About The Artist
“Have you ever looked at something, turned it over in your hand, and just known there is another life or use for the object? I have to admit that I am a junk junkie, a hoarder of sorts; I have boxes and trays full of tiny bits and scraps I have collected for decades. The thrill of taking some discarded thing and giving it a new purpose has driven my creative gears for years! I never throw anything away and have always been teased that I use everything but the squeal.” --Shelleen
Shelleen grew up surrounded by antiques and vintage items. Her family enjoyed going rummaging and thrift shopping every weekend. Thus her love of “hunting” for vintage items began at an early age. She will forever be on the lookout for pieces that are in need of being re-PURPOSEd, re-CYCLEd, and re-LOVEd.
Perhaps her love of vintage items began long before those wonderful weekends of treasure hunting. She is named after lead character, Kid Shelleen, from the 1965 award-winning western comedy, "Cat Ballou." A woman seeking revenge for her murdered father hires a famous gunman, but he's very different from what she expects. Kid Shelleen is an 1800’s faded gunfighter who was part of a Wild West show, a drunken bum whose pants fall down when he draws his gun, and who is unable to hit a barn when he shoots. He was hired by one Catherine "Cat" Ballou to protect her father; unfortunately, her father is murdered by Kid's twin brother. Cat uses Kid’s antics, taken directly from his dime store novels, for planning train robberies with her gang. Kid falls in love with Cat, and eventually kills his own twin to prove it. When Kid realized that Cat did not love him in the same way that he loved her, he gallantly continued to be her knight and helped save her from her scheduled hanging.
So how does upcycled art and a hilarious drunk cowboy fit together? They don’t! That is the beauty of art! Likewise, Shelleen’s pieces are crafted from items that are not typically used to create amazing jewelry. No two pieces of Shelleen’s work are exactly the same. Each piece is hand crafted with passion, dedication, and quality from previously loved items, to make your new-to-you piece a one-of-a kind treasure.
“My work allows me to combine my love of crafting with my love of vintage in a whole new way...Vintage With a Modern Twist. I am so blessed to be able to live my dream, and I get to share my passion with everyone who discovers my pieces.” --Shelleen