"Thus, the only craft little practiced among them was shoe-making; but they had long and skillful fingers and could make many useful and comely things."
—The Fellowship of the Ring

"It was written, not printed; written in a clear, even hand, with thick downstrokes and thin upstrokes, very large, easier than print, and so beautiful that Lucy stared at it for a whole minute and forgot about reading it."
—The Voyage of the Dawn Treader

I started taking china painting lessons when I was 15 years old. When I got married, I thought I'd quit painting, but my husband encouraged me to buy my own kiln and start my own business.

China painting and decoupage are to two main art forms I use for my shop. I love how the porcelain art on pottery, as well as the watercolor-painted decoupage incorporating vintage pages, inspire a sense of being transported into another world—whether it be through a hobbit hole or through a wardrobe. These art forms help make each art piece completely unique and give it an authentic feel.

The process of penwork on porcelain is a lengthy one. It involves creating a pattern, transferring the pattern onto porcelain using graphite paper, mixing the dry paint with oil, dipping the nip pen, and making one careful stroke at a time before firing. Goldwork is similar except it must all be freehanded. It is done by placing a drop of gold mixed with painting medium into a tiny funnel pen.

The most delightful thing about having this shop is the strong bond that is forged by us, as fellow lovers of this gripping literature. Often, I feel as though I "graduate" from interacting on a buyer-seller level and go beyond that to become friends with those who browse and buy here. And that is one of the greatest joys of all.