Clockwork Creature Studio was founded in 2008 when Shannon Heartwood (known as Qarrezel or Q) and her husband Matt (Laughing Scarab or Mateo) decided to bypass the awful job market and start doing their own thing. Shannon had been making animal costumes as a hobby for years already, and even selling some on the side, so they decided to make a proper business of it with the mission of not only making great costumes but improving the art of fursuiting as a whole. Their work has since spread to five continents, won numerous awards, and been been featured in several performance projects; most notably the Dutch film production Bitter Lake.

Matt and Shannon live in Towson, Maryland with altogether too many cats.