Glass Heart on Fire Paperweight

Glass Heart on Fire Paperweight

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$15.00
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Heartfire

Terri Hamilton-Gahart

My Granny introduced beads to me and I spent hours in the back room of her house looking at, touching and stringing them. In 1999, I sold my first piece of jewelry to a friend who also encouraged me to start a business. I chose the name, Heartfire, to express my passion about and love of beads. Every year, I purchase gemstone beads and findings from vendors around the world at the International Gem Show in Tucson where I search for new and unusual stones.I am a longtime customer of Soft Flex, a bead, findings and stringing material store in Sonoma. My jewelry is one-of-a-kind (and variations on themes) using gemstones that impart unique gifts; e.g. pearls bring joy and rose quartz brings unconditional love. My favorite gemstone is tourmaline, a heart chakra stone. Is is the only gemstone that comes in all colors.

I signed up for an introductory glass fusing class, again after the encouragement of a friend, at the Santa Rosa Junior College. I enjoy the collaboration with the glass as it often produces unexpected results, colors interact and change. The paperweights are created by layering glass powder and frit (varying coarseness like salt) in molds. The first layer on the bottom of the mold becomes the surface of the paperweight, creating is upside down.

Assembling the patterns, shapes and colors of the beads and glass is a consuming passion, literally the fire of my heart. Combinations are inspired by nature, sacred texts and my dreams. I am pleased that both mediums can be taken apart and reused.

Like the Phoenix, a lifelong totem, my business has risen from the ashes. I lost my home, studio and inventory during the 2017 wildfires. Phoenix inspires the ability within each of us to survive the fire of life, emerge through the darkness of ashes and return renewed into the Light of Hope.