Lampwork came to me through the adoration of beads. I began collecting African Trade Beads, stringing beads from all over the world and reading everything I could about the history of beads. Old beads carry their own story, wearing them makes me a part of that story. Fiber is the same for me. The history of spinning and weaving always creates a picture of our American History. Living in Europe for nearly 13 years gave me also an enriched experience for beads and fiber.
Working with glass, forming it into shapes that symbolize my emotional state at that moment describes the journey I have been on for the last 18 years. Beads helped bring tranquility to my life and enabled me to express myself through the intricate designs I end up with after incorporating my shapes into an elaborate world of the seed bead. Off-loam bead weaving provides me the canvas to paint with my beads. Now I use these techniques to adorn the fiber I love to spin.

A few years ago I started to experiment with recycled glass after a friend approached me with some broken glass baskets. They belonged to her mother who had passed away. The glass baskets were originally made in Murano, Italy, and her mother had collected them for years. They were packed poorly and, of course, they arrived at her home in pieces. My friend pictured a new form from these broken treasures. My vision was the creation of unique beads with the historic designs undisturbed, resulting in some one-of-a-kind masterpieces.
This experience put me on a path of enhanced consciousness for prolonging the life of something broken by using it to create beads. Colorful bottles come with their own history. Beads created from bottles represents feelings of an occasion of joy, celebration, or even sadness. I create pieces with these beads and name them for the sentiment they give me. Themes from Arizona are my primary inspiration, testimony to the profound love I have for this beautiful state.
This attachment to recycled glass and special fibers in my creations infuses each piece with its own character and this in turn finds its way into the people’s hearts.