Carole Stratton Designs

Color and Design have always been my passions, but my real inspiration was my mother, a very accomplished seamstress whose creativity and ability were endless. I grew up surrounded by fabric, yarns, beads and buttons and learned to create with them at a young age, sewing "one-of-a-kind designer" fashions for my younger sisters' fashion dolls. When I became an adult my love of creating served as an outlet while I raised my two children and worked as a social worker. One of my biggest creative accomplishments during that time was sewing and hand beading my daughter's wedding gown. Since then I have devoted more and more time to beading and designing jewelry and find I have little time for anything else. Although, my love for textiles has taken root in my interest in fiber beads.

While my style is still evolving, it reflects my love of color. Color is the source for my inspiration. It evokes feeling and that is what I look for when I am beading. I try to make simple pieces unique by adding something different to them, whether it is in the interpretation of color, the choice of beads or the variation of the design.