Nicole Blum is on a mission to gather as many honest-to-goodness skills as possible and is a junkie for all of the joy that comes with making stuff. She believes that being self-taught has enabled her to  be more creative with whatever the thing is she is doing – not knowing all the rules is incredibly liberating! She also believes that ANYONE can be creative and hopes to be a part of opening those doors for whoever is interested! After leaving her work as a public school teacher, Nicole became a regular contributor to Family Fun Magazine and has developed countless crafts for kids to make and do with each other and with their parents – a dream job! Though there are many ways she loves to create, sewing tops the list with its perfect balance of creativity and function and she strives to make certain sewing is a regular part of her days. Through her work at the magazine, she partnered up with senior editor Debra Immergut and co-authored a book called Improv Sewing, that is packed with 101 of her own designs and aims to break down the mystique of garment sewing and using one’s sewing machine as a tool for creativity. Check it out! There are Improv Sewing Creativebug workshops too! Nicole has another book, co-authored with her dear friend Catherine Newman, called Stitch Camp: 18 Crafty Projects for Kids & Tweens – Learn 6 All-Time Favorite Skills: Sew, Knit, Crochet, Felt, Embroider & Weave. It is now available in all the places you buy books! Nicole lives on a small farm in Western Massachusetts with her husband and two children, a big garden, a dog, a cat, a bunch of goats, and a whole lot of apple trees.  She and her husband make hard cider and own a company called Carr’s Ciderhouse – now in its sixth year!   Nicole is also a singer and with a recording project called Small Parade - 1 album and 1 EP under their belts.