This commission began with a seed, a love of gardening, and a long journey back to health. It is for P who spreads magic and suggested the story of Miss Rumphius and the central character of Alice.

The story asks the question...How can we make the world a more beautiful place...& a better place? Small, simple gestures have a more profound impact than we can ever imagine.  The planting of a seed can work magic.  This simple metaphor informs the story of ‘Miss Rumphius’.

Alice is a little girl who lives by the sea and longs to travel the world. Her Grandfather tells her she also needs to make the world a more beautiful place. Alice eventually returns to live by the sea. One spring she becomes ill. Looking out the window she sees some lupines planted the summer before.  They are so lovely she wishes she could have planted more. Alice eventually gets better but she is still discouraged. One day she across an unexpected field of lupines covering the hill.  She realizes the wind has done this beautiful deed. And now she knows what she must do. She will spread lupine seeds everywhere she goes.  She realizes this is how she will make the world a more beautiful place.

Two necklaces.  A golden seed hangs from a chain, framed by a halo of summer sun. Connected to the earth by a tiny lump of turquoise stone found in my garden. A glass bottle-locket holds Cosmos seeds for P...for the planting.   Wrapping the locket is a silver leaf hammered from a spoon. Capped with a Victorian glass button that whispers ...melting ice and the promise of spring.

Steel chain, gold filled seed bead, silver plate spoon, gold plate vintage watch back, vintage brass bobble, ‘turquoise’ stone, turquoise beads, sterling beads, cosmos seeds, cast Victorian glass button