Kayla Welch: Handmade Memory Bears 

Kayla Welch started sewing while still a high school student at Zachary High. She learned both hand stitching and machine sewing, and became so skilled that she was able to custom make her own camo-inspired prom dress. She soon became her family’s go-to alteration specialist, and was the person to call for everything from new curtains to dresses or tote bags. When her family experienced a tragic loss, she had the idea to make memory bears for the children to remember their father. She gathered up some of his old shirts, and used them to stitch her very first bear. Seeing how the children responded, she knew that she was onto something. 

“I’ve made all sorts of memory bears since then,” she explains. “Not all of them are for someone who’s departed. I also make them using baby clothes or things like that just as a nice keepsake.” All parents know the bittersweet sadness that comes from packing away those adorable little onesies. If you send them to Kayla instead, she can turn them into something that stays out in the nursery instead of being packed away in a box somewhere.  The response has been overwhelming. She’s gotten orders from as far away as Chicago and Kentucky. 

“When I got the order in from Kentucky my son looked at me and said “Mama, your bears are going to be famous!” she smiles, “It makes me feel good that I’m able to do something for someone so far away.” In addition to the memory bears, Kayla also makes large quilts that use a person’s t-shirts to knit together a story of their life. “Those take a long time to make because they’re so big, but the end result is something so meaningful.” The blankets all tell a unique story. One person might ask for a blanket with all of their child’s old college t-shirts to celebrate a graduation while another might want something to remind them of a person they’ve lost. Either way, Kayla knows that she’s weaving memories into each stitch and she takes that role very seriously.

“I know that to make these creations, you have to lose that original item. I’m very careful to make sure that I preserve the t-shirts as best as I can. If I’m making a bear and there are tiny scraps left over, I can use them in the details.” If you have your own box of t-shirts in the closet just waiting to be turned into something special, and you’re interested in having your own memory bear or blanket made, you can find Kayla on facebook at Kayla's Memory Bears & Quilts. 

One person might ask for a blanket with all of their child’s old college t-shirts to celebrate a graduation while another might want something to remind them of a person they’ve lost. Either way, Kayla knows that she’s weaving memories into each stitch and she takes that role very seriously.

Tabatha Alcina: Shein Artist Collaborator

Tabatha Alcina, the creative talent behind P & P, is a freelance graphic designer and artist from Ethel. With over 15 years of experience in graphic design and a lifelong passion for the arts, Tabatha brings a unique flair and a keen eye for detail to her work.

In 2023, Tabatha received a remarkable opportunity when SHEIN approached her to license her artwork. “They discovered my portfolio and found it to be a good fit for their brand. After some negotiations, we reached an agreement. Now my art will be featured on their products. It’s an exciting opportunity to reach a broader audience through fashion.”

SHEIN X's new model for artist collaborations allows artists to submit their work directly through discoversheinx.com, making the business of fashion more accessible to creatives. 

Tabatha's collaboration with SHEIN exemplifies the power of art to transcend boundaries and connect with audiences worldwide.

Laura-Kate Amrhein: Sweet Stirrings

Laura-Kate Barham Amrhein (sometimes referred to locally as “Laura Cake”), the owner and leading creative force behind Sweet Stirrings, has turned her passion for cake decorating into a thriving business in Zachary and beyond. 

While pursuing a degree in nutrition and dietetics at LSU, Amrhein realized she needed a hobby. "I started taking notice of the amazing things cake and dessert artists were doing on television and elsewhere," she recalls. "I immediately saw that this could be the very medium I was looking for, and promptly enrolled in my first cake decorating class."

That’s a bold move for someone whose only previous baking experience was as a kid, baking and decorating Christmas cookies! But the hobby soon became a passion, leading her to the Texas Culinary Academy-Le Cordon Bleu, where she excelled and graduated as a Pastry Chef with high honors. Sweet Stirrings began in Austin, Texas, where she and her husband lived as newlyweds. Amrhein interned at the historic Driskill Hotel, and she knew that she wanted to focus on custom wedding and party cakes. 

 

The couple moved back to Zachary in 2012, and Sweet Stirrings rented a commercial kitchen at a former wedding venue. The business began to grow, and after one too many all-nighters, she knew it was time to hire an employee, and build out her own commercial kitchen. Amrhein says these were among the scariest decisions she ever made, but quickly became the best decisions. 

Today, Sweet Stirrings has seven employees and has moved to a larger location on High Street in Zachary. Amrhein reflects on her journey with gratitude: "This 'little dream' of mine that started out as a hobby has become something so much more than just making cakes. I could have never dreamed it would have given me best friends and so much happiness." 

 

And anyone lucky enough to have had a slice of one of her works of art can attest: she’s brought so much happiness to others through her work.