In honor of Labor Day, we’re listing the top 12 labor-saving devices, handy equipment solutions, hacks, inventions, etc. available over at uscutter.com to do all the heavy lifting for your graphics-making hobby or business!
Heidi Easley is living the dream! She started a business with her vinyl cutter, designing and cutting out stencils of quotes and vectors she found inspirational and meaningful. She painted her artwork onto decorative surfboards and sold them at the beach. The rest is history!
Now Heidi teaches other crafters and artisans how to make their own hand-painted signage and artwork at paint parties, and brings her artwork to life on the walls of local schools in Houston! USCutter.com decided to sit down with Heidi recently and ask her a couple questions about her experiences!
Heidi empowers everyday people to paint their own artwork with stencil!
1. In your e-book, you said you hand-painted surfboards as a business. Is that what started it all, in terms of your current career path?
Heidi: Actually the surfboard business was an accident. I was in so much sadness and overwhelmed from losing our home, cars, etc. that I grabbed some scrap wood and cut out a surfboard shape to just create. Painting has always been my go-to for relaxing. At the time I didn’t realize I was using art to heal. Once the kids at my school went crazy wanting me to paint a mini surfboard for them with their names on it… a light bulb went off. That is when I approached my family with the idea of trying to make extra money by selling the surfboards. I was already teaching art, but not making the money I’d hoped. Having this creative side business really upped my income and got my family out of a really tough situation. Now, teaching paint parties, I have the freedom to create my own schedule and still do what I love most… Paint!
2. Can you speak to the current explosion of interest in hand-painting personal custom wood signage? Do you see it going away any time soon?
Heidi: Hand painting wood signs is SO popular right now! As long as people are inspired by words, which they have been for thousands of years, I don’t see it going anywhere. Words are so powerful! What I’ve learned in my painting business is that when a person can create something that has meaning, it becomes a treasure not just a decorative piece. The key in creating a painting business that lasts is staying on trend with what is popular and also being creative with your designs.
3. Can you talk about the therapeutic benefits and joy you experience in creating original work, using the stencil media, and your vinyl cutter?
Heidi: Wow… Yes, this is a big topic! I could talk about it all day! I recently completed several murals at a school in Houston. It was all based on positive messages for the kids in 6th – 12th grade. To say this project was small is an understatement! Over 14 areas of the school were painted which also included inspirational quotes and messages to uplift the kids and staff! I felt like I was on vacation as I painted this school! Listening to music while painting big (which is my favorite) was SO much fun! And honesty felt like a fun therapy session! Also, the more you paint and create the better you get. I was the girl that took over a year to complete one painting. I would procrastinate and over think everything. Now, with tons of practice and God’s grace, I’m able to paint REALLY fast and freehand really fast! On day one I called my husband to tell him about the first day and how I shocked myself on how fast I can paint now. He reminded me of all the years of painting and how everything comes together. It’s like time stops and you have this moment that feels like it was completely made for you. Having the stencils for the lettering was icing on the cake! Pairing free-handed murals with inspirational messages that turned out perfect because of the vinyl cutter made the entire project look very professional!
4. Do you have any tips for creating a beautiful piece of art that has personal meaning?
Heidi: The main tip I have for creating a meaningful art piece is to take things in your life that are meaning to you and your family! I recently saw a really cool sign at an antique shop and it was already sold! I took a picture and created my version of it using my vinyl cutter and colors, words and symbols that are meaningful to my family. It is now displayed in my kitchen and I absolutely love this piece! It has my husband and I’s initials on it and it makes me feel like when we were just dating and writing our name on everything. We’ve been married over 20 years now. It’s also meaningful because my daughter helped with all of the colors in the background! She’s 12 and we had a blast painting this HUGE piece of plywood to make the centerpiece for our kitchen.
5. What are you doing right now in your artistic life?
Heidi: Our family came up with a word this year and it’s all about adventure! We’ve had some really hard years right in a row so our focus is on fun and adventure! You can read all about our adventures on my blog . As for art and paint parties, my main focus this year has been focused on Paint Party Headquarters! It’s an online membership where I help women all over the world run their own paint party business through mentoring. It’s basically lesson plans and social media hacks for growing your paint party business! If you want to check it out.. You can see it here!
Why not resolve this year to try something new with that vinyl cutter you received under the Christmas Tree? From pop-up greeting cards, to stickers for DIY screenprint stencils, and more, there’s a wide array of applications available to you that you may never even have considered before. Make: magazine has just compiled a list of “34 Cool Things You Can Do with Your New Vinyl Cutter”.
Pop-up Greeting Card. Photo by Natasha Dzurny, Courtesy of Make: Magazine.
Among the highlights:
Use translucent vinyl to produce colorful paper or plywood lanterns (Oracal 8300).
Add frosting or translucent blocking to window glass or acrylic laser cut projects without the messiness of acid etching/sandblasting equipment (Oracal 8510).
Enlarge a thoughtful handwritten note into an epic wall decoration (Interior Wall Décor Kit).
USCutter carries many of the supplies and equipment you need to execute these suggestions with many of the products available at significant discounts. Start making today!
