I was lucky enough to be born into a very creative family, who love to make things with their hands. All before the age of ten, I was introduced to sewing, woodworking, kite making, knitting, crocheting, cooking, gardening, embroidery, and of course beading.
When I was about eight years old, my Father and I belonged to a group called Indian Guides run by the YMCA. At that time, my father bought me my first bead loom, and together we figured out how to set it up and even made a bracelet or two. I was hooked. Making my own jewelry became an obsession.
In middle school I found the joys of making friendship bracelets. I spent many a Saturday afternoon browsing the DMC floss rack at Jo-Anns hoping it was a 4 for $1 sale that week. A friend of mine whose father worked for the telephone company gave me my first wire experiences making coiled bracelets with the scraps of colorful wire her dad didnt need.
In high school beads were easier to come by, and I started stringing and revisited my bead loom once again. I learned a few beadweaving techniques like peyote stitch from books. Craft wire was easily accessible, so I started wrapping stones, and making jewelry from my own wire designs. Fimo and Sculpty were just entering the market, and I even tried my hand at clay.
Once I was in college I knew that this would be a lifelong obsession, and earned my Associates Degree in Small Business Management. I wanted to own a bead store, and based all of my studies on being an entrepreneur. I continued to make jewelry in any way I could think of while I married and started a family.
Bead stores started to pop up all over the place, which just helped fuel the fire. Totally consumed with beads I tried to learn everything I could about beads and really started to "bead everything". I realized that seed beads were my medium of choice and really started to develop my own style. Thank goodness seed beads were being improved upon and cylinder beads like delicas were invented to give bead work a more professional make over. I continue to try and learn every new technique that hits the market, and feel like my work is constantly evolving and maturing.
In middle school I found the joys of making friendship bracelets. I spent many a Saturday afternoon browsing the DMC floss rack at Jo-Anns hoping it was a 4 for $1 sale that week. A friend of mine whose father worked for the telephone company gave me my first wire experiences making coiled bracelets with the scraps of colorful wire her dad didnt need. 
In high school beads were easier to come by, and I started stringing and revisited my bead loom once again. I learned a few beadweaving techniques like peyote stitch from books. Craft wire was easily accessible, so I started wrapping stones, and making jewelry from my own wire designs. Fimo and Sculpty were just entering the market, and I even tried my hand at clay.