My passion is creating handmade jewelry in my home studio in Fayetteville, Arkansas, where I have lived with my husband and family since 1982. I have a degree in Commercial Art, and my work is shown in galleries and on the products of different companies. While I continue to work in graphic arts, my primary focus is on handcrafting jewelry. I would be delighted to talk with you about arranging a show or creating a custom piece of beautiful jewelry just for you.

I guess I have loved the art world from the time I was a child growing up in St. Louis, Mo. I was always drawing, fingerpainting or making something with clay or paper. I never took art in school because I also loved my music and played clarinet starting in 5th grade and could only choose one or the other. I chose Commercial Art as a major in college and went to work as a printer’s artist and later designed brochures and logos for a firm in St. Louis. When I married my husband, Windell, we moved to Fayetteville, Ar. where we opened a frame shop and art gallery which put me into contact with Island International Artists through whom I have sold etchings from 1982 to the present. I have designed greeting cards, and am contracted with a couple of companies using my artwork on kitchen linens and T-shirts. I do calligraphy for local galleries and some commissioned pieces of art. I continue to play clarinet and it was when I was playing in our community band and the pit orchestra for summer musicals that I discovered my abilities on a much larger scale, painting scenery, and later, murals.

I have always had a passion for jewelry, especially the unusual and hand-crafted. So in 2002, after my entire collection of jewelry was stolen, I began making a few things with my daughter, Heather, to have something to wear until I could replace some of what I had lost. I really enjoyed “beading” but kept seeking a way to actually make the pendants really my creation. I went from wire-wrapping gemstones and stained glass, to the fused dichroic glass that I am doing now. I love the infinite possibilities of this craft and the fact that each piece is totally individual. Because of the nature of the glass it is impossible to exactly duplicate a piece. I can incorporate my love of color, design, and wire-wrapping all in one little work of art!

I have experienced much success selling my jewelry at craft shows and through my studio and specialty shops and now am ready to make them available to a wider customer base. I enjoy working from my home studio and am kept company by my two dogs “Jack” and “Leo” during the day and my husband of course! My three children, Matt, Heather and Justin are the joy of my life and we have recently been blessed with our first Grandson, Brett.

Dichroic glass is beautiful even before it is fired. "Dichroic" means, 2 colors, (in Greek!). It reflects one color and transmits another giving the finished product an amazing coloration that changes every time it moves. The glass will even intensify against darker colors in your clothing.

My original designs are created and crafted, solely by me in my home-based studio. I work full-time painting, printmaking and working with glass to create my wearable art jewelry. You are buying directly from me.

Glass fusing- my glass jewelry is made by cutting, fitting to shape and then layering pieces of glass, dichroic as well as opalescent. The piece is then placed into a kiln and fired at temperatures between 1450-1500 deg.F (sometimes more than one time). It is then slowly annealed (or cooled), a most important step, to attain the quality and durability of each piece. After fire polishing the item I either wire wrap it or a silver plated bail is adhered to it.

Pendants are beautiful when hung from a silver chain or sometimes two or more at a time. A black or brown silk or nylon cord is also very attractive. Several of my necklaces consist of a thin vinyl jewelry cord that accomodates small metal and crystal beads to accent the pendant. Other necklaces are fully beaded. All of the wire wrapping is done with sterling silver wire. Also, enjoy some of my beaded semi-precious stone jewelry. I will be adding more of this to my store in the future.

You will enjoy all the comments and compliments on your unusual, eye-catching, one-of-a-kind piece of art, jewelry!