About Janet Miriam Designs

A love for animals, nature and beads!

I was born and raised in Los Angeles, but never felt like I belonged in the city. I always yearned for a life in the country amongst the mountains, trees and all things wild. That finally happened when I made, what I call “my great escape” and moved up to the Pacific Northwest, to the foothills of the Cascade Mountains. Thirty years later I am still in awe of all the trees, ferns, moss and endless shades of green.

I have always had a love for rocks and minerals and remember as a kid picking up stones in my L.A. neighborhood. I would bring them back home to be polished in my tumbler that my dad made for me. We would run the tumbler all night long in the garage. I still have the shoe boxes filled with polished stones!

As a kid and young adult I dabbled in all kinds of arts and crafts, though I spent the most time with pottery and photography. I loved them both, but never felt that I was very good at either one. It wasn’t until a friend of mine introduced me to beading that I found my true calling and passion. I was immediately addicted and began collecting beads, and creating jewelry. 

I love anything old, rustic, crusty and natural. I love the antique trade beads, with their beautiful colors and patterns. I am fascinated by the 1,000 - 2,000 year old stone beads. They capture my imagination as I think of them back in their time and place in some far off exotic land. I am also fascinated by the tribal people, such as the Native Americans who lived so close to nature and the nomads of far off lands such as the Berbers. Their lifestyles are rugged, so close to the land, but also very fierce. I am inspired by their jewelry and adornments, how they wore them and what they meant to them.

I have my Master’s Degree in Library Science and worked as a corporate librarian for almost 30 years in a variety of industries including interior design, architecture, environmental engineering and forestry. After retiring from corporate librarianship I had an opportunity to take over a friend's dog walking business. I needed a change in my life and this offered me the perfect outlet! I enjoyed walking dogs for 3.5 years until I decided to call it quits and focus on my jewelry.

I have been married to the same wonderful man for 25 years. He has been nothing but supportive of this addiction of mine. My other deep passion is animals. I am a huge and deeply committed advocate for animal welfare. All my animal companions are rescues and include, at this point in my life, 2 horses, 2 dogs and 2 cats.

I am excited by the opportunity to offer you my labor of love. I use materials that I have chosen with great care. Every bead I use is examined for its size, texture and color, and how it will work in the balance and harmony of the piece I am creating. Each piece of jewelry I make is made with the utmost care and attention to detail. If I am not happy with the outcome I will work on it until I am. And so, I offer to you, my one of a kind designs which I hope you will love and cherish for a lifetime.