Hi fellow stampers! My name is Polly aka peeps321 here on Splitcoast. Yes, my username has something to do with those sugary treats and did you know that you can freeze them and enjoy a chick or two in December if you so desire. I am a host for the Teapot Tuesday and Mixability challenges. And now I can say I’m thrilled to be a member of the Dirty Dozen

I live in St. Paul, MN but grew up a little south of St. Paul in Hastings which is on the Mississippi River. I have no pets, no kids….a lot of art supplies. I love living in the Twin Cities where I get the best of both worlds, the theaters and museums of Minneapolis and the neighborhoods and history of St. Paul. I went to college at a small liberal arts school in NE Wisconsin and majored in German and psychology. I worked for many years in the student loan industry, mostly in the claims and pre-default areas. For a long time I thought everyone defaulted on their loans since that was all I saw every day. Actually it’s a small percentage. I also worked in a Financial Aid Office for an online college. And believe it or not, in my early 20’s I spent a year substitute teaching at my old Jr and Sr High….now that was a trip! It was a little weird being in the teacher’s lounge with my old math teacher and principal. I’m currently retired but I volunteer as a reading coach/mentor to K-3rd graders during the school year. Those kids are awesome and adorable!

I discovered stamping when I got some embossing powder and ink as gift more than 20 years ago. This was before I had heard of heat guns so I used a toaster or electric burner as my heat source. I’m amazed I stuck with it considering all the burned fingers and singed paper. I don’t have any formal art training but have always had a passion for “making things”. My childhood art tools consisted of a ream of typing paper, a tub of broken crayons, and a book of 100 things to make. I wish I could remember the title but that book was the inspiration for many of my youthful art projects. I’m sure if I still had it today I could somehow work it into a MIX challenge. My favorite card styles are vintage, mixed media, and collage.

When I’m not stamping I love to read…Scandinavian mysteries are a fav. Music is a staple for my creative process. I love all types especially blues but have been known to let loose with some high energy Celtic music while stamping. I also like to walk around the lakes here, garden, do puzzles, and go to concerts and plays.

Odds and Ends:
I spent a couple of summers working the graveyard shift at a factory and one of my jobs was to pull alphabetic manila cards off a round rotating table to make a set. You’d start with the end of the alphabet and slide off the others on top. It sounds daunting and the first night I was dizzy. I ended up getting so good that the table moved too slowly for me.

My brush with fame: I babysat for the guy who wrote the movie Grumpy Old Men. I’m sure he has no memory of that….have not seen him since he was 3 or 4.

As a precocious ten year old I used to entertain family by doing celebrity impressions.

I’m delighted to be joining the Dirty Dozen. Splitcoast is a wonderful community full of welcoming members and amazing artists. Thank you Lydia for inviting me. The next six months are going to be fun….I fear the bottom of my craft table will never again see the light of day ….yes, I’m a messy stamper.