Our Teachers

Sue Benner
I am a long time card maker with over 25 years of rubberstamping experience, who loves new techniques, especially new coloring products and handmade papers. I have a passion for meeting new people, sharing life’s moments, crafting knowledge and tips. My favorite brands are Tonic Studios/Nuvo Products, Technique Junkies, It’s a Colorful Life Stencils, Pinata Alcohol Inks and Ranger products. I never tire of alcohol inks on Yupo Paper or using any watercolor technique or product! Coloring is very relaxing and at the top of my to-do list! I am always on the hunt for new embellishments such as ribbons and specialty bling, as they really take your cards to the next level. I am also a purchaser for the store. If you are looking for something new and/or different that you would like the store to carry, please contact me. My first love is the ocean, collecting seashells and spending time at the beach in Florida.

Claudia Lesser
I was one of the previous owners of Creative Cuts & Crafts, the predecessor to Creative Cards and Crafts. I have been teaching for years. Having relocated to Florida it gives me great pleasure to be able to fly in a few times a year and teach at the store. I love to surprise you with something new that I’ve learned and teach you many ways to use the same product. Over the years I have taught everything from watercolor, Gamsol, paper piecing, napkin art, Iris folding, mixed media, cards, book-making, home decor and scrapbooking. Your support of the store is appreciated and I look forward to seeing you on one of my trips back up north.

Linda Musacchio

Kathy Donofrio
Card making came later in my life when I started making cards to focus on something other than work and being a caregiver for my parents. One Stampin’ Up class and I was hooked. Making and creating cards is relaxing for me. Coloring is what I enjoy the most. If you take a class with me, you WILL color something. When I create a class, I like to have a theme. In each class, I like to mix up coloring, working the paper and some type of Iris folding project. The paper is what moves me in any project I put together. Making samples and seeing how YOU put them together are what excites me the most. How you complete and interpret the project are what makes me want to do more. When I am not cutting and creating, I love to read. If you want or need to know more about me, you will have to sign up for one of my classes.

Ann Hanson
I have been making cards for about twenty years and teaching card making classes for about 10 years. I like to learn new techniques and try to incorporate as many of them as possible into my classes. One of my favorite techniques is heat embossing. I also love to use dies and stencils. I retired about four years ago from teaching math full-time at Columbia College Chicago. However, I still enjoy my students and teach one class, Math in Art and Nature, at Columbia.

Linda Johnson

Barb Smith
In the spring of 2009, a friend told me about this shop, and it has been one of my favorite places ever since then. It has gone through some changes over the years but has always been a creative and welcoming place. At first, I was a frequent customer and took classes. To my surprise, a year later, I was asked to teach classes. After 5 years of being retired from teaching elementary school children (Kindergarten and First Grade), I decided to go back to teaching - this time in paper crafting! Since 2010, I have taught many different kinds of techniques and projects - among them are stamping, punches, embossing, masking, interactive cards, and a class called Trust Me (a class where you do not know what we will be doing, but trust me to do something unique and fun). You will learn many techniques and "tricks" in my classes. Come to try new things and share what you know as well. We are looking forward to seeing you soon!

Jan Rosenbergh
I am basically a self-taught crafter. In my teens, I taught myself to sew by reading and taking whatever classes I could find. Later in life I got interested in needlework, such as crocheting, knitting, embroidering, cross-stitch, crewel and floral design. When Archivers came on the scene, I found an opportunity to start scrap-booking with a friend and then went from scrap-booking to cardmaking (go figure!!!). In 2010, after I retired, I joined the teaching staff a Creative Cards and Crafts and the rest is history. I love color, different designs, creative folds and fun techniques in making very unique cards. Sign up for my classes and you will not be disappointed.