There was never a doubt that I was going to be crafty! My parents are creative people. My Mom worked with Tri-Chem paints (does ANYONE remember that?), cake decorating, photo album covering... My dad is a wizard with wood. He's made pictures, tables, shelves... You name it, he can make it! It's natural that I have tried my hand(s) at several crafts over the years. In sixth grade, I had my first foray in jewelry making. I made colorful wire bracelets out of phone wire. I even sold a bunch. I dabbled in macramé and woodworking (with all those tools in the garage, how could I not?!?). In my 20s, I made a lot of polymer clay designs. I turned out a lot of candleholders and necklaces from that hobby. My mom even gave me a table at her annual craft fair in order to sell them. I didn't do very well. I'd given more candleholders away to friends and family than I'd sold. I had a brief flirtation with candle making. But I am all about instant gratification, so I'd poke at the wax until it hardened. No patience I tell ya! Fingerprinted candles are not as nice as non-fingerprinted candles, so I had to give that up. Other craft "flings" with needlepoint and knitting fell to the same fate. They take too long! Painting ceramics became popular in the mid-90s, and I fell right into it! I was a regular at Color Me Mine and A Time To Kiln. Bowls and platters adorn my house, my parents', my in-laws', my grandmothers'... You get the idea. I also made a mosaic frame, which inspired me to begin my most ambitious endeavor to date. My dad made me a three-legged bench and routed out the top so I could fill it with a mosaic tile pattern. This project started in spring 1998, and continued on through the winter. Progress stalled at this point (see where I'm going with this?). After my engagement in Fall 2000 (and a prolonged hiatus from my poor bench), a new hobby struck me - tiara making! Not wanting to begin this new craft until my neglected project was completed, my bench received its proper attention and care and was completed in December 2000. That brings me to this era of my crafting. The Jewelry Era. It started because I wanted to design my own tiara for my wedding. Ebay auction wins provided pearls and Swarovski crystals. I ordered wire and supplies from professional supplier Rio Grande. I designed my tiara and a float-ey bead crystal necklace for the wedding day. After the wedding, I was jewelried out. I put my supplies aside and became a major scrap-booking freak. In 2003, several fun necklaces caught my eye. I saw them and thought, "I can make that!" I dusted off my jewelry supplies and tools, made a bunch of visits to NYC bead stores, and here I am!
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