"About The Designer"

Welcome to my site.    Hello, my name is Kristina, and I LOVE my job.    Can't you tell?    It's great to be paid to play.    When I was growing up, I wanted to be a fashion designer.   In the 11th grade, I was offered a position in a big designing company when I graduated.    For many reasons I didn't get to pursue my dream.    Just recently, I realized that I've been living that dream professionally for several years now.    I came back around full circle.    I know that I'm one of the lucky ones to be able to live your own life's dream.   I first became interested in crochet at the age of 12.    I knew a lady who took orders for crochet table cloths.    These were beautiful.    They were white with many small pearls crocheted into the design.    I would sit and watch her for hours as she crocheted.    I was in awe.    I was in love.    My mother knew how to do the single crochet and the double crochet stitches, so she taught me those.    I would crochet those 2 stitches over and over until my tension got right.    I wanted to know more, so I got a beginner's book and taught myself.    I've been teaching myself ever since.    I always liked the older designs the best.    My favorites are from the 1800's.    They were so elegant and feminine.    Why is cotton crochet thread now being used only for lace, doilies, vests, and washcloths?    I don't understand.    I got bored with the designs being sold in the stores, so I started looking elsewhere.    I laid my hands on a Colombian crochet pattern magazine, and I found what I liked.    They made all their clothes with crochet thread, and it was beautiful.    The problem was that I didn't understand Spanish.    By the time I learned Spanish I realized that the items were pretty, but the patterns were a nightmare.    They were terribly written and not all there.    I sat myself down and made my first bathing suit without a pattern.    It wasn't good, but I kept trying.    I then started working on tank tops, and branched out into other things.    I had a website called Tropical Water Colors for about 2 years.    I sold my items through that and through outside craft markets.    I quickly realized that I would always work like crazy to make something and sell it at a cheap price.    There had to be a better way.    I decided to close my website and try my hand at selling my patterns.    I sent enough patterns off to Leisure Arts Publishing for 2 books, hoping that I would get accepted for one.    They accepted enough for both books.    I'm was estatic.    My first book is named "Summer Fashions In Thread Crochet", and the second book is named "Sexy Swimwear To Crochet".    I never thought that I would get this far.    Does anyone?    The key is to try, and see where life takes you.    What do I do when I'm not crocheting?    I LOVE to paint in oils, mainly portraits, and to do figure drawings.    I read, read and read some more.    I work on the computer, in my yard, and I play with my 4 (yes 4) poodles.    They are Rosie, Thorn, Buddy and Holly.   (I can't forget to mention them.)    My favorite job was working at Michael's as a store decorator and class instructor.    My favorite time of the day is when I'm breathing.    LOL.    I think best with a cup of coffee in my hand    I love bright colors, blue skies, pink sunsets, and birds singing outside my window.    I like drama and adventures in books and movies, but tranquility in my life.    Thanks for coming to my website!    I hope you enjoy what you see, and please come back to visit.

Sincerely, Kristina