If you know me well, you know that I am a Jill of All Trades.
Metalsmith, woodworker, nanny, house-sitter, pet-sitter, studio manager.
It all started when I returned to the U.S. from Australia and came back to school. I started nannying, thinking it would be a temporary gig (9 years later....), and slowly families started asking me to watch their pets and homes.

Staying in someone else's home is always a bit funny. There are quirks in each one. Kitchens without salt. Freezers without ice. Fridges without hot sauce (?!). Finding dishes, pots and pans, and cooking utensils can be an adventure. And there are plenty of weird noises at night.

This week I am staying with two adorable, fluffy black and white cats named Fig and Quince. They are lovely boys. The house is quiet and comfortable, with a HUGE back yard and lots of light. As much as I miss my husband and kitties, I love these weeks. I need these times to just be. Here, I cook for myself. I clean up after only myself. I boil eggs, make too many cups of tea, randomly bake things like rhubarb peach cobbler. I catch up on emails, phone calls, and books.

I sit in quiet.
I read.
I don't speak a word.

All I can hear is the kitten boys snoring and the whirring of the central air system.

Right now, this is bliss.

Inspiration comes to me from many corners of my life. I was recently tagged in a 'blog tour' by Amy Tavern, a friend and fellow metalsmith. I have admired Amy's work for many years--not only the end products themselves, but the process that she works through to get there. In more recent years, Amy has branched out in her use of materials and media, bringing her work and concepts to new levels. She recently completed a journey to northern Europe and residency in Iceland.

You can find her blog here and her blog tour post here.


Now, onto a few more blogs that I turn to for inspiration. As I said, inspiration comes to me from many corners. The blogs I read generally have little to do with my own artistic practice--I read them because they bring me joy or beg me to be more introspective with myself. I learn from them. I find comfort in them.



Jillian Lukiwski is a fellow metalsmith (The Noisy Plume) and friend who I have been in touch with for a few years now. Not only do I love Jillian's use of materials and imagery in her metalwork, but in her photography as well. I find so much vibrancy in her words and images--I often save time just to sit and soak it in. If we could all live life the way this firecracker does, the world would be a very different place.

You can find her blog here.




Brittany Chavez is a friend from Oregon College of Art and Craft that I met a few years ago. One thing I love about Brittany is her openness. She is a photographer and writer and has this spectacular talent of being able to make the mundane beautiful. Her writing is honest and vulnerable, often exposing things that people won't normally talk openly about. It is like a breath of fresh air.

You can find her blog here.


Sonya Scott is an incredible metalsmith and designer from Australia. In 2010, she curated a show called Reality Vs. Illusion for which I made three lockets. Sonya has an incredible design sense, and her work is subtle and effective. Her most recent exhibition work, Dripstone, tackled personal subjects beautifully and I cannot wait to see what she creates next.

You can find her blog here.

Thank you for reading!