About Us

Betty Richardson

I was born and raised in the Dallas, Texas suburban area. I married my wonderful husband after meeting in Acapulco nearly 30 years ago.  We have only fur babies, a Weimaraner, Mitzi, and a Poodle-mix, Pepper, both of whom are rescues (very important to me to adopt, not shop).   Retirement from a 20+ year career as an insurance claims professional began in 2006 and I haven't slowed down since!  My life has always revolved around being creative in some form or fashion. Before I was first introduced to the world of art journaling by the lovely and talented Tammy Garcia, I crafted a lot, painted some, drew some, sewed some, and had dived headlong into the world of art glass.  After finding mixed media and art journaling, I've discovered a true outlet for all my artistic tendencies and can incorporate all of it into my journals.  Being artful has been one of the most rewarding adventures of my life. Through the wonderful world of the internet, lifelong friends have been made and a true passion has been unleashed.  We can be creative while exploring the whole gamut of our emotions playing out in our journals and in our art.  Aren't artists known for being particularly moody anyway?  Let's unleash all our pent-up creativity and continue on this "artful journey" together.



Lynn Jackson 

Hi!!! My name is Lynn Jackson and I live in beautiful South Dakota.  I am so happy to be involved with this wonderful group of friends and all of you. I have been married to my wonderful husband for 26 years. I have a son who is 38 and a daughter, who is 36. We have two adorable grandsons.

ages 10 and 3.  I love being a doting grandmother. I think grandchildren should  have some first, otherwise I might not have as many gray hairs! I have been doing some kind of craft for over 20 years and I got the bug from my mother who did crafts her whole life. I recently have been getting into mixed media which is fast becoming my favorite. Love to art journal too. I am anxious to learn more from all of you, and perhaps I can show you a trick or two myself! 

Melody Elzy 

I was born in California and raised in Oklahoma. My husband was transferred to Texas in '06...and I honestly can't imagine living anywhere else! I'm a stay at home mom, with 3 kids: ages 25, 15 and 14, with a husband of nearly 24 years and 3 fur-babies. I have always loved various crafts...starting with crochet and scrapbooking, then I taught myself to knit.  Writing has ALWAYS been a must in my life. When I stumbled across art journaling, it hit me that THIS was what I was meant to do--mixed media and writing...it's right up the proverbial alley of my very cluttered, eclectic mind. I have never been so excited about anything crafty like I am about my art journal, and I wouldn't have it any other way. I have found release and peace in the pages of my journal that no amount of therapy could have helped, and I hope that I continue to grow and learn with each passing day. Let's journey together, and see where we end up.

SHANA ROBERTS CONROY

Hello my Lovelies!! I am Shana Conroy aka Shana Banana aka Wisccheeto! I was Born in Wisconsin and raised in Wisconsin and Minnesota. Painting and drawing have always been a part of who I am, my mother is also an artist and I fell in love with art while she was going to commercial art school. Though I have no formal schooling in art I cannot say I am self taught, my whole family is artistic in one way or another and the inspiration they give me is immeasurable! I have been married to my Love, Tim since 2008 and he is an awesome musician who inspires me everyday with his confidence in me, if you check out my Youtube videos he wrote much of the original music I use. We moved to Phoenix, AZ in late 2014 so we could live in a more creative environment, he is a member of 2 bands and I am pursuing my dream of making art my profession. I love to create daily and never need a day off from it, I love to teach and share techniques and am always wanting to learn more! I hope that we can teach each other and I am so excited to be a part of this fantastic and inspiring group of people! Big Hugs and Mushy Stuff! - Shana