Published AGAIN!

Polymer Cafe - June 2011

I'm always surprised I guess when the issue finally hits the stands, but I'm once again in the June issue of Polymer Cafe! Anne is always so sweet with her praise and even asked me this year to write a how-to for the magazine (which explains why I've been experimenting with tutorial writing - getting my feet wet). I sent her photos of 3 pieces and she put all three in the reader's gallery. And I do have to say I feel quite honored to be showcased along with the talents of Lisa Pavelka and Valerie Ashley (Elysian Field Originals). At the same time I submitted photos to Bead & Button and Art Jewelry Magazines and have been asked to write articles for them as well - one another 'how-to' and another for their online forum. I'm not sure when I'll have time, but I'll work on everything when I can. Here is the three items that were featured - you can find them on pages 45 & 46:

Kaleidoscope Bangle Bracelet

Kaleidoscope Bangle
The history of this piece:  Years and years ago I began my experiments in caning, but being a beginner things didn't always work out as planned.  Regardless, I'm this old german, frugal farm girl who makes use of everything, so all the old cane got stored in baggies in storage box.... and they sat.  Along the way I created other canes and taught classes for birthday parties and girl scout.  There was always left over canes in the projects, so they got put in baggies, thrown in the box.... and sat.  Then I got the idea in my head from various artists who inspired me to create kaleidoscope canes, so I pulled out the box and started assembling things.  This cane has bitty canes from so many various projects it's like a history lesson for me.  From tiny hearts we made friendship bracelets in girl scouts, to flowers we created during my daughter's birthday party, to left over canes from my kachina project.

Guess it's like a view of life.  You take all the pieces of your history and put them together and it's beautiful in the end.  =)

Folk Rock Art Tin

Folk Rock Art Tin
Born in the 60s, I remember fondly the music and memorabilia of those times. The daisies I fashioned after those I remember decorating the bottom of my grandmother's bathtub. The peace and love signs were common in jewelry through the 70s (I think I may still have one hiding in my jewelry box even). And I remember those cold Minnesota winters making bitty feet on the frosted school bus windows with the side of my fisted hand being the foot and fingerprints as toes. A fun childhood memory that my children will never have living in the San Antonio heat. This is just a small tribute to that era or peace - something often revisited today.

Sunface Kachina Necklace

Sunface Kachina Necklace
This is the Hopi Kachina, Sunface. The Sunface Kachina represents warmth, shelter for the old, bright future, and playfulness for the young. The pendant (about 2") has millefiori feathers, jellyroll and patterned accents complimented with a necklace of faux turquoise rounds, red jellyroll cane beads, barrel beads covered with feather patterns and 4 millefiori feather drops.  All polymer except for the silver beads and clasp.  SO MUCH FUN!

I spent 4 years in Albuquerque and fell in love with the turquoise, the culture, and especially the native american symbols - the kachinas and fetishes. There is so much love of nature tied to their beliefs and sometimes I think we forget how important nature it to our very survival. We forget through all our focus on paying bills, the every persistent media coverage of war, and our 40 hour work week just how important the grass under our feet truly is. I miss simpler times.

And I'm hoping to get back to concentrating on that grass under my feet soon! Life is too short to get so tied up in the stress that you forget to live it. PEACE =)