aprilhl

Hello! My name is April Hannah Llewellyn, april h l for short.

I grew up crafting & creating just outside of the geek haven of Huntsville, AL, in between reading lots of books and playing outside in the woods. My next step in my artistic endeavors was becoming involved in DIY communities and studying art at the University of Alabama in Huntsville. Then in 2009 I moved to Chicago to study Book and Paper Arts at Columbia College, where I wrote and illustrated a book about gifting in creative communities as part of my MFA thesis.

Much of my academic pursuits have explored the ethics of crafter culture: an alternative to mass-market consumption, a tie to feminism and community building, and the blurry boundaries between art and craft. After graduation, I returned to exploring illustration, jewelry making (including chainmaille), and sewing as creative passions. Now I find myself most inspired by the magic of the natural world, poetry and prose, the brooding and the fantastic. I also actively participate in Chicago's DIY and local arts cultures, though many of my favorite evenings still involve making things and hanging out with my cow-kitty Sam.

I am thankful to share this life long love of making with you.

best wishes n fluff n stuff,
~april