1. As a child was crafting something you did often?
Yes. I used to make clothes for my dolls, fancy dress, accessories like bags and jewels, and even toys for myself. My mother taught me how to knit and croched from age 4 and let me access her sewing machine when I was 10. I was hooked!

2. What types of crafts did you like most?
Working with wool and fabrics. I used to make dolls and cushions that were sold to raise money for a charity in Africa. We would then send milk and medicine to those in need

3. What was it like when you were growing up? Did your parents play a major role in your creative abilities?
It was great. I did not have to worry about sourcing supplies. LOL
My father had even set a wall for me to express my creativity freely. I was able to paint and draw anything I wanted and they would always drive me to the mall if I needed more knitting wool or needles so I could choose what I wanted.
When I turned 12, they also enrolled me in the local school of Fine arts, les Beaux-arts for extra tuition and fun.

4. When you are creating what is your main focus? Do you need a quiet space or do your need an active enviroment to get your creative juices flowing?
Ican create in any kind on environment, but prefer busy crazy ones, with lots of people, laughter, ideas exchange, noise background or music playing.

5. Tell us about yourself and why you want the world to know about your crafting treasures.
many times, while wearing my jewelry or clothes, I get stopped by strangers commenting on “How nice this looks “, “where did you get it”…
I would be delighted if the people who do not have the opportunity to meet me were also able to find and wear my creations. Having limited editions also makes my work unique and my customers are quite sure not to see the same designs on others. The fact that I follow the latest trends also means that one new collection is being created while one is already out.

6. Do you want to give special thanks to those who embrased your creative side, do it here.
Thanks to all of you who believe in me and make this possible.

We could ask the same questions most ezines ask but we want to know the person behind the business. Crafting is not just money making way of life. Crafting is a gift from the heart. Creativity is the way to embrace the grand vision of~Self~

~Preserving the past..Promoting the future~

7. How can you preserve the past with your creative abilities?
I am preserving the past by using some of the skills my mother taught me, which she got from her mother, which herself learnt from hers… Being culturally diverse shows in my creations as they will always reflect my French, Spanish, Indian Carribean, Russian heritage.

8. In the next 10 years to be, how do you vision your creative lifestyle to be?
I already teach a few classes to young girls interested by developping and unleashing their creativity. I would like to create some tutorials, keep creating new collections, embracing new cultures, new markets and new materials adn techniques.

9. Last but not least, what is one treasure of advise you can pass on to the younger generation for creating a life full of passion?
Follow your instincts. Trust yourself. take the plunge.

Questionaire:

As a child was crafting something you did often? All the time. When I was
little I was the youngest of my entire family. Not that it was a huge
family with only me, my brother, and 3 cousins. But I was the littlest, the
newest, the least popular kids. So when I saw the chance to become
someone’s favorite I jumped at it. My great grandmother spent all her time
making quilts. So to impress her, I started to mimic her stitches on scraps
of my own fabric. Before long, I had a guilt to show her and a smile
knowing I had won her crafty-heart! It all started there and I never
stopped.

What types of crafts did you like most? Since I was poor, and couldn’t
afford “cool” clothes, I really liked creating my own. From t-shirt
reconstruction, to cute skirts out of the sheets on my bed, I always felt
better in something I made than something we had scrimped for. It seemed
easier to be strange but interesting in my handmade items, than sad and
outdated in my hand-me-downs.

What was it like when you were growing up? Did your parents play a major
role in your creative abilities? My mother couldn’t sew a button to save
her life! When it came to learning my skills, they came from my father, tho
indirectly. No, he couldn’t sew a handbag, or make an A-line skirt, but he
instilled something entirely crafty into my thought process. My dad is an
engineer. And when he wants something, he wants it now. So if he doesn’t
have the right tools for the job, or the right supplies listed on the
recipe, rather than do it later, he improvises. And I am just like him! It
makes us craft our way to the answer.

When you are creating what is your main focus? Do you need a quiet space or
do your need an active enviroment to get your creative juices flowing? I
can work in both. In all honesty, I am almost always creating. Whether it
is knitting through the movie I have just gone to see, or sewing in a zipper
in between tasks at work. The surroundings are secondary. My hands just
have to keep on working on the task my heart has set them to achieve.

