Soldered Book Pendants in Jewelry Affaire

Books Extraordinaire in Jewelry Affaire

Winter 2014

I have been lucky enough this holiday season to see my special book necklaces, made from stamped solder and colored with a bit of Guilder's Paste, in the current issue of Jewelry Affaire.  

I love the artists' features found in this publication and am thrilled when my pieces are selected to be among them.  

Actually, sometimes, the best of art friendships actually begin when writing for publication.  Some of us exchange emails, connect on facebook, or once in awhile just have old fashioned chats on the phone.  One of my art sister friends lives hundreds of miles away and we just now got off the phone after chatting like school girls.  

I love what publishing has given me.... new friends and networking, confidence and affirmation of creative endeavors, and opportunity to achieve much, much more.  I so encourage others to submit and keep on submitting.  Get out there and share.

Thank you Jewelry Affaire and thank you to all of their readers who take the time to look at my things among all the creative others.

Art Sister Ornament Sharing For The Holidays

Handmade From The HeArt Ornaments

This year, Cat Kerr organized a holiday ornament sharing event between art friends.  Some of us had not ever met face to face, prior to this fall.  In fact, Cat and I first met across the miles through email, while collaborating on a Belle Armoire Magazine article earlier in the year.  Finally, this October we met for the first time at the Art Is You Retreats in Stamford, CT.  How truly special and what fun it was.....

Apologies for not sharing sooner, but here are ornaments from the artists who participated.  They are so beautiful, each and every one!  I love how they hang sentimentally on my tree in the studio.  They shall stay there all year round.  

Happy Holidays to all my art sisters!

Cat Kerr

Lynne Suprock (moi)

Jodi Ohl

Kecia Deveney

Leslie Venable

Nellie Wortman

Nancy Maxwell

Taryn Reece

A Believer in Miracles And The Power of Faith, Hope and Family

A Journey From This Place To The Next:

Adventures Unfolding

For all of us, time passes too quickly.  We are born, are in a rush to grow up, then when we are finally sage with wisdom, we must wonder where we are to go next.... what adventures and challenges, love and life should lie ahead?  

So it is with a miracle, that life begins again... and so I suppose that it is my belief in this miracle that we are born, we die, and we are born again.  What we do in between the being born part and the dying part is up to us.  Did we make a difference?  Did we waste our gift?  In the end, did we really get what living was all about?  I do think about these things every now and again, and this is one of those now and again times.

My mom passed away last Saturday.  It has been a little hard to get things into perspective until now.  She is on to her next challenge, and she will hit the ground running, no doubt.  She believed that there was life in every breath and a purpose for all of us in that life.  It was difficult seeing her decline over the weeks and months that passed.  As well, it was difficult for her to accept her decline and her ultimate frail mortality.  These things we cannot change, no matter how much we wish we could.

Growing up mom endured hardship, but also had experienced great joy.  As a young woman, she could count on family, older brothers and a sister, for strength and encouragement as she continued her along her path of choices.....of life's challenges.

Then, at the cusp of middle age, she lost her husband, her friend, and a father to her three children.  Without fail, she carried on with great strength and conviction to make a life for us all.  She was my ultimate motivation to succeed and to move beyond the status quo.  

This is not goodbye, nope, but just another chapter before the next book in a new life begins.  I will have faith and hope that, as family, we will meet once again.