It all started because my mother is four feet ten inches tall. If you know anyone that short, you know that every sleeve of every blouse, sweater and tee shirt they own is too long. How does this lead to a life as an enamelist you ask? Well, I'll tell you...

About four years ago my mother came home from a craft show with a pair of kilt pins holding up her sleeves. The sleeve pins were decorated with inexpensive plastic beads, but they were cute! They dressed up the tee shirt she was wearing, and they adjusted the length of her sleeves at the same time. I decided that if I could make them more elegant, they would make great holiday gifts. After haunting the bead stores for several weeks I was able to find everything I needed except a beautiful center piece bead with a hole big enough to fit on the kilt pin. The owner of one of the bead stores finally took pity on me. Holding out a handful of enamel beads, she said the words that would ultimately change my life: "I can show you how to make these."

From the first moment I turned on a torch, and watched with fascination as the glass melted and flowed like honey across the copper, I was hooked. It quickly became apparent I was going to have to find something do to with all those beads I was making. I mean, how many pairs of sleeve pins did my family really need? And so PINZ was born. I started selling sleeve pins (now called PINZ), featuring handmade enamel beads, at local craft shows. To attract people to my booth, my husband and I built a portable workbench so I could safely demonstrate bead making at the shows. This was an instant hit and I discovered I really enjoyed sharing the craft with people.

Enameling is the art of applying glass to metal. The basics of making an enamel bead are pretty simple: You cut a piece of copper tubing the length you want your finished bead. The copper is placed on a special tool called a mandrel and then heated in a propane torch flame. Once the copper is hot, enamel will stick to it. Enamel comes in a wide variety of colors, and ranges in appearance from powder to small chunks about the size of rock salt. As you add each layer of enamel, you melt it in the torch flame, rolling the mandrel to keep the hot glass from dripping off or sagging. You can mix different colors and swirl them around the bead, make round or teardrop beads, or manipulate the shape with tools while the glass is hot - the possibilities are endless! This is only the basic outline of the process, but it gives you a pretty good idea of what's involved.

Like any other craft, what takes a person from adequate to excellent is practice. My years as a production artist have served me well in that respect. Making literally thousands of beads did things for my technique that can't be described on paper. Every day I still learn new things, experimenting and pushing the art in new directions. I don't do craft shows any more and I make jewelry only on commission. I spend the majority of my time promoting and teaching the art. As far as I'm concerned, this is the best part! I love seeing the joy of discovery in the eyes of my students when they make their first bead, sharing that excitement with them at having done something out of the ordinary. And, of course, my mother has a pair of sleeve pins to match every outfit she owns!