I was born and raised in Denver, Colorado and have lived there all my life. I married my high school sweetheart, Doug, and we have just recently celebrated our 35th wedding anniversary. We have two daughters and two granddaughters.

I've done daycare for 33 years, so I feel like I have raised half the kids of Lakewood, Colorado. Along with children, we've always had a house full of pets. We raised English bulldogs for 20 years. Along with our Bulldogs, our daugthers also had a batch of odd ball pets from ferrets to hedgehogs. We currently have three dogs, a Scottie, a Bassett, and a Brussels Griffon, as well as two cats, a Persian and a Munchkin. They all help me with inspiration for the unusual.

I began in soft sculpture back in the late 1970's and made cloth dolls, in the folk-art days, and did small craft shows. My husband and I went to a teddy bear show and we were hooked. I always loved the goofy faces of our Bulldogs and our other pets, but I also get lots of ideas from the illustrations in children's books.

I started making teddy bears in 1997. A local stuffed animal and bear shop was having its annual contest. They provided a free pattern and you were to make the bear out of any material you wanted to see how many different looks came out of the same pattern. I didn’t really begin to sell my bears until the last months of 1997. I did some shows with another bear artist who helped me to develop my own style.

When I start to make a bear, I draw out a new pattern, changing the looks or adding something different to the next bear that I didn’t like on the previous one. I started out using mohair and ultra suede for the paws and glass eyes for all my bears.

A few years ago I discovered needle felting and found I could get much more detail and expression along with the soft sculpture. I don’t really do numbered editions; my bears are mostly one of a kind. I like to keep the caricature look of my bears going and I name each one with a brass tag on the back. I look for unusual names in the obituary section of the newspaper.

I like to sell the whimsical bears. To me, they have to be the kind of bear that makes you stop and laugh when you see them. Every bear I create has a little bit of me in them, my friend’s say that’s why mine are so goofy. Every collector has to find that look or style that is just right for him or her. Once they do, the hunt is on!!!!

I still feel I'm still trying to perfect my art, I'm just happy when someone else appreciates it enough to buy it.