VITALS:
Real Name? Marlene
Cupo
Location? Longwood,
FL (just north of Orlando)
Marital Status or Relationship? Married, 44 years & counting!
Children? We
have 5 grown children (3 boys and 2 girls) who have given my husband and me, 9
beautiful grandchildren (4 boys, and 5 girls). If you count both, it’s a tie.
Wonder by whom and when the tie might be broken?
Pets? Two
dogs, Princess (named by our oldest grandson), a cocker spaniel, who believes
she has as much right as anybody to be on the sofa, and Pepper (rescue dog), a
black labradoodle, who has become my husband’s shadow.
Other hobbies or interests? Is there anything other than Beads? Yes, well I do
have an orchid garden of about 40 plants, that deserve more attention than what
I give them, but they just keep presenting me with gorgeous blooms. I also
enjoy photography, but am definitely in the amateur category. Then, of course,
there is that closet full of half finished needle crafts which might get done
if I beat Methuselah’s record.
SHELLEY: What do you do with beads? (Weaving, stringing,
lampworking, polymer, etc.)
MARLENE: I work primarily with polymer
clay. It is an amazing medium that can mimic so many other stones, looks or
techniques. When I am creating a piece of jewelry, I often use gemstones,
crystals, metal components and art beads from the many talented artists out
there, to enhance the design.
SHELLEY: How would you
describe your role in the beading world?
MARLENE: I create. I love
simplicity in design and my pieces usually fall in the category of “every-day
wear” but have enjoyed making more challenging pieces for the many Blog Hops I
have entered. I have recently started teaching classes, and love sharing what I
have learned with others just starting out with polymer clay.
SHELLEY: How long have
you been working with beads?
MARLENE: Polymer Clay, just a
few years, although I have had the “creative gene” all my life, for which I
credit to my beloved mother. Do you remember crepe paper? She could make
anything with it, and more than one bridal or baby shower had her work as a
centerpiece. When I was a young teenager, I found a long defunct jewelry
company that sold pre-made components and “jewels” you could glue into them.
That aforementioned lady would smile and say Thank You, when presented with
one, but have since come to realize she was just doing what a mother does.
SHELLEY: What is your
style? And what attracts you to this style?
MARLENE: I don’t think I have
any particular style. Just when I think I have settled into one, something new
catches my eye, and again, thanks to the versatility of polymer clay, I am off
trying it. Some of the latest things I have made incorporate symmetry, and then
asymmetry, metal work, wire wrapping, and the use of fibers and silks, along
with my beads.
SHELLEY: What are your
favorite metals to use?
MARLENE: Right now I am in love
with copper. The shades and hues of it complement so many different colors. For
wire wrapping I like to use silver, as it is so malleable. I suppose gold would
be too, but since I don’t own a mine at this time ….
SHELLEY: What is your
favorite stringing medium to use?
MARLENE: Soft Flex Beading
Wire, 49 strand, which is so flexible and drapes so softly in necklaces. It is
also nylon coated, so there is no worry of it damaging any of the beads.
SHELLEY: What is your
favorite color palette?
MARLENE: I find myself drawn to
the colors of the ocean and forests (blue and green). Autumn also has an
amazing and endless array of possibilities.
SHELLEY: Your
technique(s)?
MARLENE: Smooshing clay (that
is an actual word). Once it has come out of the pasta machine, as a Skinner
Blend, a mica infused sheet, or shapes that are placed one on top of each
other, the things that can be done with it are endless, whether a lentil bead,
a stamped and antiqued pendant, applied alcohol inks or patina, a Mokume Gane
sheet, a millifiori cane or hand shaped flowers, to name just a few.
SHELLEY: What else would
you like to try your hand at?
MARLENE: Well, I have no desire
to learn anything that would cause my home to burn down, such as lampwork. I
can tend to be clumsy. Seed Bead work fascinates me, but I know I don’t have
the patience for it. Sculpture is something I have wanted to expand into but my
few attempts, until now, are in the hands of my son.
SHELLEY: Other
artist/designer(s) you admire? Any special reason why?
