Learning to Create My Own Designs

I’ve always loved learning from others, following tutorials, practicing patterns, and trying my hand at techniques shared by makers I admired. Whenever I used someone else’s design, I made sure I had permission, whether through a purchased pattern license or a tutorial freely offered by the creator. But deep down, I knew that someday, I wanted to take what I’d learned and create something that was completely my own.

That moment came when I stumbled across a pattern for a beautiful pair of Cherry Blossom statement earrings. I couldn’t believe it. Cherry blossoms have always been one of my favorite flowers, delicate, fleeting, and full of quiet beauty, and I had wanted to make something inspired by them for a long time.

At the time, I was still a beginner in a lot of ways, learning new stitches and refining my technique. But I decided to go for it anyway. Petal by petal, bead by bead, I began piecing the design together. When I finished that first pair, I was in awe, not just of the earrings themselves, but of the fact that I had learned something new through the process. That experience sparked something in me.

I realized I didn’t want to stop there. I wanted to create an entire collection, a series of floral-inspired jewelry pieces that felt personal, purposeful, and uniquely mine. But I also knew I didn’t want to use someone else’s pattern for my first collection. I wanted to design from the heart.

So out came my trusty notebook, the same one that holds half-finished sketches and random ideas, and I started researching flowers. I remember scrolling through images and being drawn to the bold color and gentle shape of violets in full bloom. That’s when the next piece of the series was born: the Violet Radiance Earrings.

I didn’t have fancy design software, just printable brick stitch graph paper and a set of colored pencils. Using a photo for inspiration, I started sketching, adjusting the petal shapes until they felt right. Then I got to work translating that drawing into beads. Somewhere along the way, I realized the pattern needed changes, the petals didn’t flow quite how I wanted them to. So, I paused, adjusted, and reworked it until everything aligned.

It wasn’t a perfect process, but it was mine.

The real breakthrough moment came when I held that finished pair in my hands. That was my “aha” moment, the point where I felt proud, grateful, and deeply aware that what I was doing wasn’t just crafting; it was creating art. I thanked God for giving me this gift, this joy of turning tiny beads into something that could capture the beauty He made in nature.

I fully believe that creativity is one of the ways we reflect the image of our Creator. Each time I sit down to design, I’m reminded that I’m not creating in isolation, I’m creating in partnership with Him. He inspires the vision; I just get to bring it to life.

Through this journey, I’ve also learned that growth stops when we stop. It’s true in art, in faith, and in life. If we give up too soon, when things feel hard or when progress seems slow, we miss the beauty of what’s blooming beneath the surface.

The Cherry Blossom earrings helped me grow in skill and technique, while the Violet Radiance earrings helped me grow as an artist. Each design, each stitch, each revision has reminded me that growth often looks like persistence, showing up, trying again, and trusting the process even when the outcome isn’t clear.

And isn’t that how faith works too?

Creating my own designs has taught me to trust God’s timing, to be patient with myself, and to remember that blooming takes time. Just like a flower grows quietly beneath the soil before it’s ever seen, so does creativity, and so does faith.

So, I’ll keep sketching, beading, and learning. I’ll keep growing through the process, one petal at a time. Because in every design, every challenge, and every small moment of progress, I see His hand, guiding, shaping, and reminding me that all beauty begins with Him.

Not Gonna Be Perfect and That’s Okay

Perfection is a funny thing. We spend so much of our lives chasing it, the perfect home, the perfect family, the perfect faith walk, and yet it always seems just out of reach. The world tells us that “perfect” means without flaw, that everything we do, say, or create should shine without a single mark or mistake.

For me, perfectionism has always shown up as the need for everything I put out into the world to be without flaw. My creative work, my family, even my relationship with God, I’ve wanted it all to look like I had it together. I thought if I could keep up the appearance of control, maybe that meant I was doing something right.

But that’s not how life works. And honestly, that’s not how God works either.

I can’t pinpoint one single moment when things fell apart, and I suddenly learned the lesson. What I remember instead are the countless times I felt exhausted from trying to maintain the public face I thought I was supposed to have. The times when my house was a mess, my kids were loud and wild, and I scrolled through social media wondering how everyone else seemed to be managing so much better than me.

That exhaustion, the constant striving to be “enough,” always led to guilt, frustration, and the quiet whisper of I’m not good enough.

