The Iron Bird is honored to be working with some of the finest artisans, creators, and designers in the Philadelphia area. We’ve invited a small group that match our creative vision for The Iron Bird, and, together with our fabulous artisans, we are a micro team of curators and creatives who inspire, share, celebrate, and who will help you decorate your home or find that perfect gift. Extraordinary women pay attention to the details of their work, and we hope to bring you experiences that are beautiful, visceral, and inspirational. Introducing: The Iron Bird artisans!
Megan McMahon
The Pink Leopard
Megan refinishes furniture to bring the old back to life. She does not have one set style for her pieces, as she likes creating high gloss to distressed, Mid century to modern farmhouse. She loves curating vintage home décor, and she also offers original, abstract art and original photography. Megan grew up around interior designers and she has always loved mixing the old with the new. More recently Megan shifted her focus onto
incorporating clothing, shoes, and accessories into her business. She wanted to create a space where women could shop for day and night, and she has done just that.
Bonus info: Megan was raised in Delray Beach, Florida. She loves taking pictures of
nature and local landmarks.
Kim Rowe
For The Nest
For the Nest began out of Kim’s love for creativity and helping people. As a social worker in long-term care, Kim learned so much about patience and encouragement. Now, through teaching her customers the art of painting, she is able to use the same skills. Through the years she has become a retailer/stockist for some incredible brands. Kim loves helping her customers and clients find just the right colors and details for their special projects. She also has clients who hire her to do custom work or special projects.
Bonus info: Kim is blessed with a very supportive husband who has cheered her on through all of her endeavors. Together they have three great sons and two wonderful daughters-in-law!
Molly Cahill
MollyauContraire
Established in 2009, MollyauContraire is committed to creating zero or low waste products. Each piece of MollyauContraire product is lovingly handcrafted. The product line includes:
• Vegan Taxidermy: Meticulously crafted mounted animal heads made with up-cycled vintage embroidered linens and driftwood from Lake Erie. The linens are carefully selected based on their style and condition. The more discolored and “unusable” in its original state, the better suited it is for transformation.
• Hand painted leather jewelry: A variety of colors and shapes, all made with salvaged leather and fine metals. Some styles have up to a 6 step process!
• Knitted hanging and wall planters: with up-cycled glass jars and home cultivated plants.
• Toys: Stuffed unicorns, llamas, bunnies and tooth fairy dolls, all made from almost entirely reclaimed materials.
Molly Cahill, the owner of MollyauContraire remarks, “I love the process of finding and using reclaimed materials. My product development is largely centered on what skills I have (or learn) that can help turn this landfill diverted material into something desirable.” The mission of MollyauContraire is to reduce waste by salvaging and creating beautiful items that you will enjoy wearing, gifting or using in your home.
Bonus info: I spent a year as a young adult, living in Kerala, India, an experience that greatly influenced my design and career choices. A passion for Fair Trade really blossomed in the years to follow.
Sue Miller
Vintage Charm by Suze
Sue started Vintage Charm by Suze in 2013 and runs it out of her home. Sue sells on Etsy as well as Facebook Marketplace. She also enjoys selling at local craft shows 2-3X per year. Until she retired in 2021, Sue was doing all of this while working full time in healthcare! Retiring early enabled Sue to pursue her craft full time. She paints and repurposes small, wood furniture, windows, art frames, and even repurposes vintage jewelry. The seed for Sue’s craft and creativity was planted by her mother who taught classes at a local craft shop, The Yellow Bow, in Marshalton, PA. As a young girl, Sue went along to the classes and helped her mom teach. Because her mother was a master crafter, Sue has zero creative fear, and will tackle most any challenge. Sue is thrilled to finally be doing what she loves full time, every day. Special shout-out to Sue’s friend Pat who named her business!
Bonus info: Sue is living in the same town (and house!) that she grew up in since the age of 6. She and her husband purchased the house from her parents when it was too much for them to take care of. Sue and her husband raised their two children there and they went to the same schools and even had several of the same teachers and Principals! Now Sue’s granddaughters are doing the same. After many additions, new paint, sweat and tears, our house is a wonderful home to host family and friends for many years to come.
Amanda Sackawicz
The Painted Feather
Amanda’s background as a graphic designer influences her approach to refinishing furniture. She carefully selects colors, textures, and finishes that will complement the piece’s original craftsmanship while also adding a fresh perspective. Hand-painted details and designs frequently adorn Amanda’s pieces, helping to transform them into something unique and beautiful. Amanda says, “For years, I’ve found joy in bringing new life to old pieces of furniture, giving them a second chance when some people wouldn’t give them a second look. Each piece has been on its own journey and has its own story to tell; I take pride in knowing that my work is now part of that journey and story.
Bonus info: Amanda also owns Mighty Business, a branding and marketing firm focused on helping women-owned small businesses.
Megan Leonard
Megan’s Market
Megan’s Market specializes in painted furniture, purses (old and new) and unique home decor finds from all over the country! Megan loves taking creative risks and testing new products and techniques to give new life to old pieces.
Bonus info: When Megan doesn’t have a paint brush in her hand, you can find her at one of her four kids’ sporting events!
Suzanne Knight
Sun and Sea Crochet
Suzanne believes in handmade and local! She creates modern, useful, and fun crochet items and brings a focused passion for keeping a classic craft alive. We just adore Suzanne’s beautiful, original crochet ,work and we think you will too.
