Shannen Cleis of Happy Elephant Designs is a talented paper artists who calls Elyria home. Her high-quality cards feature unique, colorful, and whimsical designs. We’re pleased to have her as a Cleveland Handmade featured artist.
What is your first memory of making cards? Did someone teach you, or did you learn on your own?
The feeling of satisfaction when I sold my first card to a non–family member. I felt like a true business that someone searched the Internet and found one of my cards and fell in love with it enough to buy it.
I am self-taught. I first began by using my scrapbooking supplies. I’ve never actually taken an art class, but that doesn’t stop me from experimenting and trying new things.
What is it that draws you to the materials you use to make your cards?
I love to add dimension to my cards. Some of my favorite materials to use in accomplishing this are buttons. I also use embossing (whether it be heat embossing, which raises the stamp to make it shiny, or dry embossing, which makes dents and indentations on a cardstock). I also love sewing on my cards to add another texture on the paper and to the eye.
How would you describe the style of your work? Does it reflect your personal style?
I love clean and simple lines. It does reflect my personal decorating style when it comes to my home — not necessarily my style of clothes though. Let me just say I was well known for a metallic shirt I wore in high school! LOL
What are your inspirations? How are they expressed in your work?
I would have to say my environment inspires me, whether it is what’s outside my studio window or my supplies and papers around me. Other fellow artists also inspire me. If I’m ever having writer’s block, I just look around all the talented people on Etsy and ideas start coming.
I think they are expressed in my work by what colors I tend to use that day. If it’s a dreary day out, I’ll probably lean more toward the grays and whites. Right now I’m really into using maroons, greens, whites, and blue.
When did you realize that this was more than a hobby?
I realized this was more than a hobby when I got a tax ID number. I felt so official!
Describe your workspace.
I convinced my hubby to move me from the spare bedroom in our finished basement to our family room. I now have a window and I get to be apart of the family when I create. I wrote about it in my blog if you want to read more about it.
What is your favorite task related to your work? Your least favorite?
My favorite task is placing the last item on my card. I love seeing my vision come to fruition.
My least favorite task is the whole posting bit (taking the hundreds of pictures, Photoshopping them, uploading them, doing the descriptions) and the marketing (Blogging, Twittering, Facebooking…). I guess basically anything that takes time away from the actual creative process. If I were ever to become rich, I would hire someone to do all that tedious stuff!
What is your favorite tool? Why?
My favorite tool is pretty boring. It’s my Fiskars cutting board. I use it on every project and it makes my life so much easier.
Do you have an all-time favorite creation? What about it makes it your favorite?
I would have to say a tin card box that I made a couple years ago. What makes it my favorite is that it’s functional art. I’m sure that most of my cards end up in the garbage (gasp, it kills me to think about it!), but this box it could not only hold my cards, it could sit in someone’s house as part of their decor and serve a purpose.
Do you have artistic talents in other areas?
I was once the number one flutist in the nation (when I was in school). I was supposed to travel around Europe and tour, but the Persian Gulf conflict made it unsafe to travel. I’m also pretty good at drawing, doodling, painting, etc.…
Tell us something about you that we might be surprised to hear.
That my stuff is in a Singapore boutique! Someone through Etsy who was opening a card shop in Singapore contacted me and she wanted her store to carry some of my cards!
Where can we find your work?
On Etsy at www.HappyElephantDesigns.etsy.com
On 1000 Markets at www.HappyElephantDesigns.1000markets.com
At Artefino Gallery in downtown Cleveland
At Local Girl Gallery in Lakewood
on Jan 21st, 2010 at 9:59 am
Nice to meet you Shannen! I see some fun new designs in your shop!
on Jan 24th, 2010 at 6:05 pm
Thanks Tricia! I hope to get more in there soon
The problem is, is that I’m trying to get more cards in the Gallery’s I’m in too (The Local Girl Gallery in Lakewood, OH and Artefino in downtown Cleveland).
Shannen