I am Fran Morris Mandel and I’ve been making beaded jewelry since 1996 when I happened upon my first bead store. Beadwork has been a passion of mine ever since, and I primarily work with a needle and thread, sewing tiny ‘seed beads’ together one by one. I also like to do bead crochet, utilizing a similar technique, crocheting beads together one by one using a small crochet hook and crochet cotton. I have had several of my pieces published in national beading magazines such as Bead&Button, Beadwork, Bead Unique and Step by Step Beads. I am a juried member of the Kentucky Guild of Artists and Craftsmen, and I teach group classes at the local bead store, as well as private classes in my home studio.

I also have a crafty sister, Lisa Morris Miller, who makes beautiful beadwork as well, primarily using sterling silver wire and semi-precious stones. We like to collaborate on pieces and sell our work together at bead shows.