a little bit about me

I am mostly a self-taught artist, but I formally received an Associates of Art Degree from Johnson County Community College when I completed the two-year commercial art program in 1977. I worked for a local small business as their sole graphic designer until 1979. I began my greeting card career in the Greeting Card Design Department at Hallmark Cards, Inc. where I had the privilege of working under, and with, very talented artists. I left Hallmark in 1985 at an Artist III level when our second son was born with Downs Syndrome. At that level an artist is working without supervision which gave me the experience I needed to begin freelancing. Over the years I have mostly designed greeting cards for several companies, but like many artists I have been involved with a variety of creative projects. I collaborated with a friend and designed and painted several playrooms at Children's Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, Missouri. We also had the incredible opportunity to design Wonderscope Children's Museum when the museum moved into a former elementary school in Shawnee, Kansas. I am currently the design coordinator for my church, which involves overseeing anything visual in the church. Along with my design team, and others in the church, we have been able to remodel and redecorate most of the building we moved into a few years ago. I also designed, painted, and coordinated the installation of the children's area at our church .

I live in Overland Park, Kansas with my husband, Charlie, and I am most happy when enjoying time with my husband, children, grandchildren, friends, and worshiping with our church family. I enjoy women's Bible studies, getting together with our small group, reading, decorating, running, sewing, and anything that requires exercising creativity. I also have the deep desire to encourage those who are walking through grief as we have walked that path through the loss of two or our four children when they were very young. I have also had the honor of being asked to speak on several occasions about the faith journey I have traveled as I worked through my grief. Most recently I spoke to mothers on how to raise a godly young daughter at a conference at my daughter's church. I have also shared with women at our church about how to decorate their home and create a place of refuge for their family and friends, which is near and dear to my heart.