Tell us about yourself and why you want the world to know about your
crafting treasures. I was always a picky shopper thanks to my lack of
money. But even when I had the means, I found it hard and tiring to find
the exact thing I wanted. Sometimes things came close, but I have never
been one to compromise. So I just ended up making what I had set in my
head. And when I would leave the house with it, the exact match to my
hearts desires, I would have people asking me “Oh I love that, where did you
get it!” I can’t put them thru the hell I went through trying to find it!
So I offer it to them, made by me.

Do you want to give special thanks to those who embrased your creative side,
do it here. {We love real life inspiration} My dad taught me how to fix and
build cars. And in doing so, he taught me the ethics of D.I.Y. He didn’t
even know that showing me how to align the front end of our sports car would
help me create the messenger bag I wore everyday to school. He was the
first to say I should have my own business, the first to tell me I was a
great designer. He is as weird and ecentric as me. And without that, I
would be no where. So I thank him every chance I get! Thanks Dad!!

We could ask the same questions most ezines ask but we want to know the
person behind the business. Crafting is not just money making way of life.
Crafting is a gift from the heart. Creativity is the way to embrace the
grand vision of~Self~

Preserving the past..Promoting the future..

How can you preserve the past with your creative abilities? There are two
sides to my past-craft-connection. On one hand, the very art of handmade
seems long lost. By creating my wares stitch by stitch, I preserve that
skill for the next person to ask me, “can you teach me how.” Or, if they
are like me, they simply study the thing I have made, and recreate it on
their own. A whole new generation of self taught seemstresses like myself.
On the other hand, my crafts preserve MY past. The place I was in when I
made that. The mood it took to create that piece. Looking through my
catalog is like reading my diary. So I am preserving crafting past, as well
as my own.

In the next 10 years to be, how do you vision your creative lifestyle to be?
Hopefully by then my life will be rearranged. My craftyt side being the
bread winner, my day job simply adding to the pot, no longer working just to
afford the supplies.

Last but not least, what is one treasure of advise you can pass on to the
younger generation for creating a life full of passion? You can always rip
the seems and start again.

As a child was crafting something you did often? All the time! I loved to draw, color, and paint. In fourth grade my art class went to a park in Savannah (GA) to draw a lion statue. My mom, Aunt, and grandmother were all very crafty and artistic. My grandmother was an acrylic artist. My aunt is very good with a variety of crafts, and my mom can do anything with her sewing machine, crochet needle, or knitting needles. I also took a class where I sculpted a seal out of clay.

What types of crafts did you like most? Drawing and coloring were my favorites.

What was it like when you were growing up? Did your parents play a major role in your creative abilities? I had a lot of support. My grandmother and mom took me to a class here and there. They let me paint my bedroom my favorite color for a home-ech (sp?) class. I was always supplied with crayons and paper.

When you are creating what is your main focus? Do you need a quiet space or do your need an active enviroment to get your creative juices flowing? When I am fusing my dichroic glass pendants I go to my work station in the garage and turn on the radio. Sometimes my creative juices overflow and I want to do everything at once. I am also a watercolor artist and I like to have quiet when I paint.

Tell us about yourself and why you want the world to know about your crafting treasures. I am 44 and love what I do – I just love color. Each room in my house is painted a different color from apple green to Carribean colors. My living room is yellow with burgundy and white and a lot of colorful paintings on the walls.

I love working with dichroic glass because of the bright colors. I was introduced to a kiln in August and we have been inseparable ever since. I pride in the quality of my work and it makes me feel so good when I get compliments on something I have made. I tend to sell pendants right off my neck.

Do you want to give special thanks to those who embrased your creative side, do it here. {We love real life inspiration} I thank my friends and family for the enthusiastic support they give me. I especially thank my husband for his support and patience as I venture out on my own doing what I love to do – creating with color!

We could ask the same questions most ezines ask but we want to know the person behind the business. Crafting is not just money making way of life. Crafting is a gift from the heart. Creativity is the way to embrace the grand vision of~Self~

Preserving the past..Promoting the future..

How can you preserve the past with your creative abilities? In my watercolors, I have painted pets and a portrait, and these will help preserve the memories of these loved ones for years to come.

