Tell us about your background: Where were you born? Where did you grow up? Did you go to school beyond High School? Where do you live now? What does your immediate family consist of?

I am a Texan by birth and grew up in a tiny town (pop. 250) called Hermleigh. Don't blink when you go through or you will miss it! I attended Texas Tech until Jim (aka Coop) and I were married. We have lived in several states and recently moved to Santa Fe, NM! We bought a small adobe house in the historic district about five blocks from the plaza. There is something magical about Santa Fe that feeds my creative spirit! We have two daughters and five wonderful grandchildren. Lee Ann and her husband Wayne Freytag live in Hallettsville, TX. Their children are Christopher, Allison and Kimberly. Ali and her husband Jeff Knight live in Erie, CO with their two children Olivia and Cooper. I introduced Allison and Kimberly to beading a few years ago and this fall I started Olivia down the beaded path.

 

Do you have a "day job"? If so, what is it? If not, how do you support yourself?

I don't have a job other than publishing books. How do I support myself? I leave that up to Coop!!!

How did you begin beading? For how long have you been a beader?

I started beading in 1984. My husband and I were visiting Santa Fe and I saw some wonderful amulet purses for sale. I immediately thought about making one..... just one, mind you .... with the design from the cover of one of my stained glass books. I visited a bead store and fell totally in love with beads! My story sounds like that of every beader I have ever met! Beads are simply the most addictive things in the world. They first thrill our eyes with their beauty. They challenge our minds learning various techniques. They awaken our tactile sense with their feel. They link us with people all over the world and through the ages. What more could one ask from a teensy little bead?

What beaders influence you most?

I am influenced by every beader because each of us has something unique in our beadwork. The internet continues to be a major influence since we are communicating with beaders all over the world. We share ideas, sources, techniques, joys, sorrows and many, many laughs. Beaders are the most sharing people I have ever met. It would be impossible to name every one who has been an influence in my bead life but I thank them all.

Have you taken bead classes? Art classes?

I have taken several bead classes and look forward to taking more. My latest class was during the BeadVenture 2002 in Ireland. One of the joys of beading is that there is always something new to learn. I've taken art classes for years in almost every medium from oil paints to precious metals jewelry. After I became a beadaholic I sold my stained glass supplies and my brushes and paints are all dried up. I am learning to use silver clay now so my jewelry classes will come in handy!

How did you start designing? What prompted you to take the step from following others projects/patterns to doing your own?

When did you decide to do your first bead book and why?

Why? Because I'm obviously a few strands shy of a full hank! I thought it would be easy! At the time I started beading I was very happily at work on my 24th book of stained glass designs. I couldn't be happy until I had published a book of beadwork designs in full color. This is a much more difficult (and costly) endeavor than a stained glass book with drawings on black and white pages. I published the first book and was terrified that it wouldn't sell. Happily it did sell and I now have seven books on the market with two more in the final stages of completion.

What has been your biggest joy concerning designing?

I love designing and making personal things for my family and friends. I made an amulet purse for my "forever friend" Patricia Winegar using two drawings from her book "Shouts Down Trees" as the design. I made an amulet purse for my daughter Ali Knight using her painting "You and Me and the Aspen Tree" as the subject. I love doing this!

Ali's Memory Tree web site
Patricia's book - It is WONDERFUL!!!

What are your influences as you design? In other words, where do you get your ideas?

I get ideas from everywhere! Currently I am doing lots of southwest designs because I see so many beautiful pieces of art in Santa Fe. Tomorrow I could be working on flowers or no telling what else. My computer is overflowing with designs from completed ones to those in the beginning stages. Am I obsessed with designing? Could be!

What is your favorite design (of your own) to date?

That's rather like asking which is my favorite child! One of my favorite pieces is "Jake the Snake" and I love wearing the necklace and hearing the comments people make.

Describe your workspace? Do you have a studio? Dedicated room? Kitchen table?

Because our house is small we rented office space for both Coop and I.

 
 

What programs do you use to work your designs?

I work with Adobe Illustrator, Beadscape, Adobe Photoshop and Quark XPress.

Do you have any goals related to beadwork/designing that you would like to see become a reality within the next 5 years?

I want to see beadwork continue growing by leaps and bounds. Just look at how far we have come in the last few years. We have more beaders then before, more exhibitions, more contests and more shows. Beadwork has been with us for a bezillion centuries and will continue to be with us. I love this quote from a book by Mary White that sums it up very well. The book is called "How to Do Beadwork" and was first published in 1902. I felt a real sense of kinship with beaders through the ages when I read this. "Women come naturally by their love for beads. They inherit it from their 'great-great-twenty-seven-times-great-grandmother' -- as the fairy tale says."

Anything else you wish to share that might be of interest, or inspiration for beaders?

While I think beadwork can be an art form I don't consider ALL beadwork to be "art" nor do I think it has to be. Beadwork can be for personal adornment or just plain FUN. We all work hard and it is OK to play hard. Take out those beads and bead for the sheer joy of beading!