Both mother and daughter had done beading crafts for many years prior to starting hairsticks and loved the new outlet for their creativity. Beads are carefully selected from local and national bead suppliers and even some from international sources, such as Murano, Italy. Joann has always enjoyed refinishing wooden furniture and it was a simple jump to finishing wooden dowels for hairsticks. Joann prides herself on the impossible smoothness of her finishes. The wooden dowels are from hardwoods grown in the United States, except for a few exotic species, and the hairsticks are finished with three coats of varnish to ensure their durability and water resistance.