My Story.

I was born in Calgary, Alberta, Canada in the year of the sheep. Astrologically, I fall between a strong Leonian woman and an emotional Cancerian lady. Within me, I have fire and water, the contrast and the harmony.

I spent my childhood and adolescence in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. This is where I call home.

In 2003 after graduating university with a Bachelor of Education, I realized that the world was my oyster. I wanted to take time and explore it as well as explore myself.

In August, the same year, I was on a solo flight heading for Taipei. I was ready for an adventure, a new life, and was encouraged by my spirit.

Since I was a small girl I have always been fascinated by and gravitated towards jewelry. Initially it was because it was sparkly and beautiful, and played with my imagination. I vividly remember studying my grandmothers and my mother’s jewelry. Both of them had lovely pieces that they wore often or tucked away in mysterious and beckoning treasure chests. I couldn’t take my eyes off of them. On occasion I would ask to hold or wear them and when our time together was up I always wanted just another minute...another sparkle.

This interest stayed with me throughout my childhood, into my daze as a teenager. I began collecting pieces, often amazed at the vintage and character jewels cast aside to gather dust in second hand shops.

As years passed, my interest and intrigue in jewelry exponentially grew. It became so all encompassing that it easily took residence in my heart and became part of my identity. I am and always have been a jewellery admirer. It is my expression of who I am. Through my growth and unification of myself I have learned to celebrate this creative outlet and have enjoyed the treasures found in both my homeland and along all my travels.

I have been designing and creating jewellery for the past three years. When you are truly meant to do something, and you find it, it captures and cultivates your being, whispering acknowledgement.

I woke up one day after hearing the sweet whispers and here I am now. This is something I will always continue to do.

Why would I not follow my path and revel in the creation of beauty? I now fall asleep thinking about color, texture, symmetry and pleasing combinations. It is a lovely feeling to hand someone something that makes them feel beautiful. It makes my job as a jewellery designer endlessly rewarding.

The Girl in the Sapphire Blue Mittens.

It is Friday. The time is 5:02 in the evening. It is the 16th of November. I sit here on this cold steel bench at the 124 street bus stop in Edmonton. It is fall. One of my favorite seasons. The air is chilled, but fresh. With every great breath that one inhales one can slightly taste every lake, river and ocean. Fall is a beautiful season. There are so many wonderful things for the eye to look at, admire and study. There’s an endless harvest of rich colors and textures. And I find that my eyes are wanting to look everywhere.

While listening to four school boys crunching and laughing in the red, brown and orange leaves behind me. I become intrigued and interested in the conversation between two other souls waiting for the #16.

The conversation is between a plump old woman with rosy cheeks and a young girl with shiny black hair. She is wearing sapphire colored mittens. The old woman’s voice is sweet and soothing. I find it very easy to listen to her speak.

A moment passes. The young girl with the sapphire blue knitted mittens gazed intensely at the rosy cheeked old woman.

"What is beauty?" asked the young girl in a voice that reminded me of cherry pie. "Well, my young dear, beauty is a very difficult phenomenon to explain so plainly." stated the old woman with a tiny sparkle in her eye. The old woman began to speak again. I have been roaming this earth for many, many years. Trying to find the answer to that questionÓ.

The old woman with the rosy cheeks stood up and began to unzip her old worn brown woolen coat. As she did this, she also began to loosen her ox-blood colored paisley scarf. Slowly unwrapping herself, she began to reveal what was hidden underneath.

It sparkled and gleamed like the sun and the stars. It glowed in such a way that an unseen warmth expelled out of it. It was the type of warmth that could fill any lonely house, a broken heart or help a lost soul find his way home. It was stunning. Absolutely stunning. It was surely one of the most breath taking piece of art and mastery that I have ever seen in my life.

I couldn’t take my eyes off of it. It captured me. And for a brief moment I lost my breath. And I realized as the seconds went by that it was drawing me closer to it. And I began to emotionally and spiritually gravitate towards its glow and wonder.

My mind at this time had no other thoughts. I was just feeling. The more I stared into its center point and details, the more I felt my heart and spirit begin to move and wave like the glorious Northern lights or the waves of the seas. It breathed when I breathed, and I started feeling intoxicated watching it and admiring it, I couldn’t take my eyes off of it.

I so wanted to touch it, to let its warmth penetrate through my fingertip, flow through my blood and make its way back to my heart. I wanted it to engulf me with its glow. And swallow me up whole. So I could always feel like this.

It was then and there at the 124 street bus stop on November 16th that I finally received and understood my answer to my burning question.