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Teacher Bios

Craft Akron finds the best in local talent and brings their expertise to you. Meet our amazing group of educators:



Martha Lombardi, crafter and seamstress

Martha has been crafting for as long as she can remember. Although it started as a way to be an individual (and of course, save money), sewing and crafting has become a way of life. She has been involved with the business of crafting for over 30 years now, so opening the studio was inevitable.

“My favorite part of Craft Akron is meeting so many diverse people connected by their love for creating beauty.”


Deborah Phelps- Certified Zentangle Instructor

Deborah Phelps is a certified Zentangle instructor, and has taught classes throughout summit county. She is also a massage therapist.

Zendala

Heather Quinones-


Heather Quinones is an accomplished fiber artist, working primarily with wool. You may have seen her teaching perviously at the Peninsula Art Academy. She is also the mother of two young boys.

Soapy Wool


Bobby Rosenstock- Just a Jar Design Press Ltd.


Bobby Rosenstock holds a Master of Fine Arts in Book Arts and Printmaking from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia and currently resides in Marietta, Ohio where he runs his letterpress shop Just A Jar Design Press.

Hardcover Book Binding



Devona Brazier- Clever Nesting


Devona is an accomplished seamstress with fourteen years experience behind the sewing machine. She is also an all around Upcycler and co-owner and author of the craft blog Clever Nesting.
Buttercup Bag



Colleen Penn- Clever Nesting


Colleen Penn is an all around Crafter who specializes in jewelry making and bead work. She has craft education experience, previously teaching at Pat Catans craft store. She is also co-owner and author of the craft blog Clever Nesting.
class name



Terri P. Vechery-

Terry has been a resident of Mantua her whole life, and is married with 6 children. Papercrafting has been a fascination of Terri's for years and she has devoted much of her time this artistic interest. Terri has been studying and perfecting the art of Flower Pounding for 4 years.

Flower Pounding


Jean Powell-

Jean Powell works out of a studio added onto her rehabilitated home in Highland Square by her loving husband. There’s plenty of garden space for her plants, the bigger the leaf the better. Jean started to this process 4 years ago, casting leaves all summer and painting all winter.  A true process artist, Jean loves teaching the painting of her cement leaves, and  to clear out her studio to make room for more leaves.

Cement Leaf Painting


Joan Bramaemle- Knitting Instructor

Joan has been knitting and professionally designing, creating and teaching beautiful knitted art in Akron for almost 30 years. She has been involved with Design and Color seminars, Cleveland Museum of Art (CMA) Textile Arts Alliance Annual (TAA) Wearable Art Fashion Show and Boutique, and a member of The Medina Spinning and Weaving Guild, The Knitting Guild of America and Peninsula Art Academy (PAA) Center for Alternative Fiber Experience. Along with designing for commission and her many awards and accolades, Joan has the expertise and experience to help you further your own knitting skills.

Tackle your UFOs 

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Nora Swanson - Jewelry Artist, Spilling Out

Nora began to gather the things no one else wanted years ago. Her mind always turned them into something else, no longer discarded but instead, highly regarded and loved. Maybe it comes from her belief that this too will happen to me...and it has.
Nora works by day as a mild mannered corporate drone, only to excape to the world of creating and inventing on the weekends!

Steampunk Necklace