Meet Jessica, the Merry Maker behind Hope Houses Workshop, Inc.

Hi I’m Jessica Harpster, the imagination and hands behind Imagene of the Key Holders Club.  I joined the tiny team of Hope Houses Workshop, Inc. in the Fall of 2017. I didn’t really change what I do, the crafts and up-cycling that is, but sharing through the Key Holders Club gives our

hobby even more purpose.  We want to inspire creativity in all children; we want to give the tall people the tools and confidence they need to make time for growing imagination in the shorter people around them.  Stories connect us so here is a little bit about why this matters to me.

My fascination with dollhouses came from a bit of a tragedy. My family home burned down when I was 9.  I lost many things in that fire.  The hardest losses were two faithful wet-nosed friends I didn’t get the chance to hug goodbye hard enough.  I still get choked up about that.  Seeing our home and our memories all blackened with smoke was a tough thing to process, but I quickly learned what made a home what it was – and none of those things were gone for good. Except those two pups.

Out of my possessions, I remember being most sad about a dollhouse I had recently been given by a family friend. It had been capturing my attention for a couple of months. It was the first one I had ever had, and I quickly became attached to it, spending hours sitting behind its cheery yellow walls, moving things around, daydreaming, just being me.

In an effort to replace that dollhouse – which was finished with all the pieces- My mom found a partially built dollhouse kit in a thrift store.  Being resourceful as she was, she convinced me I could do all the decorating with scraps from our own real house rebuilding process. It turns out she was right, and it sparked something in me that I haven’t lost to this day.  With each piece I created, and each room I filled, I saw the world a little bit differently. I saw treasures in tiny pieces of trash. I saw possibilities in everything.  The simplest thing brought me the utmost joy because I knew what could become of it.  My dollhouse became a place of healing for me. A place of hope, I might say.

Since then, life has moved me around a bit, and taken me in several directions. I’ve said goodbye to homes I loved, and wondered why It didn’t all go as I imagined behind those cheery yellow walls.  But I have not lost my imagination, and most importantly not my hope. Nor have I lost that very special dollhouse.  Just like me, it isn’t quite finished yet 🙂

I met the amazing people behind Hope House Workshop, Inc. by simply making a hobby page on Instagram. I didn’t really have a plan other than to share my little creations.  I had thoughts of doing something with it one day, and hoped to gain a little following for when the time was right. Within a week, I had a message they were looking for someone like me… wow.. I read about what they do for kids.. how they also believe in what dollhouses can do for the mind and soul, wow again.. and of course I just knew I was supposed to be a part of this.

I’m just hoping to pass on that spark.  Hope is so very important, and it is becoming more so…the world needs people with eyes who see the value in the right things.  I have two daughters and a son of my own. I most definitely want them to have the lives they wish for.  But in all reality, I want them to realize that what makes life beautiful is the love and creativity that we add to it.

If you need help modeling creativity with your kids, or if you’re just curious about this creative journey then join the club, the Key Holders Club that is.

Everyone can be a Merry Maker 🙂

Click here for Key Holders Club inspiration

You can find more from me too on Insta @merrylittlehouse.