Bonus info: Suzanne grew up on a barrier island.
Pamela Kucera
Penelope & Anastasia
At Penelope & Anastasia, Pamela’s goal is to provide her customers with uniquely created and curated pieces that allow your individual style to shine. Her youth was spent at yard sales and thrift shops and presented her the opportunity to appreciate repurposing old pieces and happily challenged her to stand out from the crowd. That love and creativity turned into a business in 2004 designing jewelry and incorporating vintage.
Pamela wants to add beautiful handcrafted jewelry to your days and fill your home with carefully culled vintage pieces. She couldn’t be happier to finally have more time with my family, by doing what she loves on her own schedule. By shopping with Pamela, you’re not only supporting a small, woman-owned business, but also reducing waste and up-cycling—one forgotten treasure at a time.
Bonus info: Pamela is a mama to a wonderfully strong teenage daughter, Marcella (wonder where she got that from), a rescued Amish Puppy Mill Breeder pup named Niles, and a stray Tortoiseshell kitty cat (we thought was a Calico), Callie. They all live together in a beloved 120-year-old grand dame of a Victorian home in Royersford, Pennsylvania.
Erica Adams
The Gilded Sparrow LLC
The Gilded Sparrow LLC specializes in restoring and upcycling vintage and antique furniture to give it a new life and unique character. Erica loves combining unexpected pieces to create new and one-of-a-kind furniture that is both functional and stylish. She takes great pride in sourcing unique and rare vintage pieces, carefully selecting the right fabrics and materials to give each piece a new look and feel while honoring the history. The Gilded Sparrow also offer smaller home decor items, all handmade, and most made
from vintage materials and fabrics. It is very important to her to create unique furniture and home decor that tells a story.
Bonus info: What is something interesting that people may not know about you? I'm a wife and proud mom of three wonderful children, two grown sons, and an elementary school-aged daughter. My faith in Jesus plays a significant role in the way I connect with others and view the world around me. I love decorating and giving new life to each of the pieces I create. I’ve called nine different states home at various points in my life. Each place has brought unique experiences, friendships, and a deeper appreciation for family and creating roots wherever you are. Now, I'm blessed to reside in the picturesque
Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, where I've found a sense of community and tranquility that truly feels like home.
Jessica Smedley
Clara Mae Company
There are two sides to Clara Mae Company. We take pride in our prodigious ability to achieve success at both ends of the fashion spectrum. New and vintage, we have you covered, literally! At The Iron Bird, our boutique collection includes both modern and vintage styles that will brighten your day and add a skip to your step. You’ll also find a small selection of gifts and accessories that scream ‘fabulous and fun’. The original Clara Mae Company location specializes in high-end, authentic vintage and repurposed frocks and frills for the modern-day diva and her pooch. These artisan gems will appear seasonally at The Iron Bird as exclusive pieces!
Bonus info: Aside from Clara Mae Company, you can find Jessica happily gardening, sewing, or enjoying life on the Chesapeake.
Theresa Grosh
Naptime Inspirations
Inspired by the colors, patterns, and handwork of days gone by, Naptime Inspirations creates stylish, highly functional designs incorporating vintage textiles. Baby bibs, wallets and purse accessories, and bags combine the timeless simplicity of linen with the joy of vintage fabrics or the whimsy of modern prints. Each Naptime Inspirations’ item is hand-crafted with care and quality.
Bonus info: I married my high school sweetheart and we have 4 daughters. We live in rural Lancaster County and have a flock of chickens. I’ve even dabbled in beekeeping for a few years. Both of my grandmothers sewed for their families and their legacy inspires my creations.
Elaine Casella
Style Lain Boutique
Style Lain Boutique is an online jewelry and accessories boutique with on trend, colorful, and stylish jewelry & accessories at fabulous prices! They also feature a brand-new girls’ collection for the perfect jewels & accessories for your younger fashionista!
Bonus info: Elaine was an elementary school teacher prior to being a stay at home for 12
years but has always loved style & fashion and is so glad to be pursuing her love of styling women to look and feel their best after all these years!
Amy Chiarelli
Inspiration Beads
Inspiration Beads combines the healing properties of semi-precious stones with natural wood, glass, clay, and metal elements to create unique bracelets and earrings. Since starting her business in 2016, Amy has added Clay Heishi Hoop Earrings, Silicone Bead Keychain Wristlets, and has expanded her bracelet collection to include five bead sizes, diffuser bracelets and a children’s collection.
Bonus info: Amy is also a math instructional coach. She loves all things math. It makes her heart happy to go into classrooms and work with teachers and students to spread the love!
Leigh Heiss
Love Leigh Craft Co.
Leigh is a one-woman shop specializing in leather and cork earrings and accessories. Her earrings are lightweight, hypoallergenic and a lot of fun to wear! They make a great gift for a loved one or for yourself.
Bonus info: Leigh has been a scuba diver for almost 20 years and has even dived with whale sharks and at Epcot!
Ilana Kopania
Passionate about nutrition and health, Ilana loves to look for products containing clean ingredients that are both delicious and good for you! Bringing small companies to light, the products must be love at first bite! Now a busy, new Mom, Ilana has been searching for baby essentials and items that she and her precious little girl will love. Tested and Maya approved, Ilana brings an assortment of both functional and playful products that are a must for the little IB birdies in your life. So, whether needing something great to eat that feels like a treat, or a baby gift in a jiff, look to Ilana’s collections at the Iron Bird.