FanningSparks – Page 54 – A DIY and lifestyle blog authored by Peg Frizzell.

Nature Plants

Watching Cotton Grow

One of the many things I love about the Lake Oconee area of Georgia USA where we now live is the rural countryside. There are farms and ranches, fields and crops, animals and livestock. We hear a rooster crowing every morning. Back in June when we moved here (see A Before Tour of our new Casual Lake House), I noticed several fields had recently been seeded. Young green plants were starting to surface in neatly planted rows. It was a picturesque rural sight. But I did not recognize this crop. What was it?

I watched with interest as the plants grew. At some point, the buds started to form, flowers started to bloom and the mystery was solved. It was cotton! When I went for a closer look, the flowers reminded me of the Rose of Sharon flowers I’ve grown in my own flower gardens. Sure enough, it turns out cotton is in the mallow (Malvaceae) family along with other well-known plants like hibiscus, hollyhock and okra. I’ve learned it takes about 3 months for the flower buds to form and the blossoms to open. The petals change colors from creamy white to yellow to pink to red.

The flower petals wither and fall, after about 3 days, revealing greed pods called “cotton bolls”.

Moist fibers grow inside the boll which ripens and turns brown.

The heat of the sun causes the fibers to expand and the bolls open to reveal the cotton.

The bolls burst wide open as the fibers continue to expand.

The foliage turns brown and the cotton bolls become more prominent. The scene changes to a field of white.

Just recently, the cotton I’ve been observing was harvested and packed into huge bales or “modules” as they’re called. Large specialized equipment, including a cotton stripping harvester which looks a grain combine, was used.

A little online research shows that the next step is for the modules to be transported to a gin. The cotton gin will produce ginned fiber, called “lint”, into 500-lb bales. These bales will be sold and shipped to spinning and textile mills where the lint is cleaned, carded and spun. Depending on the final use, it may be woven or knit into fabric. At this stage, the fabric is unfinished and called “gray goods”. It is sent to a dyeing/finishing plant to be bleached, pre-shrunk, dyed and printed. Then it’s sent to the manufacturer to produce the final consumer goods.

Back in the spring when I visited Alabama Chanin (see A School for Makers), I learned about Natalie Chanin’s endeavors to grow organic cotton locally (see More Info below). Alabama Chanin is located in Florence Alabama, an area that has a long history of producing cotton. In keeping with her focus on natural fabrics, Natalie’s objective was to grow cotton organically without all the chemicals that are typically used in commercial cotton growing. How intriguing!

It’s not clear to me how the experiment to grow organic cotton locally turned out in the long run but earlier this year Alabama Chanin’s website reported that all their medium-weight organic cotton jersey comes from cotton grown in Lubbock, Texas, USA and all their lightweight organic cotton jersey or rib-knit is organically grown and spun overseas. Here’s how they put it in a February 13, 2018 Journal blog post “Organic cotton is the foundation of our business. We carefully choose our materials and look for the highest quality. It’s not the easiest, fastest, or cheapest way—but it’s the right way. We have a commitment to quality and a commitment to organic to enrich others’ lives and leave this planet better than before us.” Hats off to Natalie Chanin and her team for their remarkable commitment!

The below basket of cotton bolls, which was prominently displayed at the School of Making, is an effective reminder of the important role cotton plays in Alabama Chanin’s products.

I’ve noticed several examples of cotton bolls incorporated into home decor locally. Wreaths and floral arrangements are a popular application. I love the texture, form and interest that natural elements can bring into my home and surroundings. Cotton fields, plants and bolls are also popular subjects for paintings and photos.

More Info

The National Cotton Council of America has some great reference material available here.

You can learn more about Alabama Chanin on their website. Here is the February 2018 Journal post with the 2018 Organic Cotton Supply Chain Update. Here is a link to the 2016 Selvedge Article titled “Cotton On”.

Today’s Takeaways

1. Consider planting something from seed. Watching the full natural growth cycle can be very gratifying.
2. Explore opportunities to support more natural, sustainable sources for the finished products you purchase.
3. Consider incorporating natural elements into your home and surroundings.

