I inherited my entrepreneurial spirit from my own Father. As many kids, I started out with a lemonade stand around the age of 5. While in college, I started several small ventures and bought and sold everything from used furniture, imported rugs, brass knick-knacks and piñatas to help pay for school. I even dressed as a giant red chile with a green-stem hat and sold chile ristras (strung dried chiles) on the highway!

After graduate school, I gave up most of my entrepreneurial ventures for a career as a wildlife biologist. I was very passionate about my work and loved working outdoors. After 15 years of working for various agencies, I decided I needed a hobby, so on a whim I purchased a large industrial sandblaster. I learned many techniques online and most from trial and error. I blasted holes and etched designs into everything with a smooth surface that I could get my hands on: rocks, granite slabs for pet memorials, glass panels, ornaments, vases, bottles, and even wood toilet seats!

While buying glass to etch at a market in San Francisco, I came across these colorful large flat pendant stones, my eyes lit up like firecrackers and I had a major AHA! moment! Creative Art and Soul was born.

I strive to keep Creative Art and Soul as simple as possible, focusing mainly on pendants, and maintaining a consistent look that has become my signature brand. Now and then I'll experiment with a new look, but I always seem to go back to the basics.

My customers are what keep me going. I am so thrilled when I am able to connect a customer to a piece that is very personal to them, that touches their heart and makes them feel good. In turn, I get to create a personal connection with every one of my customers and that makes me feel fabulous! This is why I continue to create pendants with designs and symbols that convey an emotion, an affirmation, a statement, a story, a belief, a history, an interest, a moral, an achievement, a sense of community or belonging, a reminder, or a personal sense of being.