Stephanie Hammond realized a longtime dream when she opened "crafted", a consignment art boutique, on the north side of the courthouse square in Jefferson in March.

The shop offers art in a variety of media by local artists Dave Popelka, Colleen Clopton, Kathy Hankel, Diane Foster and Denise O'Brien Van, along with birdhouses and walking sticks by her father Ken Bose (Skeeter Creek Fabricators) and Raku pottery by her uncle Mike Bose. Hammond hopes to add her own artwork in the future. "crafted" also has items from 42 photographers and crafters ranging from handmade jewelry to silk wrap skirts and crocheted hanging dish towels.

Along with providing a retail outlet for artists and crafters, Hammond hosts workshops and discussion groups in the back of the store. Projects have included glass fusion, plate painting, cake decorating, tie dye and more. The schedule is available on Facebook.

Hammond worked in human resources for seven years prior to opening "crafted." She earned bachelors of art degrees in anthropology and sociology from the University of Northern Iowa and has done graduate coursework in public history. From the time she was 14 though, she always wanted to open an art boutique. "My family is creative. This shop is something I've always wanted to do," said Hammond.

Stephanie lives in Jefferson with her husband Chris and their daughters, Karis, Ashlyn and Stella.

Summer hours are Monday-Thursday 11 am to 5 pm, Friday 11 am to 3 pm and Saturday 11 am to 4 pm. To get on the email list contact Hammond at crafted.store@gmail.com or call 515-386-3841.  -Jefferson Bee