Aspire To Be Jewels                                

      Jewelry making became a hobby of mine in 2001, after falling in love with a beaded bracelet that I just couldn’t afford. I decided to take the “smart, economic approach” and set out to make the bracelet myself. I purchased three colors of beads and basic jewelry making supplies. It took several attempts to get the bracelet to stay together, but persistence would prevail. In the mean time, I found beading to be extremely meditative, therapeutic and a wonderful creative outlet. Eventually, I grew tired of working with the same three colors of beads so I slowly expanded my bead collection. Within a year, I had spent hundreds of dollars on beads and my hobby quickly turned into an expensive one!

   Over time, I really enjoyed working with an array of designs and colorful bead combinations. Friends, coworkers and family members started complimenting me on my creations and it wasn’t long before I started taking custom orders and selling existing pieces. As the momentum behind my creativity continued to grow and I discovered my jewelry was becoming more than a hobby, I bought a tent and began participating in the local Minturn Farmer’s Market. I was intimidated by all the competition but I continued to receive encouraging feedback that my jewelry was “fun and affordable”. With time, I started commissioning pieces to boutiques in Vail, Hawaii and Wisconsin.

  Since traveling has always been my greatest passion, I began buying beads from rural villages and bustling streets of third world countries on my yearly adventures. I look for eye-catching pendants and beads that speak the culture of the regions from which I buy them. I have collected beads from Malaysia, Thailand, Bali, Zimbabwe, South Africa, India, Nepal, Hawaii and the Caribbean. I believe a sense of uniqueness is present in each piece and all of my creations are one of a kind, with the exception of requests for duplicates or custom designed pieces for wedding parties.

  Then, I realized that the labeling of my jewelry was another extremely important part of the completion process of a piece. My goal or vision was to empower and inspire woman with my jewelry. Aspire To Be Jewels was chosen for my business name with the intention of reflecting this message. When I finish a design, I wait for the first descriptive word to pop into my head, describing a personality trait that I want to recognize . This special trait could be an existing strength for someone to affirm and celebrate or it could be a gentle reminder of a trait that one can work toward and embrace into life. I truly hope my jewelry brings a little sunshine into the lives of those who wear my creations! Enjoy!