She ran a tearoom in Los Angeles in the early 30's. Because she had an "untrained but attractive singing voice" she was used by the Olivera Street Marionettes as a substitute. When the Marionettes went on tour they invited her to go along. She learned how to design, costume and handle the puppets on stage. In the late 30's she toured the vaudeville circuits with her puppets. Edgar Bergen had her sculpt the first head off Elmer Snerd who became Mortimer, Charlie McCarthy's prime foil.