WHAT’S NEW

• Matchy Matchy?
Paper Petals

 

When a potential customer is looking at my work, I am occasionally asked if I have a bracelet to “go with” a particular necklace. Or vice versa – a necklace that “goes with” a desired bracelet. I’m not sure why this is so. Could be one of several reasons. No judgement implied. But I almost never think this way about my work. I think I once made a pair of earrings to go with a necklace and that was to accompany a commission done for a very good buyer (and no, I rarely do commissions either…I’ll explain that too.) I’m not someone who looks to coordinate my own jewelry wearing choices. I prefer to let individual pieces stand on their own. I will choose multiple pieces to wear that to my eye work together, but not because they were created to wear together. So I guess that’s why I don’t engage in what I’ll call “Matchy – Matchy” design.

So when, Bruce Hoffman, the Artistic Director of Gravers Lane Gallery (and someone to whom I probably owe my fiber career) asked me if I had a bracelet to go with the Paper Cascade Necklace I had just brought to him (see the previous post), I had to stop and think. The truth was, being so inspired by the rolled paper beads I used in the necklace, I had already begun thinking about other ways to use them. And no sooner than the word “bracelet” left his lips, the idea for this bracelet sprung to mind. I came home, did a little R&D, and this Paper Petals bracelet was done in a week. Matchy matchy? Maybe a little, but only because the primary material is the same. Design-wise, they are very different.

And my feeling about commissions? I did them earlier in my jewelry knitting career but always found myself having to design to someone else’s taste and color palette. I found the process very confining and unsatisfying. So, call me selfish if you will. But at this point in my creative life, I prefer to create what pleases me first. And fortunately I’ve found that while the occasional piece stays with me longer than others, most eventually find another person who loves them as much as I do. Patience grasshopper. In all things.



• Inspiration is everywhere….
And often where least expected!

 

 

Sometimes you just get lucky. Such was the case on my last visit to Material Culture, an eclectic gem of a warehouse store in Philadelphia. I always seem to find unusual beads or objects there, things that delight my eye and often serve to jumpstart a new design. This time I found a 60’s era (I think…) beaded door curtain, the kind of hippie, beatnik chic I remember from my teenage years. Except the beads in this curtain were all individually rolled paper and had been treated in some way that makes them hard and much less fragile than a plain paper bead. VERY stringable. This necklace is just the first of what I hope will be a series of designs that showcase these beauties. My left brain creativity is a hummin’ !

This necklace and several additional new pieces will be available at/through Gravers Lane Gallery in Chestnut Hill PA starting tomorrow, 4/21. Stop in to see my pieces and so much additional stunning, innovative, work available this spring.



• Smithsonian Craft2Wear 2025…
Just WOW!!!!!

How to begin… Just wow!! What an incredible three days at the Smithsonian Craft2Wear show in Washington DC from 9/26-9/28. I initially felt like just getting the invite was the win. But I experienced so many more ways to measure success in addition to appreciative buyers and amazing sales…

Artistic inspiration everywhere!

Advice and lessons learned, shared by generous, experienced exhibitors.

Observations from and conversations with so many knowledgeable attendees.

Seeds planted and connections made, with the potential for fulfilling partnerships and future work.

Support from an incredibly hard working Smithsonian Women’s Committee. These women could not have worked longer or harder on our behalf. So grateful!!

And the list goes on. My heartfelt thanks to all.

And here are just SOME of my favorite pieces that found new homes, some oldies but goodies, some brand spanking new…

“Matrix” Necklace

“Doubletake” Necklace

“Mirror Mirror” Necklace

“Alabaster Gold” Bracelet

“Rolling Stones” Bracelet

“Precious Etchings” Pipeline Necklace

“Golden Eye” Pipeline Necklace

“Fibonacci Black/Silver” Necklace



• Counting Down the Days Until…
Smithsonian Craft2Wear 9/26 – 9/28/25

Dreams do come true!! Counting down the days until my first show at the Smithsonian.
Looking forward to sharing my work with friends both old and new at the show’s new home in the Arts and Industry building on the National Mall.

