Ahoy Fair Winds community, customers and collectors!

This is a “for your information” post regarding any website orders. There will be a delay in processing any orders received between now and November 10,  2026.

I am currently on a boat break and let me explain, as well I can.

I realized over the last few years that boat life was calling me back in a big way and I needed some kind of self structured artist break. My new boat, Almost Free has been my home since August 19 when I pulled out of the marina on the Delaware where I’ve been a slipholder for the last seven years. I’m not doing anything particularly remarkable, or new. I’m not the first or even the thousandth woman to decide to go off, travel and spend time alone on a boat.

I’m just cruising the Chesapeake Bay until the end of the season when find a place to store the boat for the winter. After that I’ll return to Northeast Philly, the Tacony LAB, and my home studio to see what inspiration will come from this recent adventure.

Thanks to the Northeast Times and to Metro Philadelphia for their coverage of my current art exhibit, Home Waters at Glen Foerd. Check out the articles linked below!

https://northeasttimes.com/2024/07/04/new-art-exhibit-at-glen-foerd/

Glen Foerd exhibit showcases wearable sculptures by local jewelry artist

I saw a tiktok making fun of the fact that people always  say “I can’t believe it’s November…” Yes, my friends, despite arriving at a regular and predicatable intervals, November always seems to take us by surprise.

There’s no question that 2021 has been another year of not-quite-normal. But here we are..November. And the many year end holidays are here. If you have been watching the news, you may have noticed how the supply chain from Asia is having big trouble and panic is setting in about whether you’ll be able to buy what you need for holiday gifts.

The solution is right here. Buy local, buy  from small businesses and buy from independent artists.

Check out CraftBoston holiday online to see my work alongside the work of other independent artists. This online show opens Friday November 12 and runs all the way to January 30. Time enough for all of the many different winter holidays all the way into 2022.

And keep an eye on my shop as I add new and different products through out the season.

After a few major snowfalls this winter, it’s been lovely to finally welcome Spring to the Philadelphia area. With the changing of the seasons, I’m thrilled to be participating with the Society of Arts and Crafts special online show Studs + Drops! This show feature many different kind of earrings,  which are probably my favorite kind of jewelry to design. I’m excited to be showing seven of my most popular designs in this show.

Check out my work and the work of many other talented artists including Ellen Sisti and Julia Votto from Tyler School of Art MJCC.

Moments like today I feel a deep gratitude for my tools and their history.

There are times when I can’t believe I’m working at my mentor, Leonard Wilson’s jewelry bench. Using his old torch and pliers used by his hands. The holidays always bring back memories of working in his store in Bristol, having a holiday drink which usually resulted in many broken sawblades. Lesson learned, Barb doesn’t have a drink until all the sawing is done. Ah, to be in my twenties again.

While cleaning up castings this morning, I needed a rough file to start and noticed it was a Disston file. Made right in the neighborhood here at Disston Saw Works in Tacony, this was one of Jack’s dad’s or granddad’s tools. I’m grateful to be in the house Jack’s dad purchased brand new in Fall 1941. Jack wasn’t one for fine tools, he was more a duct tape and epoxy clay kind of guy, but his father and grandfather’s tools were here in the house, along with wooden home made tool boxes made in the 1930s. I hold this file in my hand and feel it’s history. It’s still a very good file.

I had a little incident casting last night. I allowed too much metal for the button and the nose of my crucible fused to the button metal. I had to break the nose off the crucible to get the flask free. Not the first time it happened and certainly not the end of the world.

I cut the castings off and in order to free the crucible nose out of the silver, I would have to break it up. I pulled out a hammer made for breaking mortar. It belonged to my grandfather who was a brick pointer. I have many childhood memories of his work, his truck with the old English lettering he did himself, helping my dad build new steps at our house in D Street. Grampop supported a family with 11 children by brick pointing. I remember especially his emphasis on keeping your tools clean and cleaning them promptly. Eventually my dad inherited those tools and he used them to point his entire house. They’ve been sitting unused in my dad’s workshop since he passed away and knowing their history, I figured I’ll take them. Some of them I can use once in a while like this morning. I may be able to purpose some others into jewelry tools.

Or maybe I’ll just learn how to point bricks.