My name is Cheryl Waters and I reside in beautiful South Orange County, California. I’m so happy to give you a glimpse into my world and look forward to getting to know many of you better. I have been married for 19 years to a great guy and have one beautiful, fun-loving eleven year old daughter who brightens my life. I have a very close family and we love football and sports in general. I love spending time with my family and also enjoy the outdoors.
I have had the blessing of being a lead and founding Fiskateer (www.fiskateers.com/blog) and began my journey in 2006. The fiskateers are enthusiastic crafters who share the Fiskars love and make up a warm and loving community. They mean a great deal to me. My first two years as a lead Fiskateer, I learned a great deal and took great joy in being a part of a groundbreaking experience. I am so grateful to be a part of the Fiskars family . . . a company that loves its crafters, crafters that love each other, the company and community. It has been incredible to watch this community grow from four to almost 7,004 (just around the corner).
I work full time in law enforcement and enjoy working with the community. I have enjoyed having the opportunity to use some of my artistic abilities in my law enforcement position. Crafting is so much about life! Prior to working in law enforcement, my husband and I (later came my daughter) lived overseas, primarily South Africa, Zambia and Madagascar for about six years. I learned so much about life, culture and community. It was a life altering and growing experience.
Paper arts and mixed media has always been a part of my life in some fashion. Besides teaching at several different venues as a Fiskateer in several different states, I have also served as a Creative Team Member at my local scrapbook store; Timeless Treasures in Rancho Santa Margarita for almost six years. I enjoy teaching altered and fine art projects and also like to draw. I love altering items of any kind and ‘thinking outside the box’ with my projects. I lean toward a ‘Shabby Chic’ type of style.I have taken pleasure in sharing some of my artistic world with Stampington and Company. I enjoy writing articles and creating projects for Somerset Home, Somerset Memories (formerly Legacy), Handcrafted, Stamper’s Sampler and others. I’ve been a guest designer with other companies such as Tattered Angels, Jump Create and other sites.
Lastly, I’ve enjoyed being a part of a wonderful group of artists and gals this past year. Some have been friends for years and others are newly developed friendships. Our journey was called “A Year in the Life of Me” but folks call us the Lucky 13. 13 artists came together scrapping each others photos for 2009. In January we swapped the canvas pages we artistically created for one another and these works of art will be cherished for a lifetime. You can see more at www.theluckythirteen.blogspot.com More to come soon in print.
So again, I’m thrilled to be here and share what I love about Art Glitter products. I have long had a love relationship with Art Glitter and I can’t wait to share why.
My artwork is a result of many years of collecting art supplies and reading about how to use them, but never having the time to actually do it. Now that I finally can make art full time, I mix many different mediums into each piece because I am just so excited to use them all. The resulting art is a combination of acrylics, watercolors, clay, collage, chalks, oil pastels, ink, found objects, beads, glitter, fabric, fibers, recycled materials, and whatever else I can find that might become part of a unique piece of art.Much of my work is influenced by my other passion in life, my pets. My life revolves around them, so why shouldn't my artwork? The portrayal of animals in my work is often lighthearted, whimsical and humorous, and my goal is to put a smile on the face of anyone that views my pieces.
My art contains bright, vibrant, and unusual color combinations. I am attracted to these colors like a moth is attracted to a flame, and it is very apparent in my artwork. Deep purples, yellow greens, rich reds, and warm oranges are like candy to my eyes. Naturally these are the first colors I reach for when creating my pieces. Pastel shades are almost non-existent in my work.
My goal as an artist is to inspire others to grab some art supplies and explore their creativity. Art has always been therapeutic for me. A few hours of sitting at a pottery wheel or smearing paint around a piece of paper can make even the worst mood melt away. I want to help others find that they can enrich their lives and relieve stress by scheduling some time to create art into their days. I am currently working on developing my own rubber stamp line, as well as taking as many art classes that I can fit into my schedule at the Maricopa County Community Colleges in AZ. Website: http://thepeculiarpalette.com/
Emily has always had a fondness for any type of paper craft. When she was little, she made cards for her family with her little "Great Greetings" fashion plate card maker. She remembers going to an art supply store with her Dad every weekend where she got to pick out a fancy marker to add to her collection. She started stamping in 2001 and has been loving it ever since!After a 10 year corporate career in Information Systems, she became a SAHM in 2005 when she moved from Ohio to California with her husband and young son.
Emily has been designing for A Muse Artstamps since 2006. Her card designs can be seen in local stamp stores around the world and in the A Muse Design Studio Gallery. She has been published in Paper Crafts Magazine and teaches stamping classes in Southern California. http://stampingscoops.blogspot.com/
