Betsy Alexis recycles nature’s bounty and discarded materials into whimsical jewelry. At one of our events, she showed us how to make cute bracelets from the inner tubes of bicycle tires. Nothing is ever wasted as Betsy transforms trash into treasure!

Betsy writes:
Art has been my passion all my life. As a child, I used to build dollhouses with wallpaper and carpet scraps, design and sew doll clothes, make pottery out of the clay from the creek that ran along our house.  I supported my hobby earning money for ironing and polishing shoes...no one could leave my house without polished shoes!

My degree in sociology and anthropology put me into the corporate life, but every spare moment I would be in my home studio producing custom-designed stained glass. I entered a piece called "Botswana in Motion" into the Mcmow Glass competition and proudly won Best of Show.

I was introduced to lapidary and began visiting Gem and Mineral Shows around the state of Florida. Being around all those stones and beads soon snagged me and my interest in glass morphed into making jewelry.

My jewelry designs are a bit different than most. I use re-purposed beads for the most part and shop for them at thrift stores and antique stores. My materials are a vast assortment of glass, clay, scrap metals, leather, feathers, snakeskin, shells, circuit boards, and even gutted electrical wire. The styles are everything from whimsical to predictable, so I enjoy a varied clientele. I hope you enjoy this crazy collection half as much as I love making it. -Betsy Alexis