Show Time

Gem Fest in Canandaigua

Show time has arrived.  Happy to showcase my skill and teach class at the Wayne County Gem Fest this weekend.   Class is 12:30 each day.  If needed a second class in the afternoon will be announced at the event. 

We will be exhibiting the beautiful Geodes, thundereggs, and slabs we have with the public at the event.  As a lapidary, I seems to have acquired a ton of rocks, literally.  There will be a few cabochons for those who do not like stone cutting, also. 

As a wire artist, how could I exclude my creations?  There will be some of my small wearable works of art available. 

Black Lives Matter

Free the People ROC is the group in Rochester, NY.  

 Free the People ROC

 

We need to support our brothers and sisters.

#blm

#bekind
#blacklivesmatter
#lovewins

#ally

Buy Local from the Maker

Why shop small?  For every $100 you spend at a local business,  $68 stay in the community

My Shop:  My Shop

Facebook:  PandaWire Facebook
Twitter:  Panda Wear Gems  
Instagram: Instagram 

Spring Garden Joy in May

What brings you joy in the spring time? I enjoy seeing so many gardens come to life after a long winter.  my joy comes from the success of the plants I have growing. In the veggie garden right now are my cooking greens & lettuces.  I feel lucky to be in Rochester, NY and have the Fredrick Law Olmsted designed gardens to walk through here.  As the calendar says mid spring, the lilacs in Highland Park are bursting with their fabulous scent.   

This is some of the late fall 2022 Collard I planted last year.  It was not big enough to harvest last fall and it has overwintered here.  We had an odd winter and it was not cold long enough to kill this off. 

Why I love gardening. My paternal Grandma had an amazing green thumb. Growing up, I helped her in her gardens.  I have fond memories of her yard in the spring bursting with colors. Some of the flowers and plants in her gardens: roses, zinnias, geraniums, peonies, sweet potato vine,  pansies, petunias, snapdragons, raspberries, blackberries, violets and many others.   

This is perennial sage in my backyard garden.  I have many fond memories every spring when the snapdragon bloom.  it still is my favorite flower and she always put them into water whenever I harvested the wild snaps near her summer cottage.  As I grow older, I am grateful for all I have learned from her about gardening and food storage.  She is the reason I started canning tomatoes.  Now in the winter, I can enjoy the fresh tomato flavor forth summer garden.  Thank you Grandma.  

Black Lives Matter

Free the People ROC is the group in Rochester, NY.  As an ally, I want to support and stand up. 

 Free the People ROC

 

We need to support our brothers and sisters.

#bekind
#blacklivesmatter 
#blm 
#standup
#listen
#lovewins

Buy Local from the Maker

Why shop Small?  For every $100 you spend at a local business,  

$68 stay in the community

My Shop:  My Shop

Facebook:  PandaWire Facebook
Twitter:  Panda Wear Gems  
Instagram: Instagram 

 

This stunning statement necklace is made with a OOAK Dichroic Glass focal.  Always happy create custom pieces for your special person.  

 picture by Pixel Wave

April Showers Bring Spring Flowers

Welcome Spring plants

Certainly have had rain this spring.  Rochester is 1.5 inches above normal for rain since March 1st.  For my backyard garden, that means standing water or mud everywhere & no planting until it dries out. Wet in spring is an annual thing but have not had to wait 3 weeks to plant my peas in quite a few years. 

Hello bicolor crocus in my front yard bed from 2 weeks ago.  Happy to see you as we enter and exit our property.  beauty to greet the dogs as they walk by in the morning and their owners with them.  It is fantastic to have my garden to talk to my neighbors about thought the year.  they stop me and ask questions.

Hello to my tatsoi mustard thriving in my garden. always one of the first seeds I plant outside.  will be thinning and enjoying them in breakfast next week.  Homegrown is best.  Love my backyard garden.   patiently waiting  for the snow peas to pop out of the ground, ( well actually to sprout). 

The other greens in the dirt are mesclun and black Simpson lettuce.  We will be transplanting the kale and collard in a few weeks.  I started the seed later this year.  It was so wet, afraid to not be able to plant them when they were ready.

Nothing make it fell like spring arrives until I can dig in the dirt in my garden.  Happy gardener here and happy plants.  

Earth day today and glad to have edibles in my yard to enjoy for the growing season.

Black Lives Matter

Free the People ROC is the group in Rochester, NY.  FB page  Free the People ROC

I invite everyone to stand up, listen to others, be kind and support our sisters and brothers.  

 

#bekind

#blacklivesmatter 

#standup

#listen

#lovewins

Buy Local from the Maker

Why shop small?  For every $100 you spend at a local business,  

$68 stay in the community

#shoplocal

#buylocal

#artist

Endometriosis Awareness Month

Local Event & Endometriosis Awareness month

 

As March is endometriosis awareness month, I am donation 25% of my sales this month to the World Endometriosis Research Foundation.  It is a cause near to my heart that is not taken seriously by many people.  I am an ally and want to use my creative ability to help.  

