Creativity has been a major part of my existence... my way of (almost) maintaining my sanity, for as long as I can remember.

My favorite Aunt, Aunt Peg who is a true artist, put a drawing pencil in my hand before I could write my own name. She taught me the basics of perspective, design, & how to use the color wheel before I learned to read!

This is me at age 7. On the back of the photograph, written in my Mother's distinctive hand is, 'Karole Conaway at her 1st art fair'.

My first experience with beads was in the '60s when a small bead store opened in my hometown of Marshalltown, Iowa. The bead store closed & I got busy with marriage, raising three children, & going to nursing school. Beads were not just put on a back burner, they were taken off of the stove until a few years ago.

I was in Santa Fe, New Mexico working as a traveling nurse & my youngest daughter traveled with me. On my weekend off, we went exploring (synonymous with SHOPPING) & came across a bead store. Several hours & a lot of dollars later, we exited the shop with packages filled with hanks of brilliantly colored seed beads, fresh water pearls, gemstone beads, beading needles, & all of the other necessary equipment to turn us both into true bead addicts!

Beading is an art that is truly a Magnificent Obsession!... An addiction that no one who shares it wants to be cured of... A passion that gives so many beaders who suffer from chronic illness something to take their minds off the disease & its symptoms... And, I still believe if we could get all of the virus creating hackers out there started with beading, they wouldn't want to waste time doing such things!!!

If you have any questions about anything on my site or if you are looking for help with your exploration into the world of beading, please feel free to email. If I don't know the answers, I will try to direct you to someone who will.

Take care & have a beautiful, beadiful day,
Karole