THE COLLECTIVE

06/15/2026

JUNE 15, 2022
Four years ago today I picked up keys to my shop in Highland Park… I sat on the floor in my favorite corner, closed my eyes and cried tears of joy and tears of panic - worrying if I made the right decision and if the financial risk I was taking to move into a larger space in 2022 was the right move. Then I took a deep breath and got to work creating an even more magical space than the little shop downtown (that was quite literally my home for the first year and a half of THE COLLECTIVE).

A very special shoutout to those of you who helped me haul heavy boxes, safely drive a U-Haul truck full of my life investments, and carefully transport all of my plants to Highland Park on that hot day in June four years ago❤️‍🩹

Walking down memory lane as a small business owner brings up soo many emotions and memories of the risks that we take believing not only in our businesses, but in ourselves - it is also extremely humbling as a human. Let’s just say that four years later I feel confident in saying that we definitely created magic within these walls together growing in our sustainability and I am immensely grateful for all of the support I’ve received from so many of y’all over the years.

Thanks for being here and for all of the love and support lately, it truly means the world to me ♥️

-Jamie

06/12/2026

Happy Friday, Happy Pride, and Happy Bulk Refill HAPPY HOUR Day!! The shop is open 11-7 today with happy hour from 4-7♻️♻️♻️

CLEAN those jars up and let’s get them filled with all the sustainable goodies today♥️

06/10/2026

SEE YOU FRIDAY!!!! Bulk Refill Happy Hour is back this Friday from 4-7pm // online and in the shop all products in the Bulk Refillery are 20% off!!!! LFG!!!!!!♻️♻️♻️♻️♻️

06/06/2026

06/05/2026

Get your asses out there and support some LGBTQ+ owned businesses this June. F**K THE CORPORATIONS and businesses who only give a damn about Pride once a year……. and there are many…. being an ally doesn’t stop with you saying you are an ally - are you calling in businesses who are performing just for the benefit of extra sales this month?? What actions are you taking to make lives better for trans folks in your community?? Are you writing to your elected officials or folks running for office (ahem Sand and Turek) asking them to stop attacking trans kids in sports and fight to reinstate civil rights here in Iowa?? No?? Well that’s something you can do this pride.

We don’t need your thoughts and prayers, we don’t need you to post cute photos wearing rainbow merch, but we sure as hell would love to see you take some action while wearing cute rainbow attire created by a q***r artist or telling folks which LGBTQ+ businesses you’re supporting this month while doing it!!!!

Now get out there and support some small local businesses + artists and make some donations to organizations who are actively doing the work to help q***r and trans kids become adults.

To my LGBTQ+ family, Happy Pride baddies!!! This is our time to rage and love and dance and share JOY together being our most authentic selves!!!! WE ARE HERE AND WE ARE Q***R ALL DAMN YEAR 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️♥️

05/29/2026

sending soo much love to my beautiful sister who has poured her heart and soul into creating the most magical space for crafty misfits as she announces the upcoming closure of . Having her next to me has been the greatest gift imaginable. Please support the hell out of her during these last few months open. And please respect her boundaries set below, I kindly ask for the same❤️‍🩹🫶🏼

-Jamie

・・・ :
Today I’m announcing with a heavy heart that Black Sheep Craft Shop will be closing its doors at the end of August. Due to circumstances outside of my control, I’ve made the difficult decision to end my relationship with the building’s ownership and will close the shop.

I’m bad at asking for help, but I do have two genuine requests.

First, I’m requesting not to receive questions about whether I’ve considered relocating or suggestions about potential locations. I’ve evaluated the possibility of relocating and decided not to pursue it further at this time. The truth is, the shop would not have leapt out of my dreams and into reality without this specific space next to my sister’s shop becoming available. It was already a stretch to take this on, and I simply do not have the capacity (emotional or otherwise) to start over in a new location at this time. Maybe someday in a different season of life for me.

Second, what I would love feedback on is what this shop and the community that has developed around it has meant to you. I’ve created a form that I’ll link in my bio. I would be so grateful if you gift me with a memory or photos of finished objects you made from something you purchased at the shop.
For right now, I just want to say thank you.

Opening this shop has been a literal dream come true for me, and the community it has given me has far exceeded any hope I could have had. I’m so sorry and sad to see it end in this way and at this time, but what remains is my commitment to remaining a part of our local fiber art community in my individual capacity. In the meantime, I’m going to savor this summer as a shop owner and always as your friend.

All my best, and with absolutely no regrets,
Nicole

05/29/2026

Reusable freeze pop molds and water balloons are back in stock for the season!!! ♻️♻️♻️

05/28/2026

I’ve been a little quiet here lately and let me just say that it’s not for a lack of joy… my hands are getting dirty in my yard every single day and it’s been soo grounding 🫶🏼

I share a little more about my home projects over on my personal instagram page () in case you’re interested, but I feel strongly that they deserve a spot here as well!!! 🌎

Over the past few years, I’ve slowly been getting rid of my grass lawn (through the cardboard/mulch process as well as smothering a large section last year with duraweave tarps) and planting alll the native pollinators through my front and back yards. Last year in particular I took advantage of Des Moines’ Stormwater Best Management Practices Program - by installing rain barrels and a native garden I received a 50% rebate of $2,000 (which is the max). I have links to this program as well as others throughout areas surrounding the metro in my bio.

Outside of hiring that work to be done last year, I’ve been doing everything on my own and learning as I go. Trust me when I say that it is truly a beautiful journey and wow talk about a labor of love ♥️

I’ve gotten lots of my plants via transplants from friends, planting native seeds last year from Prairie Moon, and multiple purchases locally from and Blooming Prairie Nursery out in Carlisle. It’s soooo fun learning about native plants - I’ve been able to identify some out in the wild and even in my own backyard that I don’t even know were there!!

In a country where those in charge are ruining the land with data centers, reducing grass lawns, harvesting rain water, and planting native plants is a gentle (but fierce) way that we can actively make a difference and give a little something back to the earth after humans continue to take more and more every day ❤️‍🩹

- jamie

05/23/2026

It’s a beautiful weekend to say f*ck billionaires and choose to spend your dollars with some small businesses who give a damn instead!!!!

we will be here for all of your sustainable needs🌎🌎
10-4 saturday + sunday