Q:  Tell us about your family and pets.
I am married to Bill for almost 5 years now.  Bill is a graduate student, almost finished with a Psy.D.  We are hoping his success in his new career will make way for my early retirement.  We have a very spoiled and much loved chocolate lab named Chance.  I am also very close to my sister, Starla, who is a stamper, crafter, quilter, and teacher extraordinaire.

Q:  Tell us about your childhood, where you grew up, and when your creativity began.
I grew up in Colorado, but have lived in the Seattle area now for almost 20 years.  I am the middle child of 3, with my sister being 3.5 years older and my brother 14 months younger than me.  I think I have always been a crafter/creative person.  I still have my kindergarten handprint in a paper plate of clay and other childhood art projects.  As mothers and daughters, we always made Christmas ornaments or did macrame, needlecrafts, knitting, etc.  My sister started stamping LONG ago.  I took me quite a while to catch the bug.  I started stamping in early 2002.  I'm slightly obsessed at this point.

Q:  To what do you attribute your talents and what inspires you?
I certainly inherited some artistic ability from my paternal grandmother, Anna Margaret.  She was more of a domestic goddess, by way of cooking, baking, tending to a HUGE flower and vegetable garden, donating her own bouquets to the hospital, as well as her church.  She maintained a giant custom built home, volunteered for almost everything and was always creating something out of nothing.  My grandfather was also quite artistic in a large way.  He was a contractor and custom builder.  He built half of the structures in the small town they lived in, including two or three churches, the schoolhouse, and houses everywhere.  They both passed away many years ago, but I think of them often now and wish I could share this art with them.  My grandma would LOVE micro beads and their sparkle, but she wouldn't believe there could be such a thing.

I am generally inspired by nature, but I peruse a lot of technique books and stamping magazines.  My muse works in strange ways, and is a night owl - like me - but she doesn't have to work a day job.  I get very creative almost every night about 10:30, because bedtime is 11:00.  Projects I start working on sometimes completely morph into something else, but the process of getting there makes it all worthwhile.

Q:  How did you find PWA?
This is a funny story I love to tell.  I was bold enough to invite myself to Suzanne's first Shoebox party, in place of a co-worker who couldn't go but told me about it.  I emailed Suzanne and explained that my co-worker had been invited and could not attend, but could I come in her place?  Suzanne said YES and we've been great friends ever since.  I have been with the group for a LONG time, and for at least 2 years held the "position" of Class Coordinator.  I have retired from this position now, but still enjoy playing in swaps, doing the class projects, and getting together for shoebox parties and other fun.

Q:  When did you begin stamping?
I began stamping in late 2001, but got really serious about it later in early 2002, I soon after became obsessed and now have way too many stamps, inks, embellishments, etc.  Oh, and I am absolutely in LOVE with paper.  I am sure I have several hundreds pounds of paper, in every shade, of every color, every texture, print and size.  I am anxiously waiting for my early  retirement (I'm 37, but see above) so that I can actually use this stuff. 

Q:  What is your favorite stamping technique?
I love it all, but I do have a calling from alcohol inks.  These are just the most fabulous color medium I have ever encountered, and I am hooked on alcohol inks.  They are so easy to use and have such wondrous effects.  I also enjoy various distressing techniques, and am a huge fan of Tim Holtz.

Q:  Do you have any other hobbies or interests, besides Stamping?
I love to play with my dog and take him swimming.  He will chase after his water toy in a lake or the ocean for as long as you will let him.  I suspect he might actually drown himself if you didn't watch for him slowing down and growing tired.

I also love to garden.  I just bought a house 1.5 years ago, so have been busy turning the yard into something.  A blank slate, i.e., a weed field, is a LOT of work and a drain on the pocket book, too.  We must have a balance so there is money for stamping, too.  I have also tackled some painting a small remodeling jobs at my house.

I also like to scrapbook, alter books, make books, bind books, read books - can ya tell I like books. 

Q:  Will you show us some pictures of your stamp/craft room?
Why sure, I even have some photos from a time when it was cleaner than now.  I have done some recent reorganization and have also added two stamps shelves.  I'm still trying to get a system for my unmounteds, so that I will actually use them.