In the next 10 years to be, how do you vision your creative lifestyle to be? I just go where my creative juices take me. I look forward to new ideas as new tools and materials are developed. Look me up in 10 years.

Last but not least, what is one treasure of advise you can pass on to the younger generation for creating a life full of passion? Embrace your creative talents and share them with those around you. You will be an inspiration to someone out there, and you may never know it until one day your paths cross and you find out just how much you touched someone’s heart.

Questionaire:

As a child was crafting something you did often? Yes,
I was always drawing, cutting, glueing, etc.

What types of crafts did you like most?I enjoyed
constructing things. I’ve built the Eiffel Tower out
of Balsa wood and a cactus out of paper mache.

What was it like when you were growing up? Did your
parents play a major role in your creative
abilities?My parents were always very supportive. I
can remember my father helping me make a Conestoga
Wagon,complete with a 20 mule team, for a Social
Studies project.

When you are creating what is your main focus? Do you
need a quiet space or do your need an active
enviroment to get your creative juices flowing?I
usually like to listen to music as I work.

Tell us about yourself and why you want the world to
know about your crafting treasures.I create for the
sheer joy of it. I enjoy receiving feedback and love
to hear how happy my creations make the people who
receive them.

Do you want to give special thanks to those who
embrased your creative side, do it here. {We love real
life inspiration}I owe a special thanks to my Mom, who
always taught me to take a chance!

We could ask the same questions most ezines ask but we
want to know the person behind the business. Crafting
is not just money making way of life. Crafting is a
gift from the heart. Creativity is the way to embrace
the grand vision of~Self~

Preserving the past..Promoting the future..

How can you preserve the past with your creative
abilities? I specialize in making french beaded
flowers which is an art dating back to about the
1500s.

In the next 10 years to be, how do you vision your
creative lifestyle to be? I plan to go right on
designing & creating new things!

Last but not least, what is one treasure of advise you
can pass on to the younger generation for creating a
life full of passion? Don’t be afraid to follow your
dreams and Take a chance!

Thanks,
Debbie

Check out my store at http://craftymoose.etsy.com
Check out my website at http://craftymoosecrafts.com
See my gallery at
http://craftersbuzz.com/gallery.cgi?CRAFTYMOOSE&cbrewards=CRAFTYMOOSE

Purple Papaya Designs

As a child was crafting something you did often?
Absolutely! I sewed my own beanbags, which was incredibly fun. The I pelted them across the room until they broke. Also fun. I’ve been making jewelry for many years as well.

What types of crafts did you like most?
I loved painting, but beading or stitching always came more naturally. I won some photography competitions too, but that was mostly by accident.

What was it like when you were growing up? Did your parents play a major role in your creative abilities?
My parents encouraged me to step up and take care of needs when they arose, rather than waiting for someone else to provide a solution. That attitude has been very helpful in my crafts, because the idea of making things myself instead of buying them is an independent one. I was also fortunate to receive plenty of wisdom that I have tried to make good use of in my business.

When you are creating what is your main focus? Do you need a quiet space or do your need an active environment to get your creative juices flowing?
I can create in any environment, but generally I sit by myself in a quiet room. That’s just how rooms are around here!

Tell us about yourself and why you want the world to know about your crafting treasures.
I’m a student of finance and German, so at the end of each day, I need something non-work, something calming to do. That is the role jewelry-making plays in my life. I’m very stress-free about my jewelry: I make what I want, when I want, and don’t worry about making sure I’m artistic or trendy or whatever else I might want to be. (Except I am fanatical about customer service.) I create from the heart, and fortunately my work has resonated with many people. I hope to share the joy my pieces bring to me with others.

Do you want to give special thanks to those who embraced your creative side, do it here. {We love real life inspiration}
My boyfriend always encourages me. I can make nothing that is ugly in his eyes! My family has been a wonderful support (my first customer base). I’m also grateful to the professors who taught me accounting and finance-related topics.

We could ask the same questions most ezines ask but we want to know the person behind the business. Crafting is not just money making way of life. Crafting is a gift from the heart. Creativity is the way to embrace the grand vision of~Self~

Preserving the past..Promoting the future..

