Rubber Road Adventures Intermediate Stamping Team Designers

I have been stamping steady for many years. I bought my first rubber stamp when I was still in high school. I did a little stamping on stationary with that cute little teddy bear. Then I decided to take on my wedding invitations. I found a floral wreath stamp, some sparkling embossing powder, and brass alphabet stencils. Talk about jumping right in. I didn't have a heat gun, so I heated my embossing powder over the toaster-all 100 of them. After that task, I decided that I was going to get better and get a lot more supplies.
Now, I'm addicted and have plenty of supplies, but I am always finding more. I love to try all the new things out on the market and love, love, love to try new techniques. I've been expanding my stamping from just cards to scrapbooking, ornaments, tiles, dominos and any other 3-D item that looks stampable or alterable.
I am a stay at home mom to two very rowdy boys. They keep me hopping so I have to make time for stamping-for sanity's sake. My husband, Terry, is very supportive and full of compliments for my work. We live in Ishpeming in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.

   My name is Regena (prefer first name only) and I’m a retiree from the Federal government. I work part-time as a rubberstamping and beading instructor for Michaels Arts and Crafts Stores. I’m also a certified framer in the custom frame shop at Michaels. I have been nicknamed “The Colormaster,” because I am a color fanatic. As a framer, I get to help customers pick mats and frames, and for a crafter who loves picking colors for anything, that’s almost heaven!
    Born and raised in Harrisburg, I have had a fixation with just about anything artistic for as long as I can remember. I started painting walls at the age of twelve, and have been hooked on painting ever since. I am a self-taught fine artist (watercolors and pastels) and I do many different crafts. The only ‘formal’ training I’ve had was my high school art classes and an occasional class here and there over the years (local craft stores and the Art Association here). I also decorated cakes for 26 years. I still do flowers, decorations and hand-stamped invitations for weddings. I’ve even dabbled in stained glass (I still have the boxes of glass and supplies)! Someday I’ll get back to that!
    My obsession with stamping started while I was recuperating from surgery six years ago. With lots of time to watch craft shows, I stumbled across the Carol Duvall show on HGTV and noticed that many of her shows featured a lot of stamping projects. As soon as I was able to get out and make it to the nearest craft store, I bought my first few rubber stamps, a couple of inkpads and some cardstock. Once I finally got the hang of it, I was hooked! Now, several hundred cards and ATCs and 2,500+ stamps later, I am teaching this fun craft to anyone who wants to learn it!
    I do commissioned card and craft projects and I will stamp (and paint) on anything (clothes, walls, floors, furniture!). I’ve had my cards published in over a dozen issues of The Stampers’ Sampler magazine. I recently made it into the Rubberstamper magazine for the first time. I also do online card and ATC swaps. It’s such a thrill to share ideas with and get cards from stampers all over the world!
    I have a son (34), a daughter (36), a grandson (20) and a granddaughter (12)! My granddaughter is very crafty and, like me, wants to try everything. I call her ‘Mini Me’. She even has her own stamps (because she kept sneaking mine out of the house).
    I enjoy teaching different crafts and providing all the little tips and tricks I’ve learned. I am into the ‘science’ of stamping. I’m always experimenting and trying different ways to use inks and papers.
    Working at Michaels can be a dangerous thing for an all around crafter like me. I rarely leave work without hitting my favorite spot- the ‘Clearance’ aisle! There’s always something in there calling my name! When the other employees get asked a craft question they can’t answer, if they know I’m in the store, they send them to me. I even get beaded jewelry questions at the frame shop counter!
    I believe rubberstamping is the answer for anyone who thinks they have no talent! I always tell my students they don’t have to know how to draw. Stamp companies pay artists to do that for them! They just need to understand how to use the images and tools available to them. My job is to show them!

    You can see more of my work on my little website: http://www.itsmylove/crafts.com

   I am a proud Chicago native, who spent the better part of 10 years relocating to Arizona, Colorado, and London, England, before settling down her in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida since 1983.
    I have been a crafter all my life. As a child I loved nothing better than to sit down with my crayons and color. To this day, I am no different, although my tools of choice are now colored pencils and stamps.
    My creative path led me to stamping in 1996. I took classes at first and before long I was teaching. I taught and demo’d at conventions for the better part of 6 years.
    I have had the great honor of having my work published in various national magazines including; The Rubber Stamper, Somerset Studio, Stamper’s Sampler and more. I have also been a Design Team member on other newsletters.
    I share my life with a husband of 27 years, and 2 grown children (a boy and a girl), and at the moment one dog and 4 furry kitties.
    I am honored to be a member of the Rubber Roads design team and look forward to the creative endeavors ahead.