Day: October 11, 2021

Ashby’s Agates

by Mike Corbin

Ashby’s Agates
Brian & Denise Ashby
Westminster, MD
410-549-7461
https://www.Facebook/AshbysAgates
ashbys.agates@comcast.net

Preserving an Ashby tradition of three generations, we are rockhounds. We maintain a lapidary and design shop where we transform precious stones and minerals into jewelry. Many of the stones we like to work with are found in our annual travels to well documented collecting areas through the western US. Because camping in the desert is as much a part of the process as is running a rock saw or playing with wire, we have built a collection of material primarily based on where we like to go, so you’ll see a lot of things from Arizona, New Mexico, Oregon and Idaho. At our house, every rock has a story.

Rockcrest Glass Studio

by Mike Corbin

Rockcrest Glass Studio
Susan Humphrey
Pikesville, MD
503-473-4460
rockcrestglass.com
susan.a.humphrey@gmail.com

Born and raised in Newark Delaware, but lucky to have had ready access to the Upstate Pennsylvania and Adirondack Mountains, I have always been inspired by the beautiful structures and details found in nature. I took my first stained glass class in 2011, and I have been combining a fascination with the texture of glass and the artwork of nature ever since.

I draw upon an education in Industrial Design (a BFA, from Rochester Institute of Technology, in 2002) to work with both form and composition, and years spent as a metal smith and jewelry designer inspire the introduction of hand worked metal elements into many of my pieces.

My subject matter is illustrated in glass, copper and solder. I place focus on the purity and spirit of each subject by employing simple lines while staying true to life in detail and form.

When I’m not in my basement studio creating, I spend time learning new handcraft skills, knitting, reading, and finding inspiration in my own wooded backyard.

Carolyn K Designs

by Mike Corbin

Carolyn K Designs
Carolyn Korman
Bethesda, MD
301-493-5522
carolynkdesigns.com
carolyn@carolynkdesigns.com

From the moment I touched glass to make my first piece of fused glass art, I knew I had found a medium that truly spoke to me. The controlled process of constructing a piece combined with the surprising effect that the firing produced just felt right to me. Glass is like a child…at times unpredictable, but always delightful. Because of the way that glass heats, expands, and melts, each firing can produce unique and unexpected results.

I also love the variety of colors in the glass. I see the joy that people feel when they see the array of colors in front of them.

That love of color then drove me to create chainmail jewelry that could coordinate with my fused glass jewelry. I enjoy seeing how the different colors work together in those pieces.

I feel very lucky to have found an artistic outlet that gives me such pleasure. I hope that you will share that pleasure each time you wear or use one of my creations.

Art by Bruce

by Mike Corbin

Art by Bruce
Bruce Garrabrandt
Terre-Hill, PA
717-723-5059
https://www.artbybruce.com
brucegarrabrandt@gmail.com

When asked for my “mission statement” as an artist, I am always quick to respond: “I have none.” To
those who don’t know me well I may seem like a shallow-thinking person. But my friends will tell you I
seldom think at all.

I’m a self-taught artist who began with no talent for drawing. A passionate desire to learn the skills, and
the willingness to work through frustrations and setbacks, eventually enabled me to become a
professional artist. I am not boasting. I’m a man of average intelligence. (My friends will argue I’m
boasting when I say that.)

I’ve learned that talent is not a prerequisite for success in any endeavor. Each of us is born with unique
desires, interests, passions—and the potential to develop them. These are our gifts. Some people are
developing their gifts into talents and abilities, while others just play with the packaging material.
I never attended art school. At the University of Delaware, in the mid-1970’s, I was an English major, a
subject of study I later learned had as much practical application as four years’ training in stagecoach
driving. Today I retain fragments of The Lord’s Prayer in Old English, the ability to sleep through public
lectures with my eyes open, and how to use a semi-colon.

After graduation I landed a job in advertising, a business once described as “the art of arresting human
intelligence long enough to extract money from it.” My heart was not in the work, so I decided the rest
of me shouldn’t be there, either. At age thirty I began a part-time business as an artist. Six years later I
jumped into it full-time and never looked back.

I used to be a serious artist—but I got over it. It’s more fun to create “random acts of artistic nonsense.”
Now that I’m deeply entrenched in middle-age, I ‘m more convinced than ever that humor is our cosmic
night-light, because it touches emotions we all share. (Truthfully, I only do these drawings to watch my
wife roll her eyes. It works every time. Life is full.)

Writer O. Henry said that life consists of smiles, sniffles, and sobs—with sniffles predominating. In my
own small way, I hope to increase the percentage of smiles. I humbly offer these whimsical wildlife
drawings as a partial antidote to the six o’clock news.

The Deli Llama
 The Howlelujah Chorus
Bacon, Lattice & Tomato

Walking Olive

by Mike Corbin

Walking Olive
Tracy Shue
York, PA
717-542-3419
walkingolive.com
tracy@walkingolive.com

Walking Olive exclusively creates needle felted dogs! A lifelong dog lover, I create small versions of our furry friends by wrapping wool around a wire frame and securing it with a special barbed needle. Layers build shape until the final layers of color are added. It’s a long process, but the end result is a beloved treasure serving as a reminder of a dog’s infinite unconditional love! The perfect gift for dog lovers – a new dog owner, a long time dog enthusiast, a gift for dog loss or for any dog lover (including yourself). I offer small adult dogs, puppies and ornaments as well as dog vignettes. At the end of the year Walking Olive donates a portion of its revenue to organizations doing good work for animals. Look for us at Mistletoe Mart and take a sneak peek at walkingolive.com and check out our Instagram page @walking_olive

Glittermoon Productions, LLC

by Mike Corbin

Glittermoon Productions, LLC
Cackie McCarty
Richmond, VA
804-358-5999
glittermoon@me.com
Facebook.com/GlittermoonCards

Cackie was born and raised on the Eastern Shore of Maryland and had the good fortune to grow up in a home that had the best of two worlds: the woods and the water. As a child, the natural world became a powerful source of inspiration, comfort, and awe. Without being conscious of it at the time, she inherently become a visually driven soul.

At college, as an art history major, she became passionate about photography. A lifelong introvert, she turned her natural penchant for being an observer to good use. For her, a picture tells a story without having to find the words to do so.

About a year after college Cackie moved to Richmond, Virginia where she has since resided. Within two weeks of her arrival, she went to work in the photography/camera business for the next 24 years. Feeling a bit burned out, Cackie turned to working in the antiques business for 10 incredibly fun years.

In 2009, Cackie started her own line of greeting cards, Glittermoon Cards, which are based on her photography. She has been an artist-in-residence at Crossroads Art Center in Richmond and a Country Living (Magazine) Fair artisan since 2011.

In 2011, Cackie launched Glittermoon Vintage Christmas: unique designs made from vintage ornaments and decorations. Her wreaths and topiaries have a national following and have been shipped all over the continental USA. She is an artisan for Beekman 1802 based in update NY; her Christmas designs are featured annually on their Holiday website. Cackie and Glittermoon Vintage Christmas have been featured in Richmond’s R-Home Magazine twice (2014 and 2021) as well as several national publications including the Los Angeles Times (2015), Holiday Decor Magazine (2019), and Flea Market Decor Magazine (2020). Mariah Carey owns one of her wreaths – a pink one, naturally.

When not making art in her home workshop, Cackie is either in her garden or dreaming about a trip abroad. Please visit her websites: www.glittermoonvintagexmas.com and www.glittermooncards.com.