In this day and age with so many avenues for buying, it’s hard to get your name out there as a creator. Whether a writer/author/editor, an artist, painter, designer of goods, jewelry maker, photographer, etcetera, it’s a really really saturated market and if you can’t afford marketing, which is very expensive, it’s almost impossible. Most of us work a “day job” as well, and use our free time trying to create our goods to share with the world. Mostly through social media, websites, vendor and craft fairs, and word of mouth. We put in an endless amount of work, some would say our blood, sweat, and tears. And let me tell you, all of those happen, and there are tears.
You can’t imagine unless you are a “creative”; the drive, dedication, frustration, work, and love we put into every single item we make. When we can’t share our creations and don’t move our goods, it’s incredibly disheartening. But… we keep on creating! We keep on thriving to follow our dreams, make them a reality, and bring our beautiful creations to the public!
Friends, did you know YOU can help? By choosing to buy and/or gift a handmade item, book, piece of jewelry, art, photography, craft, service, or treat, instead of mass-produced ones, you are supporting small businesses! By buying and sharing our creations, our social media, websites, and events, you are helping small businesses grow! Small businesses help push economic growth and the local economy. You are supporting the people you already know and care about to excel at what they love to do while receiving brilliant handmade goods! It’s as easy as making that purchase, sharing a post, telling someone you know, or handing out their card. Such small things really. I will guarantee that we will do the same for you and the people you know, trying so hard to make it in this overwhelming market.
I have spent 3 years of my life writing the novels that have already been and will be published. I did it because it was my dream, it’s what I love to do, and I thrive when I’m writing! It makes my heart soar with pride to see someone with my book in their hands, to receive feedback on the words that I so diligently and heartfully put on paper. To share my love of the written word, my imagination, and my stories with each one of you. It’s so exciting to know we are taking a journey together at every turn of the page!
My daughters, my family members and so many of my dear friends are doing the same. I want to support and help them in every way I can! Why? Because I love and care about every one of them, I want to see them succeed and make their dreams come true, and I want to support small businesses! The world needs creativity! It needs imagination and beautiful art! It needs to be filled with interesting people making amazing things! Please help me spread the word!
Below, you’re going to see some magnificent talents, their profiles and work, and lots of links to these wonderfully multi-talented creatives! They’re all so amazing! Take a look and please share, share, share! Support small businesses and these incredibly devoted souls! Good luck to you all and always know, I’ve got your back, my fellow dreamers! I support you and your small business! #ittakesavillage and together we can achieve so much more! Keep going, keep creating, and keep believing in yourself! I do! You can do it! -MS
“We are the music makers, and we are the dreamers of dreams.”
~Willy Wonka/Roald Dahl
If you are interested in having you and your small business featured here, email MS Chambers at: [email protected] and/or private message me on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/mschambersauthor.
Meet your small businesses:
Beverly DeBurger, “Bit’s and Bob’s by Beverly”
Artist, designer, crafter, and owner of “Bit’s and Bob’s by Beverly” and the Artist and Designer of “The Sisters of the Moon Trilogy” book covers and “M.S. Chambers of Magic” logo.
Beverly is my oldest daughter and owns/operates her small business, “Bit’s and Bob’s by Beverly”, in Belton, Missouri, a suburb of Kansas City. In addition to working, being a wife and a mother of 3, one of which is a special needs child, she is an incredible artist. She is a painter and has done numerous pieces including the covers for my books, “The Sisters of the Moon Trilogy”. She is also a polymer clay crafter and spends endless hours putting her heart and soul into every single stunning handcrafted piece she creates. Beverly’s interest in art began as a young child with painting and crafting and her love of sculpting and polymer clay began in college. Beverly presents handmade jewelry, one-of-a-kind pieces, and more in her ever-expanding treasure trove of lovely, unique, and amazing goods. Each piece is made from polymer clay, some with stones, crystals, glass, and wood added, and undergoes hours of hand shaping, beveling, baking, sealing, and extreme detail. All of her pieces are hypoallergenic and nickel free. You can see Beverly’s work by following her on Facebook, Instagram, and Tik Tok. She is open to taking special requests. See Beverly’s Rising Star piece in KC Voyage Magazine here.
Missy Alexander, “Entangled Elements“
Designer, crafter, and owner of Entangled Elements and the Developmental/Copy Editor and Proofreader of “The Sisters of the Moon Trilogy”.
