Pink Berries

A new bracelet called 'Pink Berries.'

Glass berries and leaves with bronze links and a big sterling silver clasp.

It was delivered yesterday to the gift shop of the Memorial Art Gallery.

It's still gray and dismally cold here, spring will just not spring forth this year.
So, this bracelet is in anticipation of warm breezes, new little green leaves and the return of the color pink to the Rochester, New York landscape.

It's Poodle Time

A gratuitous snapshot of my poodle Kiki.

Enchanted Beads

A new necklace in the works.

Want the glass recipe?
A barrel shaped base of Cim's 'Crocus' rolled sparingly in 'Enchanted' frit and encased with a hand faceted layer light blue transparent.

* 'Enchanted' frit comes from Val Cox *

Some spring graffiti went rolling by.

Pussy Willows

I know a little pussy - Her coat is silver gray

She lives down in the meadow - Not very far away.

Though she is a pussy - She’ll never be a cat

She is a pussy willow - Now what do you think of that?

-traditional nursery rhyme

Glass pussy willow headpins.

Start with some springtime inspiration - a branch of pussy willows.

I used light pastel gray glass as a base on 18 gauge black steel wire.
The base was rolled that in white frit and encased it in pale transparent gray glass.

Then using the small marver in the picture above I shaped them.
Next a roll in clear glass frit for the 'fuzz.'
Finally I added the brown leaflet, I used Double Helix Echo. Love the iridescent glass.

One little guy hanging out right on my bench as a reference while torching.

Time to make earrings.

Little Birds

Inspiration is where you find it.
While I was torching I looked up to see this rail car parked right below me on the tracks.

I grabbed a new mandrel, a scrap of black glass rod and one of rich yellow and made a bird.

Front and back.

Fun, huh?

The bail is 18 wire that I glued in place with two part epoxy.

The greatest graffiti just rolls by, day after day.

A Quilting I Will Go...

Every spring I go on a 'quilting retreat' with a bunch of fabulous women.

It's the only time I sew but who can resist a long weekend at a posh Finger Lakes resort complete with magnificent views and wine tastings?

A view of the rain-soaked, and still frozen, Canadaigua Lake.

Here's a partial view of the sewing mess - about 35 women each with a banquet table to work on can make a lot of stuff in three days.

I "fabricated" (eye roll) a postcard for a mail exchange.
Of course it's birds.

I also completed my quilt - the one I started six years ago the first time I went to the quilt retreat.

Year one I cut out all the pieces. Year two I laid them out and began stitching them together, year three I finished stitching them together. Year four I left it home, too embarrassed to show the ladies that I hadn't touched it in a year. Year five I backed it and began quilting it on my trusty old Singer - and this year I finished the quilting and bound the damn thing.

Viola!