ABOUT MY WORK
The components that can be found in my designs are richly diverse: Assorted noble and base metals, freshwater pearls and semiprecious stones, chainmaille and Swarovski crystals, rough and polished mineral specimens and precious metal clay.
My techniques in creating pieces are also varied: from elaborate wire-wrapping to hand-formed, kiln-fired pendants and rings.
When hand-wrapping a stone, it is the shape of the specimen that dictates the style of wrap and adornments. In other words, the stone calls the shots - I am merely the translator for its speech.
I purposely work in small volumes and strive to seek out the unusual shapes and beauty of natural stones. This keeps the inventory fresh and my creativity high. It also keeps the work more individualized and truly one of a kind.
Price is considered by the quality of the materials, current market value of noble metals (which always fluctuates) and the amount of time spent with a given project.
My pieces are a direct inspiration in the celebration of all aspects of life. Remember: We are all meant to be adorned, so enjoy with complete abandon and riotous glee!
THE PIECES
My pieces are always open to your own interpretations - see them through your own eyes and feel them in your heart when wearing them. It makes me incredibly happy to do what I do, especially when I see how others respond to my work.
All Things Faery: OK - I'm a big believer in the Fey. They live in my garden and home, playing little tricks on me, hiding my pliers and certain beads when I need to find them. They whisper to me at night in my dreams and inspire me to create beautiful pieces. This entire series is dedicated to what I imagine the Fair Folk would wear if attending faerie dances under the full moon. I can easily see where this would become a huge spin-off for me, as I love making all this jewelry - whimsical and crazy with design and detail - and it comes out of my fertile imagination and sense of levity.
Sprite Bracelets are made as small little cuffs jam-packed with sparkling Swarovski crystals. Not too overdone, as sprites tend to be small, and I imagine they would be weighted down very easily.
Faery Bracelets are a bit bigger and once again come in a cuff design - they have more "bling" and sparkle, with a focus or intention stone in the center of the design.
Titania's Cuff was an instant inspiration after seeing the Hollywood version of "A Midsummer Night's Dream" with Michelle Pfeiffer as the great faery queen. And when I say instant - it was like a bolt of electricity went through my core. I rushed into my studio to begin its creation without finishing the movie, because I had to CREATE! The resulting piece is my interpretation of what I like to think Titania might use to gracefully adorn herself. Big and bold, but not heavy, lots of Swarovski crystals, movement in the beads, large focal stone … absolutely stunning! I love making these as I can never replicate one certain design - each one is as unique as our own selves. I am currently working on other inspired large cuffs named for legendary goddesses, so keep checking back!
The Faery Rings
Faery Bands are tiny, delicate bands, usually no more than 3-4 mm wide with incredible detail, sometimes set simply with a tiny 3-4 mm stone. Very sweet but packs a powerful WOW. I learned this design style from a wonderful artist named Lynn Gifford, who owns a delightful bead shop in Stoughton, Wisconsin. If you are ever in the area, stop by Midnight Moon and say howdy to her. She is a wealth of knowledge and a fabulous person to meet.
Elven Court Rings are the Faery Bands run amok - bigger and bolder in style. These bands came into being after reading Emma Bull's "War for the Oaks" and imagining what type of signature ring one would wear if in attendance at a high Fey court … yes, my mind works in fantastical ways.
Harvest Moon Rings are one of my first and favorite inspirations for a ring design. I live in a far northwest suburb of Chicago and as is the way of all urban sprawl, I am witness to useless big-box stores eating up the good, rich vital earth. Before all of that happened, though, there were magnificent cornfields and old oaks all up and down the major roadway that connects my little town to the interstate. It was dusk around the fall equinox … my husband and I were driving home and saw a huge orange harvest moon rising over the ripened cornstalks … it was truly magical, that's the only word I can use to describe it. I couldn't wait to get home, and rushed into my studio to try translating this experience I just had into something physical and tangible. Voila, the Harvest Moon Ring came into creation. It's a very simple design - thick and wide with a Padparadascha topaz CZ set slightly off center to represent the moon, and a simple raised dividing band going around the circumference of the ring. Around the stone you can see three to five 'squiggle lines' representing the corn and grain. One portion of the band has darkened patinas applied to represent the night, while the other side is kept bright silver to represent the equal balance of daylight.
