First and foremost, I’m pleased as punch to be writing for the design*sponge, so many thanks to you Grace. My name is Alena Hennessy and I am an artist/designer out of Asheville, NC. Some of you may have heard of Asheville, however, I know many of you have not, so I thought it would be great to start out by sharing some of my favorite artists and designers from the little city. Asheville is located in Western part of North Carolina, nestled sweetly in the gorgeous Blue Ridge Mountains. It’s a progressive, crafty, and albeit, a touristy little town that has its own unique charm that is hard to overlook. Asheville also happens to be home to many talented creatives. [image above: "grace & elegance"]

Joti Marra is one of my favorite artists who has an adorable and eclectic Etsy shop called Forest Creature. I love her prints and felted creatures all embroidered by hand. My friends gave me one of these little darlings for my birthday and I love the way it delicately sits on my mantle in all it’s handmade goodness.

Here is a painting by the talented Ursula Gullow. I love the painterly narratives she creates.

And finally Ms. R. Brooke Priddy is a dressmaker and designer (and fabulous illustrator) also out of Asheville. Her little Ship to Shore studio in the West side of town is so magical. She creates custom dresses and wedding gowns with each client and each of her pieces is like a work of art in itself.