I grew up with lots of animals around but I'm renting now so I don't feel I can do that. But I do currently have two Maine Coon cats. One is Storm Song or "Stormy," 7 years old, a retired Champion Cat I got from a cattery in Yakima. Now she live the life of luxury: she eats, sleeps, has all the attention she's ever dreamed up, and chases laser lights and bubbles for exercise! Not bad for a cat's retirement! The other cat I have is about one and half years old, "Misty," who was rescued from a drug house apparently. I guess the people were raising the pure breed cats for money for their drugs, I guess. But my mother rescued one of them for me.

We used to have a tank full of tropical fish but when I moved into this house, we never got it going again. Maybe I should do that again! The tank was always kind of fun too! And I do miss having a dog around.

Q: Tell us about your childhood, where you grew up, and when your creativity began.
I grew up in what is now SeaTac, Washington (Near SeaTac Airport). And now live on the other side of the airport in Burien, WA. Growing up, I had a menagerie of animals including dogs, horses, rabbits, cats, etc. I even had a ferret for one period of time. I'd catch lots of bugs, frogs and snakes and my mother would let me keep them for the day but then I'd have to let them go at night. With my mother, we bred and showed Arabian Horses, German Shepherd Dogs, and Collies. She usually showed in confirmation, and I had my hand in the obedience training and showing. I was also in Girl Scouts growing up and earned the 1st Class award (what is now the Golden Award). Girl Scouts is probably where I got to express a lot of creativity by doing the 70+ Merit badges I earned! When I finished that, I moved into 4-H for a couple years and showed rabbits (Siamese Satins and Newfoundland's). That was a fun experience too. I was also very active in clubs and things at my High school too.

My Mother and Father were divorced when I was young, but I really had the best of two worlds. With my father we traveled and did lots of things. He's where I got my travel bug and my love for photography. With my Mother, I learned to budget and make do. I've always been involved with Arts and Crafts, my mother believed that's how you keep the mind active and busy and growing by keeping the hands and creativeness active. She did a lot of things too (painting, knitting, crocheting, woodworking, designing, etc.) and I bet I picked it up a lot of my yearning for doing things from her. Growing up, it was real easy to buy presents for me, if it involved a book (I was a real avid reader too, thanks to a good teacher!) or a craft it was ALWAYS a winner with me! My entire family knew that very well! Actually that almost still works!

I've used my creativity bug in past jobs too. After High school, I earned a Horticulture degree and became a florist for awhile. Then I moved to the Grand Tetons National Park in Wyoming for a season to work at the park (That was the best job! Like being paid to have fun!) When I came back, I worked at Boehm's Chocolates and was a Candymaker for awhile. But then I divorced and became a single Mother, I had to make "real" money. So I studied at Highline Community College and Seattle University and earned my BA in Accounting in 1996. (Studying with three toddlers and finished in four years time to boot!)

Currently, my day job is CFO (Company Financial Officer) for a company in Bellevue, and I'm also living at a Kiwanis Youth Camp in Burien. I'm the Caretaker there too.

Q: To what do you attribute your talents and what inspires you?
No. 1 is God Almighty. That's why I love the outdoors so much. The grand beauty that God has created inspires me in all that I do. He grants me the ability to see it in it's great splendor with all the outdoor things I do (hiking, backpacking, camping, boating, etc). He's allowed me to find animals in their natural state (And oh, boy! Do I ever have stories to share with you.) I've witnessed all sorts of wildlife in their habitats, some too close! I remember one early morning, as I laid in my tent, I watched the goings-on in a meadow for two hours as bear, deer, beavers, squirrels, birds, fog, sunrise, all played a part in the meadow before me! WOW! How can that not be inspirational? Maybe one day, I'll figure out what God wants me to do with all He guides me through!

Next would be my Father and Mother. My father taught me how to appreciate nature and be one with it. We did a lot of traveling in our times together. He taught me how to be patient and kind to the animals in the wild and how to appreciate nature around me. (My first real words were "Black Cottonwood" according to my Dad.) He also taught me how to travel, to "visit someone's home" not to bring "my home" to them. My Mother taught me the finer things and how to work with my hands, and to keep busy and to be happy with myself. All my arts and crafts that I experiment with come from my mother instilling in me to try and do many things, to be willing to experiment, and have fun with what I do. All of which contributes to what I'm able to do today.

