I went to my first bead shop in Seattle almost 40 years ago and the magpie in me was immediately hooked on the infinite variety and potential of so many colors, shapes, textures!  I was in heaven and have been ever since. I can’t paint or draw (aside from coloring mandalas) but for me, making beaded jewelry feels like painting. My designs are simple because my main focus is on combining shapes and colors to create unique, pretty pictures that people can wear easily and won’t break the bank. 

Emphasis on unique!  Like a painter, I never make the same piece twice. That would be too boring!  Each piece is a collage of semi-precious stones, bone, wood, shell, glass, bronze, brass and silver.  I have travelled to more than 90 countries over the past 30 years and many of my beads have been acquired on trips to places like Indonesia, Vietnam, Ghana, Kenya, South Africa, Honduras, Mexico etc.  I also hunt antique markets for old jewelry that I can repurpose in modern designs.