Featured Artist - Linda McClain

I would like to congratulate Linda McClain for being my first Featured Artist on my blog!  Linda was so excited to be featured.  When she found out, she responded...(and I quote)..."I'm Dancing in Sunshine now! Thank you for the honor.  Let's see . . . I'd like to thank the Academy, my Mom and Dad . . . just kidding."  Her response made me laugh when I read it that I thought I would share it with you.

 

One of the requirements for being a Featured Artist on my blog was to submit some photos of projects you have worked on or would like to share. 

 

The first project really "took the cake" for me as far as the Featured Artist went for this month - pun definitely intended:)) 

 

 

This cake is a very time consuming project to make and Linda put a lot of extra touches on it by cutting out the butterflies and adding a half-back pearl from the Pretties Kit to them.  It also didn't hurt that the cake was chocolate!

 

I will share some more of Linda's creations at the end of this post.  I thought it might be nice for us to get to know Linda a little better so I asked her a few questions.  These are her responses during our interview:  

 

Name and where you are from - Linda McClain from Round Rock, Texas (just north of Austin).

 

 

Please tell us a little bit about yourself- I share the best adventures with my husband of 26 years, our two grown children and Mailey dog. I settled my mid-life crisis a while back by going back to school and becoming a registered nurse.  Now I have the honor of helping regulate the care our seniors receive in nursing homes in central Texas.  I love old people - and not just because I'm becoming one. 

 

How long have you been rubber stamping or scrapbooking?  I was so mesmerized when we first walked on the moon that I started a scrapbook back in 1969.  Okay, that probably doesn't count.  I really picked up stamping about two years ago. I love that it's so much more than just gluing fancy papers and embellishments on a page - it's a chance to play with so many different kinds of art mediums, like embossing powder, inks, chalk, pencils, crayons . . . it just opened up a whole new world of creativity to me.

 

What is your favorite technique or type of stamping?  Oh dear . . . so many. I love embossing, glitter, watercoloring . . . I love using paint and crackle medium (like the Weathered stamp in real life). I hope Stampin' Up! will start carrying paint again soon.  In the meantime, did you know you can dye white acrylic paint with your re-inkers to match our colors?

 

What are some of your favorite things (stamping or non-stamping related)?  Well, my son would say it's glitter. Funny story - One day he came up to me and very seriously said, Mom, can you please stop using glitter in your workshops? His bathroom is right next to my studio. When I'm crafting and when the ladies come to my house, we all use his bathroom. Glitter gets all over the sink, towels, floor . . . and the next morning, the transplanted glitter ends up all over him - hard for a 24 year old to pass off. We solved the problem - he moved out. A girl can't be without glitter!

 

What tip(s) would you like to give other stampers - something you learned the hard way and wish you knew about first and/or something you just learned and thought it was neat?  I was a hoarder. I was always afraid to make those first cuts in that beautiful paper. I had to learn that it's okay to make mistakes and just enjoy the process. Cut, paste, glue - get ink all over you and enjoy! When I bought the Pretties Kit I fondled it for about a month, but then I went on a mission to use up every single piece of it. That was so much more fun that hoarding it.

 

On a more practical note - turn off the ceiling fan before you get out the embossing powder - or you'll be as sparkly as my son.

 

How were you introduced to stamping?I kept seeing "Stampin' Up!" in the PaperCraft magazine and others, and, on the most adorable and beautiful projects no less. I asked around and found a friend who had a friend . . . who is a demonstrator, and the rest is history.

 

Something you would like people to know about you: My favorite thing in the whole world is to play with stamps and paper. The only thing that makes it better is when I get to do it with people I love. So, how incredible is it that my twin sister in Indiana joined Stampin' Up! just so she could come play with me at the national convention in Utah - when we both turn 50. Isn't that the best sister in the world!? Watch out - we are going to Party - and most certainly not act our age.

 

What you love most about stamping?Whatever is going on in my life, stamping gets me through it, whether scrapbooking the triumphs or stamping out my troubles. It's just not possible to be in that creative zone and still obsess about cranky people and crabgrass. I get fantastic therapy and, hopefully, a great project to show off to boot.

 

Another submission from Linda was her wonderful Patriotic Card that she made for Memorial Day to show the troops how much she appreciated them. 

 

Linda let me take my pick of photos of her other creations and these are the ones that I hand-selected to share with you.

 

First, there is this wonderful  Chinese Take Out Box with Fortune Cookies...

 

This sample features the "Embrace Life" stamp set from Stampin' Up! to do the stamping on the box.   The fortune cookies are actually made out of cardstock!  How cool is that?

 

 

Another favorite of mine is this adorable baby card....  The card depicts a little baby's room and you see the wall with a little clothes hanger.  The little onsie is actually hanging on a little handmade hanger that Linda made out of wire. 

 

My final pick is Linda's Dahlia Card using Stampin' Up!'s wonderful Ginger Blossom Designer Series Paper.  Notice the extra touch by using a Pretties Kit half-back pearl in the center of the flower.. 

 

I really would like to thank Linda for taking the time to submit her work to be featured here on my blog.  Linda also has her own blog called www.cateredcrop.typepad.com.  I also appreciate Linda giving us her extra hints and tips when answering her interview questions. 

 

If you enjoyed this new feature on my blog, please leave a comment letting me know why you like it.  Who knows, you might even be randomly selected to win a prize when I draw your name from the people who have commented on my blog! 

 

If you would like to be considered for my July Featured Artist, please submit your .jpg photos to me at lynn@learntostampandscrap.com.  Submissions will be accepted until July 10th.

 

Lynn

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Comments

[Linda Mcclain]

Just have to say how much fun it's been to be featured by Lynn and to read all your generous comments. My ego is really out of control now.

And, Lisa, thanks for helping us pay proper tribute. You can find Alice's fantastic baby card here: http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/gallery/photo/839481?cat=&size=medium

[Judy Elting]

I love this feature! Great article! Linda is one of my favorites; as a matter of fact her blog was the first that I subscribed to. Thanks for putting her in the spotlight, and for providing us with your own exceptional blog!

[Gail S.]

I like this idea of featuring someone different on your blog! It lets all of us get to know other talented people out there. Love your blog and now I will have to check out Linda's! Thanks.

[Gail S.]

Just visited Linda's site and saw her info on the fortune cookies! Woo Hoo!! Another therapy project!
Gail

[Gail S.]

Great projects! Loved learning her tips--totally agree about the ceiling fans and embossing powder and glitter. Our patients always laugh at the oddly placed shine I oft-times have. Would love to know how to make those fortune cookies!!!
Great blog, Lynn.

Gail

[Nona Hoecker]

Loved this feature and all the extra about Linda, whose work I've been admiring lately. Especially liked the comments about glitter and hoarding. I'm going to work on the hoarding thing.

[Libby]

Great job writing this up about Linda - it was so much fun getting to know her a little better. She is such a fantastic stamper!!

[Laura Pertot]

Lynn, Great choice for a featured stamper! Linda is one of my favorite stampers...she is so talented and just seems like the most fun person you could meet! Aren't her projects wonderful?!

[Dianne Shiozaki]

Linda is a supurb stamper!

[Lisa Martz]

The original idea for the baby card came from a wonderful stamper in my select swap group named Alice Erickson. It would be great if her name could be mentioned with that card. Thank you.

[Nancy Riley]

Woohoo, Linda!!! You're THE BEST!!!!