About BeeZ

The making of functional and artistic objects by hand is a tradition that goes back to the beginning of human history. Artisans and crafts people through the ages have been revered for their skills working in clay, glass, fiber, wood and other materials. The Industrial Revolution virtually eliminated the necessity of making objects by hand. However, it did not eliminate the desire to create on the part of the artisan, nor the appreciation of the handmade object on the part of the connoisseur.

My husband, Dennis, and I are beekeepers here in Coventry, CT. In the process of learning beekeeping, I discovered a natural affinity for the worker bees, tirelessly gathering pollen and nectar, producing food day after day to maintain the hive and ensure the queen’s survival. Our worker bees inspired me to create honeybee felted folk art. I then began experimenting with encaustic painting, utilizing our own beeswax from the hives. My company name BeeZ was the direct result of my admiration for all those hard working girls in our hives.

One day, while hunting for vintage books on beekeeping, I discovered that thousands of beautiful old books were being destroyed at an alarming rate. Being a tireless worker bee myself, I began scouring library sales, tag sales and book dealers to save these lovely books from the shredder. I re purpose these vintage books into truly one-of-a-kind functional purses and rebind the books original pages into paperbacks that come with your vintage book purse. So if you like you can still read your purse!

Now, we both have a new story to tell.