Having lived most of my life with military members, I acquired an appreciation for various cultures and the methods of adornment used by different peoples.  My background as a fashion and costume designer has also strengthened my passion for adorning the body. After years of moving with bolts of fabric and collections of garments, I have downsized to assortments and bits and pieces of glass, metals, bone, porcelain, shell, jade, and semi-precious stones collected from traders and artisans from around the world.  From this continually growing collection I make original ornamental jewelry.

Much of my work has a decidedly ethnic feel. The designs are strongly influenced by Asian, Middle Eastern, North African and Native American cultures, and the components mostly come from those areas.  It is truly cross-cultural, as I freely combine aspects of different cultures and time periods into a piece, putting my own personal interpretation on the design. 

My latest endeavor is a unique combination of my two loves - bead embroidery and ethnic components.  I may start with an idea that is based on the unusual jewelry shapes and designs of other cultures, such as the Hmong, Turkoman, or Thai.  The body of the piece is embroidery. With the addition of carved bone or jade, or ethnic metal pendants and talismans, or even prayer boxes and larger beads.  It is amazing to see how an ethnic style is completely changed by interpreting it in this medium.

From tiny seed beads to large carved jades, my life is filled with the excitement that comes from satisfying the internal/eternal desire to create - and the wonderment as to what will inspire the next project, and how it will develop as it is completed.