The inspiration for this necklace is the sparkling blue waters of Lake Superior, the largest body of fresh water in the world. This natural wonder happens to practically be in my back yard. Another name for Lake Superior is Gitchee Gummi, which in Ojibwa language means "shining blue sea". No matter which name you give it, visiting her shores often instills in me a need to create a piece of jewelry in the colors I see in the water.

Eleven Italian glass beads were lovingly made by me, one by one, in my studio using a process called lampworking.

I make the beads by melting a glass rod in the flame of a torch while winding it on a steel mandrel. I then shape the molten glass into whatever form my muse dictates.

Once a bead is formed, I decorate it before putting it into a 960 degree kiln to be annealed. Annealing is cooling hot glass over a period of several hours before it is brought to room temperature. This process reduces stresses in the glass and helps to insure strength and durability so that the bead may last until the end of time.

Only once this whole process is complete do I get to see the fruits of my labor. At times the anticipation is great, such as when I waited to see the beads in this necklace, which I made over a period of several days.

My hand made beads were combined with vintage colbalt glass beads that I excitedly found at an estate sale a couple of years ago and have been hoarding for something special ever since. I made the beads specifically to go with the cobalt vintage glass and I am ecstatic with the result.