How can you preserve the past with your creative abilities?
I think doing things for yourself was a much greater part of our ancestors’ lives than it is ours. Even my parents grew their own vegetables and made their own soap, not for a business, but just because that was the way that made sense to them. The difference was even more dramatic if you go back more generations. It’s rare for people my age to use their hands. We hire gardeners, repairmen, and buy just about everything in a store. By putting love and care into each thing I make, I can add vitality and individuality into a culture that is becoming more and more uniform.

In the next 10 years to be, how do you vision your creative lifestyle to be?
I hope to always make jewelry, but it is possible that I will be off doing something in the finance world. In this view, everything I make is highly limited edition! But sincerely, once you start creating, it is very hard to stop.

Last but not least, what is one treasure of advise you can pass on to the younger generation for creating a life full of passion?
Take joy in your work! Hearing the stories my customers tell about their experiences with my jewelry (given, for example, as an engagement gift or on a first date) are my favorite part of all this.

Kind regards,

Sara

As a child was crafting something you did often?
I wish I would have spent more time crafting. I really loved it, but
my parents encouraged book smarts before creativity. I did, however,
receive a “twirl-o-paint” for my birthday one year from an aunt. I
loved it!!!

What types of crafts did you like most? As a child I loved decorating
everything with puffy paint. Also, my grandma was very crafty. She
taught me how to make roses out of dough. I loved spending time at
her place because she was always working on a new project for the
church bulletin board. I also loved making crowns out of long grass
that I braided.

What was it like when you were growing up? Did your parents play a
major role in your creative abilities? My parents did not play a
major role in my creative abilities. I was more encouraged to study
academic courses and my fun activities were always sports. I’m sure
all that I learned doing other things has helped me, though. I am
just naturally creative and my experiences have made me who I am. I
don’t regret that they did not encourage me to be creative, but I will
certainly be more supportive in my child’s life regarding creativity.
With a child, though, creativity is almost always already there.

When you are creating what is your main focus? Do you need a quiet
space or do your need an active enviroment to get your creative juices
flowing? both. It depends on my mood, what I’m doing, the time of
the day……

Tell us about yourself and why you want the world to know about your
crafting treasures.
I am so happy making things. I only discovered this in my twenties,
and I’ve never turned my back on my creativity since. Being creative
and seeing something completed is the best way that I can honor
myself. I primarily make jewelry, but I also enjoy woodworking,
drawing, painting, and refinishing furniture. My company’s name is
Chocolate and Steel. Chocolate and Steel symbolize to me the
combining of unexpected materials…..hard and soft, sweet and strong,
organic and industrial.

Do you want to give special thanks to those who embrased your creative
side, do it here. {We love real life inspiration}
My husband has changed my life. He has encouraged me to honor my
creative side ever since I met him. He has taught me to believe that
my life is whatever I want it to be (for real!). If I want to make a
living doing what I love, making things, then I can. If I think that
I have to have a career that depresses me, then that is what I will
have. I’ve never met anyone who believes as strongly as he does that
it is imperative to be true to yourself and to express yourself
through your art. My life changed dramatically when I realized this.
I am happy and fulfilled and enjoy everyday. I never knew what I was
missing out on. I feel like I know myself better than I ever have
before.

We could ask the same questions most ezines ask but we want to know
the person behind the business. Crafting is not just money making way
of life. Crafting is a gift from the heart. Creativity is the way to
embrace the grand vision of~Self~

Preserving the past..Promoting the future..

How can you preserve the past with your creative abilities?
By looking at the things I create one is able to see my world through
my eyes. It is a different world than the one they live in.

In the next 10 years to be, how do you vision your creative lifestyle to be?
In the next 10 years I will continue to make things and be creative
everyday. I will pass on the importance of honoring yourself to my
children. (p.s. having my son was the BEST creation ever placed in my
life. He’s amazing!)

Last but not least, what is one treasure of advise you can pass on to
the younger generation for creating a life full of passion?
Do what you love, and love what you do. Obligations are
“self-emposed” restrictions. “Self emposed” means you have the power
to rid yourself of obligations and start doing what you want to do.
Honor yourself, honor your spirit.

