My Mask Beads

Back in April, we went to Costa Rica for 10 days. Loved the vegetation and of course the animals! It got to the point seeing a crocodile was no big deal anymore.

One of the things I fell in love with on the trip were masks made by the Bocura People who live in South-Pacific Costa Rica.They carve the most beautiful masks made of balsa wood.

I ended up buying two - to go along with my Mexican carved masks and animals.

At any rate, I have been trying to translate the masks into glass. It has been a trip with a serious learning curve.

At any rate, here are my attempts at translation. Certain details can't be translated, at least not with my skills.

The wooden masks contain so many different surface planes covered in patterns I can't do it. But it is a journey...

For more info on the Bocura, follow this link - Boruca People

Meet Milagra

This is not lampwork but it is my creative side in a different medium.

Last February while in Puerto Vallarta I took a doll workshop at ART VallARTA. Rebecca Roth of Original Friends (www.prisondolls.com) was our instructor and guide.

Her name Milagra, milagro is Spanish for "miracle" -  and I just finished her last night.(that was it's own miracle!)

We  started with a fabric form, from there you were on your own. I painted the entire body of mine, the cloth for the underskirt and myself. Of course I did the her face as well.

I knew I wanted to incorporate something "Mexican" into the doll and thought of milagros - religious folk charms that you see thru out Mexico.

Her skirt is decorated with the milagros and she has one at her throat.


I am happy with her, though I may add some more milagros.

You can never have too many miracles.

Check out their website, theirs is a wonderful and heartwarming story. 

Original Friends Dolls - The Prison Project 

Lawrence Street Gallery Summer Invitational

My work is part of the Lawrence Street Gallery's annual Summer Invitational Show, which begins on Weds. July 1st. 

The opening reception is on Thurs, July 2 from 6-9 PM. I plan on being there.

The mid-month reception is on Fri, July 17th, 6-9 PM.

These are the two pieces I have on display.

They are "To Be One" and "To Be Too" because when I filled the call for entry I didn't know for certain what I was going to submit! 

Didn't like "untitled" - been over done... "to be determined" too long so "To be" was it.  And of course "To Be Too - as in to be Determined Too.

At lunch that day after filling out the paperwork, my friend Linda kept singing "To be too be do" to Frank Sinatra "Stranger in the Night"

Thank You

First, thanks to all my friends - both old and new - I got to see at Bead and Button in the SMGBG/Glass Act booth.

It was a great show, so much better than last year - attendance was up even though it was a slightly smaller show.

Second - I am so happy to have figured out what was causing the problems with my blog-site and was able to correct them.

Now to prepare for BeadFest Philly in August 2015.

New work to come!

Bead and Button Show -

One week from today, I will be headed out to Milwaukee for the Bead & Button show with a group of my Glass Act guild members.  This will be our 10th or 11th year having a booth at the show.

This year, we will be in the same physical location but the booth number has changed - we are Booth 1016.

Please come by and say hi to us! We love seeing our new friends and making new ones too.



My "Luv Birds" will be there - here's a family grouping. There are some complete with feathers already to put onto a chain.

The babies are cute as earrings -

 Here is a new "Hopi Maiden".  Have a few others but my photography skills don't do the pieces justice - I have been playing with silver glass and it is harder to capture and do justice to.

Besides - to me, it's more fun to work with the glass than take the pictures but I do realize it is a necessary "evil".

 




This is a necklace made with some very simple disk-shaped beads. I think the colors are wonderful. These are a pale aqua that has been acid etched. 

I think they are perfect for summer wear - have them in lots of colors and sizes. More to come of these.

Shop Play Love

Last Thursday, Chuck and I headed down to the Eastern Market to buy some plants and flowers and then over to Bert's Place to find out about who was playing that evening.

On our way to Bert's, we past a cute shop with tables outside and a nice lady who handed us business cards and encouraged us to come back after visiting Bert's.

To cut to the chase, we did come back, loved the shop - Shop, Play, Love - loved the lady, Vinetta -
and I ended up bringing some of my work down for her shop the very next day.

Since that Sunday was Flower Day - I sent her lots of flower jewelry.

It is a great place, Shop, Play, Love,  2739 Russell St across from the Eastern Market and next to Bert's Place. A really neat shop with unusual items in it and many from local artists.

Here are a few of the floral pieces I have in her shop.

There are also matching earring a few more florals that my photography doesn't do justice to...

Have ideas for more Detroit based pieces for down the road.

Their website -
www.shopplaylovedetroit.com

I am excited to have my work in "The Big D".

I was fortunate again this year to be in The Flow Magazine's Women of Glass issue, Winter 2014.

It's great to see the works of so many talented women in one place at the same time. And to see new names appear each year!


This was my piece for this year - I call it "Midnight Magic".

It was inspired by appliqued flowers on a jacket I bought last year.

 
I still have the jacket but the neck-piece has  gone to a new home.

But the jacket will continue to inspire, besides, I need something new to wear with it!