Exclusively Us
Checkered Cottage a one of a kind store opened in August of 1999 by 3 long time friends that were all crafters – Susan, Robyn, and Linda. Linda retired at the end of 2024 to be able to babysit her grandchildren and travel. Robyn and Susan you will still find behind the counter with their smiling faces or Robyn’s quick wit humor. We hope you will stop by soon. Our inventory is always changing as are the displays to keep the shop fresh with new merchandise.
Exclusively at the cottage you will find the home of Rustic Giraffe items by Amy Crawford. Amy has a large selection of diecuts available for you to purchase to meet your scrapbooking needs, along with ever changing page kits (sample at the cottage to view), and throughout the year we sell her handmade books and card kits. She also sells an ever changing line of jewelry at the cottage. Amy is also very busy teaching her monthly classes here at the cottage which include stencil classes, stamping classes , fun with diecuts class, stacked and layered card class, and altered projects or books classes.
Christine Fracchia has joined our team and will head up our Recreate section of the store. She rotates stock in this area weekly and prices all your special goodies you may have brought in to sell. Christine is a long time Stamp in Up Rep so she will price all your resale product at very fair prices. Christine has also joined the ranks of teaching classes at the shop once a month.
Barb Ogden is our resident longest running teacher since the day the doors opened. Her classes include watercolor and Decorative Painting with acrylics. Every once in awhile she ventures over to the card making side of the store with her painting talent. Barb does a special exhibit of her own exclusive painted pieces for sale here at the cottage every December.
Exclusive Silhouette teacher here at the cottage is Jan Conway. She is another teacher that has been with us since almost the beginning. Jan doesn’t currently sell her own handmade items here but you don’t want to miss her Silhouette classes, Monday cards, or Scrapbooking classes plus her quarterly club projects.
Karen Leach joined us a few years ago and brings to the cottage her once a month card class. With Karen – you not only decorate the outside of your cards but also the inside along with envelopes and most likely you will find a goodie bag at your spot when you come to class. Karen is also the creator of our window displays since Linda left. She is enjoying the challenge of refreshing the windows with a different theme quarterly.
Erin Geiger joined the cottage in fall 2023 and you will find her smiling face behind the counter on Saturdays. She loves to paper craft and you will find many of her little samples spread out throughout the store. She loves to create little books, tags, or projects with a vintage twist to her items.
Barbara Axmacher joined the team in January of 2024 to assist with the recreate side of the store and worked mainly in the back office. Since we opened the wall to the recreate side of the store her presence is found on the salesfloor or behind the cash register. Barbara also creates samples you will find throughout the shop and loves to assist customers with their projects.
Donna Tuschoff has been recognized for her designs with Altenew as well as a variety of other stamp companies. We are lucky to be able to feature her beautiful projects in classes here at the cottage. Yes – she is the technique teacher that has many supplies on her class list but you won’t go home disappointed after a class.
BeJeweled sterling silver pieces by Laura Plyler can be found inside the cottage doors. Laura works with natural stones combined with silver pieces. Laura will adjust any bracelet she has to accommodate a size you may need along with repair pieces of jewelry for a small fee. She brings in a wonderful assortment of Christmas jewelry during the holidays.
Last but not least important – you will find Robyn Kettler’s smiling face and quick wit attitude behind the counter when you cross over our cottage threshold. She is always there to help find a product you might be searching for, filling up your shopping bags, class schedule writer, or best known for her wonderfully written emails.
became
Robyn, Linda, and Susan are the team that started up the Checkered Cottage many many years ago. We proudly get to play together and talk with all of you when you visit the cottage. Afterall – that is how we became known as the Cheers Bar of the Crafting World.
P.S. Susan Fulton – well she is just the MMB to us all!!! LOL – but keeps the crew held together with her organizational skills to keep us all communicating.