Europe Nature Plants Travel

The Allure of the Waterlily

I’ve had the incredible good fortune to have visited some of the world’s most beautiful gardens in my travels. I’ve marveled at the iconic English gardens at Sissinghurst, Hidcote and Kew in Great Britain, the springtime glory of the Keukenhof in The Netherlands; the serenity of traditional Japanese gardens in Kyoto and Tokyo, Japan; the richness of tropical wonderlands in Singapore, Thailand and the Canary Islands, and the beauty of many more botanical and display gardens across North America, Europe and Asia. The style and size of the gardens has varied from grandiose and painstakingly formal like the Gardens of Versailles to casual, abundant and intimate like Monet’s Garden.

Claude Monet’s Garden, located in the quaint village of Giverny, France, is about 70 kilometers west of Paris. These photos were taken on a long weekend trip to Giverny, back in 2010, when we lived and worked in Germany.

Monet’s garden is famous, of course, for having inspired some of his greatest masterpieces like this one called “Nympheas”. The theme of water and gardens feature heavily in his works for 40 years.

Nympheas by Claude Monet, France, circa 1897-1898. @FanningSparks — Nympheas by Claude Monet, France, circa 1897-1898 Photo via www.LACMA.org

Here are a few photos from Monet’s famous house and gardens in Giverny.

I was reminded of the extraordinary experience of visiting Monet’s Garden when I recently visited Gibbs Gardens for the annual Waterlily Festival. Gibbs Gardens, located in Ballground, Georgia, USA, and Monet’s Garden in Giverny, France are worlds apart but the waterlily ponds at Gibbs Gardens were inspired by and pay homage to Monet’s gardens.

I arrived at Gibbs Gardens early to catch the morning light and to avoid the crowds. Ironically, the waterlily ponds were already surrounded by a dozen or so people… all with cameras mounted on tripods! Obviously I’m not the only person who likes to take photos early in the day. Here are a few of my favorite shots.

It’s little wonder waterlilies have such an allure. The blooms are lovely and provide an unexpected shot of color. But it’s the interplay of light and water that creates the magic. This is, of course, something Monet discovered over 100 years ago when he devoted the last 25 years of his life to a series of tranquil and contemplative waterscapes. He’s said to have attempted to capture every observation, impression, and reflection of the flowers and water.

More Info

Check out this Giverny website to learn more about visiting the French village and Claude Monet’s house and gardens.

You can learn more about Gibbs Gardens, which are located in Ballground Georgia USA, on their beautiful website.

To find gardens to visit anywhere in the world, check out the Garden Finder feature on www.gardenvisit.com. It’s a great resource. I especially like how the Garden Finder helps you find additional gardens nearby the one you’ve selected.

If you’re not already familiar with the Google Arts and Culture website, give yourself some time to explore it. This link will take you directly to the Claude Monet section. You can click one of his paintings and then select the little person icon to get a “streetview” (just like you do in Google Maps). Next thing you know, you’ll be walking around a world famous museum admiring Claude Monet’s masterpiece. You can view from multiple angles and zoom in or out. It really is amazing!

Today’s Takeaways

1. Consider visiting botanical and display gardens locally or when travelling away from home.
2. Consider viewing garden-inspired artwork in museums and galleries. If you can’t visit in person, try Google Arts and Culture for the next best thing.
3. Look for opportunities to capture the interplay of light and water in your photos.

Artists Events Make Travel

Peeking Behind the Studio Curtain

Is there anything more fascinating than peeking behind the curtain at the world of a talented artist? Seeing where they work. Observing their surroundings. Learning about their backgrounds and motivations. Understanding what originally sparked their interest. Getting a glimpse at what inspires them. Imagining yourself in their place creating world-class artwork… OK, maybe not that last part… that might be a little overly ambitious. If this piques your interest, you may want to join me on this Artist Studio Tour.

