Everyone has special memories from their past and if they are not shared with others they are lost and forgotten. For Judy Lee Emerick, creating lasting keepsakes is a full-time job that keeps many people's personal stories alive.

Since the young age of three, Judy's been an active artist who loves to draw. She remembers that her mother would often gather her artwork and "show it off" as only mothers can do.

Judy started her business drawing pictures of homes for the owners. By word of mouth and shows she built a clientele that she draws virtually anything from cars to animals and people.

One of Judy's favorite things to draw is family portraits. Since it's often difficult to get a large family together at once, her customers will send pictures of each family member and she draws them as if they were all together. The results are keepsakes that will last for years to come.

Judy attributes much of her success to her husband, John. Although he already has a full time job as an engineer, he manages to find time to help her out. As she puts it, he does the 'business stuff', like the books etc., along with matting and framing her work. Judy says, "I couldn't do all of this without John's help and support. My kids are also helpful and proud of what I do."

Judy loves to draw children, especially ones with big eyes. She says, "I love it when the children's eyes jump off the page. It's like the paper comes to life." She also confesses it's a fun challenge to capture the spirit and personality of the person she's drawing since she doesn't know them.

Besides getting to know her customers well, her business is very mobile. At one point Judy and her family moved several times and having her own business is such an asset because she can do it from anywhere in the country. As she puts it, "I feel like I can do something nice for people by recreating their memories into a keepsake they'll treasure forever."