LKCustomCreations

Hi, I'm Lizz Klaras, the artist behind LK Custom Creations. I am originally from Petersburg, Illinois, a rural little town right in the middle of the state. I grew up always involved in some sort of art project, whether it was for school or for fun. I began painting around the age of eleven and was completely inspired by no other than, Bob Ross. I wanted nothing more than to have my life career be as joyful as how I felt Bob was on tv. Ultimately, I chose to attend the Savannah College of Art and Design and study illustration. Little did I know how technology and the timing of it all would create what I am doing today. After graduating in 2004, my life was filled with all sorts of random "art" related jobs. I would say yes to anything I thought I was capable of, just to get my name out into the world. I dabbled in set design, drafted medical illustrations, painted portraits, painted murals, painted faces, illustrated brochures, designed business cards and logos, you name it! At this point, I wasn't really sure how this would work and it took almost a decade to figure out what I loved the most. Seven years of my life after college was also spent as a business account manager for a logistics company. This was not my favorite thing to do, but gave me great exposure to customer service skills, communication and business management. In the Fall of 2013, my husband found an opportunity for our family to move in a new direction. He enlisted in the US Navy and we moved to Chesapeake, VA. I was able to leave the logistics job and finally figure out how I could create this dream career. September 2013, LK Custom Creations became an official Etsy shop. I started out selling custom wedding invitations and little cut paper frames that were a big hit for events. This whole time my husband was deployed and I was home with our one year old daughter in a new place. It was a stressful but exciting time. I was finally feeling like I was figuring it all out. However, the digital designing and paper cutting became a little daunting to me. I kept trying to find other projects that would allow me to paint, as I felt that was what was missing. I started researching how to paint glass and instantly fell in love. I loved how you could paint all sides. I loved how the paint felt on the surface, how quick it dried and how easy it was to clean up. I loved how unique it was and everything about it was just fun! With the success of the glass painted items, I decided to exclusively paint on glass for my shop. Over the years, my business has expanded drastically because of my loyal customers who give me the best ideas and stretch my talent. I have always loved custom work and believe in giving people only what they imagined or more. I have now been solely running the business for over 11 years and every year has been better than the last. Because of social media and this amazing internet sales platform, this is the best time to create for a living. Because of you, this artist will starve no more! I am currently living the dream that was created over a lifetime.