed by Sandy! 

A recent project she was asked to help with is painting a hood ornament and steering wheel knob for a vintage 1951 International pick-up truck. 

Not long ago she found a home in artistic endeavors with the Maker Beehive-Sisterhood of the Maker Bees and a whole new world of mixed media was opened up to her. Sandy was enthralled with Jennifer’s enthusiasm and unique ways of teaching that allows everyone to create a unique piece of art and not worry about perfection or not being good enough. Jennifer also shows her beehive makers to find their own ephemra and how much fun it can be to find one-of-a-kind items to incorporate into their art. Over the course of the past several years she has enjoyed the thrill of the hunt collecting vintage paper ephemra as well as bits and bobbles that you can use in your creative process. She enjoys the uniqueness of old journals, accounting records, old postcards, vintage children’s books, old hymnal and music scores, maps, stamps, tea dying, lace and buttons. Sandy enjoys creating her own mixed media pieces for junk journaling; envelopes, covers, pages, pockets, as well as incorporating stitching and sewing into her art. She is interested in always learning new things, currently self-learning watercolor painting and slow stitching—or freehand embroidery.   

She currently loves being (mostly) retired and living in the country with her husband and 3 bird dogs in mid-western Ohio.

We hope you take some time and shop our collective for unique one-of-a-kind finds for your art collection or the perfect items to incorporate into your own creations. Happy Making!