I create funky folk art from recycled materials and my
collection of vintage bottle caps.

Funky Folk Art is often how my work is described. I design
and hand produce a line of “jive jewelry”, home accessories
and whimsical art pieces all from recycled materials. I love
to collect old, vintage pieces of Americana – soda pop bottle
caps, milk caps, old comics, pin-up girl posters and any sort
of ephemeral paper that defines the era it was from. I enjoy
the unassuming nature of cast-offs – they have their own
inherent nostalgia from days gone by.
Each piece, from my line, is individually designed and hand
 made. Bottle caps are flattened and then punched into
dress forms, using hand-sawed metal plates and a hydraulic
press. Each component is drilled with holes and jump rings
assemble each piece. The character pieces are adorned
with hand cast pewter charms; the molds I make from
my collection of vintage Barbie Doll accessories. These
charms are then sent off to an enamel plater to give them
their bright colors. Each character’s face comes directly
from my comic/ephemeral paper collection and is laminated
for durability.

The process is labor intensive and repetitive but each piece
becomes a one of a kind - cultural artifact, inspired by the
vintage bottle cap from which it is made.

Recycle, Reuse, Redeem, Reborn!