I began teaching myself lapidary in the fall of 2013 with a dremel is my backyard. I made a few decent stones, but many didn't work out. One freeform ethiopian opal stands out in my mind as something that worked out. Most of my work would still have scratches in it after polishing…it took a year or so, even after buying a small lapidary combo unit, to learn how to make a decent cab. I wish I would have had some instruction but oh well. Finally these days I have a handle on my equipment which I have upgraded considerably. I now have an 18in slab saw which is a lot of fun to operate, along with bigger grinding wheels and polishing buffs.
I also taught myself silversmithing starting in fall 2014, as I wanted to learn to set some of my cabochon creations. Learning silvermithing from a few youtube videos was tricky, but came along much faster than my lapidary work. I enjoy my time on the jewelers bench, it is theraputic for me.
I am a serious rockhound who loves Oregon for all she has to offer, and take pride in being earth conscious when I camp and hunt for agates. I have built up quite a beautiful stash of Graveyard Point agate, with countless variations that amaze me. It is my favorite material to work with right now. As of 2019 I have a new claim in the Owyhee Mountains, and am excited to show the world the new material. I hope in the future to sell many of my creations, helping out other jewelers and such who appreciate the stones as much as I do.