Travel Managers

Holly Brown

Holly Brown has been working for Craftours for 5 years. She is easy going and fun loving. She loves traveling and experiencing new adventures around every corner. You never know what you might discover. The love of travel was sparked at a young age when her family moved to Seoul Korea. Holly loves making new friends, and doing crafts all over the world. She has been crafting all her life. Photography, crocheting, and sewing to name a few. She has been quilting for 20 years and owns a longarm. She is also an avid reader. Holly lived in Northan Virginia for most of her life before retiring from NFCU in 2016. She currently resides in SW Florida with her husband, Darrell, and their two cats, Honey, and Sugar. They have 2 grown children and 5 grand kids.

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Ana Buzzalino

Ana Buzzalino grew up in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where sewing was part of her life at an early age. She studied dressmaking and art while in school. In early 1983, Ana moved to Calgary. A couple of years later, while walking down the street, she saw a “blanket” on a window and went into the store to ask about purchasing it. She was told that it wasn’t for sale, but that she could learn how to make her own. She signed up for a beginner’s quilting class that same day, and she never looked back. The rest, as they say, is history.

Ana has been teaching quilting since 1986 and has taken numerous workshops with renowned quilt and textile artists throughout the years to improve her skills. Some of the workshops have been with Claire Benn, Hollis Chatelain, Laura Cater Woods, and Elizabeth Barton among others. She has also attended several classes at the Alberta University of the Arts.

Ana Buzzalino is a creator, maker, fibre and mixed media artist, surface designer, teacher and lecturer. Her love of layers and texture combine in her original work. She achieves results using a combination of different surface design techniques such as monoprinting, hand-painting, free-motion stitching and hand-stitching, amongst others to achieve the effects she’s searching for. Her work has won numerous awards at national and international shows. In 2019 Ana was honoured as Quilter of Distinction at Heritage Park 24th Annual Festival of Quilts.

IA lot of her work for the past few years has used aspects of history with an impact on our culture today. In the current climate where everything is new, instant and shiny, history has relevance; old buildings have a soul that modern buildings do not possess. She finds herself returning to those old buildings to look at the marks of passing time.

Weathered wood, rusted metal, peeling paint. The work takes on various shapes and forms to draw the viewer in. The layered elements are used to give the impression of time passing, buildings deteriorating, disappearing slowly to make room for the new.

Ana is a frequent contributor to Quilting Arts Magazine and her work has graced the cover of four issues of the magazine. She has appeared in seasons 1900, 1200, 1000, 900 and 800 of Quilting Arts TV. Her work has also appeared in the American Quilter’s Society Magazine, in A Needle Pulling Thread, and in Modern Patchwork, as well as in 101 Patchwork Projects and Quilts and Quilt Scene. Ana has also produced two workshop DVDs with Interweave/F&W.

Ana is the founder and CEO of Create2Flourish, a program to help quilters, textile and mixed media artists avoid frustration and overwhelm and find their own voice so they can create art in their own style. Ana is currently teaching online from her studio in Calgary, Alberta.

In August 2022, she was invited to tape a segment for The Quilt Show with Alex Anderson and Ricky Tims, to be aired late 2022 or early 2023.

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Deb Haugen

Aloha from my little piece of paradise, my name is Deb Haugen, and I’m an artist/designer from Hawaii. My art career started more than 40 yrs ago, and throughout my career it has traversed many mediums, and paths. I’ve always loved color, and to draw and paint, that led me to work in Hollywood in the entertainment arena.  I then worked in film production as an “On Set” dresser, and an Art Director for an Independent feature film.  I soon realized that supplying my own personal art was a very profitable idea and have been renting my art for years.

You’ve probably seen my art many times on your favorite TV shows & feature films, NCIS, to CSI, Microsoft, or The Muppet Movie, to name a few. I also taught Art in my own studio to model makers, fabric designers, painters and prop people, specializing in airbrush realism, and still learn so much from the many artists I meet. I have licensed thousands of pieces to to Crate and Barrel, Target, Neiman Marcus, Urban Outfitters, and to hospitality Internationally just to name a few. I also had the great opportunity to own the men’s Aloha clothing line of the great Olympic swimmer and “Father of Surfing”, Duke Kahanamoku.

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Betsy Martinson

Betsy is a life-long, free choice learner, always interested in exploring the world, experiencing new cultures and gathering a greater understanding and appreciation of the people and places she is lucky enough to visit. After acquiring a BFA in Studio Art, and an MA in Art History, Betsy shifted her focus to history and spent over thirty glorious years in the Museum field focusing on interpretation, administration, and visitors studies. Retiring in 2020, Betsy is thrilled to slide into the role of Tour Manager for Craftours.

Her passion for learning and interpretation continues. Never having met a craft she didn’t like, you will usually find Betsy traveling with a knitting or beading project, always happy to share her hobbies and to learn about those of everyone she meets. Betsy still embraces her role as educator and looks forward to guiding and assisting others as they pursue their own crafting and cultural explorations.

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Alice Ridge

I learned how to sew and embroider by hand when I was in second grade, taught by my grandmother and my great aunt. I got my first sewing machine when I was in 5^th grade and have been sewing ever since. I have been quilting on and off for over 40 years. Quilting “obsessively” (as my husband says) for the last 20+ years. I have been a Traveling Quilt Teacher and Speaker for about fifteen years. Just about all quilting styles appeal to me. Handwork and machine, traditional to art quilts. I love to try new techniques and ‘tweak’ old ones to make them new and fresh! I have a small rigid heddle loom to weave my own fabric to incorporate into some of my art quilts. I love playing with the different textures that you can get from different fibers! I also crochet and knit, and am learning how to tat lace. Never a dull moment!

