My very first memory is of visiting my great grandmother at her home in Peterculter, Aberdeenshire.  She was sitting on a sofa with a blanket made of crochet squares on her knees - it was like Joseph's coat of many colours. I also remember visiting my grandmother  -  each time I visited,  she would bring out a box literally full of beautiful  doilies in shades of white, cream & ecru that she had crocheted, and  say I could take my pick. It seemed an odd gift to give a child but I now know the love and experience it took to make them.
 The creativity continued with my Mum whose forte was sewing, she had a soft furnishings shop  - Jean Foster Designs in Edinburgh ........and so the creative genes continued. I love creating and am a bit of a flibbertigibet jumping from one craft to another
It wasn't until I  had my daughters, Maxine & Roz that I really started trying new crafts. As the  saying  goes "necessity is the mother of invention". I  enjoyed kn itting, sewing and crocheting clothes for them and making things for our home and made everything from ballgowns to loose covers.
When  I retired in 1996,  I became self employed,  hence the birth of Gill Foster Designs (now The Shooglie Brush). I have had the best fun teaching multi media crafts to so many fabulous people.
12 years ago I discovered decorative painting and I am  now priviledged to be a One Stroke Certified Instructor and DecoArt Helping Artist. I have had designs published in The Stroking Edge online painting magazine, DecoArt website, The Glasgow Herald, Edinburgh Evening News, Crafts Beautiful Magazine, The Sunday Post, Dundee Courier and have appeared on The Beechgrove Garden, BBC1, STV and Radio Forth

In addition to my own classes I have run workshops for:
The Scottish Chest, Heart & Stroke associationMidlothian County CouncilScottish Womens' Rural InstituteNewbattle Abbey College
I now only teach on request as we are travelling some of the time in Europe in our motorhome.  Yet another adventure .......and lots of craft shops to visit along the way