About 
I love stones, so designing beads into creative colorful jewelry lets me collect as many as I want and can afford. There is a family history in this. My Grandfather, Matthew Bryant, mined tin in Cornwall until he came to America in 1893. He then worked in the mines in Michigan and became a mining foreman in Hibbing, Minnesota, in the early 1900s. My father, James Bryant, continued in the industry as a machinist for U.S. Steel until he retired in 1971. I just took the family business in a different direction.
I learned beading basis from Kathy Seitz in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, owner of the Stone Tree, my favorite beading store. Over the years, I've learned the spiritual properties of many of the stones and have fallen In love with the natural designs and patterns on many of the stones like agate and jasper. I use magnetic clasps because I like their ease and how they simplify necklaces for people with limited hand dexterity from degenerative conditions like arthritis or multiple sclerosis.
I started Wissota Jewelry in our home on Lake Wissota in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, in 2004. The Chippewa River was dammed in 1916 to provide electric power for Minnesota and Wisconsin. The new lake was named Wissota, which combined Minnesota and Wisconsin literally. It also reflects my history since I was born in Hibbing, Minnesota, and I attended school and married in Wisconsin and worked in both states.
I hope you enjoy wearing my designs as much as I enjoy creating them for you.
Best wishes,
Linda Halvorson, Owner
Wissota Jewelry