A long story short...... 

Hello there!  I'm Amanda Krueger, and this is A. Bel Studio, a  little cottage industry I began in the Fall of 2006.  I've always been crafty by nature, and am self taught (with an enormous amount of help from my mother and grandmother, the craftiest gals I know!)  I'll work in any medium I can get my hands on, and my current obsession is sewing sweet accessories and gifts made from vintage and recycled fabric, buttons, and notions.  My style is a bit on the kitschy side, colorful and fun, always with a vintage flair and attention to detail.  Everything here is designed and crafted by me in a small studio I share with my husband, (fabric and ribbon on one side, records and turntables on the other!)   I live in balmy, coastal Virgina, just teetering on the edge of the South.   I share a cluttered and crafty home with my husband Mike,  our son Max, and an alley cat called Sydney.  When I'm not hunched over the  sewing machine,  you might find me puttering in our tiny garden, watching Top Model reruns on YouTube or whipping up the best apple pie this side of the Appalachians.

.....And then

Early in 2007 I began selling miniature cake toppers online.  For some reason the little buggers are very hard to find, but I seem to have a knack for hunting them down.    The demand for such adorable, itty-bitty cuteness could not be denied, and A. Bel Emporium was born.  It is a jolly bake shop (of sorts) that offers all of the kitschy, impossible to find miniatures that I can get my paws on.  Although these plastic creations are intended to top desserts, many of my customers use them in a variety of crafty projects from jewelry to collage and beyond.  I am so pleased to offer these items, and I have great plans for the future to expand on the Bakery Shop idea and  include many more fun and exciting treats!  Stay tuned! 

For more on me, and just about everything else, please do visit my personal weblog,  Every Little Thing.