Founded in 2020

Minerva May Creations LLC

is an online craft studio, that curates the historical journey of my ancestors. A heroic group of people who have been in the USA since before its inception.

Are you a crafter or family historian searching for that perfect 19th-century illustration of the Black American family? Do you need the right colorful character to represent your cherished family member or friend? Many Black American families struggle to find photos to help bring to life their loved ones. At Minerva May Creations, we have a superb selection of stock illustrations to meet your needs. We are in the business of helping you create memories that will last you a lifetime!

Hi there! My name is Machele Lindsey, but feel free to call me Ms.ShaylaMay. I’m an artist and author of children’s literature. I love telling beautiful stories, not only with my writing but also with visual art. I am also the founder of Minerva May Creations, a business inspired by my 3rd great-grandmother, Minerva, born in 1846 in North Carolina.

In my quest to find that ideal representation of my ‘Great Big’, nearly half of a millennia-old Black American family to illustrate the family history stories I wanted to share with my loved ones through words, pictures, and crafting, I kept coming to a dead end. I recall the time I lucked upon a beautiful vintage paper doll catalog that housed an endless supply of adorably artistic images of children and adults. Sadly, after I flipped through so many pages, there was only a handful to represent my great, great grandparents of the 1800s. Out of this handful, only a few of the images were even worth using.

Then boom...that was my eureka moment! I knew what I needed to do – produce a unique and quality product as the answer to solve the crafting dilemma that many people, like me face. But possessing any photos at all is a privilege that many of us do not have, especially many Black American families. The love I have for my lineage inspired me to help others immortalize their family and ancestors using art.

That was how Minerva May Creations was born. On this beautiful journey, I have met with many fantastically skilled artists who have inspired me with their artistic styles to produce content to meet the growing demand for a variety of colorful vintage images.

Through these partnerships, I have curated a collection of quality representations of Black American good stock characters for your crafting and family history storytelling needs. This collaboration has helped me achieve a distinctive style with realistic illustrations.