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.

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.

I can’t imagine I’m the only one who is not sad to bid goodbye to 2020. Not that there wasn’t anything to be joyful about. At the top of my list? We welcomed another lovely granddaughter to our family. That makes three of them! And it’s pretty clear that the world is profiting from the presence of more and more strong women. We’re just doing our part.

Working with The Society of Arts and Crafts as they mounted their first online CraftBoston Holiday show was also a highlight. Yes, sales were made, but equally important was expanding my circle of friends as I “met” and learned from other participating artists in ways I might not have had time for at the live shows of the past. Whatever format they choose to utilize, I will be grateful for any opportunity to work with these great people in the future.

And while there were times when I wanted only to retreat into “regular” knitting in order to self soothe, I continued to find inspiration in materials and diverse visual imagery. I’ve added images of some new pieces to the One-of-a-Kind Necklace Gallery so please click on over and have a look. One of my favorites appears below.

Lastly, if you are in the Philadelphia area, I urge you to stop in at The Gravers Lane Gallery in Chestnut Hill. I’m always grateful to have  my work shown there alongside so many gifted and inspiring artists.

I feel positive changes brewing for this coming year. I choose hope. I hope you will too.

I often talk about how unique materials inspire my work and this necklace is definitely a case in point. I found the ceramic beads that hang at the end of the knitted dangles at the Market at Stitches Midwest this past summer. I have to give a shout out to booth owner Jolanta Narejko of Elka Design (www.elka-designs.com) because she had some of the COOLEST beads, findings and fabulous finished jewelry pieces I’ve seen in quite some time. I fell in love with these two different patterns of black and white beads. I played with/swatched several different design ideas before settling on this one. I was told when I bought them that they are African beads, but later found out that they are specifically called “mud cloth” beads.

I had not planned on leaving the silk threads hanging. They are actually the tails of the individual bead knitted dangles. But they’ve grown on me. Definitely outside of my normal “box.”

So along with the African mud cloth beads, the thread used is from the USA (Kreinik Silk Serica), the small beads are Japanese (Size 8 Miyuki seed beads and Size 10 Miyuki Delica beads) and the three large beads are German (vintage resin with crystals set in the recessed equator of the beads – I’ve had them for years, just waiting for a fun place to use them.)

Four continents represented in one necklace! Pretty fab, no?

I’m often asked about where the inspiration for my creations comes from. My feeling is that inspiration is everywhere and often where least expected. I have to confess, however, that my inspiration often comes from unusual materials like those seen in the two new one-of-a-kind necklaces seen here. The top photo is Uni I, the bottom photo is Uni II. The “spikey,” multicolor pieces are actually the calcified spines of sea urchins! I loved them so much that I had to use them in two different pieces. A few friends have told me that they both have a sort of tribal feel. I guess that’s true, but what you can’t tell from the pictures is that they also make a lovely sound effect when they move around – a sort of tinkling, almost musical sound that I find very soothing. Unexpected and delightful.

There are a few more new pieces in the Necklace Gallery that I haven’t turned the Gallery Spotlight on here in the What’s New section, so as time permits, please click on over and take a peek. As always, I’d love to hear your thoughts about this new work.