Kina Stringfellow, AGMF Historian
Feb. 24, 2026 Guest Speaker: Amanda Massman, of Burlap and Barnwood
From humble beginnings at places like Benjamin Franklin Craft stores in Oconomowoc, Wis., Amanda is now an independent business owner, offering artistic workshops across the United States because she, “said, ‘Yes,’ to random situations.”
Her journey is a winding road, with a variety of stops and opportunities. A consistent symbol throughout her endeavors is the sunflower, representing optimism, direction, and adoration. Amanda has painted, woodstained, markered, and woodburned sunflowers on anything and everything: furniture, purses, bowls, oven covers, and most recently, hats. All of her designs trend toward the feminine and pretty flavor, and her just sunflowers sell the best. Amanda’s hallmark sunflower table video is what really put some gas in her tank, allowing her to really get noticed, by 22 million views resulting in 100,000 followers.
And while Amanda obviously loves making a living (and employing others) by making her art, “the joy of teaching,” holds the real value and impact for her, as it allows her to reach 20-40 people at a time – a far further reach than creating a singular, bespoke table to sell online. Amanda’s workshops are hosted across diverse venues: bars, stores, restaurants, distilleries, even during line dancing events! She hopes to become a franchise in the near future. And you can bet your boots that when this opportunity does come along, she’s gonna say yes!
