Chihiro has always loved creating precious little things, even from an early age. At first she thought she would become a painter when she started college as a studio-art major. There she discovered great fun and endless possibilities with three-dimensional materials. She learned how to work with wood, fiber, and metal. Transferring to a different school gave her the opportunity to meet another material: glass. Chihiro completed a bachelor ‘s fine art degree at the Massachusetts College of Art as a glass major with a minor in small metals/jewelry in 2000. In 2002, Chihiro started a small business named 314 studio and has been traveling around the country for craft shows.  She has won several awards, including Saul Bell Design Awards from 2003 through 2007, Niche Award in 2005. She makes all her work by hand, in a little backyard studio in Massachusetts.