The Stand-Alones: These pieces are popular with TMS customers, but do not have actual series built around them.
The Standing Stone Necklace is one of my earliest designs and still very popular. I love the wildness of a big sky - swirling winds and desolate, lonely places - my Standing Stone Necklace tries to convey it all. A big swirling night sky with a crescent moon and tiny shining star to remind us that no matter how lonely we may feel inside, there is always something watching over us and we are never truly alone. These celestial bodies overlook a strong, quiet standing sentinel, thousands of years old and still evoking mystery and inspirations. I originally made this piece out of my sheer love for standing stones and the landscapes that surround them. Feel free to interpret this piece in your own way - whatever brings you comfort or ignites your own imagination. The beauty of art is to make us aware of what moves us inside.
The Welsh Dragon Bracelet is another early design, but one which continues to be in high demand. I'm not certain these are really considered Welsh dragons (and truth be told, I'm not really concerned with being a stickler over such details) - a lot of times a name comes to me the moment the piece is finished and that's what I go with. The piece is usually set with a peridot or dark green stone, purposely designed to look ancient and well-worn. Think of this piece as being worn by the High Kings, or Pendragons, of the ancient Celtic lands and then pulled from the ground many centuries later to be worn by you! I usually finish these with a very basic chainmaille weave called the Euro four-in-one, as that seems to be in keeping with the feel of the Celtic theme.
The Fiddlehead Fern is a newer design and one of my new favorites - I can't stop wearing it! I had the honor to take a class run by Cynthia Thornton of Green Girl Studios last November. She is such an incredible, multi-talented artist, and I could go on and on about my admiration for her work, but back to the subject for now … Cynthia showed us how to create our own stamps by carving designs out of Fimo clay. So, this is my first hand-carved stamp that I made myself and is my personal ode to the vibrant transformations spring brings to our lives. Remember, I live in Northern Illinois - transplanted from a much more genteel climate years ago. Spring can NEVER get here fast enough! I love the way fiddlehead ferns open up to the world - love to watch them expand and transform each day - so it was a given that was to be my first stamp creation and I am just delighted with its outcome. Again, it is purposely made to be asymmetrical and rough-edged, which I feel gives even more character and beauty to the piece. I also do a green (yes, green!) amethyst drop in a more loosely styled wire wrap. My goal is to make this all feel as organic as possible while still bursting with vibrancy. Like I said, I haven't been able to take this piece off and I get a lot of great response from others when it's worn. People instinctively reach out to touch the surface and get an amazing look of joy in their eyes. Try it yourself and see what reactions you get! It makes me "all giggly-wiggly" wearing it, and I think it makes the faeries happy, too!
The Celtic Triple Moon Necklace was made in response to my love of watching the moon phases - seeing that very first thumbnail sliver in the sky to indicate that the moon has moved from New and is in transit to fullness. This is my absolute most favorite time to see the moon and I am always watching for it. So, the Triple Moon Necklace is my celebration of this time. I usually set each "moon" with a blue/purple small dichroic glass cabochon - for whatever reason, that color feels 'right' for the piece. The moons are then separated with sterling silver Triskele design connectors, keeping the triplicate theme going. This necklace is absolutely a delight to wear and in my field tests -i.e. wearing it around town to get a reaction - it always generates a great response.
Sweet Pea Bracelets are also a new design and just great fun to wear! They are meant to be all hodge-podgey, very whimsical and light hearted. I could not believe the response when I brought them out at this last Spring jewelry show - so many women squealing "Sweet pea is my birth flower!" I guess there are flowers associated with birthdays just like birthstones … who knew? Needless to say, a cult following has begun - and they can be made in a variety of color palettes - pinks, greens, blues and purples are the favorites so far. And well, "Sweet Pea" just says it all.
ABOUT PMC
To learn more about PMC and its applications, please visit Wikipedia.org and plug in "Precious Metal Clay."