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How do you go about choosing a name for a piece? Sometimes it’s straightforward and obvious - like the manatee sculpture I simply titled “Manatee”. It didn’t need any additional mystique from a name. It would be like a cow wearing pearls - a bit absurd. Although sometimes absurd can be fun

But what about a neckpiece with three swallows intertwined, flitting and darting among the apple blossoms, reveling in the spring? It just seems like it needs a better name than “Swallows and Apple Blossoms”.

And my new dandelion kaleidoscope? I want to convey that dandelions may be a common weed but they’re precious too… That the sight of them covering a field gives me a lift, like seeing Spring or inhaling sunlight… That they bring me back to being a kid again - making dandelion chains for necklaces and crowns, blowing the seeds into the air and watching them float away in the wind…

So what’s in a name? Does it really add anything to a piece? It’s still the same necklace, the same kaleidoscope. The name is only an added nuance but if it’s the right name, I think that nuance can spark thought and emotion in someone’s mind.

So am I overthinking it?

I recently came across this profile on Leonard Olson of The Kaleidoscope Factory: Kaleidoscope maker sees life metaphor in changing images.

The simple beauty of the kaleidoscope first captured Leonard Olson’s attention in 1997, when at age 44, he had a heart attack that led to bypass surgery.

During his hospital stay, friends brought him a kaleidoscope to cheer him up. He adopted woodworking as a hobby during his recovery. He didn’t know at the time that the two would come together to inspire his current career, one that gives him more joy and far less stress than the employee benefits business he runs in Colorado.

For Olson, kaleidoscopes now provide a valuable metaphor for life and how quickly it can change.

“Just when you think you’ve encountered the most beautiful image possible in a kaleidoscope, a slight shift will change everything,” he writes on his Web site. “At first, you may feel very disappointed … however, while different, the new image is also beautiful and you discover that more changes will produce still more beautiful images.”

Each of Olson’s kaleidoscopes designs, about 10 of them, are different from the others. While he buys some of the components - brass, glass and acrylic - he crafts the wooden parts in his shop. No templates, no patterns and pure tung oil to finish. He says his tools aren’t the best, but he puts a lot of care into his craft.

Came across this article on Meridith Dittmar and her polymer clay work. The article doesn’t have many pictures so check out her website to see her sculptures - they’re worth a look, and I’m pretty sure they’ll give you a smile.

Meredith Dittmar’s art exists in a world of its own. Literally. Her polymer sculptures, or as she calls them “my Guys,” exist in a space as shaped by graffiti and disobedience as it is by the saturated world of Saturday morning cartoons. They are at times aloof and playful, as sweet and innocent as they are bright. Since 1994 more than 10,000 Guys have come into existence with Dittmar creating a virtual society — distinctly varied and influenced. And therein lies the strength of Dittmar’s sculptures; contrasting life seems to emanate from each piece, her characters containing distinct soul.

If you’re in the Rhode Island area, you can see my kaleidoscopes on exhibit at the Clark Memorial Library in Richmond. If they’re not too busy, ask one of the librarians if they can unlock the case so you can pick up the kaleidoscopes and see the different views.

I’ll also be teaching a kaleidoscope workshop on April 6th at 7pm. We’ll be making a basic kaleidoscope from a kit and covering it with fabric. Normally, I’d use polymer clay but we wouldn’t have the time in a 2 hour class. The class is only $8, which covers the materials. You can signup by contacting the library at(401) 364-6100. Hope to see you there

This is my latest sculpture. I decided to make a free standing manatee this time. There is a stiff wire armature inside the base and manatee which supports it.

I think I’ll probably end up putting the clay base on another wooden base - I have one just the right size that just needs to be finished first.

Interesting article on Gods of the Crafty Set - three people who have made a career with crafts.

They cut, stamp and sprinkle for a living. When they announce a new idea, everyone perks up. Fans wait in line to gush and to have a picture snapped with them.

Heidi Swapp, Terri Ouellette and Tim Holtz are glittery superstars in the crafty world, respected for their Midas touch. All three had a strong presence earlier this month at the 65th Annual Craft and Hobby Winter Convention and Trade Show in Las Vegas, considered the Super Bowl for crafters. They gave speeches, collected awards, signed autographs and debuted clever products that hobbyists will cheer for.

With a dream, imagination and a gilded spear of ambition, each has carved a smooth groove in the $30.6 billion industry. Any creative act that filters through their fingertips affects what you see at the craft store, in magazines and on TV.

It’s every crafter’s dream to earn a full-time paycheck using a glue stick, rubber stamps and a sewing machine. But it’s a tricky, almost secretive maze to conquer. Those who do, like Swapp, Ouellette and Holtz, are regarded as geniuses.

Here is everything you need to know about these Arizona personalities who have crafted artful careers.