I grew up crafting. My mother, grandmothers, and aunts all did crafts of various types, from painting to crocheting, rug making to sewing, beading to card making. My father can fix nearly anything and my grandfathers both enjoyed wood working hobbies. I have never been afraid to try a new skill, and more than likely someone in my family can give me some encouragement.

One Christmas season our finances were tight so I began making gifts for our extensive Christmas list. I made a necklace for a coworker, and bracelets for my daughter's teachers and coaches. Everyone loved them! With my husband's encouragement "Beads, Bangles, and More" was born. It has been a great outlet for my creativity. I love making new items, choosing colors, selecting patterns--I was hooked!

I hold a Bachelor of Arts degree in Environmental Science and am a firm believer in living sustainably. I love incorporating perfectly useable pieces from cast-offs, broken, and vintage jewelry into my designs. I also try to use supplies that are sustainable. Whenever possible I buy supplies manufactured in the United States. You can still be fashionable while leaving a small carbon footprint! There is an old Native American proverb, "We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children." I want to leave the world a place of natural wonder and beauty for them as it was and is for me so that they can be inspired by God's awesome power and creativity too.