Like all of us, I have reinvented myself on numerous occasions. I started out planning to become a scholar of Renaissance English Literature and a college professor. I have a Ph.D. and 13 years of college teaching behind that persona.

But let me go back even further. I have always loved doing handwork, particularly all types of fiberwork. As a child and young adult I also spend a lot of time modeling small figures in clay.

When my ex-husband completed his M.B.A., we moved from Texas to Connecticut, where I continued to teach college English and also got a job doing daily inventory in a department store for two years. Just as I was becoming frustrated with teaching English and more and more creative as a knitter, Threads Magazine was started in the next town.

My background in writing, teaching, and fiber arts perfectly suited me for an editorial job at Threads. I wrote a lot of knitting articles, became an expert in Bead Knitting, and edited articles in every fiber arts field except garment sewing.

After six years at Threads, it became clear that Threads, was becoming a magazine exclusively dedicated to sewing. So while I was recovering from a serious concussion, I developed the editorial plan for a bead magazine and planned a year's worth of issues. My ex-husband supplied business and financing expertise and a friend brought publishing knowledge to the table. We raised the bare minimum needed to launch Bead&Button Magazine. Unfortunately, we got into financial difficulties in year three and were bought by Kalmbach Publishing Co. Part of the deal involved my moving with the magazine to Wisconsin.

Early in the magazine’s second year, Donna Milliron wrote about how she did pâte de verre. When I edited her article, I knew that I had to learn the technique, but it took me almost five years to get the chance. Donna and her husband Craig, owners of Arrow Springs, one of the leading glass suppliers in the United States, invited me for Christmas in 1999. Shortly before I was due to go home, Donna asked me if there was anything I wanted to do. That’s when I told her that I had to learn pâte de verre. I returned home to Wisconsin with a small kiln, some glass and other supplies, a barely cooled figure, and priceless knowledge.

Since then I have been obsessed with pâte de verre. Hardly a day has gone by without my working on it, despite a full-time-plus job. Not knowing what couldn't be done in the medium, I did exactly that. I started with small three-dimensional figures and quickly branched into abstract sculptures that featured almost paper-thin elements in complex arrangements. Several thousand pounds of plaster and hundreds of pounds of glass later I'm still obsessed. This is a medium I will never fully master and in which I can continue learning and experimenting. Today, I make a few small pieces that I string into art jewelry, but my main focus is on sculpture. I do figures, florals, and abstract forms. I'm only limited in size by the weight of the mold I can handle, about 40 pounds.

The most wonderful thing about starting Bead&Button was discovering the people who love beads and getting the opportunity to learn so much about beads and beading. I would never have met the Millirons, who are now part of my chosen family, or have been exposed to pâte de verre otherwise. But the change in my responsibilities at Bead&Button was a blessing in disguise. The result was the chance to create a new version of myself as glass artist, writer, and free-lance editor.