The Eye of the Needle

This was an especially meaningful project for me - from one maker to another. My client is an avid beader, felt and fabric artist and wanted to use her gemstones to reflect her passion for making.

"I create because I am hard-wired to create. When I think of my legacy, I ask myself, "What mark shall I leave behind? Who will know I have been here?"

My journey into the creative world started very early as my mother's aunt taught me to crochet and I taught myself how to knit. I eventually earned a Fine Arts degree and along that journey, I always incorporated beads, stitching, and embellishments in my artwork. Currently, my main focus is felt making as it provides the perfect matte background for shiny beads and other ornamentation.

The ring is symbolic in many ways: a silver "needle" with a gold thread and diamond and emerald "beads." The needle and thread represent my passion for creating intricate artwork, the emeralds are my birthstone, the diamond is a family heirloom and represents the impact of, as a child, being provided opportunities to create to develop my skills as an artist. The ring, in its symbolism, is worthy of the hand; not the hand worthy of the ring. I hope that my hands that have worked through time and across generations will continue to contribute to building the fabric of humanity.

Working with you(Stacey) through the creative process was a very enriching and positive experience. You understood my story and created a ring that turned out to be much more than I had originally envisioned. Thank you for bringing it to life!"

Thirsty Fish

I was inspired to create Thirsty Fish during my daily commute on the metro to downtown Baltimore, where I was employed at the time. Interactions with people from all social strata made me keenly aware of how grateful I am for what I have as others are not as fortunate. I wrote, “It is foolish the fish in the water is thirsty. It is what we do not see is most abundant inside our own house.” This is included within the scales of the fish, which are made from brass "tags" typically used in jewelry making. Each tag has been hand-stamped with either a design or letter and individually sewn to the hand-made felt background. Machine embroidery and hand-stitched beads complete the composition.

Everything I know, I Learned From the Tree

I was inspired to create this handmade felt artwork when my father passed away. He was the "mighty oak" of our family and taught me many, many valuable life lessons. He was loving, nurturing, and had high expectations for all of his children, who are depicted with machine embroidery as trees in the background, with me centered at the bottom of the oak leaf.