About Us

My name is Amanda Kosobud and I have always loved creating. When I was younger, I took classes in school and at my local art center on painting, drawing, pottery and black and white photography. After I graduated high school, I went to culinary school in New York, where I met my husband, David. While I loved the creativity of food and cooking, I realized the food and restaurant industry was not really where I wanted a career. After culinary school, I attended Messiah University in Mechanicsburg, PA and received a degree in Human Development and Family Science. David and I got married shortly after graduation and since there were no available jobs in my field, i started looking at other options. I landed a job as a manager with a high-end kitchen and culinary retail store. I spent 10 years with that company and learned how to sell, how to run a retail operation, how to offer great customer service, and how to visual merchandise. All of this would prove to be incredibly useful when I started my own small business later on.

In 2016, I was then staying home with our three kids, Kieran, Greyson and Lila. I was still trying to find creative things to do. For Christmas, David bought me a Silhouette die cutting machine. I was busy making all sorts of paper crafted decorations to fill our home and the kids' rooms. Then a friend asked if I wanted to take a sewing class with her and learned how to make zipper pouches. I was immediately hooked. I took more and more classes at local quilt shops and advanced to learn how to make bags and purses. 

In 2018, with an abundant collection of newly papercrafted items and sewn purses, I decided to combine my love of paper crafting and sewing into one small handmade business. I took the plunge that December and opened an Etsy shop called Glue & Stitch.

The "glue" part of my business is for the small papercrafted shelf sitter signs. I paint canvas blocks and then layer them with cardstock, paper, and vinyl I cut out to create a fun image or clever quote. These signs can be perfect little decorations for a mantle or desk.

The "stitch" part of my business comes from my love for playful and unique fabrics that I find from quilt shops, and I stitch them into bags and accessories. These included totes, purses, backpacks, wristlets, pouches, and key fobs. I utilize high quality quilting cottons, denim, and linen to make durable and fun bags for all occasions.

Glue & Stitch has evolved over the years. I only sell online and in a few local consignment shops. I frequently set up at Makers Markets and craft shows in the Greater Philadelphia area where I live. The focus of my business is now primarily around the bags and quilting. I still make the papercrafted shelf sitter signs, but mostly around the Fall and Holiday seasons where I feel most creatively inspired by the designs. I have also been doing more custom work. I love to collaborate with clients to make custom orders from some of my most popular bag styles. I now also teach classes at some local quilt shops on how to make bags

I just want to say thank you for supporting my small business by purchasing from me, stopping by to visit at a market, following me social media, or taking a class I taught. Your support and encouragement has been incredible on this journey and I cannot wait to see what is to come with Glue & Stitch in the future.