When people ask Elizabeth Lyons what she does, she tells them. "In the past 24 hours, I've been an author, designer, inspirational humorist, lunch maker, secretary, gardener, hostage negotiator, on-call plumber, optimistic dog trainer, limo driver, and cheerleader; take your pick." Sounds like a typical mom to us, but we've tapped Elizabeth as a Magnolia Trappings artisan because of her clever and creative jewelry.

Elizabeth, who hails from Buckeye, Arizona, loves surprising people--with her humor, her diversity, her talent, and her creativity. "I've always loved creating the unexpected," she explains, and it's that unexpected touch that makes people smile as soon as they see Elizabeth's charming, handcrafted jewelry. "I also love found objects that were previously un- or under-appreciated." Turning those found objects to pieces of art has led Elizabeth to a highly successful homebased business that lets her stay on top of the adventures of her five children while indulging her creative spirit. We suspect most mom-artists don't include a blow torch (which Elizabeth affectionately refers to as "Emilia) in their toolbag but, then, Elizabeth is not your garden-variety mompreneur. "Many of my pieces have a story behind them . . . many of the components of my pieces have a story," she admits. "I search high and low to find high caliber, unique components to include in my work." The result is whimsical, eyecatching jewelry that's fun to give and fun to wear.

We hope Elizabeth's "slightly unorthodox" (her words, not ours!) creations will delight you as much as they do us!