Samantha Elliott

Art & Life

After college, Samantha married her college sweetheart in 2009 and embarked on a two year exploration of art mediums with The Xarata Project before trying her hand at the craft show circuit under the brand Armed & Inspired ending when she became a doting "boy mom" and modern homestead enthusiast. The family enjoys the simple and silly joys in life, celebrating fictitious holidays like Wolfenoot and Cheezda annually.

*The links provided will allow you to look back  in time on The Xarata Project and  Armed & Inspired which were documented weekly and offer a wide range of crafting tutorials

Childhood

Samantha grew up in a small train town in Pennsylvania surrounded by a family of strong women and artists. Her mother owns a successful travel agency and quite literally gave her children the world in addition to nurturing their crafting talents, love of beautiful food and diverse cultures, and inner boss babes. Her father is a potter and retired machinist and growing up, his children loved to watch him paint. His daughters learned all the life skills that might have been reserved for sons in other households- like hunting, fishing, and tanning animal skins. One of four girls, Samantha's sisters are also talented, leading in public relations, curated wine events, and laser engraved art. Her ancestors have a history in metalwork with Stailey Brothers Collectible Tinware, still maintained by their nephews. 

*The links provided will allow you to visit those family-owned businesses.

Hospitality

Samantha worked in the hospitality industry from the age of 15 to 35 in catering, serving, and bartending at casinos, hotels, and tourism. She has lived in "The Sweetest Place on Earth" since 2009 and worked for Hershey Entertainment & Resorts from 2010-2021. She was the bartender in the team that opened the popular Fire & Grain restaurant in 2017. She's curated many cocktail menus and crafted thousands of chocolate martinis. Some of her own recipes grew to be much loved and included the botanical gin fizz, peanut butter old fashioned, and s'mores manhattan. 

Metalwork

Following the pandemic, she was ready to follow her passions and when an ad came out for a 'female blacksmith instructor- will train', she applied saying "I have a degree in blowtorch!" and forged her first axe. Samantha was a talented blacksmith instructor and copper artist working with Drunken Smithy LLC for 2 years from February 2021-March 2023 where she established The Metal Mixologist as a consignment brand in April 2021 and contributed her skills and experience with metalworking. Samantha took her brand and copper workshops  solo in March 2023.