Dash Designs is named as a tribute to my late husband, Anthony. In his professional presentations on ethics, he would show a graphic of a tombstone with a birth and death date separated by a dash. The two dates on our tombstones tell only when our lives begin and end. His question was, “What will you do with your dash?” After 30 years as an educator, hand crafting sterling silver jewelry is the next portion of my dash.
I always sought a creative outlet– from needlework to scrapbooking to beading. But my creative spark grew into a flame when I learned to solder and set stones. I love taking sheet silver and cutting and forging it into a piece of jewelry. And using a torch to solder silver to silver is amazing. Then adding a stone to the project brings it alive for me.
My education in silversmithing began with weekend workshops at Tryon Arts and Crafts School. I’ve taken weekly classes at TAC with Ruthie Cohen and David Alberts and also with Danielle Miller. I’ve completed weekend workshops with Kim St. Jean, Dan Haga, Molly Sharp, Victoria Lansford, and Patti Bullard.
Currently, my jewelry consists of pieces made entirely of sterling; stones set in sterling; and occasionally, beads strung with sterling components and a few copper pieces.