I grew up on the edge of the Alaskan bush and the long dark winters gave me time to delve into many different art forms; an Inuit basket weaver once offered me an apprenticeship that I wasn’t able to accept. Eventually, I discovered jewelry design. After almost two decades of exploring different styles of jewelry, learning new techniques and incorporating a wide variety of materials into my designs my next direction was to incorporate more soldering. I used a plumbers torch for several years but recently purchased an oxygen/propane Swiss Torch. My soldering and metal finishing skills are still basic, but slowly improving. Lacking the resources to take formal classes, I deeply appreciate the knowledge and experience that others so graciously share.