Bambi’s Clay Design is the result of a hobby turned obsession from the creative mind of Melissa Ciccocioppo. Born in 1988 in the small town of Camp Hill, PA, Melissa grew up loving animals and dinosaurs. Movies such as Jurassic Park, Fern Gully, The Land Before Time, and The Lion King only helped fuel her desire to learn as much as she could about all the wonderful creatures the earth has to offer. She was always artistic, having had A’s in art class all the way from kindergarten through her final year at The Art Institute of Pittsburgh. She graduated in 2009 with an Associate’s Degree in graphic design, only to realize that this was something she would rather do on the side. Determined to fuel her creativity in fun new ways, Melissa picked up her first bar of polymer clay in August 2009 and was immediately hooked. She had never sculpted in her life and was realizing quickly that she had a hidden talent.
Her inspiration mainly comes from wildlife, dinosaurs, and nature in general and she focuses on jewelry design and small animal sculptures. She recently returned from a honeymoon to Costa Rica with a whole new perspective on our environment. She zip-lined through rainforest canopies, visited a deserted tropical island, stood at the edge of a volcano, fed wild monkeys, and saw an abundance of wildlife along the way. Now she’s back with more inspiration than ever, creating fun new jewelry and mini sculptures whenever she isn’t working at the Crazy Mocha coffee shop in Bloomfield. Her creations make perfect gifts for animal lovers, and she loves taking custom orders.
Visit her store at www.bambisclaydesign.etsy.com to make a purchase or become a fan on her facebook page, Bambi’s Clay Design, and see all of her work in progress. If you would like to request something specific, e-mail her at mmcdesign13@gmail.com or stop by Crazy Mocha Tuesday-Saturday and speak to her in person.
