When I was little, I found a rhinestone-covered button in my mother's sewing box. I removed the crystals with a knife, covered them in mud, and ran to my parents saying: I found diamonds in the river! They were surprised, but I was elated. In my mind, the fantasy had become true the instant I shared it.
Treasured Pendant.
Handmade with amethyst and recycled sterling silver.
I am very proud of my first bolo tie. It was a challenge to make, but thanks to a great Youtube tutorial, I knew how to start. Thank you, Robert, for the creative nudge!
Bolo Tie #1.
Handmade with blue cobra jasper and recycled sterling silver.
“In the course of history, there comes a time when humanity is called to shift to a new level of consciousness, to reach a higher moral ground. A time when we have to shed our fear and give hope to each other. That time is now.”
Gathering Necklace.
Handmade with Chrysocolla and recycled sterling silver.
A friend sent me a link to an amazing documentary: A Murder of Crows (as in a group of them, not a killing), which opened my eyes to one of the planet’s most intelligent creatures. In it, researchers follow a group of crows throughout their lives to discover that they are wiser than we knew.
Among other traits, crows can recognize faces and warn each other of predators; they gather around their dead, possibly for mourning, but also to observe (and share) the cause of death and so avoid it in the future. They use tools to get food from hard to reach places, and sometimes even use tools to reach other tools which will access food. In cities, they steal wire clothes hangers from peoples balconies and use them to build intricate nests in trees or on electric posts (sometimes derailing trains and causing neighborhood blackouts).
This pendant is my ode to the wisdom and awesomeness of these magnificent birds.
Majestic Pendant.
Handmade with amethyst and recycled sterling silver.
Angela asked me to make her a pendant that depicted birds that particularly spoke to her (but not in a creepy dark way): ravens, crows and turkey vultures. Since she is an artist and a poet, she wrote: turkey vultures are actually the most magnificent birds to see flying high in the sky. They personify joy. They are not anything to write home about and they are not God’s gift to beauty, but their gift is a wide wing span and beautiful flight. And I suppose in our own way that is true for all of us.
She chose a golden green labradorite, which reminds me of the Kansas landscape where she lives, and I chose the stars, to connect her bird to the sky. We both agreed that her talisman resulted in a powerful symbol of flight, womanhood, and mysticism; all perfect for these times.
Angela’s Soaring Pendant.
Handmade with labradorite and recycled sterling silver.
I was commissioned to make a tiny pendant with a blue gemstone.
Scarab Necklace.
Handmade with kyanite and recycled sterling silver.
It has taken me decades to appreciate myself and my gifts. I tried to be like others, to find my worth in their eyes, to be seen. Now I take the time to encourage myself in challenging situations, to celebrate my achievements, to rest when I am tired, and be gentle when I am afraid.
I’ve also tried to change careers every year, feeling that art was selfish and not helpful enough in this changing world. Now I see that making art has given me purpose, direction and immense joy. It is the place where my love for life finds expression.
Gift Necklace.
Handmade with green agate and recycled sterling silver.
“Imagination will often carry us to worlds that never were. But without it we go nowhere.”
Imagination Necklace.
Handmade with chrysoprase and recycled sterling silver.
It comforts me to know that no matter what happens in my life: changes, cycles, lessons, gifts; I will be with me. I am my ally, my friend, my gentle companion.
Companion Necklace.
Handmade with lemon quartz and recycled sterling silver.
“Endless forms most beautiful and most wonderful have been, and are being evolved.”
Origin Necklace.
Handmade with silver obsidian and recycled sterling silver.
“In every person there is a sun. Just let them shine.”
Rising Sun Necklace.
Handmade with amber and recycled sterling silver.
“Never get used to anything.”
Entry Earrings.
Handmade with brass and recycled sterling silver.
“We keep moving forward, opening up new doors and doing new things, because we’re curious... and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.”
Waterway Earrings.
Handmade with brass and recycled sterling silver.
“Hope begins in the dark, the stubborn hope that if you just show up and try to do the right thing, the dawn will come. You wait and watch and work: you don’t give up.”
Dawn Earrings.
Handmade with brass and recycled sterling silver.
“I found god in myself
and I loved her
I loved her fiercely.”
Concentric Earrings.
Handmade with brass and recycled sterling silver.
“Here are the two best prayers I know: ‘Help me, help me, help me’ and ‘Thank you, thank you, thank you.”
Intention Earrings.
Handmade with brass and recycled sterling silver.
“Religion is like going out to dinner with friends. Everyone may order something different, but everyone can still sit at the same table.”
Complementary Earrings.
Handmade with brass and recycled sterling silver.
A Butterfly for Maria.
