Celtic Treasure from Gina

My friend Gina and I met today to discuss a collaborative project we're thinking about, and she surprised me with a beautiful gift - earrings she had made from tiny glass vials filled with grains of sand she gathered on the beach at Enniscrone, County Sligo, Ireland. I was totally speechless when I opened them. They are lovely and delicate and filled with symbolism as well as sand - she crafted the tiny copper spirals herself (there's one even on the bottom of the vials) and even wrapped the wire around the glass so that they are secure but still seem to float. Gina, you are amazing -I think you have a new direction to explore along with your wonderful journals!

Creative Solution

(. . . . . . .if I do say so myself)
A friend purchased my magnetic adornment shard called "Canyon", but she wodered if there was any way she could wear it as a necklace. After looking at the back, I figured out a way to attach a section of soda straw, the translucent kind, above the magnet so a cord could be strung through it. The shard can still be worn as a brooch if the cord is removed, but this makes it doubly versatile. Thanks, Teri, for giving me the challenge! See the pics of the front and back:

Rick Rocks - Proud mom (and grandmother)

Rick and Haley on Rock Center last night - I'm speechless with happiness!

Grand Opening

After a few weeks of hectic holiday activity (including a *great* visit with my Austin Brother and my Philadelphia Brother) I went back to work in the studio on Sunday and made a kilnful of shard faces. When I fired late last night, it had started to rain. I worried a bit even though the kiln is under a canopy, but when I opened it this morning, everything was perfect - no breakage, no overfiring. It was grand! Now to surface-finish and sign each piece - what a good way to start the new year. Here's what I saw when I opened the kiln lid early this morning:

Shard Necklace - why do I procrastinate?

I'm sure Haley's ADD runs in the family - it's so hard for me to sit down and bead shard necklaces. I love the way they look and feel, and I have a bunch of request for them, but stringing beads is like pulling teeth for me. Some people might find it relaxing - not me. I did complete one last night for a friend, Barbara. Here it is, and I do love it. But, dang, that's a lot of beads!

Haley speaks out for kids with ADD

Grandson Haley was featured on last night's local news with an inspiring message for other kids with learning disabilities: "You can do it!". Hopefully, his encouragement will keep teens with learning difficulties channeling their talents in creative directions and away from the "other" kind of nightly news. I am so proud of him and predict his career as an author will be just as successful and meaningful as his father's.

OPEN STUDIO EVENT

This last-minute idea was wonderful - it was practically a sell-out and I had the best time visiting with friends and talking about art. It's something I plan to do again on a regular basis every few months.
Many thanks to everyone who came (and purchased).