In 2001, Josie was attending her brother’s wedding in Key West when she stumbled across a beachfront craft show. There, she found the most beautifully made wire-wrapped sterling silver and garnet necklace. Shortly after returning from her trip, two incredible things happened: she saw an ad for a wire-wrapping class at a new local bead store, and another for an upcoming bead show at the local armory. She felt it was fated from the moment she saw that garnet necklace.

Josie’s art was born in the kitchen of her home, where she was struck by the urge to create using the beautiful beads she collected. Eventually, Josie decided that she wanted to spread her art (and her joy). She looked down at the tattoo on her wrist that says “breathe,” and realized that she had a calling.

Her urge to create and design pushed her further, and she began handcrafting pieces for friends, family, and neighbors. Demand for her jewelry grew in her local community, and she began to dedicate even more time to her craft.

Josie began selling her jewelry in person at local craft shows, festivals, and farmers' markets, and to people in her community. Her influence spread to social media and Etsy, where she developed a strong, dedicated following.

Josie has since outgrown her kitchen, and now makes her creations in a beautiful, sunlit studio surrounded by cats in southern New Jersey—her faithful canine companion, Mrs. Nelson, always by her side.

Josie holds jewelry-making workshops, in-home jewelry parties, and has her collections displayed in several local storefronts. Interested? Feel free to contact Josie about displaying her collections or holding your own event.

Breathe by Josie continues to grow and spread its influence.