Raised in Hawaii by a mother who had her hands in every art and craft hobby, it was no surprise that Wendy Remmers would develop similar passions. Many of her childhood summers were spent sifting the beaches for puka shells and paper shells; it was like panning for gold. Picking opihi (mollusk) shells off rocks was a treat because Wendy knew she could sand and polish them into a perfect pendant for her new puka shell necklace.

This obsession with beads and crafts started when she was a little girl and led her to study fine arts at the University of Hawaii. She majored in graphic design and worked with Hawaii’s top public relations agency. In 1991 she relocated to Southern California, where she started her home-based graphic design business and worked with companies including Disney and Warner Brothers.

In 2000, Wendy decided it was time to focus her life on her passion of beading. With the goal to educate, inspire, and enrich, Wendy and her husband, Scott, made it their mission to create a bead store that would help them realize that goal. In 2002 they opened Brea Bead Works, and every day their focus remains firmly fixed on their goal.

Wendy and Scott live in Fullerton, California with their rambunctious and lovable chocolate lab, Lexi.