Chris Karman of the Little Emporium

"In 1995 I decided to make a lifestyle change and move from Chicago to northern Wisconsin to take over the handcrafted gift shop my mother had started in 1975. Growing up, my mom was always involved in crafts and I got interested at an early age. Her log cabin shop opened every summer for 20 years in an area known for its abundant lakes and many of the tourists who stopped in would return every season.

The enjoyment my mom got from these lasting relationships and the crafts she made continues to be an inspiration. I entered the wholesale market in 1996 with great success. Working with many wonderful shops around the country and the American Folk Art Museum has been very exciting. After some years of making hand sewn and papier-mache dolls, I am now concentrating on rughooking; creating characters, home decorations and wearables with hand-dyed wools. Developing new designs and techniques for this old form of making rugs is a challenge and very satisfying. I hope you enjoy them."