For as long as I can remember, I have always been fascinated by the mythical and magical properties of slate and have collected many interesting pieces along the way. Last year when my brother was about to celebrate his 10 year Narcotics Anonymous "Birthday", I decided to carve an "NA" chip out of slate to commemorate his accomplishment. I received such a great response for my efforts that I began making similar pieces for other friends I have in 12-Step Programs. These became my touchstones for the pieces that would follow. For my own enjoyment, I decided to experiment with pendants, bracelets, and neck pieces to add to my personal jewelry collection. I found that every time I would wear a piece out, people would stop to admire what I was wearing, ask me where they could find something like it, and often would even offer to buy the piece right then and there. It was that kind of appreciation that motivated me to craft a more expansive collection and to make these beautiful, one-of-a-kind pieces available on a broader scale.

In my research to find out whom else has carved slate- I found that only the Mayan - thousands of years ago did so. The Mayans were known for there calendars that were carved in slate and found to be accurate- more accurate than our scientists as far as time and dates. I found this interesting and researched further. I found out that this calendar that is so accurate that our scientists are now studying it- one of the most interesting things about this Calendar is that it ends December 21st, 2012 A.D., only a few years from now. The stranger thing for me is that there calendar starts on August 13, 3013 ad. My Birthday is August 13 1965. I thought this coincidence another sign that I was on the right track to finding what I really should be doing- Carving Slate.