Components, Finished Pieces, and Growth

As a ceramic artist, gardener, and mother, there is something a bit extra special when you receive a gift of freshly picked flowers from a young child.

These flowers may be something you have been trying to grow or something that is plentiful without any effort at all. Either way, that special feeling that those were picked because that child thought of you and how you may enjoy those flowers - no matter how teeny the stem is once picked - is just beyond words...

As a ceramic bead maker, I started making some cone beads, which then changed into these larger cone shaped pieces, which I put two holes on the side so I could then hang them with wire.

I call them "Seed Pod Collectors".

Purely because of my daughter - the collector of anything in the garden...

And my good friend Jenny Davies-Reazor, a ceramic bead maker and mixed media artist was over one day for lunch, and I gave her one of these to fiddle with.

She had the brilliant idea of stuffing polymer clay into the bottom of these, adding some of my ceramic headpins and extra wire, then baking it to cure the polymer.

I love the way she added wire and a couple of spacer beads to the sides too.

And below I was creating layered porcelain beads and started putting some of the handmade glass headpins from my friend Nikki Thornburg to see if there was potential there for some fun pieces.

My brain just fluctuates between making bits and pieces - components...

Or trying to make finished pieces that could in my head, will hold special memories for that person that ends up with that pieces.

Either way, my work deep down, is never really finished when I am letting it go through selling it or by gifting it, it goes on and finds it's future path.

Right now I am getting into production mode of ceramic bead making for the Bead and Button Show in Milwaukee, WI (June 6 - 8, 2014). If you happen to be in the area for that show - make sure to stop and see me in Booth #610 with Nikki of Thornburg Bead Studio!