Carlene Schultz from Long Beach turned loss into purpose. She started a self-taught screen-printing crafting business that's now shipping nationwide. The company is called Crafty Creations by Carlene. She does all the crafting in her Long Beach home.

Crafting became a lifeline for Carlene. She lost her partner in a drowning accident in 2017. In her grief, she turned to something familiar, creating. “It put me in a really dark place. And crafting pulled me out of it.” Carlene was making wreaths. “I wanted to do something for the gravesite, and I made my first wreath. I pulled everything from the dollar store,” said Carlene.

It started with one wreath that friends couldn’t stop talking about. Soon, requests came in. Carlene started an Etsy shop, and the business grew into screen-printing custom apparel and accessories, from t-shirts to tumblers.

It's a side business for Carlene. She ships her work all across the country. With every order, she hopes her work honors the person who inspired it all. "I would only hope that I am making him proud. I think that's the best way to answer it," said Carlene.

Nine years later, Carlene says crafting helped her heal and turned her loss into something meaningful. It's a business she did not know she needed.