The Henderson County Open Studio Tour, held in North Carolina, supports and promotes local art. The tour, in its eighth year, was held on Sept 22 and 23, 2018. I counted 51 artists in 35 locations in this year’s tour guide. With that many artists I had to narrow down my destinations and plan my route carefully. Thankfully, the tour is very well organized. Artists were listed with enough information to help me choose. Art pods, or districts, grouped together artists that are located close together. Maps were well labelled. All of which helped me spend more time visiting and less time driving. Not that driving around Henderson County is a hardship! Henderson County, located in the Blue Ridge Mountains of southwestern North Carolina, is a beautiful area.

As it turns out, I had the pleasure of visiting over 15 studios over two days. I deliberately chose a mix of mediums and styles including ceramics, fiber, glass, jewelry, mixed media, painting, photography, sculpture and woodworking. Every artist was friendly and welcoming. All the artwork was thoughtful, innovative and high caliber. I wish I could share photos from every studio I visited but that would, of course, not be practical. Instead I’ve chosen to focus on 3 of the talented artists I met so you too can peek behind the studio curtain.

Walt Cottingham’s studio is tucked away in his old family home overlooking a wooded mountain side in Zirconia, NC. The studio is surrounded by nature which obviously inspires his work. He makes one-of-a-kind birdhouses from natural and reclaimed wood.

Walt originally learned to work with wood by helping his father with carpentry work around their home. He went on to learn from other craftsmen and carpenters. But he credits the groundwork laid by his father for inspiring him to build his own home. His use of natural and reclaimed materials, which is at the heart of his craft today, also played a big role in the house he built.

Walt’s birdhouses are built to the preferred size and shape of various bird species. But that’s where the predictability ends. Every birdhouse is a work of art. Walt told me the wood itself inspires the character and features of the finished piece and his goal is to reflect what he sees in the wood.

Cat Martin’s studio is newly constructed. It’s a dream studio… white and bright, big windows, flooded with natural light… the perfect place for someone who creates with glass. Cat’s studio was filled with examples of her beautiful artwork. It was a pleasure to stroll around and soak it all in.

Dec 18, 2018 Update: The below fused glass pendants and earrings inspired a new holiday version of my favorite DIY Woven Statement Necklace. Check out the post Add a Little Sparkle to see the results and learn how to make one.

Cat took the time to educate her visitors on some fused glass techniques. She thoughtfully shared some projects that were in process like this one with parallel bars.

Cat also demonstrated the making of vitrigraph which she will incorporate into her glass designs. It is made by melting scraps of glass in a terracotta plant pot. Once melted, the glass can be pulled through the drainage hole in the bottom of the pot. Cat slowly pulls the vitrigraph into interesting twists and shapes as it cools.

MaryJo Lanik’s studio, The Wool Room, is located in historic Hendersonville across the train tracks from the old Hendersonville Railroad Station.

The studio is full of personality with lots of interesting tools and supplies for spinning, weaving, needle felting, knitting and crocheting. It’s a combination of shop, studio and classroom. A couple of MaryJo’s lovely hand woven rugs are shown in the photo below.

Yarns and wool, in every color imaginable, were ready for use.

MaryJo and her husband David are charming and delightful hosts. When they learned I was originally from Nova Scotia, they shared their story of an unrealized venture that would have seen them relocating to Nova Scotia. You can read more about their story here. Another interesting fact I learned from this article, was that MaryJo was first exposed to spinning and weaving by her grandmother.

There are several looms in the studio and one was set up for visitors to try. Of course, I couldn’t resist! I didn’t create any masterpieces but I quickly learned that the rhythm of the process could become quite addictive. MaryJo was probably starting to wonder if I going to stay all day.

It’s fascinating to me that both Walt and MaryJo were inspired by family members. Walt’s father instilled the love of woodworking. MaryJo’s grandmother introduced her to spinning and weaving. I’ve already shared on my About page that I credit my mother with my own love of making. I wonder how prevalent this is… how often is the love of making or the passion for a particular art/craft passed down from one generation to the next? Are we doing enough to ensure this continues to happen?