Christine Street-Gregg

–
Christine Street Designs
http://www.chocolateandsteel.etsy.com

1. As a child was crafting something you did often?

Not really. My mother was an art teacher, so I would dabble, but her need for perfection and her belief that since she learned by observing I learned by observing caused me to drop a lot of projects before they ever came to fruition. I did create a lot of Doctor Who fan art, although this was well before an Internet community existed to appreciate the ravings of an eight year old, and into my teen years I discovered that my writing skills were above par compared to my peers. There was also an attempt with a glue gun and a dollhouse kit in my teens, but that resulted in intervention and eventual confiscation. Eventually I learned that to be expressive freely, I had to choose an area that my mother had no understanding of or that she considered herself to have little skill in, so initially, I became a writer.

2. What types of crafts did you like most?

In childhood, I tried a lot of stuff with cutting paper, but it was also in my childhood that I kept gardens and would bond with my grandfather over his huge, subsistence-style garden. He also had this big Reader’s Digest book on herbs that he would leave out whenever I came to visit; my fascination with plants, especially fragrant plants, began then.

3. What was it like when you were growing up? Did your parents play a major role in your creative abilities?

My parents are both cultural creatives. My father is an actor and a semi-retired English teacher, my mother is a former art teacher and a lower-tax bracket embodiment of Emily Gilmore. I learned a lot from watching them both about how every day of our lives is a theater, and while it left me with a verbal mastery that was stunning for a teenager. Their interpersonal dances made me smart about people, and it made me learn to understand a person just by observing that I later enhanced by taking courses in kinesics and nonverbal communication. I’ve chosen to channel this information into creating perfumes and herbal beauty treatments for others, but I could just as easily be a gifted personal shopper or stylist because of my parents’ example.

4. When you are creating what is your main focus? Do you need a quiet space or do your need an active enviroment to get your creative juices flowing?

My main focus is on the emotion I want to trigger through my fragrant composition. I prefer quiet – counting drops can be a boring, mechanical business – and I also spend a lot of time communing with the plants and building my fragrance knowledge. The artistry is there, between the mechanics of what I do; even the concepts behind my perfumes come to me as I go about my daily life.

5. Tell us about yourself and why you want the world to know about your crafting treasures.

Perfume is a highly personal and spiritual expression, and mainstream perfumery has depersonalized it until perfume wearers can look for themselves on charts. I think in most over-the-counter fragrances I can count about 18 different smells, and despite the literally thousands of options available to commercial chemical corporations, it seems like they continually settle on the same fragrances. Yet when I sit down to my own perfume organ (OK, Lazy Suzan), I have less than 100 fragrances at my disposal (at the moment), I can create perfumes that are strikingly different from one another.

6. Do you want to give special thanks to those who embraced your creative side, do it here.

My family and friends have all been stunningly supportive. My sister has been an eager and happy customer, my mother even wears my Autumn perfume to church, and my father is waiting patiently for some shaving gel I promised him. I owe a special thanks to my friend GR, who, when I mentioned I might sell off my essential oils, told me quite forcefully not to. I’m so glad I listened to her; without her input, Magickal Realism never would have happened.

We could ask the same questions most ezines ask but we want to know the person behind the business. Crafting is not just money making way of life. Crafting is a gift from the heart. Creativity is the way to embrace the grand vision of~Self~

~Preserving the past..Promoting the future~

7. How can you preserve the past with your creative abilities?

I’m keeping records, and I’m researching historical fragrances. As a natural perfumer, I only use techniques in perfumery that predate 1870; without history, I’d have nothing to work with.

8. In the next 10 years to be, how do you vision your creative lifestyle to be?

I’m already at the point where my creativity IS my lifestyle. Perfuming is what I do, full time. I would like someone to take the business reigns, but I have a hard time trusting someone else with the nitty gritty details of my daily business; even the tedious stuff has become an act of love. I hope to see some synergy with fashion designers and jewelery, something I’ve already started by teaming up with Fabulous Burlap and Dancing Jems to do trunk shows. I’d also like to see myself spending more time writing, especially on perfume and on my ideas for subverting the fashion industry into a livable model. This is a tough question, because I’m sometimes overly grounded; perhaps over the next five years I can work on my visionary skill.

