I Make Stuff

I've always made stuff. I don't know why. It's just an urge that I seem unable to shake. My mother is a professional artist, so there were "supplies" available to me from a very young age. I'm sure that has a lot to do with it. Unlike my mother, who creates paintings and sculptures, I make stuff.

I learned to crochet before I was 5 and made baby booties for my first grade teacher when she was pregnant. I went to art shows with my mom from a very early age and sold simple beaded jewelry and ribbon hair clips. In junior high school, I made stuffed animals. In high school, I had a spinning wheel and made my own yarn. As I'm sure you can guess, I was not one of the popular kids. I'm pretty sure that having a spinning wheel has never been "cool."

When I first moved to Austin TX in 1994, I fell in love with the live music scene. I was doing a lot of black and white photography and spending a lot of time in the darkroom. I was also spending a lot of time at The Continental Club, Saxon Pub, Austin Outhouse and Leeann's Barn. I miss that. I think that the physical aspect of darkroom work, and having physical prints as a result, lined up well with my need to make stuff. Digital photography just does not feel like the same thing to me.

In 1996, I spent a month in South Africa, visiting my older sister. I returned with all kinds of beautiful, amazing, unique beads and jewelry supplies. I was hooked! It wasn't long before I was making lots of beaded jewelry and incorporating wire work and other materials into my jewelry. I taught workshops and classes, both on my own and through UT continuing education. For quite a while, this was the stuff!

Then, about 8 years ago, I took a class on lampwork glass beads, and later a class on fused glass. Although I haven't worked with glass since my 2 year old daughter was born, I know that this is still the stuff I want to make most.

In the mean time, I've been crocheting scarves. Toddler scarves. Lots of toddler scarves.

It seems that with most of the stuff I make, I end up with a lot of it, which inevitably leads to some sort of sales venture. Until I have more time to get my work back into stores, or to build a real web site, I will post items I sell here, on Stuff I Make.