I met several wonderful artists during this tour including Chris Ray, Melinda Lawton, Jean Greeson, Suzanne Cancilla-Fox, Jo-Ann Jensen, Beverly Kies, Mary Mason, Rebekah & Rex Ellsworth, April Johnson and Jeff Miller. Special thanks to you and all the other Henderson County artists for generously opening your studios and sharing your stories.

More Info

You can learn more about the Henderson County Open Studio Tour at www.hcost.org.

Unfortunately, I’ve never been able to find a single reference source listing artist studio tours so you may have to do a little research to find others. Try searching for “open studio tour” in your area. If you do happen to know of any comprehensive online resources, I’d love to hear about it. Please share in the comments section.

Here is contact information for the artists highlighted in this post. If anyone has additions or changes, please feel free to share via comments.
Walt Cottingham; Zirconia, NC; wcottjr@yahoo.com; mentioned here
Cat Martin; Horse Shoe, NC; CatMartinGlassArt@hotmail.com
MaryJo Lanik; Hendersonville, NC; The Wool Room website; mentioned: here

Dec 18 2018 Update: See the post, Add a Little Sparkle, for more of Cat Martin’s beautiful glass work.

Today’s Takeaways

Take part in an artist studio tour to peek behind the curtain at the world of a talented artist.
Consider supporting local artists and craftspeople through participation in their events and purchase of their products.
Consider if there is knowledge of an art or craft you could learn from and/or hand down to members of your family.

Artists Clay Events Make Travel

Event Expands Pottery Proficiency

50 of Georgia’s finest potters were featured in the Perspectives Georgia Pottery Invitational held recently in Watkinsville, Georgia, USA. The event featured 3 exhibitions including the main exhibit “Participating Potters: 2018”. Each artist contributed 2 of their own best pieces along with a favorite piece from another artist. Thus, visitors had the pleasure of viewing the work of about 100 different potters offering a wide range of styles, forms and colors. As if that wasn’t enough, there was also a gigantic pottery sale with more than 6000 pieces of contemporary functional and decorative handmade pottery.

The show and sale, hosted by the Oconee Cultural Arts Foundation (OCAF), wrapped up on Sept 16 2018. Don’t worry if you missed it, though, because I have lots of info and photos to share on the blog today. You may also want to make plans to attend the OCAF Holiday Market, scheduled for Nov 30 to Dec 2 2018 in Watkinsville GA USA, which will include pottery and many other art and crafts objects. See More Info below.

I spent several hours observing, absorbing and learning about pottery. But the highlight of my day was a gallery talk designed to “expand your pottery proficiency”. It was led by Michael Pitts who is a well-known Georgia potter. To be honest, increasing my pottery proficiency was easy since I was starting at zero. Michael led our small group around the gallery exhibit and pointed out varies aspects of the work on display. It was fascinating to examine a piece and learn about the materials and techniques used to create it. We learned about types of clay and raw materials. We heard about thrown vs slab construction. We learned about glazing and its many variations in materials and technique. We heard about kilns and various firing techniques. I even learned about cones and what it means when a piece is “Cone 10” or “Cone 6”. Cones, as Michael explained, are pyramid-shaped pyrometric devices used by potters to gauge a temperature equivalent during firing. Google “pyrometric cone” to delve deeper.

My pottery proficiency definitely improved but I have a long way to go. There is much more to making pottery than I ever imagined. The biggest surprise for me was that some techniques seem so unpredictable; I got the impression there’s a lot of trial and error involved. For instance, I imagine a salt glaze finish, which is created by throwing salt into the kiln during the firing, must be incredibly difficult to control. The potter can’t simply place the desired colors and textures on the pottery piece at least not with the precision one can achieve with a brush and paints. What an unpredictable challenge! Is it any wonder potters love their craft?

With all this in mind, I have a deeper appreciation for the beauty of this work. Here are some of my favorites from the exhibit. See the More Info section at the bottom of this post for the artists’ contact information.

This beautiful piece, by Kathy King, is titled “Sawyer’s Gift. The gallery card notes “B-mix clay, long red glaze, soda fired (cone 10)”.

I love the lines of this handle from the “Armenian Basket” by Adrina Richard. The gallery card notes “Little loafers highwater clay, glaze inside (cone 6)”.

