Vicki

Kelli

My mom has always been my inspiration.  From an early age she encouraged me to create ~ everything from handmade wrapping paper & greeting cards to jewelry and gifts for friends & family.  Not that everybody always appreciated the “made by Vicki” touch.  I remember the giggles I received at a 3rd grade birthday party when the girls saw my handmade wrapping paper with the primitive drawings that were so different from the store bought kind.  And then there was my 1st attempt at jewelry making by using stretchy cord, beads & bleached chicken neck bones (from my dad’s restaurant) ~ not so much a funny reaction this time, but a painful one!  Even still, I’m so thankful to my mom for encouraging such a model of self-expression.

My parents are very creative, so I always had lots of help executing ideas when I was growing up.  My mom made fabulous Halloween costumes for my sister and me, and my dad was always willing to help me bring my ideas to life.  Once my mom found all sorts of candle molds and tons of Gulf wax at a garage sale.  My dad set up a little area in a storage room to be a candle workshop. I loved making candles and playing with the hot wax. 
When I wanted to be an architect, my dad bought me an architect’s template, and I spent hours drawing floor plans.  When I was in high school, my mom surprised me with a gift of a Graphic Design class at an art museum in our town.
There was no idea that was too outrageous to carry out – we would somehow find a way to make it happen.  I was very much inspired by the creativity of my parents and my grandparents, and I still love working with paper, wood, fabric, glass, solder and paint…. So many hobbies… so little time!