Where horizontal meets vertical, a cross

 About ten years ago when I was visiting my dad back in Texas, my step sister asked me if I ever made crosses. I had made a few years before in my first 5 years of being a jeweler but hadn't in several decades but her question stuck with me and when I returned to California I started playing with a cross design using shape elements that I used in other jewelry forms and also mixing metals. A series of crosses evolved and probably 30 variations later I made the cross at the far left of the group to the right. Back in October of last year, out of the blue

and never having made a cross before, Carlie suddenly started working on a half dozen cross designs most of which we sold at fairs before Christmas. When we started working again in January she continued designing and making crosses and her variations continued. All the other crosses in these two pictures are her designs. It was really great fun and also inspirational to me to watch her play. I imagine that I will make some more crosses in new variations sometime during this upcoming year. This is a typical process for us in our jewel work together, throwing ideas back and forth between our work benches and influencing and inspiring each others work. It's a fun game we play. The crosses without stones pictured here range in price from $135 to $155, the ones with stones range from $145 to $185. The price includes a sterling silver snake chain. I forgot to mention that the last time I visited Texas and saw my step sister, I gave her one of my crosses in thanks for her instigating a successful design series of jewels.