Hello from Sunny (not at the moment) California!

I reckon I should also post my introduction.  :)

I was born and raised in San Jose, California and now live a rock's throw away in a town that I think is quite a bit nicer than SJ. :) It's smaller and a bit cozier (IMHO). I'm doing what I love (most of the time) --- teaching. I always played "school" when I was a kid and never thought it would become anything more than that. It's funny, growing up I always wanted to have kids someday, but the prospect of marriage never was entertained by me. Now, I got my wish... I have 33+ kids daily and can have fun with them (and get frustrated by them) and come home to some peace and quiet. The best of both worlds!  :)  I do have a "son"/roommate. He's a grey tabby who answers to the name of "Riley". He rarely argues, but always feels he needs to have the last word.... er... mew.

Here he is wanting to do some paper crafting with dad. He loves Jetmax cubes, as you can see:

I've always loved arts and crafts and drawing. I discovered scrapbooking several years ago and gave it a shot... but being single with no kids of my own, I got bored creating layouts of Riley or vacations. So then I discovered card making and haven't looked back. I think what I like most about it is that my mom LOVES to make cards with me so each session is an opportunity to build memories with her. Yep, I guess I'm something of a mama's boy. Here she is doing what shes does best:

With regards to who inspires me... that's a tough question. I don't think there is anybody who does NOT inspire me. Yes, I'm inspired by "professionial" designers who are more akin to my style (Niki Estes, Alli Miles, and Betsy Veldman come to mind), but I'm also inspired by the "laymen" of the paper crafting world... people who are on various forums which I frequent. These people (mostly ladies of course) REALLY have so much talent and boggles my mind to see what some people can do with paper, glue, and ink. If I can someday have HALF the talent, I'd be thrilled!

Hmm... favorite technique? Well, I have to say I'm fairly new to sewing and heat embossing and LOVING it... it's really not as hard as I first thought.  :)  Not to toot my own horn, but I'm very proud of myself for trying new techniques.  :)

One of my new year's resolutions this year is to SUBMIT one of my creations to a magazine. I don't care if I get published or not... LOL! I just want to SUBMIT something. :) I would be on Cloud Nine if I got published, but just saying I've submitted something will boost my confidence (something which I sorely lack).

I am eager to be part of the PALs and meet some wonderful people and not only allow them to help me grow in this crazy hobby, but also watch as they grow in their skills... as a teacher, one of my joys is watching others grow (whether I help them or not!)...so I can't wait to watch my PALs grow along with me. :)

Thanks for reading!