I am a newly minted “artist” and there is not a media I don’t like working with, but some are better than others for my skill set.  Wood and fabric seem to call to me the loudest. 

My drive is to take my love of teaching to offer classes in non-traditional media to help students make and create “art” in all its many forms.  I chose Phoenix Rising Creative Design as my logo because it is a fierce symbol of rebirth.  After working for 30 years in a profession that was stressful and generally unsatisfying, I have the luxury to pursue creative interests.  I hope to push further into my own personal designs, but as that evolves, working with others to demystify the technical aspects of wood working, fiber art, and vintage sewing machines is exciting to me.  If I can do this and create sustainable art from reused materials, I feel that I will have achieved what I was meant to do. Living in wine country where I am surrounded by vineyards allows me to couple my love of wine with my wood working and I have had success in reclaiming used wine barrels.  I challenged myself to create as many hand-made treasures as I could think of from the original (2) barrels that I purchased.  4 tables, 1 adirondack chair, 2 garden orbs, and 7 votive candle holders later, I achieved my goal of using all parts of the barrels with only a few scraps left over.  My wood working has captured the attention of a local winery and my friends in equal measure.

I am also an avid collector of vintage sewing machines and have refurbished several Singer Featherweights and cases which I have resold.  Interested quilter friends have asked me to teach maintenance and reconditioning of these types of machines which I have done and will continue to do.  It is a delight to see them take 70-100 year old machines and make them shine.  By breaking down the process and writing easy to follow instructions I was successful in de-mystifying the inner workings of the machine.  The ladies that take my classes learn the technical parts of the machine and even if they choose to maintain their machines going forward, they understand the machine well enough to speak articulately to any technicians assisting them. 

 

Lastly, fabric and design have been a life-long love.  I started sewing and designing in high school which was many years ago.  I continued with clothing design and have sewed for 7 weddings and numerous other special events.  For several years I sewed school clothes for my daughters and each of my 3 children always had a custom Halloween costume.  About 15 years ago I was fortunate to be included in a circle of women who quilted and have been hooked ever since.  I am not a traditional quilter, although I have tried almost every technique within the quilting realm.  I lean more toward fiber art and have designed a few of my quilts. My first paper pieced quilt was a queen-sized Mariner’s compass bed quilt, pillow shams, and decorative pillows.  I was honored to be awarded a President’s Choice ribbon at the Clark County Quilt Guild show in 2014 for this quilt.  I have also won several ribbons for quilts entered into the Clark County Fair.  One of my pieces was entered into the International Quilt Festival in La Conner, Washington which is a juried show.

According to my neighbor I am a “Renaissance Woman” because there are so many things I like to do.  I garden and do home repair which has included rewiring my own outside path lights.  At one point I helped my husband restore a 1934 pick-up truck and we showed it on the hot rod circuit. So working with my hands is something I genuinely enjoy.  While my focus is wood working and quilting right now, I also knit, crochet, paint, needle point, petit point, embroider both traditional and Sashiko, arrange flowers, and dabble with gourmet cooking. I normally conduct “Nana Camp” with my grandchildren which is a week-long adventure in Arts, Crafts, and Cooking.  COVID put a damper on that since my husband is immune compromised and we have been under self-quarantine for months.  But I am rapidly picking up mentoring the next generation as COVID releases some of its grip.