This Tampa florist has a soft spot for prickly plants
Tampa florist Crystal Desilet loves teaching people about cacti and succulents almost as much as she enjoys creating unique arrangements for them.
'Made in Tampa Bay' 2021 gift guide
Shop local: Each week, we feature local artists, cooks, and businesses who make products right here in the Tampa Bay area. Here’s a few that may make great gift ideas for those hard-to-buy-for folks on your list.
Brothers serve medal-winning craft beer at Unrefined Brewing
Florida's craft beer scene continues to grow and a Bay Area brewery is making a name for itself on a national stage, winning four medals in the 2021 U.S. Beer Open Championships.
St. Pete artist resurrects hand-painted sign industry after going flat in the 1980s
Anyone who's driven around St. Petersburg has seen the iconic, hand-painted signage of Sun Signs.
Tampa woman's candle-making business, begun as a hobby, survives pandemic
Rather than continuing to spend money on candles, Paige Chaney decided to learn how to make her own. After family and friends started inquiring about the smells coming from inside her home, her hobby eventually became a business in 2013.
Server-turned-artist finds inspiration everywhere
A Tampa restaurant server saw her hours cut during the pandemic, so to make ends meet, she began creating handcrafted jewelry. A year and a half later, she’s now making around 200 pairs of earrings a week.
St. Petersburg stained glass artist combines love for pets with passion for art
Jodi Chemes’s workshop showcases two of her biggest passions: pets and stained glass.
Nature meets style, with a spooky twist, at Sulphur Springs Silver
For jewelry maker Leah Garand, Halloween is the best time of the year at Sulphur Springs Silver, where she creates spooky, stylish pieces from sterling and natural stones.
If you can mold it, this Pinellas artist says she'll turn it into jewelry
Rock My World is a jewelry company in Pinellas County that specializes in lost wax casting. It’s the process in which a silver or gold duplicate is made from an original wax mold.
Temple Terrace snack shop puts Tampa Bay twist on Turkish treats
Roasted! is a Middle Eastern snack shop located in Temple Terrace. The name comes from the roasted coffee and nuts they serve. But the store offers much more in the way of chocolates, gummies, spices and Middle Eastern knick-knacks.
Third-generation butcher brings home the bacon in west Tampa
The Boozy Pig butcher shop brings grass-fed beef and pasture-raised pork from farms in Brooksville to customers in west Tampa.
Quesabirria tacos: Food truck brings taste of California to Tampa
Tacos Las Californias is a taco truck in Tampa that specializes in quesabirria tacos. They are crispy tacos loaded with cheese, onions, cilantro, and slow-cooked shredded beef.
Gulfport print shop embraces classic processes and tools
Print St. Pete is a community print shop in Gulfport. They focus mainly on letterpress printing, a form of relief printmaking where ink is raised on a surface and pressed into paper using a printing press.
Seminole Heights artist leaves mark on community with glass
Susan Gott is a world-renowned glass artist who lives and works in Seminole Heights. She’s worked in glass for 30 years and specializes in sculptural cast glass.
From Riverview garage, veteran crafts unique teak gifts
Bogan Fine Woodworking is based out of owner Joe Bogan’s garage in Riverview. He started the business in 2020 but has been working with wood for more than a dozen years.
Lakewood Ranch café baking up house-made sourdough delights
This Bay Area coffee and bread shop is introducing customers to tasty new farm-to-table breakfast and lunch delights.
These Ybor City brewers pour 150 years of history into their lagers
Barriehaus Beer Co. is one of the few breweries in the state that focuses almost exclusively on classic European lagers.
Handmade donuts are that much sweeter at this Busch Boulevard shop
Nicola’s Donuts on Busch Boulevard in Tampa is one of the few shops left that still does things the old-fashioned way.
Handmade drink smokers take craft cocktails to a higher level
A Tampa-based company's hardwood cocktail smokers transform everything from spirits to charcuterie boards into smoky, flavorful masterpieces.
Pawcuterie Shop in Tampa makes preservative-free treats for pets
The Pawcuterie Shop is a pet treat business in Tampa. Servian Santos, the baker and owner, creates charcuterie-like bowls and platters for our little furry friends.