9. Last but not least, what is one treasure of advice you can pass on to the younger generation for creating a life full of passion?

My advice has three parts: 1)learn to type – this will get you through the door when you need all those little temp jobs to cover the rent while you create at night 2)become as computer literate as you can, right down to your graphics programs; the better you know the Machine of the Man, the better your chances at starting a business at home that will win your freedom, and 3) pay LOTS of attention during all those boring library orientations: the better your research skills, the more of everything you will have at your disposal, and the less it will cost you.
27 February 2007 8:21pm EDT

1. As a child was crafting something you did often?

Yes, I seemed to always be creating one mess or another. On occasion I would even create something useful.

2. What types of crafts did you like most?

I took to sewing early on. I’d also tried drawing, macrame, crochet, calligraphy and woodworking.

3. What was it like when you were growing up? Did your parents play a major role in your creative abilities?

My parents were so permissive. They didn’t ever say “please don’t make a mess.” It was nice to know that anything I did was OK.

4. When you are creating what is your main focus? Do you need a quiet space or do your need an active enviroment to get your creative juices flowing?

My ideas come when I’m out and about, around people and things. I come home just filled with ideas and am so anxious to get to my quiet studio and make the ideas become reality.

5. Tell us about yourself and why you want the world to know about your crafting treasures.

I am not the usual sickly-cute baby shop. You’ll never find Elmo or the Power Rangers here! I love different textures, patterns and colors and my shop reflects that. There are such a wide range of styles to choose from that every baby will be spitting up on it’s own unique burper.

6. Do you want to give special thanks to those who embraced your creative side, do it here.
My husband is awesome. What can I say? He’s been there through crochet (though he drew the line at that bedspread, thank goodness!) and now he’s overwhelmed by fabric. He even tries to share my excitement at new creations. Bless him for it! My preteen daughter is a huge help in choosing colors, coordinating patterns and letting me know what’s in style and what I should leave alone.

{We love real life inspiration}

We could ask the same questions most ezines ask but we want to know the person behind the business. Crafting is not just money making way of life. Crafting is a gift from the heart. Creativity is the way to embrace the grand vision of~Self~

~Preserving the past..Promoting the future~

7. How can you preserve the past with your creative abilities?
Sewing has gone out of style, sadly. There are wonderful seamstresses still out there of course, but across the board not everyone can install a zipper or hem pants anymore. I’m offering quality handmade items that remind new moms of something grandma may have passed down. The thought makes me feel good.

8. In the next 10 years to be, how do you vision your creative lifestyle to be?
I’d still love to be sewing hip handmades for tiny tots. I love creating for children, it’s just so much fun! I could see my styles changing with the times, or adding new lines. Although, based on my past who knows what else I’ll start crafting next!

9. Last but not least, what is one treasure of advise you can pass on to the younger generation for creating a life full of passion?
Don’t be afraid to do your own thing! Don’t fall into the trap that “it’s never been done that way.” YOUR way makes it unique to you. And when you do your own thing, and enjoy it, your work will shine.
27 February 2007 4:08pm EDT

2. What types of crafts did you like most? I love to Crochet & Knit. You can do it anywhere without worrying about electricity

3. What was it like when you were growing up? Really out going Did your parents play a major role in your creative abilities? Not so much

4. When you are creating what is your main focus? Experimentation, I try not to plan what I’m doing Do you need a quiet space or do your need an active enviroment to get your creative juices flowing? Not really, I’m usually watch TV or my kids play while I’m crafting

5. Tell us about yourself and why you want the world to know about your crafting treasures. I’m a stay at home mom and I like staying busy. Both of my kids are in school, I miss them, so I craft to pass the time. My crafting changes with my life. When I was pregnant with my children, I made baby stuff. When my wedding was appraoching, I made favors. If I gain a little bit of weight, I make ponchos.

6. Do you want to give special thanks to those who embrased your creative side, do it here. Definately have to say thanks to my husband. There is not a day that goes by that he doesn’t trip over my yarn, or get a pin in in foot. He always looks at me, and all I have to do is smile, and he understands.

