Before becoming a full-time artist, MKC PHOTOGRAPHY founder Michelle Ciarlo-Hayes was a librarian and spent her days surrounded by her very favorite thing: books. The irreparably damaged titles found a home in her studio rather than in the recycle bin, and the idea for her art blocks was born. Her line of home accessories is inspired by her interior designer mother and an expert seamstress grandmother who taught Michelle to stitch, knit, and sew. You can find Michelle in her Philadelphia-area studio, where she she lives with her husband, two young boys, and two very badly behaved dogs. (less)