Hi - I’m Brandy.

My name is Brandy Cupcakes and I am a self taught fiber artist who resides in the Southeast corner of Iowa, in a small Mississippi River town called Keokuk.

My art practice is rooted in sustainability, love for Mother Nature, my own motherhood and my experience walking through this world as a woman.

I predominantly use vintage, thrifted and found objects in my work.

I have lived in Iowa most of my life, but was born on the East Coast, and maybe something about that shaped me because I have never really quite felt at home in Iowa.

I have been married twice, to two native Iowans, and birthed two native Iowans, but these cornfields and gravel roads have never ever felt like the place that I really belong and I have always felt a bit like an alien trying to cosplay a “good” midwestern wife and mother.

My art practice, since childhood, has often explored these feelings of not fitting in, and has evolved through different mediums as life evolved.

The birth of my children prompted my foray into fiber art as it was more portable and easier to pick up and put down than other mediums.

Eventually I just plain fell in love with it.

Making fiber art makes me feel connected to the women who came before me. Women in my own family, in particular, who were(and are) prolific makers but never saw their work as anything special, just “women’s work”.

The majority of the materials I use are vintage, thrifted or donated to me, which means that they lived a life before me. Mostly with other women,

This makes me feel connected to the women outside of my family as well.

I get to carry on a long and vibrant tradition of women wielding needles, hooks and fiber to express themselves in ways that words alone cannot.

My art incorporates many types of fiber art techniques, supplies and found objects to alchemize energy and emotions into something tangible.

The things I make are my way of processing my life, but I also make them for other people who are walking this earth feeling like aliens too, so that they know that we are not alone.

Most importantly, I make them for the women who came before me, and the ones who will arrive after me, who just couldn’t, and won’t be able to, bring themselves to be the well behaved, docile, quiet, agreeable, smiley, sweet and selfless rule followers that we are all told we are supposed to be if we want to be loved, successful and respected.

Fuck that shit.

If any of this resonates with you, then welcome to Crybaby Stitch and Enrich.

Crying is optional but always acceptable!