Britell's happiest memories is of making paper beads with her father, an accomplished painter and musician. Her childhood dream of being an astronaut culminated in a summer at NASA's Space Camp, but more importantly it resulted in her first jewelry design, little airplane earrings she painstakingly carved out of wood.

 Twenty-five years later, after a lifetime of immersing herself in art and music at home and abroad, Julia can be found in her bright, airy studio in the heart of the Berkshires, working in sterling silver, gold, semi-precious stones, and a host of other materials.