There was a great pop up shop yesterday. It was in a small woman owned business in my city, Rochester.  I announced my intent to donate to this research foundation there.  If you missed the event, here is a great pic the venue took of me yesterday.  I always support small business in my city.   

This graphic here illustrates several facts. 

The artist is Sophie Kathleen.  

If you would like to give 100% directly to WERF the link is below.

World Endometriosis Research Foundation 

Give Here

Share the information and help to educate people about Endometriosis.  

Shop Small

These beauties are from my Copper Geometry line.  Please support local business in your community.

My shop:  Panda Wear Website
Facebook:  PandaWire Facebook
Twitter:  Panda Wear Gems  
Instagram: Instagram

 

Why shop small?  For every $100 you spend at a local business,  $68 stay in the community.

Celebrate Womens History Month

 How are you celebrating the beginning Womens' History Month?  

Pink Boots Society

So inspirational to hear the founder of this organization, Teri Fahrendorf,  at the Pink Boots Collaboration BrewDay At Prison City Brewery. this is an annual event in Auburn NY and the entire weekend is a celebration. you can step up and support them on their site below.  They allow donations and sell merchandise.  

Pink Boots

 

Looking for other inspirational events which give back to the community for the month.  Feel free to send any events you were inspired by to me.  

These boots make me want to dig in the dirt.

Black Lives Matter

Free the People ROC is the group in Rochester, NY.  

 Free the People ROC

We need to support our brothers and sisters

#bekind

#blacklivesmatter
#blm 
#standup
#listen

#nojusticenopeace

Buy Local from the Maker 

 

photographer: Tim Fusse

 My Store:  My Shop

Facebook:  PandaWire Facebook
Twitter:  Panda Wear Gems  
Instagram: Instagram

Why shop small?  For every $100 you spend at a local business,  $68 stay in the community

Vegetable Garden for 2023

What is my favorite day of the gardening season?  My favorite day is the 1st day digging into the garden for the the initial seeds of the season. It is about four weeks away. As we prepare for the 2023 Veggie garden, I was working on the design a few weeks ago.  As we stared some seeds, our excitement builds.  

The most important element to keeping our garden happy is the homemade compost we add to the soil every year.  happy to have soaker hoses in the gardens so the water goes only where we need it.  

Shown are a few of the early sprouts of our vegetables and Morrisonite in gold statement pendant.

Black Lives Matter

Free the People ROC is the group in Rochester, NY.  

 Free the People ROC

 

We need to support our brothers and sisters.

#bekind
#blacklivesmatter 
#blm 
#standup
#listen
#lovewins

Buy Local from the Maker 

 

 My Store:  My Shop

Facebook:  PandaWire Facebook
Twitter:  Panda Wear Gems  
Instagram: Instagram

Why shop small?  For every $100 you spend at a local business,  $68 stay in the community

Hello 2023

 Hello 2023 and goodbye 2022.  Welcome to February 2023. Hello 2023, so Happy to be here. 

A few things to ponder: 

 

 

How as Americans can we do better than last year? 

How do you change last years routine to make this year different?

Do you set goals for the year or the month?

 

Family

As I start this second month, I fondly remember my family.  My father and his mother have birthdays in February.  Dad's birthday is today and his mom's is next Saturday.  I had the tremendous pleasure of extended time with family this fall.  It was priceless and memorable.  

This cutie is me held by my father with his father on the left of the picture.  Obviously,  is an older photograph printed on paper and aged naturally.  Sadly, we lost my father to cancer when I was a teenager.  Cancer Sucks. 

The pic was taken in my grandparents living room.  I do not remember this day.  oh the memories in that room...... Inside the doorway behind them is where the books to read were kept.  

BLACK LIVES MATTER

Free the People ROC is the group in Rochester, NY.  

Link is their Facebook page.

I believe in supporting my local community. As an ally I know we need to listen and show up to support local groups. Stand up and join local events, organizations and / or protests and learn about what is going on in your city. 

 My heart feels broken with the senseless racism and bigotry I have seen so far this year.  We  must do better as Americans.  

Shop Small Business, Support Artists

Why shop small?  For every $100 you spend at a local business,  $68 stay in the community

 My Store:  My Shop

Facebook:  PandaWire Facebook
Instagram: Instagram

Pride earrings will support The Mochas Center all year. shown here.  

   Pride Earrings

Family Traditions with Love

Family 

• What family traditions do you practice especially in Fall & Winter?  
• Have you started new ones as you have grown your family?
• What new ways are you sharing quality time with family this year?   

We started what became a tradition about 20 years ago.  Valentines Day dinner was planned ahead. We made a turkey from scratch with all the trimmings.  The dinner provided easy meals later and one in the summer on the deck with leftover turkey and stuffing with a glass of wine.  We did not know how much we would like to do this until we tried it.  no long wait and restaurant for not great food anymore for us.  

BLACK LIVES MATTER

 Free the People ROC is the group in Rochester, NY.  

 Free the People ROC

 

I believe in supporting my local community. As an ally I know we need to listen and show up to support local groups. Stand up and join local events, organizations and / or protests and learn about wheat is going on in your city. 

