Crafted with purpose
I am a self-taught crafter, based in Cutler Bay, Florida. Since childhood, when I took a puzzle piece and turned it into a decorative pin, a love of crafting has been a theme in my life. From crochet, to quilling (a beautiful, rolled paper art), beading, and card making, I have always found crafting therapeutic and very rewarding. Learning brick stitch from a book found on clearance over 30 years ago, I have continued to learn more advanced beading techniques including peyote stitch, RAW, and French beading. I am a proud member of the South Florida Jewelry Arts Guild ( www.sfjag.org ).
In 2012, my mother fell ill and became quite depressed. I immediately quit my job to care for her. Over the next 18 months, I taught my mother a variety of different crafts and found that she really enjoyed the projects. Her spirits became lifted. She was really enjoying herself. Not only did she have that amazing feeling of accomplishment for finishing a project, but she also felt her creative juices start flowing. She started doing things on her own. She even got to the point that she didn’t need me to look after her any longer.
After being a part of this, I started thinking about how I could teach crafting to others so that they can reap the same rewards. I started a small craft group she called BYOC (Bring Your Own Craft). The purpose of this group was for crafters of all kinds to meet and interact and learn about something new. When the pandemic hit in 2020, I went back to school. Through my studies I became a certified life coach specializing in what I call “craft therapy”. I use creative avenues to help people find their creative spark as well as to assist in reducing stress levels and promoting relaxation.
Fun fact: in 2008 and 2009, I had some of my quilling designs published in the only two Quilling Design-A-Day calendars ever published by Accord Publishing.