This necklace, “Bronze Age,” is the one of a kind piece I’m donating to the Smithsonian Craft2Wear silent auction. This lightweight, flexible bead knitted necklace highlights Japanese and Czech glass beads that I’ve pre-strung on viscose fiber according to my original pattern design. A color coordinated acrylic, magnetic closure guarantees ease of wear. Approx length 18”. I’m more than happy to support the critically important work done by the family of Smithsonian museums, especially neeeded in such challenging times. I hope some of you will support us as well. 🤞🏻🥰👏🏻



• Exhibition News
“Material Stories” The Elsie Michie Art Jewelry Collection

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thrilled to discover that this necklace of mine, Meander II, is part of an upcoming exhibition of select pieces from the contemporary art jewelry collection of noted collector Elsie Michie. Ms Michie purchased this piece just prior to the dark days of Covid and her interest in and support of my work during that time was much needed and greatly appreciated. She later told me she wore it to dinner in her own home on occasion, to cheer herself up when going out was still not possible. She lifted my spirits when they needed it most.

The exhibition will be held at the Lake Object Contemporary Art Gallery in Taos New Mexico. Ms Michie will be in attendance during the opening weekend, Aug 1 – 3, 2025. Click HERE for additional information about the exhibition and the gallery. The owner of the gallery, Julie Lake, is a fabulous artist in her own right. Check out her work on the gallery website.



• Where to Next?
Smithsonian Craft 2 Wear!! September 26, 27 & 28

Some days truly are better than others! Like June 5, 2025, when I received the invitation to show my work as part of the 2025 Smithsonian Craft 2 Wear show in Washington, DC. (THE SMITHSONIAN!!!) The show will take place over three days, from September 26 – 28. Unlike the larger Smithsonian show that takes place each spring, this show is highly curated to focus on wearable, contemporary American craft i.e., jewelry, clothing and accessories. With a smaller number of exhibitors (@70) chosen from a national pool, the show will not feel overwhelming, giving attendees ample time to check out all the wonderful work that the Smithsonian Women’s Committee has selected. I am really grateful for the opportunity to share my work with the sophisticated market that the DC area represents. And happy to have the summer to create more new work prior to the show. I hope to see lots of you there. Old friends to greet and new friends to meet. More info as I get it. Stay tuned!!



• Where to Next?
Paradise City Arts in Marlborough

Thrilled to be heading back to a Paradise City Arts show! This time the spring show in Marlborough Massachusetts. I’ve done their larger Fall show in Northhampton twice before. The staff takes great care of exhibitors and the attendees were many and wonderfully discerning. Looking forward to meeting folks at this show, fellow exhibitors and attendees alike. It’s only 35 minutes west of Boston!

I’ll have lots of new work and a newly configured booth to show it all off. If you’re anywhere in the neighborhood, put March 21-23 in your calendar.

The show website with all the details is HERE.

My artist page with a few pretty pix is HERE.

Check it out and I’ll hope to see you there.



• LOTS OF NEW WORK!
CONTINUALLY BUSY BEHIND THE SCENES…

My social media presence tends to be sporadic in nature. Occasional posting here on the website and perhaps a flurry of images over on my Instagram page HERE, but just because I go publicly silent for awhile it doesn’t mean I’m not head down, needles clicking, beads being threaded, working continually behind the scenes. So now it’s time to show some of the results of that work. Some images here will be in full while I’m offering some closeups of others because I think the detail warrants a closer look. For full, zoomable images of all of these pieces, head on over to the Necklace Gallery page HERE. Hope you like!



• EXCITING NEWS!
You Tube Interview with Valerie Hector

Exciting news! I’ve recently had the great privilege to be interviewed by Valerie Hector as part of her new series, Beading Globally, that appears on her You Tube Channel. Called “Bead Knitting Now,” it is a recorded visual interview with Valerie about my work, interspersed with a slide show of images. The interview has gone live HERE (There may be a skippable ad prior to the interview’s start.)

As time permits, I hope you will check out at least some of it. (Fair warning: it’s two hours long!) This is kind of a big deal for me. ;-) No actually, it IS a big deal for me.

PS If you are not familiar with Valerie’s own work, please do check her out HERE. She is a big deal in the bead and art jewelry world. She is a consummate bead artist (using off-loom bead weaving) and deeply knowledgeable beadwork historian and educator. And she was an early supporter and encourager to me. I owe her a lot and was thrilled to be asked to do this interview, only the second in her series, after the incredible bead artist Laura McCabe.

Thanks in advance for your time.



• This Is What’s New!
New Work To Share

These are two of the new one of a kind necklaces now available at Gravers Lane Gallery. Second Impressions and Sunset Beach Walk. Very different in feel from one and other but both from the same brain and same hands. I love how the variety of materials available to me can inspire me to design with so many different techniques and constructions, colors and shapes. Impression Jasper in the first. And yes, REAL tiny sea shells in the second. I can’t see how I’ll ever run out of ideas. And that’s a good thing, right? :-)