Here’s another piece with gorgeous flowing lines. This “Cruet” is by Tripti Yoganathan. The gallery card notes “Porcelain, water blue glaze, soda fired (cone 7)”.

This charming teapot set is by artist Vernon Smith. While the colors are soft and calm, the pattern and texture give it lots of personality. We learned this unique treatment was likely accomplished with wax resist. The gallery card notes “Porcelain, white glaze”.

The hall gallery displayed a special exhibit called “Yes, it is clay” by Keok Lim. Keok was born in Singapore where she worked as a dentist before moving to Atlanta in 2001 with her family. I have a special place in my heart for Singapore having lived and worked there some time ago. But I would have loved Keok’s work regardless of where she’s from. It’s her first big show but I can’t imagine it will be her last. Her work is so amazing it warrants its own post but here are a couple of pieces to give you an idea. The first piece is called “Backpack Story” and second one was labeled “Happiness Platter”.

There were also a number of lovely pieces that caught my eye at the Pottery Sale. I couldn’t resist imagining these pieces in my own home and life.

This beautiful scraffito vase is the work of Deborah Woodward Adornato. She thoughtfully posted an explanation of this technique. The artist builds the pots on a potter’s wheel and allows them to dry to leather hard stage. A coating of liquid clay is applied and allowed to harden. Small wooden and metal tools are used to draw the designs by “scratching through” to the dark clay underneath. Picture this vase in a starring role on a set of beautifully styled shelves.

Barry Gregg’s work was a crowd favorite. I heard one visitor say she came to the show specifically to see his work. It’s easy to understand why; his pieces are whimsical and fun. How could a dog lover resist these pieces?

I admired the work of potter Minsoo Yuh for its delicate designs and Asian flair. This mug would be perfect for that morning cup of coffee. Minsoo Yuh’s bowls and plates were also outstanding.

I’ll wrap up with the work of Michael Klapthor which, if I were forced to choose only one, would be my favorite potter at the show. Here’s his amazing piece, titled “Heavy Escort”, from the exhibition. I love the old-timey feel of these robots.

Aren’t these plant pots amazing? They’re perfectly on trend since succulents and house plants are all the rage right now.

More Info

You can learn more about the Oconee Cultural Arts Foundation (OCAF) on their website. Here’s the link for info about the upcoming 2018 Holiday Market.

I’ve listed contact information for each of the artists mentioned in this post. I wasn’t able to find complete information for everyone so if you have additions or corrections, please share in the comments.

Kathy R. King; Roswell GA; email kking111@bellsouth.net
Adrina Richard Earthworks; Atlanta GA; website
Tripti Yoganathan; Tucker GA; website; Instagram
Vernon Smith; Atlanta GA; website; Instagram
Keok Lim; Atlanta GA; website ; Instagram
Deborah Woodward Adornato; Alpharetta GA;
Barry Gregg Clayworks; Decatur GA; website ; Instagram
Minsoo Yuh; Athens GA; Instagram
Michael Klapthor; Scottdale GA; website; Instagram

Today’s Takeaways

1. Consider purchasing a unique handmade item instead of one that is mass produced.
2. Consider supporting local artisans and craftspeople through the purchase of their products.
3. Seek out opportunities to learn about artisans and craftspeople either in your own community or when travelling away from home.

About General

FanningSparks Turns 1/2 Year

FanningSparks reached a special milestone this week. The blog turned 1/2 year old.

It’s been 9 months since I retired from my IT career and decided to launch a DIY/lifestyle blog. Www.FanningSparks.com was launched on March 20, 2018. Many of you, my family, friends and former colleagues, have taken the time to visit the blog and engage through comments, likes, or subscriptions. Thank you SO MUCH for your support! It’s still early days in blogosphere terms and FanningSparks is slowly, but surely, building a following. I’m often asked how the blog is progressing so I decided to celebrate this milestone by sharing a few behind-the-scenes highlights with you.

