A little about me

I grew up in Illinois, surrounded by art and music. When I was 22, my mom—who had just retired after 35 years as an art teacher—gave me all her old stained glass supplies. Inspired, I began making a few pieces for my professors. After graduating, I started teaching as well. In my first couple of years, I created a few stained glass items for special students, but soon became interested in painting instead. I spent the next ten years dabbling in watercolor and acrylics.

During that decade, I taught high school math in Florida for three years before moving to North Carolina to be closer to my older sister, who is also an art teacher. I’m now in my eleventh year of teaching middle school math. Since moving to North Carolina, I’ve found myself drawn back to stained glass. I made snowflakes as family Christmas gifts and, for the first time, worked with iridescent glass. The beautiful triangular and diamond-shaped scraps inspired me—they seemed perfect for earrings.

In April 2024, I started selling my earrings on Etsy, and a year later, I began selling at local markets. Making earrings has become a soothing way for me to unwind. I love the process of creating something new, especially when customers share their ideas and preferences. Every piece I make is one-of-a-kind and custom made.