Making dolls and bears for her 3 daughters was a past-time, until 1996 Deb discovered the wonderful possibilities of mohair as used in traditional teddy bears. After a year of making bears from other peoples' patterns, she developed her own distinctive style. In 1997 she quit her full-time job and began her journey as a bear artist. Antique & vintage teddies and animals became her passion, making replicas of those well-loved toys as well as contemporary bears. Removing color, dyeing, distressing, over-dyeing, plucking, sanding, etc became common practices in order to breathe life into her creations and to achieve an "antique" essence.

Deb was commissioned in 2002 by The European Ballet in London, England, to create special "one of a kinds" for their Gala Events. This was one of the biggest thrills in her career. She has also had the honor to be included for 10 consecutive years in the prestigious Teddy Bears of Witney catalog.