Stephanie Sersich is a whirl of energy and optimism. Her contagious confidence is impossible to ignore, and why wouldn't she be optimistic? Praised by so many for her beautiful work in creating lamp worked beads and jewelry, she is above all, an artist. To most, a piece of jewelry is just a decoration, an object that simply adds color and sparkle to complete an outfit. To Stephanie, the artful drape of a string of carefully crafted and selected beads against a person's skin is the highest form of beauty. Wearable art. As for her color palette, Stephanie looks to nature for inspiration. Not many people can stand in a garden amongst all manner of plant life and see an elegant swirl of colorful glass arranged around a woman's neck as a piece of wearable art. This artist has truly mastered her craft.

Great artists often come from artistic beginnings. In Stephanie's case, her mother Annie was always doing art projects in the house, while her father Jim worked as a custom furniture maker. Both parents helped cultivate their daughter's self-expression, and inspired her throughout her early years. Stephanie's fascination with color and texture was an interest in part nurtured by her parents, and inspired by her surroundings. What she finds to be especially inspiring is the undersea gardens she visits while walking her dog, Luna on the beach near her home.

Stephanie's fascination with lampworking began in 1996 when she met her future mentors, Sage and Tom Holland of Arkansas, who introduced her to lamp worked beads and taught her how to create her own. From there, Stephanie began to incorporate her handmade beads into her own jewelry designs. She taught herself a few techniques, and then developed her own, a take on macramé knotting, which she has gone on to teach to others. Most know this, her signature spiny-knotting technique from trade shows and workshops she has been involved in.

Today, when she is not on the road to a gallery or trunk showing of her work, Stephanie can be found either in her studio creating wearable masterpieces, or in front of her students, sharing her love of creating wearable artwork from the inorganic materials she makes and collects. Teaching is one of her true joys in life.