For Sandy, the pleasure of working with fiber combined with beadwork is the same: making the concepts in her imagination come to life. She likes the intimacy of holding the fiber cords in her hands and shaping them into surprising patterns and designs. She enjoys the opportunity that each piece presents — how to get from one place to another in the most attractive and graceful manner.
Sandy is especially inspired by uniting the antique and the contemporary in her work. As a young woman, she lived in a Prairie style home that featured the mellow golds and rich blues of Tiffany glass. This memory was reawakened in 1990 when a truck crashed into an antique store window filled with Art Nouveau glass vases and lamp shades in Portland, Oregon. The beautiful glass was irreparably damaged. Sandy bought many of the fragments and is thrilled that her work not only recycles and preserves the shards, but gives people the opportunity to appreciate their beauty in new and contemporary settings. One of her pieces is part of the permanent collection at the Museum of Art and Design in New York City.