It all started when my friend Missy and I started collecting beach glass. We were both living in beautiful Edinboro, Pennsylvania - a short drive from Lake Erie.

When we decided it was time to do something other than just collect the beach glass, we wandered across the world of wire wrapping.

Missy moved away, and, as it turns out, was the best at finding the beach glass.

As luck would have it, my sister lives in Tucson - home of the International Gem and Mineral Show each February. She began buying chunks of tumbled gems and mailing them to me for wire wrapping. She still helps me acquire stones at the gem show.

I built quite a little business under the name Mermaid In A Can. But then I got hired as a journalist. The long hours at work weren't conducive to creating jewelry.

But never fear! After a few years in the newsroom, I landed a sweet job at the local botanical garden and again have time to create and manage an Etsy store.

Once again, I'm back to wrapping gemstones at 4 am (and other times, too).

New job, new name - same great stuff!

While a spare bedroom in our home is my official "home office/studio," Amberella Gems headquarters could really be my dining room table (which is always covered gemstones, wire and other supplies) or the living room where I spend most of my time creating and photographing the pieces.

The process really starts with the stone. Selecting the perfect stone to be wrapped is always a challenge. Once the stone is chosen, I hand-cut the wire, and wrap the stone by hand. Once the wrapping's done, I select what to hang the piece on. If it's a pendant, I create a chain or cord from bulk stock, adding findings and claps by hand. If it's a set of earrings, I choose the earwires or posts and fasten them accordingly.

The most tedious part of the process, for me, is pricing, photographing and listing, but I'm beginning to get this down to a science as well.