The people behind the work
Two veterans, two emergency nurses, and one shared need to keep making things.
How Apple Bend began
Apple Bend Creations began simply: Russ and Crissy love making things. What started with curiosity, creativity, and the satisfaction of turning an idea into something real grew into a small Wisconsin business centered on personalized work.
Today, they bring the same thoughtfulness and attention to detail to every sign, keepsake, tumbler, decal, portrait, and unusual custom request. Their favorite projects are the ones with a story behind them—the piece that celebrates a career, remembers a place, marks a milestone, or makes someone laugh because it could only have been made for them.
A shared foundation
Long before Apple Bend Creations, Russ and Crissy were both drawn to service, teamwork, and helping people through difficult moments.
Russ
Russ served on active duty and in the Army National Guard as a medic, including a deployment to Panama. He later carried that commitment into civilian emergency medicine.
He has spent more than 20 years working as an emergency room nurse, along with years serving patients and communities through Life Link and Amery Area EMS.
Crissy
Crissy joined the Army Reserve. A training injury prevented her from completing her planned service, but the desire to serve continued through emergency response and healthcare.
She began as an EMT and volunteer firefighter, spending five years with Somerset Fire and 12 years in EMS between St. Croix EMS and Amery Area EMS. After several years as an ER technician, she returned to school for nursing and now works in the same emergency department as Russ.
Where it started
Russ and Crissy's paths shared a remarkable beginning: both were members of the Civil Air Patrol as teenagers, and both advanced to the rank of Cadet Lieutenant Colonel.
That early experience taught them leadership, discipline, problem-solving, and the value of seeing a job through—qualities that still shape the way they work together today.
Away from the workshop
Crissy was raised in Superior, Wisconsin, and the landscapes and character of the region continue to inspire many of their designs. Russ is the father of three children, and family remains an important part of life beyond the shop.
When their schedules allow, Russ and Crissy love to travel. At home, life includes their four-year-old Mastiff, Eleanor—better known as Ellie—and two cats, Thud and Ava.
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