Missy is my youngest daughter and owns/operates her small business, “Entangled Elements”, in Independence, Missouri, a large suburb of Kansas City. In addition to being a partner, mother of 2, and working full-time, she is an incredible multi-talented crafter and entrepreneur. Missy is a vegan, a plant lover, an animal lover and strives for a zero waste lifestyle. She is always looking for ways to save what others consider to be trash and turn it into treasure. So with the earth in mind, she makes handmade jewelry and home décor, primarily from recycled, upcycled and repurposed materials. She is working on so much more and hopes to share it with others in the future. Hours are spent putting her heart and soul into every single piece she creates. She is always open to taking special requests. Missy is also skilled in proofreading and editing, being the editor of my books, “The Sisters of the Moon Trilogy.” You can see what Missy is up to by following her on Facebook and Instagram. She looks forward to expanding her work by delving into to new projects and collaborations with other creators very soon!
Alex Caruso
Technology Specialist; Poker Host
If you are local to the Kansas City area, Alex can host your 1-4 hour home, office, or event based card party/tournament for 4 to 80 participants, providing cards, chips, host services (blind management, rules, games, and money exchange). He also provides Technology Services including:
- App: training, loading, removal, configuration.
- Home Network Services: setup, security, configuration.
- Smart TV and devices setup and configuration.
- Computer Repair, configuration, and data recovery.
- Website Design. Microsoft and Cisco certified.
You can reach Alex by email at [email protected]
Jeremy Anderson
Massage therapist at Massage Luxe.
Jeremy has been a massage therapist for 12 years and specializes in sports therapy, deep tissue, and hot stones. If you’re local to Kansas City, you can book by calling and requesting a massage with him personally.
Kassidy Morrow, “Krafting Eclectic”
Professional photographer, artist, designer, crafter, and owner of Krafting Eclectic.
Kassidy, an amazing, earth-conscious, sweet, and incredibly giving person, lives in the Denver area in Colorado, however, she travels to Kansas City to collaborate and run her business here as well. She owns Krafting Eclectic, a shop that focuses on upcycled and hand-crafted items. She is looking for ways to change the narrative when it comes to product use. Instead of throwing the old away, she recreates, repurposes, upcycles, and makes it new again! She has created a collective that together, uses discarded materials, new materials, and great creativity to help the planet heal from planned obsolescence and provide amazing and cool items for the world to enjoy once again. She is also an amazing freelance photographer! See Kassidy’s Rising Star piece in KC Voyage Magazine here.
Crystal Buie, “Crystaleen Creations”
Artist, designer, and crafter, owner of Crystaleen Creations.
Crystaleen Creations is owned by a female veteran of the United States Army. As any soldier, Crystal can be a bit irreverent at times and looks for humor in any situation. She is a believer in sharing her joy and humor with those around her. Crystaleen Creations began with a joke bracelet that sparked so much positive feedback that Crystal knew more just had to be made. From there she expanded, delving into more eccentric crafting! You’re sure to find many treasures; fun and whimsical, edgy and sassy, in Crystal’s shop! “Life isn’t about being perfect, it’s about enjoying the ride!” We hope these items help you to enjoy the ride a little bit more.
- Email: [email protected]
Ty and Brittany Wells, “Brittany Wells Art” & “451 Pizza”
Owner/Designer of Brittany Wells Art, and upcoming children’s author. Operator of 451 Pizza, the newest concept in mobile Wood-Fired Pizza in the Kansas City area.
Ty and Brittany own/operate two small businesses in Oak Grove, Missouri, a suburb of Kansas City. Brittany is an artist and up-and-coming author from the Kansas City area who is currently working on a debut children’s book with many more books planned. She owns/operates Brittany Wells Art and has always been involved in arts and crafts, especially creating Halloween costumes, and has gained a social media following for creating digital family portraits based on the children’s television show, Bluey.
451 Pizza is operated by Ty and is the hottest, most delicious concept in Wood-Fired Mobile Pizzerias! Not Neapolitan, not exactly NY Style. He specializes in serving public and private events in the Kansas City, KS, and MO areas.
Anthony Northrup
Author of Stephen King Dollar Baby: The Book and expert on all things King.
