About Us

About Us:-

I live in Melbourne, Australia with my husband and two sons.

I started making soft toys when I was quite young - around six years old. My father used to drop into a shop in the city on his way home from work and pick me up various felt toy kits,

such as elephants, dogs, donkeys and jesters. I used to give these to family and friends and to the local hospital for the children's ward.

My whole family were very much into different crafts as my father started married life as a cabinet maker and my mother, grandmother and aunts all crocheted, knitted and embroidered and I guess that I was the lucky one who showed the right amount of interest at just the right time to be taught all of these wonderful things.

I continued with these crafts through school but like most children my interest used to wane occasionally and then it would come back as I found something else to make or my parents would buy me a new kit to try.

I went on to do a four year teaching course in Arts and Crafts and taught at a secondary school for 13 years. Whilst teaching, I also used to bead wedding dresses for a bridal shop and went on to be a finalist (twice) in the "Gown Of The Year" as "The Little Aussie Beader."

After marrying and having my two sons I decided to give up teaching for a while and to concentrate on the boys and craft. I started designing children's clothing under the label "Birichino." At this stage I also taught wool embroidery and smocking at a local craft shop.

In 1994 I found bears and after that most of my other crafts took a secondary place to designing and making bears though I do try to incorporate other crafts in the making of clothing and props.

I did go to lots of shows each year around Australia and I

have won "best bear in show" and "best bear in section" at

several of them. I stopped entering competitions when I began judging them and also taught various levels of bearmaking.

I loved making up new designs for both contemporary and traditional bears and I have designed around seven patterns for "Australian Bear Creations" and "Dolls Bears and Collectables" magazines.

In January 2004 I started making lampwork beads. I am finding that although I had planned to make them to decorate my bears, they have taken on a life of their own.

As I have mentioned on the 'Home Page', I have decided to take a complete rest from the bears and to concentrate on the beads.

I have had several projects in both "Creative Beading" and "Beads Etc..." magazines which are both Australian beading magazines and in 2006, I had a profile in the former one.

I have since started selling my finished jewellery and beads in a few galleries both in Melbourne and further out in other parts of Victoria.

I have also exhibited the past two years in the "Flame Off" exhibition at Kirra Gallery and I have exhibited at four exhibitions at Flinders' Gallery.

At the end of 2009 I entered a bracelet in the A & E Metals exhibition which was shown in both Sydney and Melbourne.

I have a cube at the Incube8r Gallery in Smith Street, Melbourne and have recently been featured (as the only lampworker) in "Handmade in Melbourne."

My work is in many collections in Australia, America and England and in 2007 I had two pieces selected for a bead museum in Canada and one of my goddesses was selected for the International section of the Kobe Glass Museum in Japan.

I now regularly design projects for Australia's best beading magazine "Creative Beading."

Please have a look at my beads and if there are any you feel that you 'need', feel free to contact me.