1 - How long have you been crafting? What's the first thing you remember crafting?
I have been crafting all my life! My dad is an artist and my mother has been working in elementary education my entire life, so I have been surrounded by creativity since I can remember. When I was 4 years old, I wanted to paint our house like a Dalmatian dog because I was obsessed with the movie 101 Dalmatians. Obviously, I didn't get to do that, but I do remember drawing and cutting out all my own paper dolls and outfits when I was that age. I also would make animals from paper, milk and soda bottle caps, pompoms and googly eyes using the caps as the body bases and adding pompom heads and paper arms and legs. My entire childhood was spent making and crafting my own toys from things I found around the house.
2 - What's your favorite media?
Good question! I am really fickle about that sort of thing- I go through phases of certain types of projects and medias and at that moment, it is my favorite thing in the world and I produce a ton of those projects. Then I get bored and try something new and it becomes my favorite! It started with acrylic paintings, then paper and drawing collages, then graphic design, then mixed media projects like my Pumpkin Head Dolls and Curio Cabinets and other things, and now it seems to be plushes. Right now, it is definitely plushes still.
3 - What inspires you?
Oh, so many things inspire me! First off, my family and husband are my biggest inspirations. They support and encourage me everyday, and they embrace my weirdness. Cheesy Also, there are three men who are my absolute heroes in life and have taken a great part in shaping my personality. It is no secret that I am obsessed with the singer Meat Loaf. I love his passion and devotion to his music and life and I hope that someday I can touch people and inspire them with my own passion and art in the same way he has inspired me. Walt Disney is also at the top of my list as one of the most amazing people in the world. He was one man who had the courage to create possibly the biggest empire in the world, and everything Disney alike inspires me: Walt, the movies, the park, the toys- all of it! Last on my list, and probably obviously, Tim Burton has influenced both my art and personality greatly. I love everything that is a little macabre and slightly odd and again, his passion is just extraordinary. I even get emotional when I talk about any one of these three men. Finally, Craftster serves as a huge source of inspiration for us all. I see new, amazing projects that make me want to try my own hand at them, I have so many craftster crushes and members that put me in awe, and when I post my own projects and get such positive feedback, I feel encouraged to continue on. This is such an amazing website!
4 - Do you have a crafty/creative philosophy?
My philosophy goes right back to the three men I mentioned above. It takes courage to be an artist. You have to be willing to try new things and never give up on anything. When I first joined craftster, I never thought I would be able to move beyond acrylic paintings, but now I do all sorts of projects because I just jumped right in. Sometime I failed at projects, but I kept working on them until I figured it out. And in all honestly, sometimes being artsy and creative will lead you to not fitting in and being an outcast. Meat Loaf and Tim Burton certainly fit that bill, and Walt Disney was shunned many time is his life and laughed at for what he believed in. However, in the end, those are the things that will make you stand out the most in life and bring you success. With imagination, you can redefine and change the world.
5 - On what other boards can Craftster members find your work posted?
Let's see, you can find me on:
Miscellaneous Topics
Toys, Dolls and Playthings
More Art, Less Craft
Occasions and Holidays: Halloween, Christmas, Valentine's Day, and Weddings
Sewing in General
Home Sweet Home
Paper Crafts, Scrapbooking and ATCs
-I think that is it! Expect to see me in the clothing boards soon, because I just started sewing and reconstructing clothes and I started photography too recently, so I hope to post some of my pictures on the art board.
6 - What's your favorite creation that you've posted to Craftster?
That is tough! I love the first Bigfoot Curio I posted, along with the first Steampunk Pumpkin Head I ever made sooo much! And my Ganesha plush is probably my favorite plush I have ever done (for the moment). However, I definitely think my wedding is my favorite creation ever though, since it includes many different projects by me along with many projects from other Craftster members. It was more like a production starring all the projects.
7 - What's your favorite item on Craftster created by someone else?
Again, these are so hard to answer! I own a large amigurumi doll of Meat Loaf that was created by
amydice just for me that I completely love. I love all her projects, actually. The same goes for
lanikins, and the Cheshire Cat plush she made me is another one of my favorite items. There are too many to choose from! But I always really enjoy seeing anything posted by
gotgrey,
lumpybits,
noooitaremybirthday, any poppets, and anything with a yeti.
