Our Story

Medieval Guilds and Craft Production Sculptor's Workshop. c. 1416, commissioned by the Arte dei Maestri di Pietra e Legname from Nanni di Banco for the base of the guild niche at Orsanmichele.

     

Women carding and spinning together.  Detail of illuminated manuscript De claris mulieribus, written by Giovanni Boccaccio, illuminated by an unknown artist c. 1400

What is a Crafters Guild?

A guild is a group of people who come together to help each other succeed at a shared profession.  Crafters’ guilds have existed since ancient times.  Back then, the rule was one craft per guild:  soapmakers, or weavers, or painters had guilds specific to their line of work, which no one else could join.  We’ve expanded the guild concept to include multiple crafts. 

Although our chosen crafts are different,  we all face similar challenges.  We live in a world where so many things are mass-produced.  How do we make a living doing what we love?  How do we restore the personal connection between humans who create and humans who consume?  What about taxes and licenses, or setting up an online shop?  These are all questions we can help each other with.

Astronomische Uhr der Kirche St. Marien, Lübeck by Torsten Bolten

 How It Began

Sculpting and crafting beautiful art pieces began as a therapy for my daughter Callie to manage her progressive nerve dystrophy. When she moved from clay to soap, an instant connection was made and her creativity went wild. Suddenly finding our household knee-deep in soap and seeing the joy this brought Callie, I thought of other close friends and family whose talents and interests were so rarely seen beyond annual craft shows.

 In these days of stress and uncertainty, it seemed to me that socially-conscious artisanal goods were an excellent way for us to connect as humans, artist to consumer. The act of crafting is inherently a form of self-expression, as artists and artisans tell you a story about themselves with every item they produce. Meanwhile, there are so many customers looking for the opportunity to fall in love with something new.

With the pandemic of 2020 on my mind, my goal became to take the idea of craft shows to every household throughout the year, without risk of exposure. I wanted to match people with the products they love, while getting to know the artists behind them, all from the comfort of their own living rooms. And so the Wandering Moon Crafters Guild was born.

~Jen Deslaurier, co-founder

Our Mission

Like ancient and medieval guilds, we hold to two basic principles.  The first is high standards – in terms of our crafting, and also in terms of our ethics.  The second is thriving together.  We are pledged to each other’s well-being – a commitment which is reflected in our unique business model. 

This isn’t business the way you’ve seen it so many times before. As a guild, we emphasize teamwork over personal gain, and our model reflects that. This is a collaborative company.

To learn more about our team, we invite you to read on!

Image of a whipple moon on an artistically stained antique card.

Our Values

Every decision made for this business is carefully considered for its environmental and social impact. 

We believe this is our one and only Earth, and it is our responsibility to take care of it. Wherever possible, our packaging is compostable, reusable, or recyclable, so that we are always making the lowest impact. Our products are made of all-natural, typically local ingredients and are produced here in the United States.

We believe uplifting the voices of those less often heard is paramount in creating the business model we want to see. Several of our products provide direct contributions to charitable causes. We also make it a point to source from women-owned or minority-owned small or independent businesses.

Our Artists 

 AnnaLisa

Anna is a music teacher residing in the Philadelphia area, specializing in early childhood and violin. When not teaching, she can often be found at the ice rink, practicing for her next skating test or competition.   An accomplished chef, she enjoys creating new recipes from whatever she can find in her kitchen, and writing short stories.

Anna started creating dot artwork when she was inspired by a YouTube video. Her favorite part of creating a project is finding unique color combinations.

Callie

Rather than let her progressive nerve dystrophy slow her down, Callie has funneled her limitless imagination and sense of fun into innovation by designing her own self-care products and starting her own brand in connection with  Wandering Moon. With a lifetime love of crafting and in spite of her physical limitations, Callie began churning out soaps, body butters, and bubble baths that are luxurious, skin- and environment-friendly, and fun! Her creative designs and delicious scents have gained a cult following.

 

Cecelia

Cat mom, artist, dream interpreter, and astrology buff, Cecelia brings an eclectic mix of resources to Wandering Moon.

