Artist Interview: Laurie McAdam

Just as I had promised I have found another wonderful amazing artist in the realms of Etsy. Laurie McAdam is a very gifted, but very busy woman. I had recently contacted her to see if she would be interested in an interview and she was thrilled with the idea.
Laurie generously offered the following:
“What do I do for fun? I have a store on Etsy where I create whimsical sculpey critters and trinket boxes. I have a full time job. I work for The Modesto Bee, a daily newspaper in Modesto, California and draw every day for our readers enjoyment. This is my job and Etsy is my playtime. I sell my work on Etsy not for profit but for sheer enjoyment. The money I get for my critters and boxes pay for my supplies but not my time. I get many emails from people asking how I can sell my work for such little money. The reason is, I do not charge for my time. I use the best supplies I can find or make or purchase and all the creative time I put into them is free of charge. I am motivated and inspired by so many artists on Etsy and am honored to belong to such a fine co-op. The artists on Etsy are so generous with their talent and are quick to answer questions and do custom work at the drop of a hat. When the art arrives, more likely than not, there is a tiny thank you gift enclosed and a personalized note. The great thing about Etsy is that the products are not found in retail stores and each purchase you make helps an artist and provides a gift from you to family or friends that is truly one of a kind. My studio is overflowing with art from fellow Etsy artists and sitting in my studio surrounded by this art and creating things of my own is what life is all about! “

Laurie had also added that outside of Etsy she had also designed a portrait of Clay Aiken and has seen it applied to “hundreds of T-shirts at American Idol concerts across the country.” She has also sketched the Scott Peterson murder trial and her drawings were broadcast on television stations across the world. Laurie also pointed out that she has published 4 children's books and currently is working on her 5th. Her most current book is on her Etsy site titled, “Aliens, All Mixed Up”.

She has offered the readers here that are interested in learning more about her American Idol experience to visit her website at http://www.mcadamstudios.com/

Lauries etsy site is http://www.phirefly.etsy.com/

Monster In The Closet Swap

How appropriate for the fall season! Yup, I'm hooked into this from the very start and can't wait to get going on it...and I will definately post pictures to keep you updated on what I sent along and what I received.

I also encourage you all, if you are interested of course, to join in on the fun. But...you need to hurry if you would like to sign up..the deadline is fast approaching. Please visit Odd Imaginations Blog for more details.

For Your Viewing Pleasure...

An awesome story, an awesome idea for a project...check it out..

Maureen Carlson Story Necklace

Back Into the Swing of Things!

Yup..I am back.
Time to get my hands dirty and start listing again.

I took a bit of a self imposed break from crafting for a while...and now I'm anxious to get the ball rolling again. I have lots of ideas of some new critters as well as some new ideas for working with different mediums.

I have recently been working on some collage work..and made some lovely paintings for my mom, mother-in-law and sister-in-law..HOWEVER...I somehow forgot to take pictures : / Hopefully I can get them to snap a few and I'll post it up here.

I'm currently interested in encaustic collage...I have read a few books from Claudine Hellmuth and really love her style. So..last weekend I went to the Naperville Farmers Market and picked up a couple of pounds of beeswax. Needing something to melt it in seemed like a bit of a challenge. I would have loved to buy one of those neat Ranger/Utee Melting Pots..but didnt have the $30 to spend. So, I rambled on down to the local GoodWill store and actually found a mini crockpot for $3! BINGO. It works perfectly too.

Another idea I had was to change up my dragons a bit..so I started encorporating diff items into the sculpture that I wouldnt normally. The two I'm working on now have a wood "core" and will be painted. Normally I use a foil core and completely encase it in clay. I will snap some pictures as soon as I can find the "big" camera.

Well...I guess thats in a nut shell for now..looking forward to getting this blog up and rolling again as well.

All the best!

Cindy

The Latest and Greatest Here at CLB...

I know...I know.. I'm so sorry to be so late in posting something here. It's totally not like me. But my schedule has been absolutely packed for the month of September..and it seems to be quieting down now. So, while I have a bit of a lull...I'm going to fill you all in on what is going on.

I had recently approached a new age shop close to my home to see if they would be interested in my little dragons and pendants. At the time I walked in a reporter/photographer was there looking to interview someone for an article. And...at that exact moment as well, about 3 other people walked into the shop. Busy, Busy Busy...grrrr...not an ideal situation to start peddling my wares. I waited for a bit of quiet...smiled and passed over a basket of goodies...my goodies. The one owner Kate said she would show them to Morn the other owner and asked if I could leave them there for a day. ... so I did. I came back the next day..full of doubt and ready for rejection. However, it was quite the opposite reaction that I received. Both Kate and Morn loved them...and at the time there were a few other people in the store that also were excited about them. I was handed a contract then and there and was given the invitation to bring them in whenever I liked. Yessss! So...I am now working on a few dragons to be sold only at their store.

I also have received a custom order for a few dragon head pendants...and have finally finished those. (pictured here) These were fun to make. One, the clay was soft and mushy..hard to sculpt because it would just melt impressions of my fingers in it whenever I would work on it. The other, the opposite, the clay was super hard and crumbly and had to be worked into other clays to soften it up. It was very resistant to manipulation but seemed to have held some really sharp crisp lines. All in all, they both turned out well and will be on their way to their new homes. I asked the buyer to forward some pictures of them once they are all strung up as necklaces. Hopefully she wont forget to send them and I can post them here.

Ok...well ...that's all for now.. ...Thanks so much for viewing...!