About the CompanyIn 1992 I had started a small hobby business creating beaded jewelry and custom lamp-work necklaces. With the popularity of the internet growing every day, I decided to look into selling my jewelry designs online. Unfortunately almost every web designer I talked to told me that they would not create a black background for my web site, which I felt would showcase my jewelry designs the best way. Those designers that were willing to do the black background wanted almost a years worth of my profit. Worse the sites they offered did not have the eCommerce features I wanted and needed and to be honest, the web site designs they offered were boring and looked just like every other dull web page on the internet. None of the options they gave me truly fit my vision of my web site, much less my custom jewelry order needs. I finally got fed up with the high cost and cookie cutter layouts and set out to learn to create my own web pages in 1998.
Soon after I went live with my jewelry web site fellow jewelry artists and other associates started asking me to help with their web pages and eBay listings. I learned from them that there are almost no web designers out there that would do small business web sites, much less single pages like eBay listings. Almost all of the designers they had spoken with were only offering large web sites at high costs that small businesses just could not afford or justify. I started offering my services at fair prices that even hobbyists could afford and I now specialize in small business web development and unique layouts.
About the DesignerMy love affair with computers started when I was in Jr. High, I've never lived without a computer somewhere in my life. In the beginning, before the internet as you see it today existed, I used to keep in touch with my class mates and friends through BBS's, basically that's a prehistoric web site. In high school I started writing my own programs for DOS and MAC systems. I built my first computer just after I graduated, a 286 that was top of the line for it's time. Computer's have come so far since then, now you can even have a computer run your house, make you coffee in the morning, and make sure the lights are on for you when you come home.
I'm also a self admitted computer gadget fanatic, I love all the cool stuff that has come out over the years; PDA's, digital cameras and camcorders, and flat screen monitors. Chris thinks I'm insane due to the sheer number of USB devices I have plugged into my latest custom built computer creation, I had to add more USB ports because the standard 6 that came with my mother board didn't even get me half way there. I even have his TV and stereo system plugged into my computer, that's 63" of internet browsing pleasure with full 6.1 surround sound, of course. I admit that I have a problem though, that's the first step on the road to recovery isn't it?
 |  | Chris and I have three boys and three dogs. Chris enjoys working as an RV technician at his employee owned company, we have found our dream house in the city I grew up in and we enjoy all of the activities the beautiful state of Alaska offers; snow machining (or snowmobiling if you live in the lower 48,) four wheeling, jet skiing, boating (we like to call it "yachting",) fishing, camping, hunting, skiing, sightseeing, and a few hundred of our son's football games. |
| | I grew up in this state and I love it so pardon the plug, if you've never visited please do, there's nothing like it anywhere else in the country. | | | | | | |
| * Chris used to maintain tour bus fleets so we occasionally got some nifty perks from the tourism companies. (The picture of the glacier above was from one of Kenai Fjords' tours in Seward, Alaska; we followed a pod of killer whales, saw sea lions, and puffins. When we reached the glacier the captain cut the engines and we got to hear the glacier, it was awesome. HIGHLY recommended experience.)
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