Her passion for learning and interpretation continues. Never having met a craft she didn’t like, you will usually find Betsy traveling with a knitting or beading project, always happy to share her hobbies and to learn about those of everyone she meets. Betsy still embraces her role as educator and looks forward to guiding and assisting others as they pursue their own crafting and cultural explorations.

Personal info: I am married to a career Army man ( he finally retired after 35 yrs Active Duty !!) and have traveled all over the world. We have lived on 3 continents…. We moved 22 times in 35 years. We bought our “forever” house and I don’t intend to ever move again!! 3 children – 2 daughters and 1 son. The girls are in Indiana, my son is in the Army and his location changes as often as ours did! Such is life in the military! 4 grandchildren – 2 girls and 2 boys, all of them in Indiana. Thanks for Sharing in my Quilting Adventures!!

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Margie Westlake

Margie was born in Adelaide South Australia where she raised her family and met her husband Craig. In 2013 they decided to move to Hobart Tasmania to work and enjoy the spectacular sailing, lifestyle and beauty Tasmania has to offer.

During 2015 Margie was diagnosed with bilateral breast cancer and underwent surgery and significant treatment which continued for twelve months. After this experience Margie and Craig decided to take a break from their working lives and spent the year of 2020 sailing the East Coast of Australia. They had originally planned to travel to Fiji to support Breast Cancer Survivors in remote locations, however, 2020 saw everyone’s plans change and they remained in Australian waters.

As Margie and Craig are both avid lovers of the sea they currently live on their Beneteau Oceanis 473 yacht with their dog Molly.

As a proud breast cancer survivor with a keen sense of adventure and an enthusiasm for enjoying different cultural experiences, Margie is looking forward to enhancing your travel experience, and ensuring that you have a wonderful fun-filled adventure.

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Tommy Lunn

My name is Tommy and I am so excited to be joining Craftours and leading a new offering for the company. I have been so fortunate to travel in the past ten years especially, always learning, appreciating, and diving in wherever I go. I know travel can be daunting and that the unexpected can happen – I want to be able to help curious, adventurous individuals be able to experience what I have been so lucky to have.

I never imagined I would be able to travel the world as much as I have – and I have only just begun. Growing up, vacation normally meant road trips along the east coast or to see family. Flying was such a treat – walking through the concourse at Dulles and I looked in awe at flights to places I had only read about – from Montreal to Munich, from Amsterdam to Addis Ababa. My dad would always bring me back a copy of the airline magazines and I would look at the route maps, imagining what could be and where I could go, whenever that may be.

My life changed when I was fortunate to spend two weeks taking language courses in Nice, France when I was 17. I arrived and I was lost – I knew where I was, but I was lost. And I fell in love with travel and immersing myself in a place. The sights, the smells, the sounds, the people, the tastes… Everything was new to me and I loved each and every bit. I knew my life had changed forever.

Since then, I have managed to visit 51 countries in total and spent 6 years living in the United Kingdom. These days, my mornings start reading travel blogs – looking for inspiration about where to go, but also how to use points and miles to get myself there. From bungy jumping in Queenstown, NZ, to joining cooking classes in Hanoi, Vietnam, to snorkeling the Great Barrier Reef, to meeting artisan Mezcal producers in Oaxaca, Mexico, to simply being awe-struck by the Acropolis in Athens, which I learned about so many years ago and never thought I would see, my travels have been simply life-changing. Every trip I have ever been on has taught me about the world, about others, and about myself. I have learned to love feeling beautifully insignificant in this amazing world I am so lucky to call home.

I have not been everywhere yet, but I would like to go. Let’s go together.

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Alex Cook

I’m Alex Cook, and for the past 14 years, I’ve been on a mission to help thousands transform their lives through the power of health and wellness.

My interest in exercise sparked at 14, but it wasn’t until I was 24, when I took my first job as a personal trainer, that my life truly changed. That same year, I spent days in the hospital, battling an undiagnosed illness that left me fighting for my life. I walked out of there without medical answers, but with a renewed appreciation for life, sparking a journey into what it really means to be healthy.

While I was well-versed in diet, nutrition, and exercise for physical health, my health scare revealed the importance of nurturing the mind, body, and spirit equally. Over the next years, I immersed myself in understanding mindset, habit development, and philosophy.

My goal has always been to blend the art with the science of healthy living, and this approach has led to incredible transformations, both in my clients and in myself.

Today, I live in Asheville, NC, with my wife, daughter, and dog, working with clients worldwide. My story isn’t just about health; it’s about living life with purpose, connection, and balance, inspiring anyone to make lasting, impactful changes in their own journey.

I am excited to unite with the Craft Tours family and bring our shared passion for adventure and wellness to a whole new level!

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Deb May Whitley

Retiring after three decades in healthcare, Deb Whitley joins Craftours where she’ll combine her passion for travel with love of arts & crafts. If you’re looking for someone that’s two steps ahead, detail-oriented, with a story to tell and an ear to listen – Deb’s the person for you.

A native Illinoisan, Deb grew up in Spring Valley and has lived throughout central Illinois. Now her primary home is in Princeton, IL and she calls Lake of the Ozarks in Missouri her second home. She has a son, two step daughters and two grandchildren. Deb has a B.S. from Illinois State University.

Deb’s traveled extensively throughout the United States, Mexico and the Caribbean and attributes her most recent trips to Italy and Greece as the catalyst for desire to see and experience the world. Deb personally loves pairing a good read with serene beach for an ultimate R&R trip. When she’s not on a beach getaway, you’ll find her globetrotting through cities eager to learn about the history and culture of the places she visits.

Deb hopes that her time with Craftours will up-skill her cooking game with new recipes from the places she visits.