A basic introduction to:
Believe Originals by Mary
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Merry Meet!
Welcome to my little corner of the internet!
My name is Mary LeHerissier. I am a primarily self-taught crafter/artist with some formal training.
I've always had a creative driving force that dwelled within me. As a child I always loved art, I was constantly doodling, my parents would buy me standard coloring books and I rarely ever used them! I always preferred blank pages to desing my own image, versus staying within the lines.
As I grew older I worked on perfecting my skills almost every day. I studied and took as many art courses as possible. Drawing, sketching, painting & poetry were my first loves. I even held small craft fairs in my parents basement and barn, we would invite relatives and friends to the event! I guess I was destined to someday own my own crafting business.
I spent a lot of time at my "Grammy Lagace's" home during the Summer. She had a huge garden that I loved. She taught me about flowers, vegi's and herbs... and I cherished every minute of it. She always told me that "If you move but one grain of sand, you have changed the Earth forever." That is a philosophy that I still live by today, and teach my children as well. Her garden was a sacred space, and a major influence in my garden today.
In high school my attention turned to photography and silk floral design. I took photography classes and developed film and black and white prints in my parents basement, using my Dad's old photo lab. It was a great place to be still and watch the magic of the images appear on the paper.
After graduation I took a job as a school photograhper for the worlds largest school photography company. I worked for them for 12 years. Making hundreds of kids smile every day was an incredible experience. I still look back on it fondly. I did silk arrangements as a hobby and way to unwind after a long day.
When I had my second child I knew it was time to be a stay at home Mom, so I left the photography business behind and focused on my growing family.
My first attempt at small business was "Merry Me" an all occasion silk floral design company and event planning business, specializing in weddings. I was even hired as the wedding photographer by a few of my clients. The competition in weddings is fierce, so I decided to take it in a different direction.
On a whim I took on a new hobby and learned to design fine beaded jewelry. As an outlet for my creative energy, Believe Originals soon opened. After several problems with my former associate, it closed and I re-opened a new and improved business as sole proprietor.
"Believe Originals by Mary"
was born and I am now free to do as many shows as possible each year and craft in as many different ways as my customers encourage!
I love being a Mom and having a small, but thriving craft business allows me to spend time raising my children. I still love photography, my kids are probably the most photgraphed children on the planet. I am also an avid gardener, I even sell the dried herbs from my garden.
Much of my time is dedicated to my three beautiful, and creative children and new full time job. My free time is limited, however, I find myself painting and coming up with new dragons and fairies every chance I get. I still continue beading as well. My collection consists of jewelry, window charms, key chains, tumbled gems, raw gems and stones, hand-made pouches, hand-painted and decopage trinket boxes, hand-painted slates, hand-painted and decoupage terra cotta pots filled with assorted gifts, boo boo bunnies, dried herbs, ornaments, flower pens, novelty pens and pencils with characters affixed, and the list goes on... I often refer to my way of crafting as having OCD;
"Obsessive Crafting Disorder.
My inspiration for my crafts is vast; my children, my cats, castles, fairies, dragons, twilight, the night sky, a full moon, a blooming flower or a beautiful garden, Autumn leaves, wild animals, forests, beaches, and nature as a whole.
Pretty much anything that catches my eye, makes me think or brings me to a serene place. You'll often find me crafting adn rocking out to Journey and getting lost in whatever it is that I am creating at the moment.
Go ahead, INSPIRE me!
Currently I do not have a physical store for you to visit, however, I do several local shows annually and cordially invite you to visit my booth at anyone of these. Please see my calendar section for details.
I have a large variety of One-of-a-Kind creations so please visit the merchandise pages to view a sample of my current product line, it is ever evolving. If you see somethign you would like to purchase, please email me and we can work out a payment and delivery date.
The information contained within the pages of my web site is from personal research in books, classes and local shoppes. I am currently writing a book that contains much of the "lessons" you find here. It is my hope to have it published soon. I really hope you enjoy your journey through my site.
Thanks again for visiting and I hope to see you soon!
As always; Believe!
Mary
bravenet.com