MARLENE: You ask this question
of everyone you interview, and I understand their reluctance to name others,
for fear of leaving someone out. There are SO MANY fantastically talented
artists out there. To name just three, I would have to say, Lea Avorch, the
lampwork artist extraordinary, has to be on my list. There is also a sweet lady
in AZ, Lupe Meter, who floors me every time I see another of her Southwestern
themed creations. Cindy Lietz is a great polymer clay artist, who shares her
love of it, and knowledge with so many on her video site.
SHELLEY: Where do you
want to be in 5 years from now?
MARLENE: Besides breathing? On
a Disney Cruise with hubby, our five kids, and all the grandchildren.
SHELLEY: What’s your
favorite quote or saying?
MARLENE: The same one I had in
my nursing school yearbook: "Thou crossest desert lands of barren years, to
reach the moment of fulfillment "- Togare
SHELLEY: Any advice
you'd give to new artists who are just beginning in your medium?
MARLENE: Learn, work at and
with it. Experiment. Ask questions. Keep trying; realize there are no mistakes
with polymer clay, that can’t be fixed. Above all: Have fun!
SHELLEY: What is your
favorite blog that you like to follow?
MARLENE: Why yours, of course! (READER: Insert YOUR name here!)
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SHELLEY: What has been
your favorite Blog Hop or Challenge?
Quirky questions often give us a better understanding of the real
person behind the artist, so here goes…
SHELLEY: If you had all
the money in the world, what would you buy?
MARLENE: The biggest state of
the art research center, that the scientists and researchers who worked in it
had the best opportunity to find cures.
SHELLEY: As a child what
was your favorite cartoon or TV show? Why?
MARLENE: We did not have a TV
until I was about 12 years old; by then it was American Bandstand, daily, right
after school.
SHELLEY: Favorite toy as
a child? Why?
MARLENE: Actually I had two.
That naked doll (who didn’t have one of those) but with all kinds of bandages
and band-aids, I could pilfer when mom wasn’t looking. Guess that was a
forecast of my future nursing career. The other was a book entitled “365
Bedtime Stories” for obvious reasons. I cried when the coverless, torn and
stained pages had to be thrown away.
SHELLEY: Favorite
subject in school? Why?
MARLENE: Mathematics, it came
naturally to me. The sciences were great too, which I have come to find out are
linked to anyone with a mathematical mind.
SHELLEY: What was your
favorite YEAR of your life thus far? Why?
MARLENE: I couldn’t begin to
give you an answer to this one. They have all been memorable, even if not that
“favorable”, because they have all led me to where I am now. As content as I
can be.
SHELLEY:
Anything you’d like to add, Marlene?
"Many people consider me
an enigma. I have been privileged to care for the sick and dying, and also love
a good joke, or pulling a prank on someone. I can be serious and silly all at
the same time. I am often misunderstood, especially by my kids, but that does
not bother me. I know who I am, because I made me this way. "
I know you too Marlene. You try your best to be a toughy but you have a heart of gold, you aren't fooling me Sister! XXOO
Contact Info:
Amazing Designs
Blog - http://amazingdesigns-marlene.blogspot.com
Shop - http://www.artfire.com/ext/shop/studio/amazingdesigns
E-mail - amazingdesigns46@gmail.com
Telephone - 407-389-3042
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My party partner is Janeen Burlingame. What a sweetie she is! Before we get to the gift she sent let me tell you about the wrapping. She had it wrapped so-o-o beautifully. It came in a very pretty floral bag with ruby-colored organza ribbon. Inside with the gift was a bar of CHOCOLATE, yummy Dagoba Roseberry Dark Chocolate with raspberries and rosehips! (tore that open in a New York second! - munch, munch, munch!) - wasn't sure what "rosehips" was but I ate it! 
THIS beautiful necklace! Nice, right? The focal flowers are made from carved wood. I'm not sure if she knew, but my favorite style is nature-inspired boho so this was perfect! Turquoise and ruby colored beads (my birthstone!) ALL wrapped in antique silver findings. I LOVE IT. I love the color palette, the texture, the style, and even the weight of it! PERFECT!
