Friday, March 27, 2009

Roses From a Brother

Roses From A Brother

This has been an interesting week. My mother had a half brother that she never met. My Grandfather remarried late in life and a child from that marriage was adopted by a new father when the child was very young. All connection was lost, including the child's last name. The first year I got on the Internet I started searching for this uncle...my mother's only sibling. My mother was nervous about finding him since her relationship with her father had been difficult so she didn't encourage me. That was in 1993. Since then, I've searched every few months through google and also sites where lost relatives try to find each other.

During my most recent search, I found something that made me stop dead in my tracks. A photo of my grandfather was posted on an ancestry site. Time stopped for a few shocked minutes because the only surviving people who would have access to a photo of him are my mother and her half brother. I knew I had finally found him. It took some more digging but within hours I was talking on the telephone to this phantom figure I'd been chasing for 16 years. And shortly after that, he and my Mother (his half sister) were talking to one another...two days before my Mother's 79th birthday. They have been emailing and talking non stop since. The roses in the picture were sent as a birthday tribute to my mother by her brother...symbolizing the family he has now found.


I'm not sure how to express it exactly, but there is something just a little sad in their connecting...now I have no one to search for.

Saturday, March 21, 2009

Relax...God is in charge

The daily reminder I made into a pendant ...

Elegant Jewelry Coup d'etat

ELEGANT COUP D'ETAT
The most elegant teapot in the world is Shelley's Dainty ...a long awaited find of a lifetime.
...inspired the coup d'etat of my Shelley jewelry series.

with those same sweet polka dots, the lid opens and is fully 3 dimensional. I'm proud of this one.

Friday, March 20, 2009

Shelley Cream Pitcher

Captivated by Shelley

After I completed my Shelley teacup, one day I thought it would be so cute if I had a series of Shelley Dainty China-inspired jewelry pieces so the second piece I made was the rosebud creamer. Here it is in real life.



And here is my rendition in sterling silver as a charm/pendant...so cute! There are little flowers around it. I'll post the TEAPOT in a couple of days...THAT took a lot of time.

Thursday, March 19, 2009

My Favorite Teacup - Shelley Dainty Rosebud

The Shelley Dainty Teacup
My absolute favorite teacup are those made by Shelley in the Dainty shape. I am just fascinated with the delicacy, beauty, and perfect weight of these teacups for drinking tea. I own the Rosebud pattern one: Nothing is more fun than making jewelry of something I love. So my favorite cup inspired one of my favorite handmade designs: this sterling Shelley cup and saucer with the characteristic fluting so special in a Dainty piece.

There's a little flower inside the teacup too.



Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Serendipity

Serendipity
I love the unexpected symbiotic steps I take in life that put me into the direct path of a stranger...bumping into each other, pausing, then continuing on...to find my original path has diverged in some small way toward a clearing filled with dawning sunshine.