I have been creating jewelry using off-loom beading techniques since 1996 and began creating Kumihimo Braids with beads in 2010. After studying with Makiko Tada, a Master Braider in Japan, I added Japanese silks and other fibers to my braids. I’ve also studied with Rodrick Owen from England as well as many other national and internationally recognized braiders. I was Vice President of the American Kumihimo Society from it’s inception in 2016 – 2021, and am a co-founder of the Cleveland Area Kumihimo Study Group, formed in 2015.