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~~Earth is springing forth all around us here in the South Carolina Lowcountry and the Northern Hemisphere, and yet these days are filled with uncertainty, challenge, and sorrow.  I send warmest wishes – and prayers – for you and yours.~~

*Note* - At the moment, I am able to get back and forth to my studio downtown. If that changes by the time you read this, & you encounter my Etsy shop “taking a little break,” as they say, please feel free to send me a message or email.  I’ll see if I can meet your needs, or reserve something for you for later.
Hope is the thing with feathers (254)
Emily Dickinson (1830-1886)
 
Hope is the thing with feathers
That perches in the soul,
And sings the tune without the words,
And never stops at all,

And sweetest in the gale is heard;
And sore must be the storm
That could abash the little bird
That kept so many warm.

I've heard it in the chillest land,
And on the strangest sea;
Yet, never, in extremity,
It asked a crumb of me.
One reason I so love wallowing in words written decades or centuries ago is that while each human life spans a singular space in time, the human experience is not tethered.  Words from other lifetimes resonate with us, and we can leave words for future generations.
     My stepdad called the other morning to chat about a new bird in their yard in Florida.  It’s comforting this spring, especially – the habits and industry and exuberance of birds.  Not to mention all the chatter and song!
     
I’ve re-vamped my “Bird Lover’s Gift Pack” a bit – the bookmark is a slim, antique silver plated hook, with the same pewter flock fluttering below, and the magnet features a gorgeous 1963 Audubon postage stamp (Scott #1241) against gold cardstock.  (That postage stamp came into the world the same year that I did!  It's okay; you can do the math.)
I’ve also made this stamp into a simple ball chain necklace.
The wren of my “wren and books” cards has also been busy.  (And I can’t mention this particular image without throwing some love to my friend & former editor Peggy Jo Shaw, whose Wren Cottage editing business is just the thing you might need, if “Stay at Home” for you means “Stay at Home and Write.”)
So for some of you, this is all a little too sweet.  Okay, how about some ethereal doves? Or a slightly more mysterious owl?
Darker?  Well, okay...
I mean, who doesn't want to don a dangling raven skull with some Poe magic, or an illustration of a chicken "squelette" from a 1920s French encyclopedia?
And there are always some slightly haunted bookmarks... 
     But back to Emily Dickinson, April is NATIONAL POETRY MONTH. (You can find some Emily earrings, or a magnet, in my shop, by the way.) 
     To celebrate, and to offer teachers including my daughter online content for students this spring, I've been posting daily mini poem videos, reading some of my published poems.  On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays in April, these are poems for kids, and on Tuesdays and Thursdays, they are published haiku suitable for kids. My YouTube Channel is here, and my first video adventure was about writing letters, with my poem, "Sincerely."
Click to hear Robyn read her poem for kids, "Sincerely."
I was a visiting author/poet for half a day at Lumpkin County Elementary School in Dahlonega, Georgia, in February.  The wonderful media specialist there had made February their "Poetry Month," so we were able to interact in person.

Social distancing is hard! 
In my shop, I've been offering a "Send Spring Cheer" note cards pack at cost-plus-a-feather, and free shipping, to make it easy to brighten someone's day. Thanks to those who have purchased them! :0) I have a handful left. 
Included are a pack of the wren and books cards (8 per pack), eight USPS Forever stamps with floral designs, eight Issa Spring haiku poem cards, and some red sparkly heart stickers, just for fun.  
Also, I've been offering 15% all off packs of note cards except holiday cards,
and that will go through April 20. :0)
A handwritten note always cheers the heart - I received some lovely spring greetings from an author friend, with the words "Stay Safe & Well" on the back of the envelope.  XO
    It's an important time of year for many faith traditions. For those journeying through Lent and about to celebrate Easter, I continue to delight in making jewelry with snips from an antique religious manuscript – an Augustine sermon published in 1560 (according to the antique dealer from whom I purchased it, and it is consistent with those from that period). 
    I always have my eye out for interesting vintage crosses to incorporate.
Psalm 72 is quite a beautiful psalm, with verses such as "He will have compassion/on the poor and needy,/And the lives of the/needy he will save" and ending with, "And blessed be/His glorious name forever; And may the whole earth/be filled with His glory."  I hope you and yours are able to find comfort in these difficult days. 
And I had to make some earrings, too! 
I’ve also used glass cabochons made with these antique text elements with vintage keys…
 
I came across a veritable cache of these rusty iron keys online, and I meandered back to that seller more than once to add to my stock!  These keys were made for cabinets and furniture by a manufacturer which closed its doors in the 1970s. 

 They have a gorgeous rusty patina, which I preserve/highlight with a metal sealer made for jewelry. (Keeps the rust off of one’s fingers that way, too!) 
PS - My kids think I might need an intervention...
In these sequestered days, I know we are all looking forward to being able to visit in person again.  Here are some pictures from just a month ago, at our "First Friday" Shop & Hop, where we had giveaways during the evening at my studio
Alas, no gatherings for now.  No April in Paris.
But you can READ your way around the world!  For the time being, I wish you relaxing hours to curl up with a good book, or five. 
Does your reading corner look like this? ;0) 
(Library at The Biltmore House, Asheville, NC, from a late winter trip -
one of our favorite places!)
Or, perhaps you will take your book to a solitary spot outdoors:

           indulge
           your whole energies

           making haste
           for a few moments longer
           wooded hill, green
           misty glories
           beneath the sombre pines

 
Coming up:  I'm looking forward to leading a literary art workshop for the talented young writers participating in CAMP CONROY this summer!  Remember to support local community organizations (such as The Pat Conroy Literary Center) in these challenging times, if you are able. 

I'm also participaing in online trainings to be an ETSU U instructor! Mary Thibault of Thibault Gallery and I are looking forward to offering a workshop (or few!) for Etsy shop owners here in the Lowcountry. If you're an Etsy shop owner elsewhere and might want to participate in an online workshop, give me a shout, too. 
My best wishes to all of our Lowcountry organizations and businesses right now, including
The Beaufort Emporium and Nevermore Books, which are kind enough to carry my items. 
Speaking of the Lovely Lowcountry, I'll leave you with some images from early spring here in Beaufort. (No more carriage rides for now, but the flowers and birds are gracing each bend and byway.)

Peace and blessings, Robyn

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