✨ From Threads to Thunder: The Story of the Professional Crafters Guild

Some communities form slowly. Ours sparked into life overnight.

It was around 6pm in 2008 when Anna created a simple social network for crafters. By the time she woke up the next morning, over 80 members had already joined. By the end, more than 2,500 creatives from across the globe had connected — sharing, chatting, crafting, and cheering one another on.

That network was called Creative Connections, and it became the heart of something much bigger.

“I remember one morning sitting in the network chatroom with a crafter in New Zealand and another in New York. We really did bring the world together — one glittery thread at a time.”

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🧵 The Early Years

In 2009, Anna launched Creative Crafting Magazine, a handmade publication that showcased Guild members’ work, tutorials, and stories from behind the scenes. For five years it ran steadily, supported by the growing community. In 2019, Anna revived it with six more issues — a nod to its enduring power.

Alongside her was Avril, a fellow maker who had joined the network and become a daily collaborator and close friend. The two worked together every day via MSN, sharing everything from layout decisions to glitter-fuelled encouragement.

🎪 CRAFTfest

In 2010, Anna launched a bold new idea: an online craft fair before online events were even a thing. She called it CRAFTfest, and it took off in spectacular fashion. The Christmas 2010 event featured over 200 virtual stalls. For the duration of the event, Creative Connections transformed into the CRAFTfest experience, complete with music playlists, real-time updates, and a Twitter push to get it trending.

It worked. The community showed up. Twitter jailed half of us for engaging too much. And we loved every chaotic minute.

CRAFTfest even made a brief return in 2018 as the CRAFTfest Christmas Village, reigniting the sparkle for a new generation of makers.

✨ The Birth of the Guild (2011)

By 2011, it was clear the momentum needed a permanent home — something that could last beyond events and updates. And so, the Professional Crafters Guild was born.

It wasn’t just a name. It was a promise: to champion handmade businesses, to connect crafters with integrity and humour, and to build something that could evolve without losing its heart.

The Guild became the banner under which all the old sparkle gathered. It wasn’t about algorithms or sales tactics — it was about people. About felted dragons, button confessions, mutual support, and joyful nonsense that kept creatives going when the world felt too loud

💛 Legacy & Ongoing Sparkle

Today, the Guild carries on that spirit. With spotlight features, Ask Slade advice threads, colour prompts, weekly sparkle boards and newsletters, and daily engagement from members old and new — it’s never stopped being about connection.

This isn’t just history. It’s our foundation — built with glitter, forged in support, and carried forward by every maker who’s ever thought: “Maybe I can do this.”

And yes… we still remember who survived Twitter jail during CRAFTfest.

Welcome to the Guild.