About The Clever Kitty
All of the items at The Clever Kitty are made by me, Shannon Hanley. I have a passion for creating, love classic styles and bright colors, and am inspired by the simplicity and beauty of nature. All of my designs are original, and I always take the time & care necessary to make a quality hand-crafted product. Here's a little more about me:
-------------------- My History --------------------
I grew up in Iowa, and spent much of my time as a child doing art or craft projects. During high school, I took as many art classes as possible (much to the dismay of my guidance counselor, who wanted me to fill my schedule with math and science classes). When I graduated from high school I knew that I wanted to pursue a career in the arts, and decided to go to the Kansas City Art Institute, where I earned my BFA in Fiber Arts. After graduating from KCAI, I lived in Kansas City for several years working as a designer and garment cutter, until my husband and I embarked on the adventure of moving to the east coast. We fell in love with Portland and have been living on the beautiful coast of Maine ever since.
-------------------- My Family --------------------
I have a wonderfully supportive husband, who is a very talented musician and artist. We have a very bright and creative 4 year old daughter, whom I affectionately call "Little G", and just had our second little girl in May, whom I affectionately call "Baby B". Between my art and crafting, my husband’s music, and Little G’s drawing and painting, there is lots of creativity happening at our house!
-------------------- My Current Work --------------------
When we moved to Maine, I decided to look for work in another creative field which I had always been drawn to, and began working as a floral designer. I have now been working at a local family-owned florist for over 8 years, creating floral designs for all occasions, my favorite of which are weddings and proms.
In addition to The Clever Kitty and my day job as a florist, I am also the Editor in Chief of Modern Handmade Child. MHC is a digital magazine and blog celebrating handmade living in a new way. Our goal is to provide a fun and valuable resource helping families to embrace the handmade way of life. You can find MHC online at http://mhcmag.com.
I also have another Etsy shop for swirled wire jewelry that I make: http://thecurlykitty.etsy.com.
-------------------- My History --------------------
I grew up in Iowa, and spent much of my time as a child doing art or craft projects. During high school, I took as many art classes as possible (much to the dismay of my guidance counselor, who wanted me to fill my schedule with math and science classes). When I graduated from high school I knew that I wanted to pursue a career in the arts, and decided to go to the Kansas City Art Institute, where I earned my BFA in Fiber Arts. After graduating from KCAI, I lived in Kansas City for several years working as a designer and garment cutter, until my husband and I embarked on the adventure of moving to the east coast. We fell in love with Portland and have been living on the beautiful coast of Maine ever since.
-------------------- My Family --------------------
I have a wonderfully supportive husband, who is a very talented musician and artist. We have a very bright and creative 4 year old daughter, whom I affectionately call "Little G", and just had our second little girl in May, whom I affectionately call "Baby B". Between my art and crafting, my husband’s music, and Little G’s drawing and painting, there is lots of creativity happening at our house!
-------------------- My Current Work --------------------
When we moved to Maine, I decided to look for work in another creative field which I had always been drawn to, and began working as a floral designer. I have now been working at a local family-owned florist for over 8 years, creating floral designs for all occasions, my favorite of which are weddings and proms.
In addition to The Clever Kitty and my day job as a florist, I am also the Editor in Chief of Modern Handmade Child. MHC is a digital magazine and blog celebrating handmade living in a new way. Our goal is to provide a fun and valuable resource helping families to embrace the handmade way of life. You can find MHC online at http://mhcmag.com.
I also have another Etsy shop for swirled wire jewelry that I make: http://thecurlykitty.etsy.com.