Anthony began writing as a hobby about 30 years ago. He began to take it more seriously when he moved from California to North Dakota in 2002 and became a contributor to their local newspaper, the Tri County Sun in 2011. He has won two North Dakota Writers Awards, and also runs a Stephen King fan page on social media called: All Things King – A Stephen King fanpage, for over 10 years. He has hosted 4 Stephen King Dollar Baby film festivals: Crypticon Horror Con in Minnesota in 2014 & 2015, Stephen King Rules Dollar Baby film fest on-line in 2021 (*note: Stephen King himself promoted the 3-day festival on his Twitter account as the festival was seen LIVE on-line around the world), and the Stephen King Rules 2 Dollar Baby film festival LIVE and on-line at the Alternative Currents Festival in Davenport, Iowa in 2022. Writing for the local newspaper and Through the Black Hole entertainment international web page, Anthony was able to do celebrity interviews, film & book reviews. This led to his first Dollar Baby interview in 2013. After several Dollar Baby interviews, he had enough to write a book. His first book, STEPHEN KING DOLLAR BABY: The Book, was released January 2021. It is a collection of Stephen King Dollar Baby filmmaker interviews, fun facts, trivia, celebrity essays, the history of the Dollar Deal, and more! He has also been a contributor to the Stephen King Annual Calendars, STEPHEN KING AMERICAN MASTER by Stephen Spignesi, ELTON JOHN FIFTY YEARS ON by Stephen Spignesi, and was even a character as himself in author Brookyln Ann’s, HER HALLOWEEN PARTY which is the 4th book in her B-Mine Series. He is currently writing his second book, STEPHEN KING DOLLAR BABY: The Sequel. This is the second/final book on Dollar Baby films and history. As of this writing, it is aimed for a Fall/Winter release. His future goals as of now are: to finish his second Dollar Baby book, his script for the film YARDWORK (a film based on his short story), and will be working on a third book about Stephen King in the near future. He also plans on hosting another Dollar Baby film festival again. Anthony states he loves writing and encourages those who have a dream to hold on tight and make it happen no matter how long it takes. The reward of accomplishing your dream is priceless. Never give up & believe in yourself everything else will fall into place.
Anthony will also be featured in MS Chambers “Sisters of the Moon Trilogy”, Book Three, Ashes of Oak, as “North”, coming this Fall!
- https://a.co/d/3KbCqG8https://bearmanor-digital.myshopify.com/products/stephen-king-dollar-baby-the-book-hardback?_pos=3&_sid=0a58268d3&_ss=r
- https://www.facebook.com/groups/allthingsking19
Jeni Christain, “Come Alive”
Designer, crafter, and owner of Come Alive.
Welcome to Come Alive Candles & Mandalas! Jeni Swafford is a former teacher, mom, daughter, and a friend. She is originally from the Kansas City, MO area and has recently re-located to Skiathos, Greece. Mandalas and pouring candles has been her hobby and passion for many years. With the encouragement of friends and family, she began Come Alive as a business in 2020. Come Alive Beeswax candles are each hand poured with the same love and care that goes into each mandala she paints. Jeni uses only 100% naturally organic (non- GMO) beeswax. Combined with all natural and essential oil scents and cotton or hemp wick, it’s a beautiful way to enhance your atmosphere with scent. She would like to share with you why she chose to use only beeswax and hopes you choose it for your personal use:
- Lower Toxicity: Because beeswax candles are all natural, they do not produce toxic byproducts and heavy soot when burned. Some types of candles produce minute traces of chemicals known to be carcinogenic, but this is not a problem with beeswax candles.
- Neutralizing Pollutants: Beeswax candles produce negative ions when burned, and those ions help to neutralize pollutants in the air. This helps eliminate dust, odors, and mold in the atmosphere, easing allergy and asthma symptoms and improving breathing for anyone nearby. Beeswax emits the brightest light, too!
Jeni paints other things as well but always comes back to her true love: The mandalas. A little bit of information about them: A Mandala (Sanskrit for “circle”) is an artistic representation of higher thought and deeper meaning given as a geometric symbol used in spiritual, emotional, or psychological work to focus one’s attention. She loves the energy felt while painting them and especially loves the energy that they fill an area or person with while being held touched, or hung on a wall. Jeni believes mandalas are meant to be touched, so you will find that hers are dimensional to the touch. She welcomes commissions and wants to remind you that mandalas and candles are great gifts for wedding parties, christenings, or receptions! Let Jeni know if you have an event where you’d like to provide a candle or perhaps a mini magnet mandala as a takeaway gift for guests and she will work with you on pricing. Choose one for yourself or commission a gift. You deserve it!
