Brave Bear Garden hasn't always been Brave Bear Garden, but I've been Making Stuff (tm) for more than 20 years. I am a shameless DIY queen and I do it all, from growing to sewing!

I opened my first Etsy shop, MountPhoenix, in 2008 while I was attending college in Missoula, Montana. I had always found comfort in making impressionist and colorful artwork. When I started making recycled bracelets and rings in my spare time, my dear friend Aurora Darling recommended a new-ish website for selling handmade creations.

Eventually I got a handle on my shop's aesthetic and opened my second Etsy shop, BuffaloHeart, in 2009. The products evolved from high end upcyled fashion and the occasional custom wedding dress to homegrown flower seeds and hand slave. In 2016, my husband and I started Brave Bear Farm in Stevensville, Montana, which took up most our time for the next two years. My shop remained on hiatus for several years and throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, but I recently have found myself with enough flexibility in my schedule as a stay-at-home parent to start Making Stuff (tm) again.

Now a collection of nature- and woodland-themed creations, Brave Bear Gardens is the hybrid lovechild of my passion for gardening and creating visual art. I'm glad you're here; now you can come in and explore the garden with me!