Buy Local & Shop Small

Why shop small?  For every $100 you spend at a local business,  $68 stay in the community

My Shop:  My Shop

Facebook:  PandaWire Facebook
Twitter:  Panda Wear Gems  
Instagram: Instagram 

 

This stunning statement necklace is made with a fund shell from North Carolina.  Always happy to work with found objects.

 picture by PIxel Wave

 

 

October Beauty

 

Final harvest from the two large pots on my deck from this summer.  could not go completely without tomatoes.  These will ripen over the next two weeks and be amazing in salads.  

Currently enjoying the mustard & kale from the fall plantings in the vegetable garden.  We love fall veggies as much as spring veggies.  

I will be trying to make fresh pumpkin for pie this year from our compost pile volunteer.  Happy to share pics of this project next week.  Fingers crossed it works well.

VOTE

It is that time of year.  Verify you are registered to vote and bring a friend.  Make plans and be sure to know where your candidates stand on the issues you care about.  Mean things I look for: BLM, ERA, Reproductive rights, abortion rights, women rights.

Use this League of Women voters sight to look up your ballot and where your candidates stand.  

VOTE411

Black Lives Matter

 

We need to change the way we treat others in this country  I invite everyone to be kind and support our sisters and brothers.   We need to teach history accurately all year.  

Free the People ROC is the group in Rochester, NY.  

 Free the People ROC

 

Buy Local and Shop Small

My Shop:  My Shop

Facebook:  PandaWire Facebook
Twitter:  Panda Wear Gems  
Instagram: Instagram

Buy Earrings 

 

 

Why shop small?  For every $100 you spend at a local business,  $68 stay in the community

October and Fall is here

 Hello Fall. What has kept me occupied recently?

• Closed the pool
• Made Sauce from scratch twice, canned once
• Fall yard clean up
• Travel to see family
• baking 
• Looking at events for rest 2022
• Volunteer work. NOW local board member

As you know, Huge Apple in fall person here. 
The volunteers from the compost pile.  For a number of years we had told our neighbors we take old pumpkins.  Annually we add 6-8 neighbor pumpkins to our compost pile.  This years they germinated into a vine.  

Black Lives Matter

 

 

Free the People ROC is the group in Rochester, NY.  
  

 

Free the People ROC

 

We need to support our brothers and sisters.   

 #BLM #blacklivesmattter 

Shop Small

My Shop:  My Shop

Facebook:  PandaWire Facebook
Twitter:  Panda Wear Gems  
Instagram: Instagram 

This stunning piece is beach glass from ROC combined with sterling silver to create this necklace.  Have a vacation find you want to wear?  Happy to help you create the wearable art.

Support Local Business

How many friends do you know with a small business or a side gig? How do you help them grow? Do you want them to succeed? 

• Stand up & recommend them
• share their social media posts 
• write a recommendation

 

We all remember 2020.  We were reminded frequently to shop small & buy local. Small business need your support always.  In New York state we lost 25% of our small business during the pandemic.  That is 1 out of every 4 business closed their doors forever. 

 

Buy Local & Shop Small

My Shop:  My Shop

Facebook:  PandaWire Facebook
Twitter:  Panda Wear Gems  
Instagram: Instagram 

 

This stunning sterling silver piece is shown with a gemstone I personally cut.  

 

 

Why shop small?  For every $100 you spend at a local business,  $68 stay in the community

  

 

BLACK LIVES MATTER

 Free the People ROC is the group in Rochester, NY. 

 Free the People ROC

 

I believe in supporting my local community. As an ally I know we need to listen and show up to support local groups. Stand up and join local events or protests and learn about wheat is going on in your city.

 

 

Artists Feature

Monthly, I will feature a small women owned business.  I have been selling my work online and have a great TEAM of people whom I consider my second family. Here you will learn about the business and the creator of the idea.  This will focus on female members of my art family. 

 

Success and Celebration

 Happy to have rain for my vegetables this past week.  The yellow beans are doing great as this shows. The snow peas are about finished  & there is a succession plans for them as well as other parts of the garden.  Lettuce and greens takes over when this spring crop finishes.  

It felt time to show off my mascot again.  He is a rock hound and model for my small work.  he travels to shows and enjoys his time outside.  His name is Paddy.  

this is one success for the season, happy beans because of meticulous water management.  We use soaker hoses for our gardens. 

Black Lives Matter

We need to change the way we treat others in this country  I invite everyone to be kind and support our sisters and brothers.   We need to teach history accurately all year. #blm #loveislove #pride

Free the People ROC is the group in Rochester, NY. 

 Free the People ROC

One of my copper creations to support Black Lives Matter. 

 

 
Buy Local & Shop Small

My Shop:  My Shop

Facebook:  PandaWire Facebook
Twitter:  Panda Wear Gems  
Instagram: Instagram

 

Need this necklace?  buy here

 

 

Why shop small?  For every $100 you spend at a local business,  $68 stay in the community