Jennifer Naylor

www.bagznbeadz.com

Artist's Bio

I credit my creativity to my late Mom. She had us making things at an early age. We also developed an appreciation for nature from my parents. Now, as a family, we gather in Hawaii to look at the fish underwater while snorkeling!! These trips help stimulate the mind for future creations.

I began stringing beads back in the late 1970ís when the African Trade Beads were still affordable. School, work, and flying kept me busy for a few years, and then, I went back to my love of beads. The late 1990ís had me buying, stringing, and selling beads, once more. This is when I decided that I must learn to make my own beads.

Imagine that first day I sat down to a torch in June of 2001, I actually started crying. I told my instructor, Marilyn, that I had been looking for this art form for 30 years. Yes, I knew then, that I had found it!!! Since that day, I have taken several classes to learn new techniques. I am looking forward to the day that I will be able to share with others through teaching.

I juggle my glass bead making with my other hobbies such as snowboarding and travel. Oh yes, there is also that full time job that I have to still work at in order to travel to all those exotic places for stimulation! Yes, I will come back a day early from that trip to Hawaii, in order to have a day at the torch.