Early on in life I loved to draw and all through childhood I learned to do various types of crafts and artwork with the help of my mother. My mother was a talented artist who drew beautiful sketches of people and old Victorian homes. She also sewed beautifully. She encouraged me to develop my own artistic abilities and coached me in sewing as well.
I grew up in Los Angeles, California, our home being located about a mile inland from the beach. Our family enjoyed being near the beach and we loved the many cultural experiences that this city and area of Southern California had to offer. Especially the great restaurants, like, the one that served great Spaghetti! If Spaghetti can be considered haute international cuisine, well, tell you what, we found the best restaurant for it there! I won't talk too much about the smog or the fact that we lived under the flight patterns of the LAX. When you are young, you often forget about these less desirable things and remember the best, at least I did!
When I had just turned 16 years-old, my mother died of cancer. She left behind a beautiful antique trunk full of fabrics and notions. As I looked these things over I pondered what to do with them and came up with the idea of making cloth dolls. A few years later I entered the Renaissance Faire in Agoura, California and sold my dolls there with my father's help and encouragement. My father died of cancer when I was 20 years-old. Needless to say, losing both of my parents at a fairly young age was a very tragic thing for me.
Later on, I moved to Santa Barbara where I attended the local city college and studied Spanish. While living there, I sold my cloth art dolls at a seasonal holiday arts and crafts show. Are you wondering why I use the term "cloth art dolls?" Well, I would like to distinguish them from cloth dolls made for children's play, as they are cloth dolls created more as an artistic endeavor for display.
I moved to Washington State and completed my Spanish degree there, but I kept the creative part on the back burner for some time. I later sold more of my cloth dolls to and Electrical Engineering Ph.D. student in Seattle. Ok, so, time passed again and since I was working, I kept the creative stuff on the back burner, sewing my own clothes furiously on weekends if I had the time!
My husband and I met and we now live in Boise, Idaho, where he has been living since his family relocated there. I began to develop my own cardmaking techniques while living in Boise and have sold them in local arts and crafts fairs along with the cloth art dolls.
I hope this gives you some idea of me and my daily life!
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