Meet the Makers

Hi there!

I’m Heather Macrae Stringer, founder and CEO of Tula Blue.

I never thought of myself as an artist before Tula. I was always more of a numbers person - graduated from UT Austin with a degree in economics and a minor in math and business, briefly pursued a masters in environmental econ, and then realized I didn’t dream of running regressions behind a desk. Enter: quarter-life crisis. I made some earrings for the gift shop inside my father’s restaurant, and the rest is history. (If it’s history you’re interested in - head on over to our ROPE STORY page!)

These days, I’m inspired by creating, overcoming chaos, and connecting with the Tula community. Outside of the Tula Blue workshop, you can find me with my boys. They are my world. ‘Tula’ means balance and isn’t that what it’s all about? I will forever be working on that work/play/life balance and trying my best to juggle it all - my business, my marriage, my three boys, and of course, my fur baby, Willow.

We’re now settled back in Austin, TX close to family and we really enjoy our lake and trail time. (Don’t worry— Tula Blue’s roots and original workshop will forever be on North Padre Island, TX!)

I love what I do and what we’ve built. A couple of years ago I was chatting with my husband about what we would do if we won the lottery, and I could honestly say I would keep my day job. I stand by that. Running this small business is a dream come true, and I’m so proud of what we’ve become. We strive to be a give-back, do-good brand. Tula Blue is a company that cares about community. Community at-large, and community within the company. Tula Blue has grown into a tribe of almost 20 awesome ladies, most of whom are also busy moms, working together to create the perfect jewelry to bring a bit of balance to your beautiful life. I’m not sure how I got so lucky to work with these amazing women.

VP of Graphics & Miscellaneous Stuff

Sara Garner

I asked Sara to help out at an Island Market back in 2016. She hopped into our Tula tent and we’re hoping she never hops out! She’s an insanely talented maker, from helping me make all the orders at our dining table for the very first 12 Days of a Tula Blue Christmas sale, to being by my side over the last few years as we expanded Tula to new markets. Now our full-time graphic designer, she’s fantastic behind a camera lens and unstoppable with an Apple Pencil. We both left Corpus Christi in 2019, so we work together remotely, spending hours on the phone every day. Somehow, it just works. I can’t imagine my life or Tula Blue without her.

Island Captain

Ashley Anderson

Ashley is our rock. She started out as a part-time maker and quickly became the captain of our crew at the Island workshop. We can always count on her to keep us in line and cut to the chase, all while giving us a laugh. As our Island shop manager, she oversees workflow, quality control, wholesale orders and inventory. Without Ashley there to organize everything, we’d all be lost. She makes sure everything gets done, and to our highest Tula standards

My right hand + Austin Manager

Christine Krell

Christine joined Tula Blue in 2021, during the pandemic. We were crammed in a tiny room in my home just off the (often messy/loud) kitchen. No storage, no space, no doors. When we finally moved into the Tula Treehouse (our new Austin workshop) it became clear Christine was going to manage us all. She was born to organize, streamline, and just generally crush it. As our Austin ‘Tula Treehouse’ manager she oversees workflow, quality control, training, wholesale, market prep and inventory. She’s my right-hand woman in Austin, and I wouldn’t want to do this without her.

Operations Manager

Nicole Ross

Starting out as our bookkeeper years ago, Nicole came on board as a part-time ROPE spinner in 2018, and then a maker in 2021. We finally roped Nicole in full-time and now she fearlessly spearheads operations. She keeps us on track with her Excel(lent) skills - bookkeeping, payroll, protocol and Padre Island Farmers’ Market management and so much more! And no matter what is going on, she always steps up to help - with making jewelry, rope spinning, workshop improvements and she always knows when I need a pep talk. Tula Blue simply couldn’t run without Nicole behind the spreadsheets (and behind us all.)

Rope Ringleader & more

Erin Cisneros

One of our very first ROPE spinners, Erin now trains and manages our entire ROPE team. She’s also one of our most experienced makers, taking the lead on quality control in our Island workshop. When COVID lockdowns started, we had to close the workshop and operated Tula Blue out of my workspace in Austin and Erin’s guestroom in Corpus. We coordinated making and shipping all of our orders for 3 months, keeping Tula Blue afloat. Just like our handspun ROPE, Erin is definitely at the heart of Tula Blue.

Corpus Maker

Hailee Tinajero

Fav Tula: Strawberry quartz Wrap

Fueled by: Plants, coffee & Jesus

Superpower: Crafting

Austin Maker

Mikayla Ashley

Fav Tula: White Bohemian Necklace

Fueled by: Copious number of books, video games, anything nerdy & street tacos.

Superpower: Creativity takes many forms

Austin Maker

Sydney Lyckman

Fav Tula: White Total Tula

Fueled by: Cold brew and puppers!

Superpower: Ability to binge watch all eight Harry Potter movies in one sitting

Austin Maker

Jessie Edwards

Fav Tula: Full wrist WRAP Stack- Coral, chrysocolla, pearl, sandalwood & pyrite

Fueled by: Travel, deadlifts, homemade kombucha, and attending births.

Superpower: Naturally knotty, she's our superhuman