Visit and shop at Jeni’s website below and follow Come Alive on Facebook and Instagram. If you happen to visit Skiathos island in Greece, you can find Come Alive paintings, jewelry, and candles in a shop called, “Gorgo”, in Skiathos City.
Hallie Lemon, “Four Blossoms Photography LLC”
Professional photographer and owner of Four Blossoms Photography LLC.
Hallie started photography around the age of 17 as a hobby, and before she knew it, she was booking her first wedding by the time she was 22. She was self taught in photography. Her mother did film photography when she was younger so she was raised around film cameras, and she and her brother, and cousins were the subjects, mainly. She believes that is where the roots of her passion derived from! What Hallie loves most about being a photographer is the ability to be artistic, while ALSO capturing lifelong memories. It moves her and she takes with her, something from each session she has, and each client she meets. See Hallie’s Rising Star piece in KC Voyage here.
Brooklynn Ann
Romance and Horror Author.
Brooklyn has been a published author for ten years, though funnily enough, even though she’d been writing stories since she was a little kid, and even started a novel when she was fifteen, she denied being a writer. People filled her yearbook with proclamations that she’d be an author, and they ended up being right! She’d finished two other novels before she wrote what would be her first published novel, a regency vampire romance that she’d jokingly called, “Bite Me, Your Grace”. The publisher who signed Brooklyn loved the title and it stuck. Since then, she has branched out to other genres, like urban fantasy, heavy metal romance, rockstar romance, and even horror romance. She is now delving into writing straight up horror and will have a short story coming out in an anthology in October, while she’s working on a coming-of-age horror novel.
Eddie Smith, “Into The Mystic”
Owner/Operator of Into The Mystic metaphysical shop in Merriam, Kansas.
The best place in Mission, KS and the Kansas City area to purchase your metaphysical and New Age needs. Both new and familiar gifts, accessories, apparel, musical and holistic items, and mind, body, and spirit modalities. Offering a wide range of workshops, readings, events and a second location across the street, focusing on yoga, CBD products and more.
Knotty Orchid, “Risqué Revelry”, LLC
Artist, dancer, and producer of Risqué Revelry, LLC
Risqué Revelry is a monthly burlesque and variety show focused on creating a safe space for the artistic community of greater Kansas City Metro, to create and experiment with performance art, making their shows diverse in talent and culture, as well as setting the standard for body positivity in Kansas City.
Knotty Orchid has been sashaying her way through burlesque stages since 2018. A seasoned model and performer who knows her way in front of and behind the stage. She fell in love with the art form that was both physically and emotionally liberating and she is ecstatic to create a safe space for other ecdysiasts and variety performers. Proud of her Native Hawaiian and Puerto Rican heritage, burlesque gives her the space and audience to share her people’s story as it is meant to be told. She is Risqué Revelry’s Mistress of the Mic for most shows, but every so often she’ll add her own vintage flair and hair that don’t care to their stage.
See more info on classes via Facebook or Instagram (KnottyOrchidBurlesque). Keep up to date via their website @ www.risquerevelry.com or on Facebook and Instagram for show dates and times.
Lee Howard, “Mystical Gems And Crystals”
Owner and jewelry artist of Mystical Gems and Crystals
As a retired Fire Captain with LaMonte Missouri Fire Department, Lee was used to the busy activities of a fire house and soon found herself bored with time on her hands; and hands that wanted to create, after retiring. When her mother passed in 2014, Lee made her family and close friends, memorial bracelets. From there, her amazing journey began. She found herself beginning to slowly gather various jewelry supplies, sharing her work with the various stones she had collected, with her friends. They were incredibly supportive and suggested she share her work with others in the community. In 2016, Lee began selling a few stones at local events. She enjoyed meeting people and making new friends and in the next year, she made gemstone trees necklaces, bracelets, tiaras, and crowns, and signed up to vend at multiple local events. She found success by talking to and collaborating with other vendors to expand her line. Then, she discovered wire. In the beginning, she would simply walk around the house with a couple of pieces of wire and do some weaving. She kept at it, experimenting, until she figured out the best method, initially making a few pieces of wire jewelry, wire flowers, and other test pieces to increase her skill. Lee has always been a rockhound and enjoys learning new crafts. Over the years, she has tried many different hobbies, but none seemed to stick until she picked up wire wrapping. Lee loves finding new or different stones for her wraps and tinkering with various jewelry designs.
