May 24, 2021 Kris Mayberry

Spotlight Designer! Sam L.!

Q&A With Sam!

My name is Sam, I am a 28 year old artist from Parkville, MD. I went to Towson University and graduated with a degree in art history in 2015. I opened my Etsy shop after graduating. I started with 3 sticker designs and have grown to over 100 different sticker designs and last year during the pandemic, my brother and I purchased a Glowforge laser. I have since expanded my business to include laser cut items and digital SVG files and have created over 100 different designs available for other makers to create fun whimsical projects. I create a lot of floral engraving files, single line scoring patterns, and cute cut files for nursery rounds. What 3 words would you use to describe yourself? Creative, passionate, and determined
What is your favorite type of material to work with and why? I like working with MDF best because there are no limits on what you can do with it. You can paint it any color, add glitter, make it metallic... it's so much fun! The COLORboard really takes MDF to another level too. No need to mask, paint, or seal. I made this dragon completely out of Craft Closet COLORboard and I think it turned out so cute. I also really like working with iridescent acrylic - I think it is absolutely beautiful!! Combining it with translucent acrylic has been one of my favorite pairings to make suncatchers.
What is a project you are proud of and why? My absolute favorite design I've created is my "Patricia" Peony Engraving file. I've created a few variations of signs, but my favorites are the ones where I paint the flowers and stain the backers. This has also been one of my most popular files.

What inspired this file? I absolutely love drawing flowers. They are beautiful and unique and every flower is different. It never gets boring or repetitive because there are so many out there to draw. These floral files can also be used for a wide variety of projects - door hangers, name signs, keychains, and more, which keeps it exciting.
What do you do to get in the zone for crafting? I like to listen to music when I am drawing or crafting.
Who inspires you and why? There are so many incredible creators in the laser community and I find myself constantly in awe of the fantastic pieces these designers are making. One of my favorite people in the industry is Nicole Discher (NicCreates on Etsy). She makes these absolutely beautiful floral pieces that capture exactly the whimsical feeling I love so much and strive to make in my own work. I've also learned a ton from Mariel Ercolano (OnTheCraftTable on Etsy) when it comes to making vector files and sign-making. She is doing amazing things and has created such a welcoming space for laser designers to come together in her Facebook group, Glowforge Sign Makers, where I am a moderator.
What is your favorite thing to do outside of crafting? My favorite thing to do when I'm not crafting is to watch TV shows with my husband. We will watch anything, but some of our favorite shows are The Witcher, Face Off and other competition shows, and Brooklyn 99. A lot of our evenings are spent watching TV while he plays computer games and I work on my drawings or laser files and I find it very relaxing.
Is there anything else you would like to share with us? I just want to say thank you for asking me to be a part of this and for being supportive of my work! I am still relatively new to the world of file design so this is a really cool opportunity and I'm so grateful :)