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 held small craft shows 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 become a full time 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, 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 full time 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, creative and lively children. In my free time I find myself painting and coming up with new dragons and fairies every chance I get, but 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.
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