Also of recent, this group, PWA, is also VERY inspiring to me. All of your ability and talent and friendships are so inspirational and encouraging for me. I've dropped all my other groups because they just don't have what PWA has! You all amaze me with your talent and your willingness to share with others. This is a true community of talent and friendship. You all keep me challenged and fulfill my continued quest to learn and grow all the time! I am honored that you have included me into your circle! I only hope I can give back to you as much as you all give to me!

Q: How did you find PWA?
I just stumbled into it one day. I think I just did a Google search for Micro beads one day. When Suzanne met me to deliver the order, we just kind of "clicked" and she told me about the retreat. At that time, I had decided to do more "women things," so I took a plunge into going to the Retreat in 2005 without knowing anyone but Suzanne, and not even her very long! And for me, that was a big plunge! But I got so much more than "stamping," I feel that I've actually found "home" and a community of friends that I treasure.

Q: When did you begin stamping?
A friend invited me to a Stampin' Up workshop 5 years ago and I was hooked to rubberstamping. It wasn't long after that I started seeking out new and better ways to do it, soaking in every technique and method I could get my hands on! I signed up to be a Stampin' Up Demonstrator two years ago after checking out all the other similar companies. I decided Stamping Up was the best one out there for me. It offers me the ability to supply my habit and the residuals were the best with SU than any other company. Plus it's a company with heart, which also attracted me. I really enjoy the stamping but I also enjoy teaching others how to get started too!

Q: What is your favorite stamping technique?
I don't really have one favorite, I enjoy learning and growing and trying new things all the time! What's the next class!?!?.............

Q: Do you have any other hobbies or interests, besides Stamping?
I've dappled in many things and have many interests and hobbies! ANYTHING arts and crafts, I like to try and do lots. My mother was always bringing new things home for me to do. I've had my hand in painting, sculpting, clay, yarn, needleworking, counted cross stitch and needlepoint, mostly. I've tried woodworking, basket weaving, Swedish weaving, macrame. And definitely worked a lot with kids crafts since I was a Program Director for day camp for 7 years! So I know my way around TP rolls and plaster of paris!

Besides that, I do things that would surprise you. Many I just don't have time for but would love to get back to them. I've been involved with model railroading (I dream of having an outdoor garden railroad someday!), I have scale size "N" for my train sets. I just don't have the room to pull them all out anymore. I use to do that with my father a lot too. It's probably why I like working with miniatures so much. Never was much for dolls and dollhouses but with the trains, I could create the miniature buildings and things to create mini towns and villages. Love that! My Dad taught me about photography too. I like to dapple in that as well. One day maybe I can get serious about it! And I liked to go sail boating and canoeing with my father as well. I just recently went Kayaking, my new sport, I think!

I like the art of Bonsai trees and collecting Miniatures too, probably my interest in mini things again.

I enjoy reading as well, with thanks from a teacher who encouraged me at a young age.

I really enjoy the animals, domestic and wild! My life isn't much if I can't have at least one furry thing around! I enjoy collecting anything that involves wildlife animals (especially the northwest) but most especially wolves and foxes (okay, eagles, bears, and cougars too!).

I spend a lot of time outdoors too. I like camping, hiking, backpacking, kayaking, canoeing, some fishing, cycling, white river rafting, etc. Generally I love the outdoors where I can visit nature and God's great beauty! Growing up I often said if I could find a career that included art and nature I'd be very happy. I ended up an Accountant, go figure!

I play the Classical Guitar and the Irish Lap Harp. Or at least I try, I'm still learning the harp! One day, maybe I can play for you! Maybe not, *smile*

I have way too many interests and hobbies to list ALL of them. But some others I like are Theatre and Arts, music (Playing, singing, and listening, anything but RAP and Hard Rock), gardening, Letterboxing, dutch oven cooking, dessert making, flowers (I used to be a florist), candymaking (I used to work for Boehm's). Dream of owning my own business someday. I like working with the kids in Scouting too. You'll just have to get to know me better to know EVERYTHING I'm interested in or do!
 

Q: Will you show us some pictures of your stamp/craft room?
Sure, but it's not much. It's simply a place to store all my things and work in peace. I have half my bedroom I use for my crafting. By day, my bed serves as a table or cutting board, by night, a bed that the cats will sometimes move over for me to sleep! I try my best to keep the crafts in there and out of the boys way but my dining room table has been covered in projects more than once! The problem with any projects I work on is that I give most of them away!