Somewhere in the middle of all that striving, God started whispering back. Not with correction, but with calm. Not with judgment, but with peace.

There are two verses I lean on when my heart starts spiraling into that perfectionist mindset. The first is John 14:27:

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give unto you. Not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”

And the second is Mark 4:39:

“And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, ‘Peace, be still.’ And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.”

Those words remind me that Jesus didn’t just speak peace to the storm, He speaks it to us, too. He knew our hearts would wrestle with fear, control, and striving. And still, He offers us His peace, not the kind the world gives, the kind that depends on everything looking “just right,” but a peace that stills the storm within us.

I’m still learning to let go of the need to be perfect. It’s an ongoing process. I’m learning that I’m not always going to make the right choices, not as a wife, not as a mom, not as a sister or daughter. But His grace is enough. I’m learning to rest in that truth, to embrace the fact that I’m not perfect, but He is, and He’s got me.

If I could sit across from someone who feels like they’re failing because they can’t get it all right, I’d tell them this: Don’t buy into the lie that you’ve got to have it all together. Even when you aren’t perfect, you still have value, deep, God-given value that no one can take away.

It’s okay to stumble. It’s okay to grow slow. It’s okay to have days when the best thing you can do is breathe and whisper, “Lord, I’m trying.”

God isn’t finished with you. He’s not looking for perfection; He’s looking for presence. He doesn’t expect flawlessness; He asks for faithfulness.

So, stop striving for an unattainable version of perfect. Instead, learn to thrive in the very flaws that remind you of His grace. Because when you release the need to be perfect, you make room for peace, the kind that only He can give.

From Hobby to Business: The Learning Curve

Most of my creations were never meant for sale. They were made for the women in my family, my mom, my sister, my nieces, little tokens of love that carried stories and memories. Starting a business was the furthest thing from my mind. I had always heard the saying, “If you want to hate a hobby, just turn it into a job.” And for a long time, I believed it.

I was afraid that if I tried to make a business out of something I loved, I’d lose the joy in it, that it would start feeling like work instead of worship. But over time, I realized I’d been looking at it from the wrong point of view. What if this wasn’t just my idea? What if this was something God had been preparing me for all along?

I can’t say with certainty that this is one hundred percent the plan God has for me, but I do believe He planted this love of beadwork in my heart for a reason. The desire to create didn’t come from nowhere, it grew, little by little, until it became something that felt purposeful. And when my boys started growing more independent, it felt like God opened a window.

While we still homeschool, they no longer need me sitting right beside them every moment. Suddenly, I found myself with small pockets of time, moments I hadn’t had in years. And I asked myself, Why not use this time to create something that could also bless our family? Why not let God use the work of my hands in a new way?

That realization didn’t make the transition easy, though. If I had to name one of the hardest parts of shifting from hobby to business, it’s time, my time, my family’s time, God’s time. When it was just a hobby, I could pick up my beads whenever I wanted, make something here or there, and call it a day. But turning it into a business meant learning discipline, creating schedules, setting goals, and staying consistent.

And let’s be honest… I haven’t been on time for anything since I left the military thirteen years ago. Add in procrastination and the unpredictable rhythm of family life, and you can imagine how that’s going. Some days I feel like I’m thriving; other days, I feel like I’m treading water. But I’m learning that both days are part of the process. Growth doesn’t happen all at once, it happens quietly, in persistence and prayer.

Even now, I’m still learning how to balance it all. I truly believe my creativity and imagination are divine gifts from our Divine Creator, but I also wrestle with doubt. There are moments when I question whether my work is good enough or if anyone will even like it. It’s humbling to admit that. But I’m learning to let my faith lead the way, to create not for approval, but out of obedience. My prayer is that everything I make will reflect His goodness and be guided by His hand.

If I could speak to anyone standing where I once stood — afraid to take the next step, uncertain about whether your dream is “enough”, I would tell you this:
Be strong and courageous. He has overcome the world.

We were not created to please others. When we chase their approval, we lose sight of the person God made us to be. But when we create from a place of faith, trusting that He can use even our small beginnings, we find peace in the process.

I’m still learning, still fumbling through time management and self-doubt, still figuring out what it means to build a business while staying rooted in grace. But I know this much: every time I sit down to create, I feel His presence. And that’s how I know I’m right where I’m meant to be, learning, growing, and trusting Him with the work of my hands.