People are attracted to items that have that personal touch - where they either know the creator or can have something custom-made. The National Craft Association estimates there are up to 125,000 U.S. craftspeople working today, many in their own businesses. Of these artisans, more than 60 percent are female.

Craft sales bring in $13.8 billion a year, proof, the national group says, that people appreciate handmade and original pieces.

Indianapolis-area homeowners seeking personal style can get it from many area artisans.

Four local  women  featured  today

show a diversity of expertise in areas such as custom furniture, luxurious home accessories and gilding.

Marika C. Klemm describes her furniture as "sculptural and beautiful."

Jeanmarie Easter has the Midas touch, turning everything to gold.

As production manager of a custom design firm, Sheri McLucas never makes the same thing twice.

And Julie O'Brien aims for sensual comfort with elegant pillows and bed accessories.

People want items that are uniquely theirs. One way to achieve that in home design is by incorporating custom and artisan touches, says interior designer Karen Pfeiffer.

Pfeiffer, president of the Indiana Chapter of the American Society of Interior Designers, never buys an outfit of apparel off the rack; she customizes it. She feels the same way about furniture and home accessories.

"I want creative flair," she says. That's what's good about working with custom artisans -- it's personalized. You're not going to see it repeated on a store shelf or a showroom floor."

That's why customer design is important, she says. It allows homeowners to surround themselves with pieces that have special meaning to them.

Local Artisans help furnish homes with personal style.

Interior designer Barry Lantz says, "I always turn to artisans to complete the total custom look for clients. A professional artisan can customize the interior with personal embellishments on furniture, artwork and accessories."

A generation ago, men ruled the world of furniture: They were the salesmen, the store buyers, the designers, and the company owners - even though more women than men buy furniture.

Today, women design furniture, own their own furnishings companies and manage factories.

As production manager for Fremont Interiors in Carmel, Sheri McLucas is in charge of turning out hundreds of thousands of dollars' worth of custom furniture. The company makes upscale entertainment centers and custom kitchen cabinets. Its cabinets were on display at the 2001 St. Margaret's Hospital Guild's Decorator's Show House in the Wheeler -Stokely Mansion.

After the designer and the client decide what is to be made, McLucas engineers the job, makes up the drawings and confirms that the project is sized correctly.

McLucas then enters all the figures in a computer program that directs a machine to do routing, sawing,

and drilling, and then pro- cesses the pieces so employees in the shop can assemble them. McLucas started at the company about five years ago, building solid- surface countertops before moving on to engineering.

But she still likes to be hands- on -- she works in the shop and gets involved in the finishing. Her gender sometimes is an issue McLucas admits.

"My co-workers accept me as an equal and value my skills, but I have run across people in the industry who have questioned my abilities -- and take everything I say with a grain of salt."

Every day is different. You're never making the same thing twice."

Prices depend on the project. Because the firm deals with so many large custom kitchens, costs can be $100,000 or more.