This week's Sassy Spotlight comes to us all the way from Texas! Let's say HOWDY to Melanie from Creative Art and Design. She's retired from teaching... after 30 years! Now she enjoys creating and selling.
This is what Melanie has to say about herself:
"Here is a little background on how I got to where I am today. I have the most wonderful family. I am the third of 4 children. I was the first girl. My dad, Pop, loved females. He wanted a sweet little feminine girl like his wife. Well, his first daughter was much more like him-- outspoken, hard-headed, and not a "lady". We always had trouble because we both thought that we were right. We may have hit heads, but I was always his "DD", darling daughter. I only wish that I had appreciated him more when I was young.
"Here is a little background on how I got to where I am today. I have the most wonderful family. I am the third of 4 children. I was the first girl. My dad, Pop, loved females. He wanted a sweet little feminine girl like his wife. Well, his first daughter was much more like him-- outspoken, hard-headed, and not a "lady". We always had trouble because we both thought that we were right. We may have hit heads, but I was always his "DD", darling daughter. I only wish that I had appreciated him more when I was young.
I did, however, get my mother's creativity. I come from a long line of artists. In my house I have 4 generations of bluebonnet paintings. As I was growing up, I remember my mother always had some craft project going. I'm sure this drove Pop crazy because he just did not understand art. If it wasn't business, sports or news, it was useless. I remember my mother made flowers out of tin cans. She made and decorated her own hats. She painted a mural in our living room that was about 8'x12'. It was life-size cows drinking from a stream. Mommy, yes we all still call her "Mommy", also made all of the girls' clothes. We would go shopping to see the fashions, then she would make our clothes to match. I remember she also took voice lessons and painting classes.
I learned to sew from her. I made most of my clothes for college. We had to wear "pant suits" when I was at Abilene Christian COLLEGE in 1971. No jeans and of course no shorts. I also made my wedding dress--twice. That's a story for another time.
As a young teacher and mother I also tried every new craft. I made decorative jar lids out of salt and flour dough. I made wonderful bulletin boards. I made beautiful clothes for both kids. They had the best Halloween costumes, although Barry may not agree. One of my biggest projects was hair bows for little girls. I made them for Megan. I made them for presents. Then I started selling them at a store in Orange. My friend, Elaine, and I went to Dallas and sold them at the Apparel Market. Then it got to be too much work for the money we made. I used that stock of ribbon for years. I think Ike finally took the last of it.
When I was teaching Head Start, Mommy asked me what kind of creative things I was doing. I told her, "Teaching 4 year olds". That really was a fun and creative time in my life. I retired from teaching in 2005. After 30 years I decided that I had had enough.
Pop passed away in 2006 and I started making a weekly trip from Orange to Friendswood to help Mommy. I joined her watercolor class. I have really enjoyed painting. I also started making new things from discarded items. I rented booth space at Vintage Things in Bridge City. That was going well. I was making a selling school spirit things. And then there was Hurricane Ike. We moved to Friendswood and I was in survival mode for the first year.
During the second year I started creating again. I created a shop at etsy.com and I am still selling at the Antiques and Crafts Mall in Pasadena."
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Here is what you can expect to find over at
Creative Art and Design...
Her Curbside Correction is one of my favorites!! This piece started out as a sad little thing! Just look at it now!!
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**FABRIC FRIDAY**
On Friday, you can expect to find lots of ideas and transformations with fabric! Check out this fabulous reupholstered ottoman.
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"On all the words that could describe me: wife, mother, daughter, teacher, I believe the most accurate is artist. My creativity and art are in all of my other descriptors." -Melanie
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**FURNITURE SALE**
Melanie transforms items and then sells them on Craigslist for us to enjoy! :)
or you can just visit her in her store!
It was SO much fun getting to know you Melanie!! I can tell just be reading your blog that you are FUN and SASSY girl!!! I love that! Go over and visit Melanie at her blog and become a follower!!
Happy Sunday!!
Also, did you know that BABY DAZE are going on over at Lil' Luna! Kristyn just gave birth to her beautiful new baby girl Evie on Wednesday, March 23rd! YIPEEE!!!! So, she asked a few of us to help her out while she is on maternity leave. Be sure to head over there and check out the party!
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