GellaCraft is a collection of projects, tutorials, and ideas by Angela Sheehan.

Angela is an artist and educator passionate about craft electronics, costuming, and combining arts and technology. She has been working with e-textiles and wearables since 2005, when she discovered physical computing as an expressive way to prototype with electronics while studying at Bennington College.

In 2009 she created Soft Circuit Saturdays, which documented her continuing work in e-textiles and teaching throughout New England and Maker Faires before moving to Boulder, Colorado to join the SparkFun Electronics team. 

At SparkFun she had roles in education outreach as an e-textile education specialist and education product manager. In addition to facilitating new product projects, creating supporting content, and teaching professional development and enrichment workshops, she also lead development on the LilyPad sewable electronics product line.

Angela is currently developing library programs and teaching maker skills in her role as a Creative Technologist at inventHQ, the Broomfield Public Library’s makerspace. She previously worked in the Hampden Branch ideaLAB - one of six free, all ages makerspaces and community workshop in the Denver Public Library system.

Throughout her career Angela has helped facilitate over 140 e-textile and e-craft workshops, including sessions at SXSW Interactive, Fashion Institute of Technology, WEAR (Smart Fabrics), National Science Teachers Association (NSTA), and  International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE).

She has worked with organizations including PBS SciGirls, iDTech Camps, Society for Women Engineers Rocky Mountain Section, Women Who Code Boulder/Denver, and Denver Museum of Nature and Science.

Selected Talks and Presentations:

2020 “Making Companion Bots” co-presented with Alex Glow and Jorvon Moss, Virtually Maker Faire 2020

2019 “Building Whimsical Wearables: Leveling Up Through Playful Prototyping” Hackaday Supercon, Pasadena, CA

2019 “Hacks & Crafts: Exploring Maker Tech through the Arts” ISTE Conference, Philadelphia, PA

2019 "Wearable Tech with Etta and Gella" co-presented with Mary Etta West, Bay Area Maker Faire, San Mateo CA

2019 "Getting Started with Sewable Electronics" Bay Area Maker Faire, San Mateo CA

2019 “Fashion Hacking for Augmented Identity” SXSW Interactive, Austin, TX

2018 “Designing Expressive Modular Wearable Hardware” co-presented with Mary West, Hackaday Supercon, Pasadena, CA

2018 "Electronics for Costuming and Cosplay" panel moderator, Dragon Con, Atlanta, GA

2018 "Microcontrollers" panel moderator, Dragon Con, Atlanta, GA

2018 "Costume Hacking: Intro to Sewable Electronics for Accessories and Apparel" Dragon Con, Atlanta, GA

2018 "Costume Hacking: Intro to Sewable Electronics for Accessories and Apparel" Denver Comic Con, Denver, CO

2018 “Intro to Sewable Circuits: Teaching Electronics Through Arts and Crafts ” ISTE Conference, Chicago, IL

2018 "Insta-Hue Heels: Bluetooth Controlled Color Changing Shoes" Bay Area Maker Faire, San Mateo, CA

2018 "Getting Started with Sewable Electronics" Bay Area Maker Faire, San Mateo CA

2018 “Design x Tech: DIY Wearable Electronics” SXSW Interactive, Austin, TX

2018 “Sewable Electronics for Accessories and Apparel” WhimsyCon, Denver, CO

2017 “E-Textiles and the Maker Student” ISTE Conference, San Antonio, TX

2016 "Prototyping Wireless Wearables with LilyPad Simblee" WEAR Conference, Boston, MA

2016 “E-Textiles and the Maker Student” WEAR Conference, Boston, MA

2015 "Circuit Scribe: Joining Art and Science with Conductive Gel Pens" co-presented with Brian Huang, NSTA Conference, Chicago, IL

2015 "Exploring E-Textiles - Costuming with Electronics" Colorado Creative Careers Festival, Denver, CO

2014 “Girls and Emerging Technology” panelist, VT Dept of Libraries E21 Conference, Burlington, VT

2014 “LilyPad and Sewable Circuits” co-presented with Kathy Lane of BPL, CALCON, Loveland, CO

2012 “Soft Circuits & Hula Hoops” Bay Area Maker Faire, San Mateo, CA

2011 “Getting Started w/ Soft Circuits” Bay Area Maker Faire, San Mateo, CA

2010 “Live Free & DIY: Connect w/ the Online Maker Community” PodCampNH, Portsmouth, NH

2010 “Soundplushies: Making Noisy Puppets” World Maker Faire, New York, NY

2010 "Intro to Soft Circuits" co-presented with Becky Stern, Bay Area Maker Faire, San Mateo, CA

Selected Press:

Trash Dove Badge by Angela Sheehan - OSHPark Blog

This Purple Dragon Is an Adorable Shoulder-Mounted Companion Robot - Hackster News

A tiny purple dragon companion robot with Adafruit Feather - Adafruit Blog

Angela Sheehan – Building Whimsical Wearables: Leveling Up Through Playful Prototyping - Adafruit Blog

Angela Sheehan is Developing Wearable Tech with Whimsy - Hackaday Blog

Automatic Light Up Altered Carbon Hello Unicorn Backpack - Adafruit Blog

Fashioning the Future With Angela Sheehan - Style Engineers Worldwide

Insta-Hue LED Party Heels - Make Magazine, Volume 63

Weekend Wearables for the Discerning Geek - Hackspace

Top Projects: Infinity Mirror Heart Heels - Hackspace Magazine, Issue 6

7 Inspirational Women Speaking Out at Maker Faire Bay Area - Make: Online

WoW Woman in Wearable Tech | Angela Sheehan - Women of Wearables

Cylon Spine Dress #WearableWednesday - Adafruit Blog

Look at All Your Halloween Costumes - Adafruit Blog

Engineering the Future for Girls - Northglenn-Thorton Sentinal

Lady Gaga Inspired 'Video' Glasses #ElectronicHalloween - Adafruit Blog

SparkFun Live Prom with Angela Sheehan & Amanda Clark - Adafruit Blog

Light Up the Night with Fiber Optic Fairy Wings #WearableWednesday - Adafruit Blog

Electronics and clothing mix in ‘wearable technology’ class in Nashua - The Nashua Telegraph

#ALD12 @findingada Angela Sheehan - Adafruit Blog

10 Insanely Cool Things We Saw at Maker Faire – Wired.com

Tinkering 2.0: Angela Sheehan ’07 Brings Fashion to Life with Technology – Bennington Alumni Magazine

Making Electronic Designs with Ponoko + Sparkfun – Ponoko Blog

Maker Faire CRAFT Demo Profile – Craftzine Blog

Word of Mouth: World Maker Faire – NH Public Radio

Soft Circuit Saturdays – Talk2MyShirt Blog

Instructables Best of 2010 (Lady Gaga Video Glasses) – Instructables

Best of Geek Crafts 2010 (Drawdio Puppet) – Craftzine Blog

Instructables Halloween Contest 2010: 2nd Prize in the Props Category for Lady Gaga Video Glasses

How To: Soft Drawdio Puppet – Tutorial for Craftzine

Lilypad Arduino Pillow – Craftzine Blog

Angela Sheehan Talks about Soft Circuit Saturdays – Make: Online

Fun With Drawdio! A Drawdio Jellyfish Puppet – Adafruit Blog

DIY Lady Gaga ‘Pop Music’ shades: so magical, you’d be so fantastical – Engadget Blog

Guest Blogger: Angela Sheehan – Fashioning Technology

How To Make a Soft Circuit LED Bracelet – Make: Online