Art-o-mat Update ~ Welcome Harlie!

A Tiny Artist with a Big Heart: Introducing Harlie, Our Newest Art-o-mat® Artist 💖🎨

Today’s post feels especially sparkly, the kind of sparkle that comes from pride, love, and a whole lot of colorful beads.

I’m overjoyed to share an update to our Art-o-mat journey: my 8-year-old granddaughter, Harlie, has officially been accepted as an Art-o-mat artist with her Crafternoon handmade bracelets. Yes, you read that right. Tiny hands. Big creativity. Real vending machines dispensing her art into the world.

Meet Harlie 💕

Harlie is eight years old and already a force of creative energy. She’s curious, expressive, a leader in the best possible way, and endlessly imaginative. Give her beads, string, and a free afternoon and she’ll design bracelets, each one with its own color story and personality.

Crafternoons started the way the best things do: at the table, with laughter, snacks nearby, and creativity spilling everywhere. Harlie doesn’t just make bracelets. She curates them.

From Craft Table to Art-o-mat

Harlie’s first interaction with an Art-o-mat machine was at the Museum where I work. She bought piece after piece enjoying the fun in not knowing what wonders would come out of the machine. When I was accepted as an Art-o-mat artist, Harlie watched the entire process with a thousand questions.

Her bracelets, made under the Crafternoon name, were submitted with care, intention, and excitement. And then came the news: she was accepted.

To see a child’s handmade work recognized and included alongside artists from all over the world is nothing short of Awesome. Her bracelets will now live inside vintage Art-o-mat machines, waiting to surprise someone who drops in a token and turns the knob.

A bracelet made by an 8-year-old. A small moment of joy. A story that travels.

This isn’t just about bracelets or vending machines. It’s about:

• Encouraging creativity early

• Teaching that art has value at every age

• Showing kids that handmade things matter

• Letting imagination take up space in the real world

Art-o-mat has always been about accessibility, surprise, and delight. Watching it welcome a young artist like Harlie reinforces everything I love about the project.

For Harlie, this moment says: your ideas matter.
For me, it says: this is what the "spark" looks like.

Harlie is already planning future bracelet color stories, seasonal themes, and “special surprise” designs. We’ll be sharing behind-the-scenes peeks of her creative process, bracelet making days, and the excitement of seeing her art stocked in machines.

If you happen to find a Crafternoon bracelet in an Art-o-mat machine, know that it was made with intention, joy, and a whole lot of heart.

A Proud Nonna Moment 💗

As her Nonna, I couldn’t be prouder. Watching creativity pass from one generation to the next, not as pressure but as play, is one of life’s sweetest gifts.

Tiny art. Big joy.
From our craft table to the world.

Thank you for celebrating this moment with us.

With love,
Christina (aka Nonna) and Harlie

Learn more about the Art-o-mat project at artomat.org

Crafternoon Fun