For as long as I can remember, paper and pencils have been magical tools to me. As a child, creating was my passion—put a stack of paper in my hands and I was happy. I recall many hours of following my imagination through make-believe worlds with no rules and endless possibilities. My family had a small playhouse in our yard in North Dakota where I grew up—when I stepped through the door of that little house, a whole new world was always there to greet me. I could spend hours drawing characters and making up stories. One theme I often visited had to do with anything small. I loved little things! I would make tiny books and miniature cards and envelopes that were no larger than the size of my thumbnail. I would imagine and draw the tiny people who could use these little things and the tiny world they lived in.

I don’t think it surprised my parents when I decided to go to art school. I am lucky—they have always encouraged me to follow my heart. After receiving a degree in graphic design, I started my own business named She Designs. I have many wonderful clients, some of whom I’ve worked with since the day I opened my doors!

With each and every day devoted to creativity and my love of art, I have been very fortunate indeed. But as wonderful as the computer can be, my heart still skips a beat when I sit down with a fresh pad of paper and a colorful set of pens. A few years ago, through my drawings, I started coming up with more ideas to express and release my creativity. During this time, I remembered and missed the little playhouse to which I would escape at my childhood home. My always-supportive husband Ken and I began sketching plans for a new “playhouse” to be built in our backyard in Sarasota, Florida. As soon as it was finished, it became my drawing studio—no computers or phones allowed!

It was in this bright, cheerful little house that I became inspired to pay attention to the tiny spindly characters who started to dance across my paper—yes, an old theme revisited. However, these characters were different somehow. They seemed to take on a life of their own. Before I knew it, I was on a journey of pursuing a lifelong dream of illustrating and designing my own line of greeting cards and stationery. A new world of my imagination was born—Spindlyville!