FanningSparks Blog Content Categories

The FanningSparks social presence is primarily a website blog with multiple supporting channels. I publish a new post, with original story and photos, every Tuesday here at www.FanningSparks.com. FanningSparks is about making and decorating from inspiration to creation to sharing. Inspiration comes from everywhere but I have settled into 3 primary sources: Traditional arts and crafts (aka Making by Others), Nature and Travel. Here’s the lay of the land: 4 content categories including Travel, Decorate, Nature and Make.

I’ve published 30 posts with original stories and photos. Photography is a big part of FanningSparks and nearly all the photos I share are my own work. I’ve loved photography since I was a teenager and I’ve amassed a sizable inventory of photos over the years. The blog gives me a reason to get creative with my camera and it provides a venue to share my best work. The blog has served up approximately 3,100 unique page views since launch with approximately 250 unique readers visiting every month.

Let’s look at some example posts to give you a taste of what you can expect to find on the blog.

Nature Two of my favorite posts about Nature are:
Color Palette by Mother Nature

Patterns by Mother Nature

Travel Two posts about travel include:
Majestic Lovable Elephants

First Light at Peggy’s Cove

Make The majority of my posts fall into the Make category. The subject could be arts and crafts made by others, such as…
A School for Makers

… or it could be traditional arts and crafts that have inspired me, such as…
Re-imagining the Cross Stitch

… or it could be things I’ve made myself, such as…
DIY Woven Statement Necklace Tutorial

The Ultimate Maker’s Cabinet

DIY Pyramid Trellis Tutorial

Decorate Recent posts about home décor include:
A Before Tour of Our New Casual Lake House

Glide It On and 14 More Painting Tips

FanningSparks Social Media Channels

The FanningSparks Instagram account has proven to be a great way to announce posts and share photos with a broader audience.

Instagram has brought in the most new followers and provided some great exposure. I was thrilled when my recent post on Joy Spotting was featured in author and TED speaker Ingrid Fetell Lee’s Insta story.

Pinterest, the visual search engine beloved by the DIY community, is another critical channel. FanningSparks has 9 boards with over 650 original and curated pins. According to the mysterious Pinterest algorithms, an average of 7.5K viewers/month see FanningSparks’ pins.

The FanningSparks Facebook page has become a great way to share original content with relevant organizations, small businesses, and like-minded Facebook groups. I’ve been pleasantly surprised by the amount of activity in Facebook.

Two other channels, email notification signups via the blog and the Bloglovin’ blog reading service have small, loyal followings.

Creating and publishing FanningSparks has been a great experience. I’m learning something new every day. But the best part of all has been connecting with kindred spirits whether its meeting an artisan, a shop owner or a fellow workshop participant. Occasionally I’ll hear from a reader directly. One of my favorite reactions was this one: “You gave me an idea. I too have a cabinet I can convert. OMG I’m so excited now. Have a wonderful organized day.”.

I’ll wrap up by re-sharing my original launch invitation and inviting you to join in.

Cheers,

Artists Canada Make Travel

Artisan Transforms Quahog Shells

The small Acadian village of Cocagne is nestled along the Northumberland Strait in New Brunswick, Canada. It’s an area of natural abundance; a “land of plenty”, which is what Cocagne means in French. It’s a beautiful part of the world. Inspired by this natural beauty Marcia Poirier, the artisan behind Wildabout Wampum, creates spectacular jewelry from quahog shells. Quahogs are edible clams that live on the eastern coast of North America. Admittedly, when I think of the unremarkable clam I do not immediately think of spectacular jewelry. At least, I didn’t before learning about Wildabout Wampum.

I recently had the pleasure of visiting Marcia’s home-based studio and meeting her in person. Marcia is friendly and welcoming. She’s full of energy and passionate about her art. She personally took us on tour of her studio and boutique. I love the story of how Marcia got started making these unusual treasures. As she tells it, Marcia and a friend were walking along the beach when she spotted a quahog shell with an unusual marking. Marcia picked it up and pointed out a heart shape in the purple layers of the shell. She tossed the shell and they went on with her walk. A few days later, Marcia’s friend surprised her by giving her a carving kit along with the very same quahog shell she had tossed away. Marcia went on to carve out that heart and then wore it as a pendant.