Jay

A lifelong gaming nerd (tabletop, LARP, online RPGs, you name it) and owner of long, luxurious locks, Jay had a personal grooming epiphany when his wife Saria introduced him to organic hair care. This set him on a journey to create his own line and bring the joys of gorgeous hair to everyone. He is also a staunch defender of the planet and the people living on it, and has included that same social conscience in his line here at the Wandering Moon.

Jen

With decades of retail and business experience, lifelong crafter and creator Jen is one of the founders of the Wandering Moon concept. She is also the guild mom. It's possible (but not confirmed) that she is somewhat older than this 30-year-old photo implies. She was going to use a more recent one but she really likes this hat.

 

Rachel

Photographer. Music lover. Dancer. Crafter. Tea drinker. Cafficionado. Incurably British. Owned by a cat.

 

Picture of Rayna, Digital Marketing Specialist.

 Rayna

On top of being a doting cat-parent, sassy-humor expert, and illustrious fanfiction author, Rayna is a Digital Marketing Specialist with 11 years of professional experience. An innovative thinker and researcher, their writing has been published over 700 times on various outlets. As part of Wandering Moon, Rayna continues to develop the marketing strategies for the company and helped create the Wandering Moon website.

Saria

Saria is a Jewish-American woman from Southern NJ. She and her husband Jay live in Pennsylvania with their black cat Persephone. 

Saria fell in love with knitting and crochet in 2016 while dealing with sickness due to an autoimmune disease. The bright colors and bold patterns brought joy and whimsy into her life that she now hopes to share with others. 

When she isn't crocheting or tending to Persephone's whims, Saria enjoys video games, Dungeons and Dragons and getting excited about Star Wars.

 Sierra

A full time creature, cryptid and corvid, Sierra enjoys collecting a wide variety of trinkets, baubles, and shinies. They have approximate knowledge of many things and bring that same random but somehow (???) cohesive energy into the Wandering Moon. Also a certified Meme Lord.

Our Cats 

Dedee

Dedee takes her job as hall monitor Very Seriously and would like you to know that if you enter her hall without a pass there will be Consequences. When not on duty she likes to disguise herself as a cinnamon roll.

Esther

A gray and white spotted tabby with unusual pumpkin-colored eyes, Esther copes with her chronic social anxiety by sitting in the middle of the floor and trilling, and then running away when anybody tries to pet her. When not managing her cardboard hotel, she likes to smack little brother Merlin around.

Katniss

The newest member of the Wandering Moon Feline Fam, Katniss is a Very Good Girl. Hobbies include kissing her mama's hand ad infinitum and hanging out on her favorite cat tree.

Loki

 Loki declined to be interviewed, citing 'better things to do with his time, human'.

Merlin

 A mere 3 pounds at adoption, Merlin is mostly blind and three of his legs don't work properly - but don't tell him, because he doesn't seem to notice. In his spare time, Merlin can be found turning in a circle on command or galloping at top speed through the house, his tail fully poofed. As the only male in the clutch, he is convinced that he is the alpha cat, although big sister Esther does her best to disabuse him of this notion.

Persephone

Lovingly referred to as a “goblin”, Persephone is a shy, curious cat who enjoys digging through garbage, napping in closets and chirping like a pigeon. Though Saria has gone out of her way to buy Persephone all kinds of scratching posts and catnip balls, her favorite toys continue to be plastic bottle caps and crinkly receipts. Despite what she may tell you, Persephone HAS been fed many times over the past five years she’s lived with Saria and Jay.

 Po

"Master" Po is known for his easygoing nature, the heart-shaped spot on his nose, his blue eyes, and his taste in cinema. He also likes to hide in the houseplants and bird-watch.

Rose

Super shy princess baby Rose would like you to know that she has one white muzzlepuff and one black, which is as it should be. Very dainty in her paw management, her hobbies include helping to make the bed and making a small honking sound when questioned.

 Willow

Willow has never been fed, ever, not even once in all her life, and the fact that she just clocked in at 13 pounds is entirely irrelevant. When not asking to be fed, she likes to beg for treats. She also enjoys basketball and is an expert dribbler with wadded paper balls.