These finger-like clouds appeared late on a January afternoon. The soft hues here remind me of pearly colors,  peach, lavender and pink. Collecting photos like this is one of my favorite pastimes, second to beadwork of course. I often find myself looking through my photos for some new color inspiration.

In the upcoming weeks I’ll be working with some of my freshwater pearls and for color with a bit more punch, my vintage glass beads. Keep an eye out for combinations of blues with purples and soft gray, pink with coral, and charcoal gray with palest pink and cranberry.   

For more information on what led me to become a jewelry designer and some client feedback, please read on. 

I've had an avid interest in beading since childhood. For most of my teenage years, beading was the constant among a variety of crafty interests. In the late 1980's, I moved to Massachusetts and discovered a fascinating shop in Dunstable called the Stoneworks Gallery. It has since closed, but I spent many wonderful hours there learning about knotting techniques, semi-precious stones, and wampum from my friends Sandy and Curt.

I then got a job at the first Massachusetts Beadworks store in Harvard Square, Cambridge. After a few months I was promoted to manager of the store. Along the way I took classes and attended national bead conferences to learn more about how beads are made. I also began to do the buying for the store, which helped me understand the many sources of beads around the world. I began to build business relationships with the quality wholesalers. I also began teaching at the store, at adult education centers, and at bead conferences. During this period I published several articles in Bead and Button magazine, and became an associate editor. My class education continued with experts including Sandy Gates, Kristina Logan, Kate Fowle, Dudley Giberson, City Zen Cane, Jamey Allen, David Chatt, Tom Holland and Sage.

A class on Martha's Vineyard led to me to fall in love with the Island and I moved here in 1997. I have built my own business by creating and selling my original bead jewelry designs at local artisan shows and trunk shows at private gatherings. Maybe you met me at one of the shows. My jewelry can also be purchase through several shops and galleries, both on island and off. To find more information on other retail locations on my Show Schedule page, click here .

I had grandparents who collected Depression and Art glass, an Aunt Carol who loved jewelry, and a dear family friend, Toni, who was a teacher and also introduced me to many crafts, but most especially to beading. I'm forever grateful to all the people who have helped me along my creative path in life, including those who taught me to always search for new and unusual materials, colors, and techniques to create beaded jewelry.