Spotlight On: Stephanie Cassata's My Little Vinylmation

Remember that awesome Vinylmation 95 themed to the Candy world of Wreck It Ralph? Well that artist is back with a mash up of Disney and My Little Pony. We got to chat with Stephanie Cassata about her new piece and the tv show too.

Destination Vinylmation: My Little Pony was an interesting choice, what was the inspiration for creating a Vinylmation with them?
Stephanie Cassata: The bright, colorful style of the ponies I felt went great with the Vinylmation shape. Both the show and Disney share a lot of common concepts such as creativity, being positive, and of course magic. So even though there are two different titles represented here, I believe they make a very nice combination.

DV: It looks great, how do you feel about how it came out?
SC: I'm so pleased with how the characters turned out (Twilight Sparkle and Rainbow Dash), even though they're so tiny! The front features the iconic hot air balloon, and the back features the ever-popular sonic rainboom. I really enjoy painting the intricate details on my customs, it's a good challenge and even better to see it come together.

DV: My girlfriend is totally a Twilight Sparkle. What are your favorite ponies?
SC: I really love Fluttershy, she's so sweet and adorable and her attitude is as soft as a marshmallow. I also love Zecora. I like how cool and mysterious she is!

DV: What is My Little Pony actually about?
SC: The show follows the daily lives of six ponies and the everyday challenges and adventures they face (both big and small). Each pony is blessed with a special gift that makes them unique, and they use those gifts to make their lives and the lives of others better. The main character (Twilight Sparkle) is a unicorn with magical powers who studies their friendship and summarizes each episode with a positive life lesson.

DV: Why do you think this version of MLP has captured minds the way it has?
The show is full of bright, colorful characters, catchy music, humor, wit, and feel-good moments. The show is positive and pure, and I think that appeals to the best in everybody. It gives fans of the show a sweet escape they can go to for a while, and has even inspired many people in their own lives. Something like that can do wonders.

DV: So what's your favorite MLP episode?
SC: I think I'd have to say "Magical Mystery Cure". It's a really exciting episode where everything that has happened in the series comes together, and the main characters realize just how deep and important their friendship is. It also has great music and the start of a new chapter in their lives.

DV: Interesting. I know my girlfriend and I really enjoy the writer of the comic book, Katie Cook. We have several pieces of her art. Well, back to your artwork, what was the biggest challenge in creating it?
SC: Painting the little characters and still making them look good! Since this is a 3" mold, the ponies extremely tiny. But I just took my time and focused, and I'm happy with the results.

DV: Thanks for giving us some insight. I might have to actually try watching the show. And great work!

Spotlight On: Stephanie's Delicious Ghirardelli Custom

Stephanie Cassata sent over her latest custom she would like to share. (we thought she was sharing an actual sundae too) Take a look. And if you start to drool, that's okay. You can always stop by her Etsy store to purchase one.

This one is my Ghirardelli custom, inspired by the delicious ice cream and chocolate shop located at Downtown Disney. My favorite chocolate ever, it was fun to take different elements from the shop and create a little character out of it. She has whipped cream hair topped with a cherry and a chocolate square, and even has a touch of Ghirardelli blue as part of her design. The sweetness and happiness I experience every time I go there really came through in this custom. How can you not love chocolate?

Visit Stephanie's Etsy shop to see more of her work.

Spotlight On: Stephanie's Valentine's

Remember that awesome Sugar Rush Racer we spotlighted a few weeks back. We ran into Stephanie again and she shared a cool custom with us. Also check out her sale she's running, more info at the end of the post.

 "I love kawaii art, and it fits the spirit of Vinylmation so perfectly. I really enjoy incorporating that style into my customs, which I've done a few times already. Inspired by Valentine's Day (which is one of my favorite holidays), I had to come up with something cute and shiny (and pink is my favorite color too). This little character started to form in my head, and I went with it. I love leopard spots and (of course) a little extra sparkle, so I had a lot of fun making this cutie!

Several additional elements were utilized to give her the extra dimension. I used Sculpey clay for her hair and tail, Swarovski crystals, fabric flowers, and a wooden base for her to sit on. I enjoyed using the clay to form the swirling dynamic features, which come together for nice aesthetic appeal. All separate elements were sealed together using Mod Podge, and the final piece has a glossy Testors finish. And of course, just a touch of glitter paint!"

If you'd like to find more stuff by Stephanie go to etsy.com/shop/StephanieImagined or stephanieimagined.weebly.com/

Stephanie is also running a salethru Valentine's Day 2013 on her site. Use the coupon code in this image to get 10% off your entire order.

Spotlight On: Custom Vinylmation Artist Stephanie Cassata

One of my all-time favorite Disney animated movies is "Meet the Robinsons." Customs featuring that movie are far and few between. So when a friend of mine sent me a picture from an artist on Etsy with the following custom... I had to contact her. Stephanie Cassata from Anamosa, Iowa is the subject of our spotlight today. She has also designed one of the sweetest Vinylmation 95s I have ever seen.

Destination Vinylmation: We don't see too many "Meet the Robinsons" customs, what made you choose this movie ?
Stephanie Cassata: I love the movie "Meet the Robinsons", not only is it hilarious, but touching and inspiring too. "Keep moving forward" is a quote that is so important to remember.

The scene depicted here is a very exciting one where Wilbur takes Louis to the future. The fantastic scenery paired with the soaring score makes this one of my favorite scenes in the film. I really enjoy the retro style of the future, which is another fun aspect of the movie. And with "Tomorrowland" becoming "Todayland", truly is the cherry on top of this moment.

DV: You also have a custom that looks straight out of Disney's Cutesters series. Your 3" Kawaii Custom features all kinds of treats including some Disney themed ones. I spot the Mickey ice cream bar... what else is in there?
SC: There is a Dole Whip on the right side of the face, school bread on the side of the left foot (found in the Norway pavilion at Epcot, which by the way is delicious!), and the blue popsicle on the back of the head is a nod to the amazing Kingdom Hearts games.

DV: You custom painted a Vinylmation 95 to look like a Sugar Rush Racer from Wreck-it-Ralph. This was a brilliant idea! First off... is it edible?
SC: Thank you! It certainly looks good enough to eat! My aim was to make it as sugary sweet as I could, from the bright colors to the sparkling details. I knew the wheels had to have candy rims, and I had a lot of fun adding the "frosting" to top it off (which is actually Whipple applied using actual frosting tips). This custom does make me hungry for some cake!

DV: The wheels are my favorite part. What is yours?
SC: I think I'd have to say the front-right area is what makes me smile the most. Something about the colors all coming together at the point is just beautiful. The peach ring with the peppermint swirls, the blue merging into the yellow, and the sprinkle/stars are very aesthetically pleasing together.

DV: Where can people go to view and purchase your work?
SC: They can visit my Etsy shop to see my artwork available for purchase, which can be found here: http://www.etsy.com/shop/StephanieImagined. People can also visit my art website to see even more work I have done: http://stephanieimagined.weebly.com/

DV: Do you take commissions?
SC: Indeed I do! I love to work with others to create the customs they would love to see come to life. I can be contacted through my Etsy, website, or straight through my email stephanie.cassata@gmail.com with any inquiries, questions, and commissions.

DV Thank you for sharing your work with our audience.
SC: My pleasure! Thank you for the spotlight, it really is a treat to share my passion with the world and the fantastic Vinylmation community.