If you grow things, has this ever happened to you?

You step into the garden with your harvest basket under arm, humming contentedly, only to discover your tomatoes are... unusually enthusiastic to see you.
Maybe this is perfectly normal in the Solanaceae family. Perhaps after weeks of careful watering, mulching, fertilizing, and whispering encouraging words, this is simply how tomatoes express affection.
Still.
It can make harvesting just a little awkward.

This year's garden has produced a surprising number of exhibitionists. Apparently my tomato patch didn't get the memo about decorum. The San Marzanos have all the swagger of an Italian movie star. The Early Girls have developed reputations. Even the cherry tomatoes seem determined to photobomb the whole affair like giggling teenagers.
As gardeners, we're taught to expect blossom-end rot, hornworms, cracked fruit, and deer  with boundary issues.
​No one prepares you for... this

It began with excellent intention. 
A pot-bound tree needed its forever home.
But this wasn't  just any tree.
​This was Mike's tree.

When Mike passed several years ago   his wife encouraged those who loved him to  find a living thing to remember him by.
​I chose a miniature Japanese maple.  
​
Mike's tree has spent the last few years in a pot, waiting for me to decide  where it/he truly belonged. 

Success! Or so I thought.
​
It took approximately one day of  water loss to discover the 10–20 mm gap in the slate behind the outflow pipe. Even though most of the water was going into the pond, a significant amount was leaking  backward into the planter bed.
Oops.
The fix involved applying waterproof sealant along the bottom edge of the perforated pipe and around the outflow area.
​Problem solved...

Gaps were filed with pea gravel and slivers of slate, ​

Why create crystal wands at all? (Well, there was that  Star Wars Loving  Light Saber Client, but I digress...) Most likely because somewhere along the way, this artist altered her factory settings from ordinary to unicorn. After that, making practical objects became considerably less appealing than crafting  what might belong in the satchel of a  sorcereress*.

Handcrafted from selenite, warm copper, and luminous freshwater pearls, these little talismans seem especially fitting as the Summer Solstice approaches. The solstice marks the longest day of the year—the moment when the sun reaches its greatest height in the sky before beginning its gradual return toward darkness. Across cultures and centuries, it has been celebrated as a time of abundance, transformation, illumination, and gratitude for the light.
​
Selenite, named for Selene, the Greek goddess of the moon, offers an interesting counterpoint to the sun-drenched energy of the solstice. Crystal enthusiasts associate it with clarity, peace, and spiritual insight—a reminder that even at the brightest moment of the year, there is wisdom to be found in stillness and reflection.

Whether displayed on a shelf, tucked into a meditation space, or simply admired for their quiet ​beauty, they offer a small reminder that a little magic still has a place in the modern world.

News Flash!

The same discerning, very particular second grader who commissioned the now-famous jellyfish piñata recently celebrated her birthday! The perfect occasion for  a Big Girl Bedroom Makeover with a Grown-Up Desk and Pink Faux Fur  Chair!  To compliment the new look , my client requested a wastebasket "with lots of bling".

The process? Layers of shimmering mesh, individually applied  faux pearls, and mirrored tiles turned an everyday receptacle into something  magical. The result? An ordinary  plastic dust bin  became  a glittering showpiece for random doodles, not quite perfect homework, and the occasional candy wrapper. 

At the risk gilding the lily-- why stop now?-- doesn't a glamorous wastebasket deserve  a matching pencil holder?

The finished  projects serve as  reminders--- that even the most practical of objects can benefit from a little imagination, a sprinkle of glitter, and a discerning client who refuses to settle for the mundane.

​Every year, something remarkable happens in Rancho Cordova. Hundreds of tiny works of art—each just 6 by 6 inches—come together to create something much larger than themselves.
The annual Micro Masterpieces fundraiser, hosted by Rancho Cordova Arts, is proof that creativity can make a real difference. Artists from across the region donate original artwork, which is then auctioned. What begins as a wall full of miniature masterpieces becomes art supplies, paintbrushes, paper, and creative opportunities for local students.
Since its beginnings in 2018, the event has grown from a modest fundraiser into a major community effort. In recent years, hundreds of donated artworks have helped raise tens of thousands of dollars for classroom art programs, benefiting thousands of students and hundreds of teachers throughout Rancho Cordova.
What makes Micro Masterpieces so special isn’t just the art—it’s the generosity behind it. Artists donate their talent. Volunteers donate their time. Community members bid on artwork knowing that every purchase helps bring creativity into local classrooms.
In a world that often measures impact by size, Micro Masterpieces offers a different lesson: sometimes the smallest things can inspire the biggest changes.

This year I was thrilled to contribute a few pieces that combine mixed media art with a bit of jewelry magic: famous quotes paired with removable , wearable art.

Mermaids have always struck me as tragic creatures.

In some tales, they  lure sailors to a watery grave, in others they mourn  for those  lost to storms.  Hans Christian Andersen's little mermaid surrendered her voice for love, discovering that devotion and sacrifice are not always rewarded. Hollywood offered a happier ending in Splash, but even there, the attraction between human and mermaid presented complications.

Perhaps mermaids weep because they live between worlds.

Or perhaps they weep because love is rarely simple. A human heart and a mermaid heart may yearn for one another, but, even under a universal all encompassing sky,  water mixed with earth has  a way of  'muddying' logistics.

Whatever the reason, I imagine mermaids' tears drifting downward through clear blue water, gathering moonlight and magic until they become pearls.
Perhaps  the jewelry equivalent of finding something extraordinary while casually beach-combing—unexpected, slightly mysterious, and impossible not to gather up.

Whether born from heartbreak, longing, or simply the absurd challenges of interspecies romance, mermaid tears remind me that connection, of any kind,  is precious..

If you  think you might fancy a mermaid's tear of your own...

Artists occasionally encounter a project that prompts the question: "What exactly happened here?"
These mushroom yard sculptures had clearly seen some things.
Years of sun, rain, wind, and general outdoor mischief had transformed them from cheerful garden ornaments into a colony of suspicious-looking fungi. Their surfaces were faded, stained, and weathered enough that nearby gnomes had filed complaints.
Most Muggles would have thanked them for their service and sent them off to the Great Compost Heap in Hogwort's Forbidden Forest. Instead, they came to my studio.

The first step was cleaning away decades of accumulated grime. Beneath the dirt, the mushrooms still had good bones—or perhaps good spores. Once scrubbed, they received a fresh coat of primer, instantly changing their appearance from "abandoned forest relic" to "promising science experiment."
Then came the fun part.

The undersides of the caps were enhanced with texture and shadow to emphasize the delicate gill structures. Layers of paint followed, bringing depth, contrast, and personality back to each piece. Gradually, the mushrooms shed their neglected appearance and began looking less like something you'd find in a post-apocalyptic land fill and more like residents of an enchanted woodland.
The final finish featured warm copper-toned caps and soft silvery stems that catch the light beautifully. They now possess the sort of confidence usually reserved for mushrooms that know they're about to be featured in a fairy tale.
What I love about refurbishing old garden art is that it combines equal parts restoration, imagination, and stubborn refusal to throw perfectly good things away. Sometimes all an object needs is a little attention, a little paint, and someone willing to believe it deserves a second act.

They're back  home now. And, it seems to me,  their Fairy Tale Cottage is smiling.