Helping people turn crafting into a business

Aubree Simmons is a painter who has been doing crafts for 30 years, but as much as she enjoys making things she loves to share that joy with others.

She’s now converting that passion to a new venture, Grafton Collective Marketplace, where homemade arts and crafts share space with do-it-yourself projects.

It also provides a place for people to learn and practice their crafts and art and sell them without the need for a personal studio or the fear they will dirty their living space.

“I always wanted a studio to help people, teach people and share the craft,” Simmons said. “I took this big idea I’ve had for 30 years and put it into motion.”

The space offers a wide variety of products made by more than 35 adults and students. Simmons curates each artist, looking to ensure they offer quality products.

“I want everyone to be unique and different,” she said, adding that the offerings will evolve and change over time

The offerings are accompanied by notes that provide a photo of the artist and a story about them, be it a short biography or something to do with their wares.

“I’m very intentional about the stories and why they do this,” she said. “I want to tell everyone’s story. When I talk to them, I’m thinking about their passion and why this is so important to them.”

The fact she is providing a space for young artists and crafters to sell their wares is a special point of pride for Simmons.

“I want to focus on youths and show them crafting can be a business,” she said. “There’s so much talent in our youths. I want them to know this is something you can do. I want to help them develop entrepreneurial skills.”

There’s an area of the shop set aside to showcase items made by the younger set, including bookmarks, “squishies” and 3D laser-made animals.

The business at 1110 Bridge St., which opened Wednesday, Jan. 7, is a warm, welcoming space with amenities fashioned by Simmons’ husband Wayne, a woodworker who did “all the construction in here,” Simmons said.

“He made it glow,” she added.

The shop offers a variety of handmade products, including paintings, jewelry, candles, leatherworks and more.

“We have a little bit of everything,” Simmons said. 

Even more variety can be found in the DIY offerings displayed behind the counter as you enter, everything from ceramics waiting to be painted and soap-making projects to vision boards and lanterns.

“People can come in and do anything,” Simmons said.

Across the back of the room is a craft bar with everything needed  — fragrances, paints, stains, rocks, colorants and embellishments — to make candles, soaps and beaded jewelry and other projects.

When putting the bar together, Simmons said, “I thought, ‘What would I want to do if I went into a shop?’”

The shop, she said, “has a little bit of everything. I think people need variety. They’re looking for something different. We want to be a one-stop shop for everything.”

Many of the artists and crafters who have their pieces at the shop will also offer classes in their media.

For Simmons, the shop is the embodiment of a longtime dream.

She’s been making art for more than 30 years. Her specialty right now is fingerpainting, creating beautiful landscapes.

“I do it for stress relief,” Simmons said.  “Every piece of art is emotion.”

She had painted with brushes, but a bout of Lyme disease made it difficult for her to hold a brush so she experimented with finger painting.

“It turned into something magical,” Simmons said. “I never thought of doing it before. Now, I struggle with the paintbrush.”

Years ago, when she lived in Kansas, Simmons started to teach her craft to others.

“As I went to craft shows, I became more passionate about the vendors I saw,” she said. 

When she and her husband came to Grafton in 2023, Simmons said, she saw a need for what she envisioned.

“I thought, this town needs something to do, a place where people can be hands-on, where they can work on projects,” she said.  

“We moved here and I realized this town is very artsy. I thought it could support my dream. And once we found this location, I took my big idea I’ve had for 30 years and put it into motion. The time just felt right.”

Items in her shop generally sell for $50 or less, and those who are looking to nurture their talent through classes or simply by working at the marketplace can purchase memberships.

“We already have people securing seats, signing up for classes,” Simmons said last Monday.