Crafters guild helps those out of work make extra income

When Marcus Paden was laid off two years ago, he got crafty and used his creative side to come up with ways to bring money into the household.

First, he used his woodworking skills to make personalized signs. Then he taught himself to make soap. His wife, April, got involved with her own craft ---- a trendy take on creative hairpieces.

They sell the items at events such as the Las Vegas Crafters Guild's spring craft show, which was held in May at the Sahara West Library, 9600 W. Sahara Ave. There, the Padens had a corner booth. Their daughter Caitlin, 3, went with them as their official hair bow model and designated helper.

"Sometimes she helps a little too much," her mother joked.

The couple, who are Summerlin-area residents, began making crafts about a year ago under the name Paden Creative Designs. Marcus Paden struck out on his own soon after his carpenter's union job was eliminated. His wife is a teacher at Robison Middle School, 825 Marion Drive, and can work on hair accents only in her spare time. She credited her husband as having a natural artistic leaning tempered with a practical side.

"He's full of ideas, and he did a lot of research" before choosing soapmaking as an income source, she said.

The decision was made, and the supplies were ordered. Soon after their home was filled with the wafting scents of vanilla and tropical fruits.

The results were lined up on the table, items such as cranberry bath tea and lavender bar soap in various sizes and shapes.

Dessert themes - Oreo cookies, truffles and slices of cake - were part of the display. The couple said the goodies look so real, they must constantly discourage Caitlin from popping them in her mouth.

Some soaps followed holiday traditions to intentionally appeal to children - skulls for Halloween, evergreen trees for Christmas. Other children's designs come with an ulterior motive.

"Our little kids' soaps have toys (embedded) in them, so they have to use the soap in order to get the toy," April Paden said.

Marcus Paden uses two methods to make soap - the melt-and-pour technique, which uses molds to shape them, and the cold-press method. The latter is best described as made from scratch. It's used mostly for guest soaps.

It takes a couple of hours to whip up a batch, combining ingredients to achieve the right color and scent.

"The biggest part is the drying time; you've got to let it set up," he said. "The longer you let it dry, the harder it gets, so the longer it lasts."

He took a cake decorating class to learn how to create the realistic cupcake ones. The couple estimate they've made thousands of items, selling them at fairs as far away as Michigan for about $3 each.

Along with the Padens, about a dozen other crafters filled the library's multipurpose room, selling note cards, fabric carryalls, beaded jewelry and bandana dresses for toddlers that could transition to tops as children grow.

The guild formed in 2006 and began with about a dozen members. It grew steadily and has about 50 members today, including three men. The participation in the craft show varies each time.

"Like everything else in the valley, it ebbs and flows," said Mary-Beth Zahedi, president.

Her own business has traditional knitted items such as hats, scarves and pot holders. Zahedi said the most unusual craft was by one of the men in the group.

"He does miniature vignettes ... of cabins and schools, complete with animals and landscaping. It's very labor-intensive work," she said.

Near the Padens, a display of purses had a sign, "Let Carol Joy Fashions dress up your little black dress." The booth carried purses of various fabrics, some with blocks of color and fake fur. The last one was named the Fuzzy Bear and cost $39.

Debbie Williams makes wire-wrapped jewelry priced from $35. It began as a hobby a couple of years ago. She admitted that her first attempt tested her determination.

"It took me, like, six, seven hours to wrap one stone," she said.

All told, she spends about a week on each one, changing it up and seeing what works best, adding her own touch. One of her clients is KLAS-TV Channel 8 anchor Denise Valdez, who sometimes wears them on TV.

The guild has two shows a year, and the next one is planned for October. It plans monthly meetings at 7 p.m. the fourth Tuesday of each month, except December, at the IHOP at 7490 Las Vegas Blvd. South near Warm Springs Road. The meetings are free and open to the public. For more information, call 617-0077 or visit lasvegascraftersguild.com.

Contact Summerlin/Summerlin South View reporter Jan Hogan at jhogan@viewnews.com or 387-2949.