{We love real life inspiration}

We could ask the same questions most ezines ask but we want to know the person behind the business. Crafting is not just money making way of life. Crafting is a gift from the heart. Creativity is the way to embrace the grand vision of~Self~

~Preserving the past..Promoting the future~

7. How can you preserve the past with your creative abilities? Just keep doing it. Make sure you teach at least one person your craft. They will teach someone else and so on.

8. In the next 10 years to be, how do you vision your creative lifestyle to be? More

9. Last but not least, what is one treasure of advise you can pass on to the younger generation for creating a life full of passion? Pick it up. It does not matter what it is. Crochet, knit, painting, Playing an instrument. If you do it, that is one more person keeping it going.

Partnership Market Ezine would like to thank ”You” for allowing us to help others come to a place of inspiration by getting to know the crafter behind the business. We look forward to featuring a full page article dedicated to your creative business!

2. What types of crafts did you like most?
Many of my creations were on the messy side – Mud sculptures, finger painting and I made collages from magazine pictures and ads. One year we made chains from gum wrappers. I designed Barbie clothes out of crepe paper.

3. What was it like when you were growing up? Did your parents play a major role in your creative abilities?
My creativity really blossomed in the early ’60’s. We had what we needed. We were encouraged to play outside and entertain ourselves instead of playing video games or watching cable tv. My maternal grandmother introduced me to the world of crafts. She was an artist in her own right. She had carved a Nativity scene and a wedding party out of Ivory soap and would enter them in the State Fair. She painted, she did plaster crafting and I was encouraged to help her. I learned to sew from my mother and grandmother.

4. When you are creating what is your main focus? Do you need a quiet space or do your need an active enviroment to get your creative juices flowing?
Stained glass and mosaics are my biggest passion. I keep a notebook and always write down ideas for a stained glass project. Sometimes the swirls of color in a piece of glass will remind me of something and that’s what it will become. I have my glass studio in our basement laundry room. It is well lighted and all my equipment, tools and supplies are right there and I don’t mind the solitude. Pink Floyd is my concentration music. I love soldering. I always expect my work to be precise and neat or I won’t sell it. When I am “in my groove” I can work all night. I don’t pay attention to the time. Always respect a creative streak and use it wisely!

My jewelry is usually influenced by the gemstone or glass beads I find. I started making jewelry because I hated the junk being sold in the department stores for ridiculous prices. I have sold a lot of jewelry that I was wearing, which I don’t mind at all.

5. Tell us about yourself and why you want the world to know about your crafting treasures.
I’m a little uncomfortable about the “wanting the world to know” statement, because I really don’t like to call attention to myself. I guess I want people to know that whatever I have made was done to the best of my ability. I’m not getting rich off stained glass work. What I sell my work for is a bargain, because the cost of materials has tripled in the last year or so. I stick with it because I love it.

I am who I am and tend to keep to myself most of the time. My husband and I have been married since 1973 and we have 3 sons who are 24, 26 and 28. I was a stay at home Mom and learned a lot of do-it-yourself skills. I can hang wallpaper, paint, lay hardwood flooring, refinish hardwood flooring, lay vinyl and ceramic tile. We learned a long time ago that we can afford better materials if we do the installations ourselves and we can do a professional job.

6. Do you want to give special thanks to those who embrased your creative side, do it here.
Unfortunately, both my Mom and grandmother are gone, but I am very grateful for the encouragement and support I got from them. My mother was my biggest fan. I gave her the quilt square panel that was my very first copper foil project. She had suncatchers for every occasion. My grandmother was gone many years before I took my first stained glass class, but I know she is proud of me for trying something new.

7. How can you preserve the past with your creative abilities?
Recycling old materials is very big right now. I have seen some great jewelry made from old costume jewelry. Even old buttons are being used. I saw a journal covered with old buttons recently. We have two boxes of old buttons and costume jewelry that my husband wants me to throw out, but I want to use some myself and sell the rest. I think it’s cool to see old stained glass windows reputtied and framed and reused.

8. In the next 10 years to be, how do you vision your creative lifestyle to be?
I never want to get to the point where crafting is not fun anymore, for whatever reason.

9. Last but not least, what is one treasure of advise you can pass on to the younger generation for creating a life full of passion?
Trust your instincts and do what you love.