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Everything we do throughout our lives leads us to being able to fulfill our life's purpose. It is our job to listen to each experience for its true lesson.

My Story,
The Short Version
       
The driving force to be artistically creative has always been within me. I have been drawing, painting, sewing, and stitching since I was quite young. I really do believe that I've had a needle in my hand since I could hold on to one.

At twenty I became a flight attendant (hostess in those days) traveling to many foreign destinations over the years. In each location, I always made it a point to visit museums, cathedrals, and galleries to view the great art of this planet. The opportunity to witness (and sometimes participate in) the worlds of design, fashion, and art in numerous cultures, continues to inspire me today.

After years of flying, I felt the need to pursue a more creative career. I obtained a degree in graphic design and worked in that field for a while. I soon found that although

I enjoyed the creative aspects, sitting in front of a computer all day, every day wasn't satisfying my need to work with my hands. A dear friend who is a lampwork bead artist introduced me to her exotic beads about nine years ago. After handling those beads for just a few short hours, I was hooked. The great breadth of color and textural possibilities connected easily to my life time of work with stitching and the three dimensionality of beadwork.

From that point on, I've been passionately learning everything I can about beads and beading. I have studied with masters and explored on my own, becoming skilled in the art of beading. I now teach others many of the stitches, incorporating shortcuts to get students to their goal of enjoying the creative aspects of beading without getting stuck on the difficulty of the process.

Since the beading bug bit me, I have spent many happy hours poking

around in bead shops, attending bead shows, and reading bead related magazines to discover the variety of beads and other materials to incorporate into my work.

I immersed myself in metals-mithing four years ago. Learning to manipulate metal has opened up a whole new world of creative possibilities that I will continue to explore for the rest of my life. Every step of the way along this path, I've met great people with whom I can share ideas and spread the passion for this amazing art form.

Currently I'm a jewelry designer and the creator of a line of findings that is growing by leaps and bounds. I continue to teach beading techniques, as well as write on the topic of beading.

Since I've made the leap of faith to work as a studio artist, every day is filled with creative excitement. Teaching and writing are greatly rewarding to me because I always get back far more than I give. And I give a hundred percent.