1beadweaver

I’ve been making things and working with my hands almost since birth. Growing up on a farm, I was deeply involved with nature, planting, growing livestock, and observing. My Dad had a low bench in his machine shop where I could work with wire and metal scraps. My Mom had me embroidering as soon as I could hold onto a needle, and embroidery became my first love. I have experimented and even mastered a few textile arts in my life of making. Coming from a farming background, being an artist just wasn’t advised, when I was starting out in the world to make a living. I know my family was trying to protect me from certain starvation, but I could never stop being creative.

When I was twenty years old, I became a flight attendant, hostess back then. This career started my education in reverse. I had the great gift of seeing the world, while I worked. On most layovers, I was off to a museum in London, walking the beautiful streets of Paris observing the architecture, or visiting a gallery in Rome, New York, or Madrid. In my mid-thirties I started my art schooling, studying graphic design. That practical farm upbringing was still speaking in this study choice. I got a degree and worked as a graphic designer for several years, but tired of sitting at a computer day in and day out. I craved working with my hands. Meanwhile, a friend had become a lamp work artist, and I had been playing around with her beads. Those beautiful beads started a true love affair that continues today.

All of this time I had continued to fly, and went through two bankruptcies, downsizing, and a buy out with that airline, before losing the job entirely. That job loss prompted me to take the leap and risk becoming a full time artist/maker. I returned to school at Maryville University in St. Louis, MO, and studied metalsmithing under Sherri Jaude, so I could make all of the metal elements for my beaded creations. This time in school was thrilling to me (school is that way when you are older). Art history was especially thrilling, as I had viewed so many of the paintings and visited much of the great architecture that was flashed up on the screen in person during my travels. My education in reverse, visit first, study later, was coming full circle.

Ten years have gone by since that job loss, and I’ve been working as an artist all of that time. I am so grateful to be doing what I love. It is so exciting to have my own business, for I view being an artist as a business, and be in control of my destiny. I create art jewelry, teach jewelry techniques locally and nationally, have an active web presence with my own website and three Etsy shops, participate in local and national art fairs and am currently serving as President of the Society for Midwest Metalsmiths. I love sharing my knowledge about making jewelry and I have found teaching and writing to be a very rewarding part of my artist life. It’s a busy creative life, filled with new and exciting challenges every day.


Education: St. Louis Community College - Associate Degree – Graphic Design
Maryville University - Focus in Metalsmithing
Organizations: Society for Midwest Metalsmiths – President
Greater St. Louis Bead Society– Member
American Craft Council – Member
Published: Bead & Button Magazine – Three Magazine How-To Articles
Best of Bead & Button 2008 & 2010
Bead Unique – Eight Magazine How-To Articles
Lark Showcase 500 – Beaded Jewelry – Out in August 2012
Shows – Bead & Button Show – Taught 2007 – 2013
Great Lakes Art Fair – Spring & Fall – 2009 & 2010
Jewelry To The Third Degree – 2010 - 2011
The Inside Show – 2011 - 2013
Mosaics, Missouri Festival for the Arts - 2012 & 2013
Best of Missouri Market, Botanical Gardens - 2012
Society for Midwest Metalsmiths, Jewelry & Metal
Show -2010-2013