Friends admired Marcia’s quahog heart pendant and asked her to make one for them. Marcia has been making hearts, and other beautiful jewelry, ever since. Isn’t that a great story?

Marcia eagerly shared her knowledge about quahogs explaining how the purple and white layers of the quahog shell are annual growth bands. The age of a quahog can be determined by counting the layers in the shell much like counting the rings in a tree. The vibrancy of the purple layers is affected by various environmental conditions including the level of iron found on the ocean floor. Marcia has learned which areas produce the most intensely colored quahogs and exclusively sources her shells from those locations.

After selecting and preparing a quahog shell, Marcia transfers a design onto the shell. She selects and positions the design to maximize the natural layering of the shell. The design is carefully carved by hand using tiny power tools. The piece is then sanded by hand to a smooth, shiny finish.

After watching the artisans at work in the studio a visit to the Wildabout Wampum boutique is mandatory.

The shop is well-stocked with a wide selection of pendants, earrings, bracelets and other items. This stunning whale tail pendant is a popular design.

Of course, I couldn’t leave Wildabout Wampum without selecting my very own one-of-a-kind memento. Isn’t it lovely?

Marcia’s success in turning quahog shells into beautiful jewelry is a remarkable story. But it doesn’t explain the name of her studio. Why “Wildabout Wampum”? After she started making her jewelry, Marcia learned that Native Americans, the Wampanoag Indians in the area now known as northeastern USA, carved beads from the purple sections of the quahog shell. These beads where used for trade and ceremonial purposes. The Natives used the beads as currency for trading. They also wove the beads into patterns to form “belts” for ceremonial purposes. The patterns indicated tribal history, inter-tribal treaties and even sanctified wedding vows. Today, wampum (like those shown below) still have a special significance to Native Americans.
Mystery solved! Wildabout Wampum doesn’t actually sell wampum but the name is a clear nod to this honorable heritage.

While I love wearing my Wildabout Wampum heart pendant on a chain, I couldn’t help but wonder how it would look on a woven statement necklace. I found yarn in nice complementary colors and then followed the step-by-step instructions from my post DIY Woven Statement Necklace Tutorial. I made a few refinements such as leveraging a blank metal jewelry connector for the top bar and using decorative yarn for the top row of fringe. The woven necklace provides the perfect backdrop for the gorgeous quahog shell heart. Now, I have two ways to wear my Wildabout Wampum heart.

I’m always intrigued by how traditional arts and crafts can be re-imagined in contemporary ways. I seek out examples of how materials and/or techniques have been changed to bring new life to an old practice or product. This is a perfect example. Thanks to Marcia Poirier, the original art of carving wampum has evolved into hand-crafting beautiful quahog shell jewelry.

More Info

Learn more about Wildabout Wampum on their website. Be sure to check out Marcia’s video “The Art & Design of Marcia Poirier” and the galleries of her collection.

The Tourism New Brunswick website has additional information on Cocagne, New Brunswick, Canada.

Here’s the link to my post on the DIY Woven Statement Necklace Tutorial. It really is an ideal DIY project. It’s fairly easy, it’s inexpensive, no special tools are needed, and it’s fast. But the best thing about this project is its versatility. You can change the colors, embellishment, size or design to make your own one-of-a-kind work of art!

Today’s Takeaways

Keep your eyes open for unexpected sources of inspiration.
Consider ways to transform the ordinary.
Seek out opportunities to learn about the artisans and craftspeople in your community.

Pin for Later

You may want to pin this post to your Pinterest board for later reference. Please pin this image.

Watching Cotton Grow

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Today’s Takeaways

The Allure of the Waterlily

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Today’s Takeaways

Peeking Behind the Studio Curtain

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Today’s Takeaways

Event Expands Pottery Proficiency

More Info

Today’s Takeaways

FanningSparks Turns 1/2 Year

FanningSparks Blog Content Categories

FanningSparks Social Media Channels

Artisan Transforms Quahog Shells

More Info

Today’s Takeaways

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