A framed cross stitch made by her sister Karen over 20 years ago greets Jill Haglund when she opens her eyes each morning and it's the last thing she sees each night. It reads: "What we are is God's gift to us, what we become is our gift to God."



Jill was given a sharp mind, lots of talent, and if her endless energy were harnessed like wind or sun it could heat a city all winter. She understands that she's been blessed and she uses every ounce of her time and creativity, every day.



Jill was given a sharp mind, lots of talent, and if her endless energy were harnessed like wind or sun it could heat a city all winter. She understands that she's been blessed and she uses every ounce of her time and creativity, every day.

I met Jill on the phone in 1998 when I requested a sample of her first book so I could write a review. It was a rave and I've been raving ever since, through 17 more books (all of which are still in print) and a whole lot more. From the get-go, Jill self-published through her company, TweetyJill Publications, because she wanted to ensure that her books were precisely what she envisioned (not always possible when a traditional publishing house is part of the equation). Soon, she became a manufacturer as well, founding a second company , TJ Designs by TweetyJill, that produces card kits, collage packs, ATC packs, a Class Kit of the Month series, rubber stamps, and acrylic blocks.



Jill amazed me the first time we spoke and she amazes me even more over a decade later. Rather than doing less, she does more! Here is a list of the hats she wears, any one of which would be enough for most people: blogger, bookkeeper, and business owner; photo stylist, publisher, photographer, and product developer; designer, internationally known teacher, world traveler, avid bicyclist, devoted mom to three young adults; retired pilot and skydiver.



Jill adores what she does and she is so grateful to those who help make it all possible. A local store, Scraporium in Tampa, FL, is her second home. She teaches at least two classes a month, drawing participants of all ages. She wanted to give a shout out to two of the students - Leigha and Lois - who are 9 and 86, respectively. Store owner Denise Hopkinson is also high on the list of those who earn words of praise (Denise is sponsoring the TweetyJill cruise to Cozumel that takes place in February 2012), as are Gary Ihle (owner of Marco's Paper) and his events Manager, Greg Smallwood. Jill logged thousands of miles while on the road with Gary and Greg. These days she limits her travel time, but Gary still takes her product line to consumer shows so in a sense she's still on the road with Marco's.

When Jill decided to build her new blog, TweetyChix, she jumped into it in a big way. There are twelve separate themes within the blog, each one divided into sections to maximize the fun and make it easy to maneuver through the cards, tags, tips, and such. Jill demands a lot from herself, and she delivers.



One of the things I admire most about Jill is that she puts herself into her customers' and students' shoes, understanding that people have only so many hours in the day and a finite amount of money to spend. She has made a deliberate decision to keep her products affordable and versatile. For example: One ATC paper pack has enough elements to make 120 Artist Trading Cards. And the products within any theme will all work together - card kits, collage packs (images), rubber stamps, paper packs. Plus, themes coordinate well with each other. Jill designed the grid-lined ATC-size acrylic block so it can be used for viewing and selecting sections of paper to cut out - not just to temporarily mount rubber stamps.

Jill doesn't like to pick favorites from the product line of over 300 items, but she has a special spot in her heart for Rescued Relatives (as do I!). She says Rescued Relatives are a top focus for 2012. Jill selects every vintage image, designs each and every stamp, all of the sheets of paper. Jill must be a good boss, too. She has worked with graphic designer Laurie Doherty, for many years, calling her an absolute jewel.

I asked Jill what keeps her going, what charges her batteries. She said, "I love to help people smile and escape into their art. I think that vintage images help people hold their own memories near. People often show up to classes with their family photos. Old pictures reflect simpler times. For many of us, those were the days when kids went out to play and didn't come home till the fireflies lit the street - just before the mosquitoes came out. And collage makes it easy for people to create unique work. There aren't rules that say, 'put that an inch from the corner' or 'you must use the blue flower.' Collage allows for endless possibilities and personal expression, for people to use their own imaginations."

Toward the end of our most recent conversation I sent Jill an e-mail with a photo of me taken when I was six, in the early 1950's. I'm wearing a Halloween costume my mother made me out of white fake fur. Talking to Jill about vintage images had taken me straight back to that memory - the days when I could turn into a rabbit by having someone draw eye-liner whiskers on my face, when I could don tall ears lined in pink satin and hop on two good legs.

If I make the cut, you just might find me in a Rescued Relatives paper pack someday.

For inspiration and ideas be sure to follow the TweetyChix blog and visit the TweetyJill web site often.

A printable project card showing Instructions and a list of supplies for this project can be found by clicking on the “Step-by-step instructions” link within this article.

To find the products mentioned in this article and shown in these layouts, check with your local scrapbook retailer. Browse our Premier Retail Stores for coupons to a store near you.