Lorri Allisen, Artist
PCC: Tell us about yourself.
LA: My Name is Lorri Allisen, and I live in Innisfail, Alberta, which is about an hour north of Calgary. I have 3 children and 3 grandchildren. I have been designing pattern packets since 2005. It was fellow artist Renee Mullins who encouraged me to do so. In November of 2004 I was diagnosed with a brain aneurysm that was at risk of rupture and I had surgery for the aneurysm on Dec. 15th, 2004, where they inserted tiny platinum coils into the aneurysm to harden the blood and prevent it from growing larger. As a result of the surgery I had brain swelling and vision problems. Up until then I had been selling my original painted pieces on eBay and found I could not see well enough to paint after the surgery.
Renee suggested I start a new venture until my eyesight returned and suggested I create
patterns for my previously painted pieces to sell to other artists. A couple of months and lots of typing later, Prairie Blessings Designs was born. Within a couple more months my eyesight returned to normal.
I was, and still am very grateful to Renee, as almost 10 years later I am still happily working at this new business. Thankfully the aneurysm is still solid and there are no new aneurysms.
PCC: What do you create?
LA: I create painting pattern packets for other artists. I sell some of the original pieces I paint for my pattern packets, and some end up as gifts for family members.
PCC: What made you want to become an artist/fall in love with your craft?
LA: I have loved to draw and paint since I was a very small child, and the passion for art just got stronger as the years went by. I have never taken professional art courses, but there have been art teachers throughout my elementary and high school years that were very influential and encouraging to me. I find drawing and painting to be very relaxing.
PCC: Tell us about your process. What materials do you use?
LA: I am a big fan of repurposing and recycling, so many of the designs I have painted throughout the years have been on items I have found in thrift stores. I also use wood and canvas...and when I can get my hands on old bed springs, do like to create Nodders.
I start by making a sketch, then transfering onto my surface. Once the item is painted, it is time to start the process of typing out and creating the pattern packet, adding colour photos, and listed the pattern on my web site and in my Etsy store.
I am a Helping Artist for DecoArt, and love using their Americana paints. The colours are wonderful. I also love many of their other painting products...chalky paint, Glamour Dust, etc. I am also part of Terrye French's Painting With Friends family of artists, and have designed pattern packets for her. You can find the patterns Terrye and I designed on her blog.
PCC: Tell us what you’re passionate about outside of your art.
LA: I am a big animal lover, and would have many as pets if was able to. I have two cats...both girls. Hannah is a snowshoe (Siamese and American Housecat mix), and Cola who is a black tabby. We have an amazing zoo in our little town, that is known worldwide (Discovery Wildlife Park), and I had the pleasure of working there last summer. DWP is known for their bears...kodiaks, and black bears. Their trainer Ruth LaBarge puts on bear shows daily, not only to show off the talents of these bears, but also to educate the visitors on bears and how to act safely in bear country. During these shows the guests can have their picture taken with the bears if they wish. My son Andrew and I had ours taken with a couple kodiaks (Betty and Whopper), and a large black bear named Bonkers who kisses visitors on the cheek during their photos.
Betty, Whopper, and Bonkers are all actors and have been in many tv commercials and movies. Many of the other animals at DWP are also actors that have been in movies and commercials. The zoo also has tigers, jaguars, wolves, monkeys, a camel, elk, deer, a llama, raccoon, beaver, an alligator, ostrich, and many other animals. Visitors from all over the world come to visit this unique zoo. I worked mostly in the concession, but my favourite daily duty was going around the zoo in a golf cart to clean the railings, benches, and picnic tables because it allowed me the time to visit the animals.
PCC: How do we find you?
LA:
www.prairieblessings.net
www.etsy.com/ca/shop/LorriAllisenDesigns
www.facebook.com/pages/Prairie-Blessings-Designs/
Other Designs from Lorri Allisen that we love:
Lena Kriuchkova, Artist/Crafter
PCC: Tell us a little about yourself.
LK: I'm 35 years old, live in Ukraine and crafts are my full-time job. I can't say when I started, I just kept trying this and that as long as I remember myself. When I was 7 years old I loved making stuffed toys. When I was 11, I learned knitting. When I was 25, I fell in love with ceramics.
When I was 32, I opened my first shop at Etsy. I have a very active toddler son which is lots of fun, troubles and inspiration for me.
PCC: What do you create?
LK: I make all kinds of hearts for my shop HandyHappyHearts. Within the brand HandyHappy I divide it into several branches like stuffed toys and artist bears, hearts, paintings, small houses, vintage fabrics. As I love taking photos and I love books, I also tried to run 2 other shops but realized it's too much for me for now. Although I keep planning to make more paintings and finally start making artist dolls one day.
PCC: What made you want to become an artist/fall in love with your craft?
LK: I love rustic style and shabby looks as well as beautiful wedding photo-shoots. It's what brought me to the style I have with the hearts. I plan to keep developing rustic and shabby lines.
PCC: Tell us about your process. What materials do you use?
LK: I use salt dough which is very sturdy material and durable and also this is the only one which gives all this whimsical wrinkly look. Recently I started to use MDF for making more light looking hearts. I love MDF for being wood at the same time for keeping woods safe as in fact it's made of wooden destash.
PCC: Tell us what you’re passionate about outside of your art
LK: I'm an Irish dancer and I love travelling and taking photos. That's all what I have times for after my son and shops :-)
PCC: How do we find you?
www.etsy.com/shop/HandyHappyHearts
www.etsy.com/shop/HandyHappyTeddy
www.etsy.com/shop/HandyHappyVintage
www.etsy.com/shop/HandyHappy
www.facebook.com/pages/HandyHappy/1005461522804692
More Christmas Hearts from Handy Happy Hearts that make us swoon:
(check back around Valentines to see more from her)
