Every Sunday, NEPA Creative turns the spotlight on some awesome creatives. This week, we have Michelle Yaple!
Michelle Yaple is a needlework artisan, born and raised in Central PA, before moving to Harveys Lake shortly after getting married. She’s been married for over 25 years, has two sons, and a beautiful dog named Prim.
As a child, Michelle’s grandmother taught her how to cross-stitch and embroider by hand and has continued to master her craft since.
Many of her designs center around her favorite time of year — Christmas. While most feel the spirit of the holiday season drift away after December, stitching Christmas pieces allows Michelle to feel festive throughout the entire year. Additionally, Michelle’s talent has helped many celebrate other life events, such as weddings and births.
After many years of making projects for family and friends, Michelle decided to begin her own Etsy store, called BumblebeeDream, giving her the opportunity to sell her handcrafted items and share the lost art of stitching with others.
As if having a full-time job and a side hustle wasn’t enough, Michelle has also become the “art” department for her husband’s business, MCS Advertising. This role has expanded Michelle’s talents into new techniques, utilizing graphic design, machine embroidery, and even an embroidery digitizing software.
Michelle likes to portray items that have a rustic feel to them. She leans into country and American themes to inspire her creations. Inspired by life, her family, and her dog, she looks to the simple things in life to generate creativity. She believes that being creative is all about sharing a little piece of yourself with the world.
You can find Michelle’s pieces on Facebook, Instagram, and in her Etsy shop.
