Lunsford earned her Bachelor of Science in fashion merchandising from Mars Hill College in North Carolina.

“I come from a long line of creative women,” she said. “My mother was as sewer, a quilter. She also crocheted and knitted, so did my grandmother. She used to sew professionally for people. My grandmother was quite the entrepreneur. I learned a lot of my skills from her in retail and how to treat people with respect.”

Lunsford taught herself many of her beading techniques.

“We have vendors that travel all over the world and travel through the United States, and a lot of my gemstones and beads come from Africa and the Czech Republic, as well as Indian vendors – they bring gemstones and beautiful things from all over the world,” she said. “It’s a wide, interesting area. Something I’ve never gotten bored with.”

The Bead Biz holds a variety of beading and metalworking classes, as well as other community events. To sign up for the monthly newsletter, visit Thebeadbiz.com or text “bead biz” to 22828. The Bead Biz is located at 3745 Helena Road, Suite 100 in Helena.