I come from a family of artsy people: my mom, grandma and aunts have all made a living sell their art. However, in pre-school I was the kid the teachers had to force to color because I thought it was a waste of time. All through grade school and junior high I hated art class and would try to bribe my teachers so I wouldn't have to participate. Funny how things change.

When I kissed corporate American good-bye 7 years ago to be a stay at home mom, I found myself in desperate need of a creative outlet. I had played around with jewelry making a few years before and realized that maybe I enjoyed it more than I realized. I would lose myself in beads and metal as often as possible. Before long, other people became interested in my creations and so I started to sell my work to raise money for an orphanage in Mexico.

All the profit from the sale of my jewelry is donated to various charities - orphanages, families in desperate need due to sickness or misfortune, people recovering from natural disasters, those working to create clean water all over the globe and more. I am passionate about helping people and this is how I can put action to my words. One of my favorite sayings is "Be the change you hope to see in the world" - I live by those words. There is much work that needs to be done in this world and I want to be a part of feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, caring for the orphans and helping the poor.

Sela Designs gives people Hope by showing them that there is someone who cares for them and wants to help them. The Purpose is always to help others and it's all motivated by Love, not a love that I possess on my own, but the Love that Jesus Christ has given me through his beautiful exchange.

I love working with materials from all over the world - Tagua nuts, paper and fabric beads from artists in Africa, rubble from Haiti and all different types of vintage and new materials.