 About Me
When I was 2 years old, my mom gave me a tapestry needle threaded with yarn, a piece of cardboard poked with holes and some large buttons. I have been sewing ever since! For 13 years of my childhood, I was a private art student concentrating in traditional oil painting, watercolors, and pastels.
My skill became quite good but I never showed any talent or originality. Through the years I have tried pretty much every craft and every mediumóand I love them all! But I always end up back at my sewing machine. Only when I re-discovered fabrics and sewing did I "find my medium." My bachelor's of science is in Vocational Home Economics Education from Texas Tech University and I nearly have a master's degree in Science Education from the University of Texas at Dallas. (I just couldn't understand why the University wanted me to take the same two classes I had already taken at two other Universities using the exact same text that I made A's in each time!)
My degree is in Home Ec because that was actually more challenging than Architecture or Electrical Engineering (my first two majors). I drove my Home Ec teachers crazy with "why?"—why do you always do it that way? (bless their hearts)! It was in Home Ec that I discovered my love for fabrics dominated all else and for years I specialized in creating unique formals. (I'm very tactile!) Then I spent a long time (too long) working in the corporate world where I hardly ever got to sew. It was a good lesson and in 1997 I was introduced to modern quilting. I fell in love and my obsession took off!
Over the years I have taken many divergent paths both personally and professionally. My parents were perfect in they encouraged me to try everything! The downside was I never became particularly skilled at any one thing so as an adult I worked at many different jobs. When I conquered the job skills, I got bored and moved on. I have been an executive secretary, a marketing specialist, a bill collector for the phone company, a supervisory for a major department store chain, I even worked on an assembly line making LCD watches!!
A consummate talker, in the mid-1990's I was a Dale Carnegie Graduate Assistant for nearly two years. And I have taken and studied several different corporate management and quality training courses. I managed a small pre-press house with my husband for almost seven years. I gained untold knowledge from that including the knowledge I don't want to do that for a living! I discovered that although I worked in both small businesses and for corporate America, I prefer the freedom of being my own boss.!For five years I was a substitute and then a full-time classroom teacher at the middle school level. I absolutely loved "my" kids! I wasn't so crazy about their parents and disillusioned with the school administration. Teaching is a wonderful, rewarding, creative profession when you are allowed to actually be a teacher. And the students have fun while learning--that is a beautiful thing! So, I still teach, just in a different way. Now I teaching quilting and Reiki to students who want to learn!
In 2005, I achieved master level (level III) in Reiki (pronounced "ray-key"). It changed my life so dramatically that now I combine my other love—quilting—with my life-long desire to help others heal. Three of my main passions in life—creative sewing, healing, and rocks all merged into my new business line, HealthySelf™ quilts, medicine wheel quilts charged with healing Reiki energy. My quilts are also embellished with the natural healing energy of semi-precious crystals and stones to help bring pain-relief and restore health to the recipient. These quilts will bring positive healing energy into your home or office helping to clear negative energies. Intuitive in design and color selection, each quilt is perfect for the intended recipient. Look for more healing quilts to come!
In addition to HealthySelf™ Quilts, I am also a freelance graphic designer specializing in publications. I prefer to create newsletters, magazines, books, and training courses although I certainly do my share of logos and business cards! With 12 years direct experience in the printing industry and an additional 4 years as a graphic designer, I KNOW the business of printing!!
Completely self-taught on the computer and in computer graphics, I have above average mechanical skills and an inquiring mind. This gives me an edge over my peers as I have the unique ability to "translate" between left-brained (linear) people and right-brained (creative) types. I find both schools of thought equally comfortable. So my clients benefit because I can help them understand why something can or cannot be accomplished on press and the printers love to work with me because I set my files up for their workflow. In addition to my graphic design, I was trained as a professional color scanning operator and color-correction expert with Scitex America. (Scitex is the "Rolls-Royce" of high-end print scanning equipment). My color eye has always been very good and with printing and quilting I finally found a way to put that skill to good use! When I put a photo into a printed piece, it pops!!
From stationery and brochures to mouse pads and packaging (both for foods and for products), I have designed and handled the printing of just about anything that is printed on paper by an offset, web, or flex-o press! With an intimate understanding of the process of putting ink on paper, I am happy to design your job for the best possible outcome, saving you time and money. As a color expert, I will direct you to the perfect color combination--either colors to stand the test of time or to catch the latest trend, whatever your particular needs require. That is why I named my company "Useful Art"—it is an 'art' to create printed materials out of nothing, and it is 'useful' to your company--a well-designed logo, presentation piece, and a planned, coordinated identity will increase your business, thus improve your bottom line! Useful Art, art designed to improve your bottom line!
|
