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What is the name of your design, and how do you pronounce it?

I have been asked this numerous times, so I have developed a little explanation. Some are very well known areas and the pronunciation is easy, however, others are not as easy. As stated in my Artist Bio, I have a travel problem. I love to wander; I love to experience new places. Usually I need a month or more for my travels to feel like a true escape, and so far I have been fortunate to have succeeded with this. Each time I go, I know it may be the last for a long time… so it is treated with the reverence it deserves!

Antigonish Earrings / Pendant (auntigunish)

This design is drawn from the bells of St. Ninian’s church in Antigonish, Nova Scotia, which I lived beside for a year while attending St. F.X University. My aunt Faustina, who lives in Antigonish, is who I think of most when I create this design.

Earrings
Two Rings of mokume with an 18 k gold ball suspended from a gold chain creates a bell-like structure with movement that draws the eye to the piece.

Single Earrings
A more open version of the Antigonish earrings, one ring of mokume with an 18 k gold ball suspended from gold chain creates the same bell-like structure.

Pendant
This is a larger version of the Antigonish earring hung from a gold chain. Although the pendant is subtle, a drop chain with an 18k yellow gold bead creates a playful and interesting line.

Cusco Earrings (kooscoe)

The square construct is reminiscent of the huge stones found within the Inca ruins and the town of Cusco in Peru. These large, squarish stones on the Inca Trail and elsewhere humbled and exhausted me during multi-day hikes. Frequent returns to the town of Cusco and a particular street lined with these same large stones, became, to me, symbols of the beauty and resilience of this gracious country.

Cali Hoops: Hoops, Mini Hoops, and Giant Hoops (kahlee)

These hoops were constructed with the memory of time spent in Cali, Columbia, where the women wore large, dramatic earrings, exuding a striking confidence in their femininity. Marching around in my hiking boots and outdoor gear made for some interesting comments from the more fashionable Columbian women. I remember thinking… if only I had a pair of those hoops, I could satisfy my tomboy side and my love for femininity simultaneously.

Jaipur Pendant / Earrings (djeye poor)

The striking architecture of The Pink City of Jaipur, India will always be in my mind when I see crescent shapes. The plethora of colour worn by the Rajasthani women, the changing hues on the pink sandstone as the day progressed and the care that people took to ensure a young woman travelling alone was safe will be the highlights of this city. The goldsmithing in this area was exquisite to my untrained eye many years ago…. I would love to return to see this craft with eyes that are a little more experienced.

Earrings
These earrings make a statement with their open construct and the movement allowed by the gold chain. The front is of slightly etched mokume while the back is of roll-printed sterling silver or 14k palladium white gold.

Pendant
A reversible pendant where the front is fabricated with etched mokume and the more subtle back is of roll-printed sterling silver. Hung from an 18k gold or sterling silver chain, the weight allows for a large clasp with 18k gold accents. << Back

Kancamagus Earrings and Necklace (kangk a mang gus)

While living in New Hampshire and Maine, this was the highway that would take me back home to visit my family back in Canada. The numerous swimming holes and streams strewn with pebbles, rocks and stones are stunning parts of this scenic highway in the White Mountains of NH. My dog would get particularly excited when our rest stop would allow her to play in the shallow waters. This design is an organic style where pebbles of all 3 mokume types vary in shape and size with each individual piece.

Luang Prabang Earrings / Pendant (loo ahng prah bong)

The spherical prayer drums of the many Buddhist temples were the inspiration for this design. Their hypnotic sound is heard throughout the town of Luang Prabang, Laos. My favourite time of day was in the evening when each temple would lure me in their direction with their drums and prayer chants, where I would take moments of time observing and listening from a distance.

Oia Earrings and Necklace (eeya)

Designed with the town of Oia, Greece in mind, the mokume pieces suspended from fine 14k white gold chain mimic the beautiful white stucco buildings juxtaposed against the blue Agean sky. Although I learned to pick olives, take a donkey to market and meander for hours without a true destination, I think my real love here was the availability of sand and sea and the connection the people I met had to this soil. Necklace offered as 2 pebble or 4 pebble design.

Rideau Ring (ree doe)

I grew up on the Rideau River in Ottawa, Canada. So much time was spent on the water, in the water or near the water, that water represents both a sense of freedom and trust. This ring is etched more deeply than my other designs. The flow of colours into one another reminds me of all the different colours reflected on the waters of the Rideau River, differing by time of day, month and season.

Shawinigan Earrings (shah win ig in)

Time with family in Shawinigan, Quebec has always been special to me. Many of the homes in this town are small, and are tended with such exquisite care that they cannot help but be noticed. Small details differentiate them from one another, and demonstrate the care and love that is typical of many French Canadian traditions.

Tahitian Pearl Earrings and Necklace (tah hee shin)

My love for Tahitian pearls came about in Australia, where arriving with a borrowed $50 meant few luxuries. On my way home from work, I would often pass by a shop with these exquisite pearls in the window. My plane ticket home allowed me to stop in Tahiti, where sea, wind, sunshine and the thought of pearls combined to create a paradise on earth. This was the set I made for my wedding a few years back.

Timbuktu Twist Earrings and Pendant (tim buck too)

While waiting for the ferry to get to Timbuktu, Mali I made use of what I had available to play with the young children... sometimes the smallest of things creates the best memories. We had such fun chasing streaming rolls of paper that had unraveled as it was thrown. The uneven edges, twists and simplicity in this design mimic the movement of this paper in the desert winds, and bring back the peals of laughter that were so contagious.

Vienna Pearl Earrings and Necklace (vee en ah)

As a backpacker in Vienna, I had the incredible fortune to be invited to the opera in Vienna. In gratefully borrowed clothing appropriate for the occasion, I couldn’t help but notice the beautiful gowns and pearls worn by the women. Vienna, to me, will always be about beauty.

Wellington Earrings

While hitchhiking through New Zealand, I came to understand why Wellington was a near universal name for rain boots. Time spent in this city exposed me to the phenomena of horizontal rain; huge rain-drops driven by high winds. My experiences in this gorgeous country created a bizarre affection for strong, windswept rainstorms. These earrings were originally created in Arctic mokume, the colours of the raindrops and clouds, framed with contrasting gold in the welcoming hues of the sun following days of rain.

Whistler Earrings (whiss ler)

The mountains of Whistler/Blackcomb in British Columbia, Canada each have their own personalities and beauty, whether it be in the winter with incredible skiing, or the summer where any kind of outdoor activity in the surrounding area is exceptional. A small, delicate, 3 dimensional design that shows 1 peak in mokume, and 1 peak in solid gold.