Growing up, my family were always "makers." My grandparents tried just about every craft imaginable. My grandma was an excellent artist. Her oil paintings, pastel drawings and sketches were amazing and plentiful. She was also a seamstress and made some of the most incredible dolls and my childhood halloween costumes. Grampa was a woodworker, ceramics painter and stained glass wizard.

My mother focused on thread crochet and encouraged her daughters to explore creativity. My sister and I tried many things. Candle making, anyone? I think we invested about $100 on molds, scents and wax. We made one wonky cherub candle and were done with it.

I learned crochet, cross stitch, embroidery, and basic jewelry making. It was the jewelry making that grabbed me. I made basic necklaces with store bought beads. Then one day, my mom gave me a new necklace that had beads but they clearly weren't store bought.

"I wonder how glass beads are made..." It's been a fabulous journey finding out.