I began making lampwork beads in 2003 after falling in love with the glass beads I was buying from other beadmakers for my jewelry designs. I dragged my Mom along to a beginner's lampworking class and our lives changed forever. I set us up a home studio in my garage and we started our business, Bead Addicts, together a few months later. Mother lost her long, hard-fought battle with cancer in Sept. 2013, but I wanted to retain the business name she picked to honor her legacy.

Glass beads changed my life forever. Being part of the lampworking community expanded my creativity and turned some of my "imaginary friends" that I originally met on the internet into some of the BEST friends I've ever had. I got involved with the International Society of Glass Beadmakers several years ago, and am now currently serving as ISGB president.

I have a regular day job that gets me out of the studio (much more than I'd like), but the hours I spend behind the torch are the most fulfilling creative time I've ever experienced. After years of dabbling in seed beading, bead stringing, knitting, crocheting, cross-stitching and every other craft/hobby you can imagine, flameworking just resonates. When I get in from a hard day behind the desk, change into my jammies and light my torch, I really know I'm HOME.