I have always been a creative soul. As a little girl I loved to draw, color, and paint. I also had a thing for rocks. I remember playing outside and digging through the landscaped rock beds at my apartment complex to pick out the prettiest polished pebbles I could find. I must have inherited my creative gene from my mom. She was always doing something creative, from ceramics, sewing, and crocheting, to making flower arrangements, jewelry, and painting and decorating our home. She introduced me to jewelry design when I was a child back in the 70's. She made macrame jewelry, which was all the rage back then, and I would watch her as she created her pieces. She would take me along on her trips to the bead store and I just loved exploring the store and looking at all the different types of beads.

I started making jewelry myself as a hobby in my early 20's while attending college. I would string beaded necklaces and make wire wrapped earrings for friends and family. Then I discovered metalsmithing, which I took as an art elective in college. One class and I was hooked! I continued to take metalsmithing classes over the years to further my knowledge and improve my skills. I learned the properties of metals, and how to forge, fold-form, solder, etch, and cast. I learned various techniques for setting gemstones into metal, which is a good thing because I'm a bit of a gemstone hoarder! I also learned enameling, my absolute favorite technique, in which powdered glass is applied to metal, then heated in a kiln until the glass melts and fuses to the metal, achieving beautiful depth and color.

I've been making jewelry off and on for nearly 25 years. There have been times over the years when life's demands were so great that I had to put my jewelry making aside for a time, but it is something I have always come back to. I am drawn to the creative process, drawn to the awe-inspiring beauty of gemstones. I am inspired by exotic cultures, places, colors, and the beauty of nature. Having an idea in mind and then watching it take shape as I combine metal and stone is so amazing and even therapeutic. Each piece is made with love and care and a bit of my heart and soul. I strive to make pieces that are as unique as the individuals who will wear them. Pieces that will enhance beauty and confidence, individuality and boldness.

The learning is never ending. There will always be some new technique to explore, or some ancient technique to master. I could probably take classes for the rest of my life and still not learn all the different ways to make jewelry. But it is a great creative journey. In the past, I have also taught metalsmithing classes myself at a local Houston makerspace. I love being able to share my knowledge and inspire others to create. If I can encourage others to join the handmade movement by helping them learn a craft, then that makes me happy, and I think it makes the world a better place. By educating others on what actually goes into a handmade item, from the time and attention to detail, to the workmanship, I think more people will come to appreciate the quality of handcrafted items, and will want to support the small artisans and businesses that create them. I'm so grateful for each and every one of you who has purchased a piece of my work, because it allows me to continue doing what I love. I truly appreciate all of the friends, family, and followers who have supported me in my endeavors, as well as other artists, jewelry makers, Etsy sellers and Etsy admin who have been so generous with sharing their knowledge to help my business succeed.

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