Catherine Fox, Eclectic Designs

Catherine Fox, Jewelry Designer It's not often you can play around with colors, textures, light, and shape every day, but it is entirely possible when you do jewelry making. Interior and fashion designers do it on a much grander scale, yes it's true, but I can make unique pieces of jewelry in a single day—even a crazy busy day!

I started making jewelry when my aunt gave my sisters a bead loom and a macramé kit. Jewelry was the natural thing to create from these tools, and after receiving a teeming supply of beads as a birthday gift, I was hooked.

I built my jewelry-making skills up by way of Internet tutorials. This was back in 2002, mind you, so jewelry-making books and online tutorials weren't as plentiful as they are today! I would print out as many tutorials as I could find and compile them into binders—sort of like making my own how-to book. It worked for me and probably gave me a better chance to get creative.

As a way to earn money, I began selling my jewelry in a craft room that adjoins my family's roadside vegetable market. As countless friendship bracelets, floating illusions necklaces, and earrings were bought, my motivation to learn more and share what I knew grew.

In 2009, I dove into something I'd never done before—uploading videos to YouTube—and I started out with jewelry-making tutorials. Since I was self-taught and had been doing the craft for seven years, I knew what beginners were looking for. So I made sure to include answers to nagging questions I originally had—things like how to crimp beads properly or how to finish off necklaces. Simple questions, but oh, if they are answered and answered well, it makes all the difference for a novice!

I was excited when Favecrafts.com approached me about my jewelry-making videos. They liked what I was creating and asked me to send in projects and techniques for their Web site and YouTube channel. And that's where I am now: working with Favecrafts and AllFreeJewelryMaking.com—their sister site—helping people find enjoyment in a pastime that not only gives you a chance to make accessories to wear, but also a lively community and a way to display your inner designer.