This story could begin “Once Upon a Time” because it seems as if the days of my life are taken straight from the pages of a storybook. I am the President of Chapelle Ltd. and it is here that we retell stories; whether it is with scraps of fabric, wedges of clay, or pieces of paper. We take great pleasure in the creating and publishing of work that is individual, inspirational, and made by hand.
All of my life I have admired and loved the work made by artisans, and perhaps even envied those who take such pleasure in the act of creating with their hands pieces that leave behind a legacy. I knew I would never be able to create or duplicate such pieces myself; but I wanted to work with these yet unknown friends and surround myself with every aspect of what they so love to do.
I therefore concluded years ago that one solution to my personal limitations might be to co-found a company that would publish the work I find so meaningful. This was the beginning of the proof that whatever you wish for can come true. In 1979, my partner at the time and I established the Vanessa-Ann Collection, which first made a name for itself with the production of four cross-stitch titles. Our sophisticated design, extraordinary styling of photography, and complete finishing instructions soon established us as leaders in the industry and led to the production of over 150 soft-cover publications.
In 1986, the company aligned itself with major book publishers for the purposes of producing hardcover how-to publications, and began using the company name of Chapelle Ltd. Today, we co-publish with many major how-to book publishers.
Chapelle’s operations are now directed from offices on a quiet historical street at the foot of the Rocky Mountains. Since the beginning, Chapelle has worked with the most respected and accomplished artisans in their fields, producing over 400 titles on subjects ranging from home decorating and gardening to master woodworking and antique needle arts. We have published books with such designers as Po Shun Leong, Anna Griffin, Andrea Grossman, April Cornell, Kay Stanley, The Red Hat Society, Tinsel Trading, Donna Kooler, Sandy Genovese, The French General, and many others. Chapelle’s titles have been featured as main selections for craft book clubs such as Book-Of-The-Month Club and Reader’s Union, as well as sold in all major bookstores.
In our attempt to always offer our authors and consumers countless options for inspiration, learning, and creating, in 2006 we introduced a new product line. Our Interactive DVD Book series, Create with the Designers”, is a way to learn from the authors and artists themselves in your own home.
The new millennium brought changes to Chapelle just as it did countless other companies around the world. Early in 2000 my daughter, Sara Toliver, came to work with all of us at Chapelle. With an MBA and knowledge of today’s economy and e-commerce she added yet another dimension to a company that continues to grow and change. During Sara’s time at Chapelle, we opened three retail establishments: Ruby & Begonia, a gift and home décor establishment offering “an embarrassment of riches”; The White Fig, “a most unusual gift basket company”; and Olive & Dahlia where “garden is beyond essential and beauty is beyond reason.”
Today, I not only co-publish books under the Chapelle Ltd. Imprint but have added Empire Road Productions to our company roster. Empire Road Productions will continue with the work of Chapelle as well as broadening the Chapelle base to include a focus on web communities, magazines, brand publishing, and manufacturing.
Our newest association is with Stampington & Company and WHERE WOMEN CREATE to add content to their new magazine which contains inspiring work spaces of extraordinary women. The magazine, WHERE WOMEN CREATE, is being formatted after the best selling title published by Sterling Publishing, Where Women Create. Each issue will feature the “creative spaces” of women in a variety of artistic fields - the arts, cooking, dance, writing, business, etc. If you are unfamiliar with Stampington & Company you may visit their website: www.stampington.com.
We are excited about the promises of tomorrow, but I am still very pleased to say that every single day we associate with and represent those who work with their hands. They are good, honest people who understand the human heart. They promote individual expression, prove that beautiful things made by hand are essential, and they inspire each of us to create what we have yet only begun to dream.
From a woman’s soul. Through a woman’s eyes. By a woman’s hands.
