Woman Shot Six Years Ago Now Shares Joy Through Skeleton Art

Woman Shot Six Years Ago Now Shares Joy Through Skeleton Art

(Elizabeth Schanz, Oct. 20, 2023)

Lapeer, MI – Stephanie Stamper runs a business called Little Dude Skeletons, crafting whimsical and humorous resin art pieces that all have a skeleton as the central character.

Stamper said Little Dude Skeletons was not a plan, but rather came out of her experience of healing from a traumatic injury inflicted by domestic abuse. Her business not only bring her and many others joy, but also shows how Stamper’s resilience and recovery can inspire others.

Six years ago Stamper, who then had the last name of Walls, was shot in the head by her then-husband, Michael Joseph Quigley in Ortonville, Michigan. Quigley is currently in prison with a maximum discharge date of 2079.  Stamper, who miraculously survived the attack, suffered from serious injuries, and a lived through a grueling recovery process both physically and mentally.

Within Stamper’s journey, she feels she has been able to grow as she has overcome her past through art and community.

“I was searching for something after I was hurt, and so I was going through a lot of crafts and then I just started messing with resin and mosaic resin. And then I came across these little skeletons, and just for some fun, I threw it together, ” Stamper said.

In 2021, Stamper first brought her pieces to Lapeer Days, a festival featuring a vendor market, carnival, a classic car show and more, and the first thing that sold were her projects that featured the skeletons, which would later turn into Little Dude.

Stamper never planned on having Little Dude become a business for her. However, after she saw people’s excited reactions, she decided she was “onto something” with the skeleton pieces and decided to expand on the idea. Stamper and her current husband, Scott Stamper, suggested a designer based in Tennessee create a logo for the Little Dudes Skeletons, an image that Stamper is now working on getting trademarked.

The process of Little Dude Skeletons is fulfilling Stamper’s artistic passion and fueling her ability to move forward.

“It gives me something to focus on instead of sitting there and re-thinking about the past,” Stamper said. “Now, I have something, I’m building something, I’m creating something and my mind is on that moving forward, it helps me to move forward.”

Stamper said her there is a Little Dude Skeletons piece for everyone. At a basic level, the pieces have many different themes: Christmas, pirates, Valentine’s Day lovers, or Stamper’s favorite- a drunk St. Patrick’s Day skeleton. However, Stamper feels the pieces speak to who we are not only at the anatomical level of a skeleton but a personal level.

“Everybody’s bones, you know, so everybody that comes in can relate to something,” Stamper said. “When they see something that hits close to home they start laughing, and that makes me smile.”

After the initial takeoff of Little Dude, Stamper began to become more involved with the Lapeer community, becoming a vendor in the Lapeer flea market. She became heavily involved with the organization of the markets. Stamper said she enjoys and has a knack for organizing events. She hopes to create opportunities for other creators and crafters in the future as well.

Being involved with the community was another aspect of her path that Stamper said has greatly benefited her well-being and life.

“I threw myself into the Lapeer County community big time. I’m involved with all the other crafters and vendors. So I think putting myself out there again and just getting with it helped too,” Stamper said.

Additionally, Stamper greatly feels that her strong family support system aided her and continues to help her build a better future after overcoming domestic violence.

Stamper’s story is a personal and potentially familiar story to other people who work to overcome trauma through different outlets.  According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, about one in three women and one in four men have experienced some form of physical violence from and intimate partner. The month of October draws attention to this crisis through the observation of Domestic Violence Awareness Month (DVAM). DVAM was first observed in 1981 and aims to “unite advocates across the nation in their efforts to end domestic violence.”

Stamper advises people who are in a domestic violence situation or feel in any way that their situation could become unsafe to take immediate precautions and actions whether it’s reaching out to an organization or family.

Additionally, Stamper expressed that individuals who find themselves recovering from domestic violence can potentially find outlets and ways to “pull you forward” by following their gut regarding their interests and passions. She says that you never know when a project can turn into something more.

Stamper feels strength and support in her family who encourage her personally and with her passion for Little Dude Skeletons. She brings her Little Dudes Skeleton Pieces to a variety of craft shows around the southeast Michigan area.

She will be at the Smetanka Craft Show at Davison High School on Oct. 21 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Additionally, she sells her work online at https://www.littledudeskeletons.com/.

Other domestic violence resources include the Michigan Domestic Violence Hotline, Domestic Shelters, which has a variety of Metro Detroit-specific resources and Lapeer Area Citizens Against Domestic Assault.