Linda's Magic Workshop - Linda Britt Design

Who isn’t drawn to fall leaves?   Colors changing, shapes drying, and there is a certain fragrance in the air.   As a kid, I remember jumping into a huge pile of leaves enjoying that crunching sound they made.   So when I walked along our sidewalk and looked right at a group of dried leaves hanging on the tree, I had to pick them.   They were perfectly grouped and hung together gracefully.   What a lovely necklace they would make! The stages of a leaf Studying the leaves, I noticed the variation in sizes and the variation in twists and turns.   I noticed the way they were attached to the center stem.   They sat on my desk for a couple of weeks and I would pick them up and look carefully at them trying to decide the best way to create them in copper.   Finally I made patterns of 3 sizes of leaves.   I cut them out of a copper sheet. Then I experimented with annealing (running the copper through a torch flame until the metal was cherry red a...

I love the ocean…any ocean.   I love to watch the waves roll in and out bringing seashells and ocean creatures.   The patterns of the sand can hold my attention for hours.   I love the wind on my face even when it is cold although I prefer a warm breeze.   I love old driftwood and birds at the water’s edge. I love watching whales blowing water and dolphins playing and sea otters floating on their backs. The variety of color and shapes of seashells amaze me.   Yes, I have collected many and right now they are in a pile on the guest bath counter waiting for glass shelves.   I have several small pieces of coral in various colors that were given to me by my father who also loved them.   We lived in Missouri so ocean things were always a novelty.   I keep them in a box and once in a while take them out and think about the ocean and its treasures.   The other evening I wanted to make something unusual and thought about the lovely piece of branch ...