Solstice!

The longest day of the year! We can expect more than 17 hours of daylight this first day of summer. It is now just a few minutes before 7 in the evening my time, and finally, the sun is out, birds are singing and the light breeze that is gently wafting through the open door is scented with the promise of summer. Happy Solstice! Happy summer! Happy day to be creative!

p.s. This is Stonehenge as the sun rose on the Solstice. Doesn't it look magical?

Pictures of my Dad

It is Father's Day and although I am sitting here with Phil, who is an excellent father and Jacob, our youngest child, my thoughts turn to my dad.

We had a complicated relationship, not always what I wanted it to be and I think it was a rough time for me growing up until we learned to ignore each other. As a teenager and in college, we barely spoke although Monday through Friday, we religiously ate dinner as a family every evening at 5:30. As soon as possible, I bolted from home and began a life. He got sick, stayed sick. Way too early he left us and I never got the chance to know him as I became an adult. I wonder how our relationship would have changed?




Still we remain father and daughter. I have only one wish today; that he could see my sons. How brilliant and wonderful they are. I would want them to spend time together. I would want for him to teach them things, to talk about his father, to tell them the way it was when he was a boy growing up on a farm while his daddy worked the coal mines. So many things I wished my boys knew.

Still my fondest memory, the one that still brings me to a total mess of tears and feelings; is the one of him sleeping in a chair, his arms folded on the edge of my bed, his head resting on those arms, as I woke up from an appendectomy when I was 7 years old. That was my dad. That is the man I miss.

Happy Father's day to all the dads out there and those of you still lucky enough to have a dad in your life? You need to hold and hug them extra tight today.

A Brooch for Summer

I had these metal brooch parts arrive at the shop and finally, took some home to play with. They have a mesh screen on them so I used a fine wire and wrapped, strung, twisted and loaded the beads on. I think it looks like the budding of a garden, multiple colors, lots of texture, intriguing buds and blooms. The pin was very inexpensive but add the beads and KaBLaMMMM, a beautiful piece. I am feeling very pleased with it!

Little Sprites - a new drawing

As soon as I returned home; I hit the studio and began painting and drawing.



Lots of color - makes me want to fall into great pools of it.


I have a severe fondness for spirals. It is my mark,part of my interior, holistic journey.


Spirals, color and texture will continue to be a focus in my work.

No Sadness

No sadness and with those words the dancing image of my mom left my dreams early this morning. I have been missing her a lot lately. Really missing her, the sound of her voice, her ability to just listen to me without offering advice at every other word. I want to tell her that I continue to be hurt by a friend, that Jacob is growing tall and smart, that I am making new things everyday. What I wouldn't give to - just even for a brief, brief moment - hear her voice again, see her face, touch her hands. It did not come as a surprise to me, at the end of this vivid dream that she would leave me with a short message to comfort me; no sadness. She has no sadness and I shouldn't either.

I will take it to heart, holding the thought,the words of parting wisdom close to my breast but I will still miss her; more than I ever thought possible.

I'm BACK!

Just the two of us, hanging at the show, talking charms and jewelry and fabricating wonderful things! What fun! I had a wonderful show, met wonderful people and made many new customers. Saying hello again to customers from previous years was a real treat. After all, the Bead & Button show is 10 years old and I have been at every show since the beginning meeting and greeting people who enjoy my work. I was blessed at this show to sell nearly all the jewelry I made, making me feel so treasured and inspired! Thank you a thousand times over to all my lovely customers and friends who made this show the most memorable and best ever! More pictures tomorrow, after this girl does some studio work and ugh - paperwork!




The woman who purchased the center bracelet from me at the show was delighted with her new piece of jewelry and her good comments and wonderful enthusiasm carried me through the rest of the show and makes me smile even at this very moment!




Our booth at the show. I love having my hand in everything that I sell or display in the booth. I made the banners, paint the trays, craft the little signs, decorate the bowls - you name it. I just want everything to be made with the love and joy I feel in creating. There is so much pleasure to be enjoyed in the making of every little thing that I don't want the regular, run of the mill, mass produced anything in my booth.




As much as I loved seeing all my friends and customers at the show; I really loved watching the baby seagulls on the roof just one floor below my window. It was like having a live version of the nature channel! There were three nests on the roof and the twins were closest to us. I could have watched them for hours!

The Final Bead & Button Piece

This is it. The final crafted piece for the Bead & Button show. Five strands of a beautiful bead assortment and one of my handcrafted and hand finished clasps. After weeks of marathon jewelry making, charm finishing, sewing banners, table skirts and drawing signs; I have to say I am done! Yippee! Although my least favorite of all chores is still waiting for me - the packing of the suitcase! I usually take too little in the way of clothing and my hotel room ends up looking like a laundry as I find myself washing out clothing by hand and hanging them all over the bathroom. I can be ready to go anywhere at the drop of a hat but figure that too little is way better than too much on a trip. I like flying light if not by the seat of my pants! HAHA!

I will post many pictures when I get back so stay tuned! xo, Lois