Eileen

Eileen discovered crafts when she was in a Brownie troop and made a place mat by using crayons on fabric and heat setting everything with an iron. She was hooked. Since that experience, she has tried just about every craft there is at one time or another on her path to OneStroke painting. Included in her travels to OneStroke painting, she was a seamstress making ladies and children's clothes at home and a shop in Scottsdale.

Eileen was transplanted to Arizona from Chicago Illinois in 1971 when her husband Robert was transferred with his company. After a few days in Arizona, she knew she was home. She is mom of 2, wife of Robert for 44 years (hey, when something works, it works), grandma of 5, and plays many other family roles. She has a sister living in Michigan and a brother who lives here in Arizona. She works full time as a court services supervisor and recently achieved her bachelor's degree. Free time is spent on pursuit of One Stroke activities along with help from her husband.

Eileen never thought she'd be able to paint using brushes like an artist until she decided to join her sister-in-law, Maggie, in taking a Tole Painting class in October 1998. After the Tole Fairy came the night she finished her first project, she realized she could paint! Well, more or less, she said.

Then it happened.

A dear friend, Angela, in Hawaii suggested Eileen watch QVC on Craft Day in April 1999. Angela knew Eileen's love for crafting, but this was special, she said. After almost forgetting about it, Eileen turned the television on just in time to see Donna Dewberry do her painting magic. Even Eileen's husband sat there with her and watched Donna for the entire hour without channel switching. Needless to say, Eileen ordered her first kit from QVC that day. And of course, Eileen had to share the excitement with her sister-in-law.

Now try to picture this. A non One Stroke person trying to do shells in the air, telling her brother and his wife that in just this small amount of time, Donna did a shaded rose that was beautiful, and that Robert sat and watched the entire hour with me, and "Well, Maggie, we just have to learn this method, it looks so easy", and this, and that, and . . . (excitement city!!).

Eileen taped the show on the next craft day and brought the tape for Maggie to see. Maggie and Chuck watched the entire hour, got the same feeling of awe and knew this needed to be pursued.

Eileen set off to find a class and in July 1999 made contact with Linda Petrarca, who was at that time, Arizona's only One Stroke Certified Instructor. Eileen and Maggie scheduled a class with Linda and it seemed like an eternity before the class ever happened in November 1999. In January 2001, Eileen and Maggie attended the Phoenix One Stroke Certified Instructors training along with over 65 others. On March 1, Eileen and Maggie received their "Puffy Package"s naming them as two new One Stroke Certified Instructors.

Eileen can be reached by E-mail for One Stroke painting information.