hi there, i'm alison

In my free time, if I’m not outside enjoying the trails and waterways in my new town  Saranac Lake, I’m sprawled out on the deck or by the fireplace (depending on the season) with whatever craft I’m experimenting with. For the past few years, the focus has been on pressed flower art, jewelry-making, and stained glass, finding fresh ways to play with color and bring nature into my work.

I’m enamored with mother nature's magic, and my work is most often inspired by what I notice outdoors - shifting light, tiny details, the colors of a season. I love using locally-sourced and upcycled materials whenever I can, and I’m always looking for new ways to create with what already exists. A lifelong “this could be something” collector! 

BURL noun | /bərl/ : a rogue burst of tree growth, where the grain bends, swirls, and makes its own kind of beauty.

Why burl theory? Because that funky “flaw” is actually a beauty mark. There’s a bit of magic in everything - even scrap wood, hand-me-down stained glass, or driftwood from the shores of an Adirondack lake can be transformed into art. I love the phrase "making art out of the ordinary" because it places the burl theory right into the crafts.

And it's more than just a crafting philosophy - burl theory applies to how I strive to live my life, too! A reminder to look closer, find beauty in the unexpected, and honor the imperfections. Wabi-sabi!