Currently, Lee offers a broad selection of stones, gems, and crystals, either wrapped or in their natural state. She creates jewelry that speaks to her and creates balance between the weave and the stone. Many of her customers find a specific stone or crystal that speaks to them, and ask Lee to make it into a bracelet or necklace. She focuses on the stone and the energy she feels from it and begins wrapping from there. Primarily she works with copper and silver wire. All of Lee’s jewelry is created from a place of love, whether it’s a custom wrap, or simply a stone that spoke to her that day. Her clientele has grown mostly through word of mouth. Starting as a hobby, she wasn’t initially focused on growing a business; however, through word of mouth and others love of her work, her passion as formed into her business, Mystical Gems and Crystals. Visit Lee on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, as well as at local events in the Kansas City area.
- Email : [email protected]
- @leehoward915 – tiktok
Morgan Nofsinger, “Nofslinger”
DJ and Producer
Photos by: Bridget McCabe, Devon DuBree, AK47 Media
Morgan has been infatuated with music her whole life. The one quote that always resonates with her is “One good thing about music, when it hits you, you feel no pain” (Bob Marley). On her worst days, when she questioned why on earth anyone would ever want to be a part of this seemingly screwed up world, music seemed to make everything okay. Morgan always thought she’d be a famous singer/songwriter but after a decade of practice, she realized her voice wasn’t going to get her very far solely behind a mic. She tried acting for a long time and it still didn’t feel right. She attempted various instruments and quit almost everything because she never felt good enough at any of them. It wasn’t until she started writing poetry that she felt genuinely talented at something. Morgan started writing in high school and never quit. That healed her on a very deep level and though she knew she wanted to do something with it, she still wasn’t sure what “that” was. However, she was immersed in the electronic music industry, the family that she’d made over the years in the scene, who understood and inspired her constantly. She spent a LOT of time with artists and people that seemed just as beautifully average as her but they were doing major things with music. In 2020, Morgan bought her boyfriend at the time, a DJ board for Christmas so he could get more into it. Shortly after, they broke up, but he left the board behind. Amidst being heart broken with no exact direction, she decided to play with it. He’d taught her how to mix and though she didn’t feel very comfortable yet, she plugged it in and began. DJ’ing almost every day for the next year, Morgan threw lots of parties at her house just to have people to play for. She was addicted! In 2021, when smaller events were starting to happen again, an open deck night was held at the “Riot Room” in KC and she signed up. She posted it on Facebook, not expecting much to come out of it but SO MANY PEOPLE showed, including one of the main organizers of many electronic music events in KC. He was impressed that it was her first time touching professional equipment and called her the next day to book her for an official gig. That night, she chose the name “Nofslinger”, as a tip of the hat to her Dad, and feeling like it was an original name and definitely not claimed by anyone else. Since then, it’s been non stop. Morgan has played all over her hometown, for major acts like “Conrank”, “Veil”, “Champagne Drip”, “Zingara”, “Oakk”, “Miilk”, “MYTHYM”, “Notlo”, and more. She has played festivals like “Dancefestopia”, “Rekinection”, and “Magic Moon”, and a few months ago, had her first out of state gig, in Lincoln Nebraska, opening for “Minnesota”, one of her all time favorite artists. Morgan says, “The love I’ve received from this journey has been astronomical and I feel like I’ve finally found what I’m meant to be doing. Within the last year I’ve started to take producing very seriously and tackling the software beast that is Abelton. Going backwards in learning how to DJ before I know how to actually create a song has been a major challenge, especially since I have so much writing I want to put into music. But it’s been the most worthy challenge I’ve faced. My plan/goal for the future is to find a way to blend my poetry and lyrics into deep experimental bass and make music that channels the vast inner knowing I and many others, possess. I’ve never settled on one genre when it comes to my mixing and I don’t plan to when I start releasing my own personal music. So the sounds you hear once I finally drop something, will be a surprise to everyone, including myself! I just feel so incredibly grateful that music and I found each other, and I plan to spend the rest of my life dedicated to contributing to the culture that saved my life.”
Get updates on shows and follow Morgan’s journey by visiting her pages.