. . . . I did not have a hobby.  I did not take art classes in school.  I did not grow up doing a lot of arts and crafts.  My grandmother was really crafty, and the first art project I remember was when I was very young we decorated white craft paper with crayons, macaroni, cotton balls, and tooth picks.  I don't know why I remember it so well, but I can remember really enjoying this.  I can also remember really loving to theme my birthday parties with unique ideas not just store bought themes.  At the time my dad who was great on the computer helped me play around on an old computer in DOS, and a print shop program that allowed you to design greeting cards.

In my early twenties I decided to pick up a hobby.  My first thought was floral design since I dabbled around a bit in it a few years earlier.  I also really enjoyed baking with my grandmother so I took a cake decorating class at my local Michael's arts and crafts store. Two classes into it my instructor asked me if I would be interest in taking her place as instructor. She said I had a natural talent for it. I was flattered and super excited. After completing the program 3 months later they started training me how to teach the classes.

Two weeks into my new teaching job as an cake decorating instructor the Events Coordinator who was over me took me to lunch and asked me if I wanted her job! I could not believe it. She said she thought I would be good at it and catch on quick. The position consisted of working with all of the instructors who taught there, planning and organizing events, running their summer camp program, and the children's craft projects on Saturdays. I agreed and started training.  My first day on the job was to sit in on a scrapbooking crop. I explained to my boss, that I had no clue what scrapbooking was. She laughed at me. She said it was important to learn, and to try to have knowledge on every class that was taught at the store. So that night I learned how to scrapbook.

In my time at Micheal's, I tried to learn all I could from the classes offered.  Drawing, painting, polymer clay, jewelry, and of course scrapbooking.  Drawing and painting where not my cup of tea, but I really enjoyed learning all the other skills.

From day one my Scrapbooking pages were always a bit chunky. Most of the other students where more interested in persevering their photos and placing their pages in plastic sleeves.  I was more interested in texture and cutting things up!  Then one day I opened up a Somerset Studios publication. It was like the heavens opened and angels were signing. Ok so maybe not really, BUT I do remember gasping. I was in love!

I continued my learning experience by purchasing every Somerset magazine I could find.  Since at the time I did not really have any family photos or photos of friends to put in a scrapbook,  I started to create paper bag scrapbooks and sell them on Ebay.  This was an easy way for me to try new things and support my hobby.

I was thrilled with my new found hobby and became obsessed with scrapbooking paper. I also started collecting vintage material and images like CRAZY! I decided to open a Ebay shop to sell supplies so that I could create with paper a little cheaper by purchasing wholesale. I started to use all my new skills learned at Micheal's in polymer, jewelry, stitching etc in my books. The more I learned and collected the more textured my creations became.

I was happy that my Ebay store did so well so one day my brother came over to try to help me design a website. He spent about 2 hours with me in Photoshop. And from there my interest in digital art was sparked.  I had a lot of fun recoloring and extracting images to use in my book creations. Later I discovered collage sheets, and decided since I already was altering the images to use in my books, that I would put them on paper and try to sell them.

In the few years this went on, my scrapbook art turned more into altered book art, then to collage art, and soon I was altering and creating all sorts of different things.  As I collected and gathered along my journey, everything I learned and collected helped mold and shape me into who I am today.

It's funny how things happen. In my artistic journey I have wanted to be so many things, including: a floral shop owner, a wedding planner, own a bakery, have a scrapbooking store front, and much more. But now, I am just happy being a mom and enjoying my artful adventure.

Thanks so much for stopping by and listening to my little story.