Artist Michelle Allen was searching for just the right career when she found her heart being filled while creating whimsical home products to sell at the local street fair in Encinitas, California. After a move to the Northwest USA, Michelle began selling her wares at the famed Portland Saturday Market, and over the next few years began selling directly to retail stores who saw her products there. In 2000, Michelle began attending the wholesale show markets in LA, Chicago, Dallas, New York and Atlanta. Allen Designs, now part of the Enesco group, continues to sell to stores all over the world.