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Business & Tech

Ferndale DIY Profile: Shannon McCarthy, Paper Reincarnator, Proud Nanny

As part of our DIY series, we asked Ferndale residents five questions about what DIY means and how they put the philosophy to use.

Shannon McCarthy has worked in the music journalism world for over a decade. She reclaims and upcycles paper for the products she makes for her company, Comfortably Lovely.

1. Tell us a little about yourself.   

Reaching mid-30s, have worked as a pop culture editor, writer and critic for over a decade. Worked in Ferndale-based music PR for the last six years, on and off, I have worked as a nanny, which is one of the most fulfilling things I have done with my life so far. I've been an artist and a DIY-er most of my life. It's amazing how creative you can be when you have to make do with only what you have. I extend that to my daily life now, totally recycling nut! 

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2. What does DIY mean to you?

For myself, DIY was more of Do It With What You Have. DIY means inspiring and feeding off other people's creativity. Working with your hands, and NOT (always) machines. 

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3. Tell us about a DIY project (or projects) you have worked on and why it was DIY.

I sell art and upcycled paper goods under the moniker Comfortably Lovely for over 4 years. I formed ...A Craft Thing in the spring of 2009, a small company that organized craft events. I love organizing events, finding sponsors, getting to know my Ferndale neighbors and businesses. 

4. Why does the DIY attitude fit Ferndale? 

I feel like Ferndale has changed a lot in the last five years. So many businesses have come up and more housing is available than say eight years ago. A lot of the musicians/creative types once filled Hamtramck and Detroit, but now, you're more likely to run into a musician in Ferndale every two blocks you go. You can get to anywhere in Ferndale on your bike; I love that.

5. Who is your favorite DIY artist/musician/human?

Favorite DIY person: My first thought, is honestly, my mother, and the children I have had the great gift of helping to nurture and raise other's children. My mom suffers from an extreme immune system disorder and lives with severe chronic pain, and she still keeps her chin up every single day. Growing up, she was a single mom to four children, and at a very early age I started working as soon as I could. With lack of funds, my mom did the best to make us safe, have fun and to be proud of whom we were, even if everyone I know got a brand new car when they turned 16 (seriously, fancy town). I became a babysitter turned nanny at 11, and had to learn how to have fun and educate the kids (my neighbors as well as my two younger brothers) on my own. I became a nanny around 15 and was with the family from the ages of 11-23, and I feel so proud of the do it yourself attitude that I passed onto the kids, especially Caitlin, a teacher now herself. She still partly credits me for her keen taste in music, humor and even art. As a nanny to identical twins for almost 4 1/2 years, I took it upon myself to educate the girls in reading/writing and art, very early. We made our own flashcards, and math books. When the twins come to my house now to visit, we always have craft time. It's awesome to see them wanting to use second-hand goods and how to recycle paper goods into art. They also have picked up some of my vintage aesthetic, which is kinda funny.  

This profile is part of Ferndale Patch's month-long  where we talk with residents, artists, musicians, crafters, anyone with an opinion about DIY. The project will lead up to the DIY Street Fair Sept. 16-18. 

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