Boxes 1
Deborah Conti and Paul Peiffer were married in 2005 and shortly thereafter moved from Des Moines, Iowa to Washington, DC for Paul's dream job. Their love was put to the test shorly thereafter when Paul was diagnosed with cancer. Their deep love and determination to fight the disease empowered them to seek out the top researchers and specialists in the field, many of whom were in Washington. But after a valiant two-year battle, Paul succumbed to the disease in December 2007.
Despite Paul's analytical mind, he had the ability to express his emotions and emotional journey through poetry. His written words live on in the etched glass covers in Deborah's series of boxes used to showcase her fine art jewelry pieces.
Deborah and Paul created these works of art to give you pause to think, give gratitude, and the determination to fight for what you desire in this life.
Travails in which we become mired,
Are not pursued or openly desired;
But tests we endure on a daily basis,
Truly move us from our usual stasis;
Cries of the heart become passions of life,
And now I know, I can overcome any strife.
plate glass blown lampwork beads • sandblasted aluminum
Melodious songbirds doth sing,
As spring rains rainbows bring;
Gracefully decorating the skies,
A banquet for earthly eyes;
From earth to sky they rise,
Unburdened by truth or lies;
As they meet in glorious color,
Lighting earth with the beauty of solar….
plate glass blown lampwork focal bead • plastic tubing • died ribbon • sterling silver
Each step of life is different,
From various traditions we are sent;
Christianity, Judaism, Islam, or,
To various beliefs our hearts soar;
Deeper understanding comes in its time,
Not ours, and with no reason or rhyme;
With patience more becomes known,
As the truth of time is deeply sown….
plate glass and frit blown lampwork beads • red coral • striped agate • sterling silver
Fire or Ice?
Naughty or Nice?
Of Life or Love?
From Within or Above?
Hearts eternally seek,
But are granted but a peek;
When found, you know it in your core,
For the answer is yours & not from lore.
plate glass blown lampwork beads • red coral • clear quartz • sterling silver
From a union of two minds and hearts,
A new life soon starts;
In youth there are many hills to climb,
From the steep to the sublime;
Life briefly becomes calm for a spell,
We are in control & we are well;
The path ultimately turns down once again,
We find Exodus, like Genesis, where we began.
plate glass blown lampwork focal bead • amber glass beads and teardrops • silk thread • sterling silver
True love knows no end,
Cold gray days cannot bend;
Love's course in life,
Through bliss and strife;
Two hearts from separate sources,
Take unknown and unique courses;
To join each other in an unbreakable union,
For they must find each other, not if, but when….
plate glass blown lampwork beads • volcanic rock • rough black tourmaline • sterling silver
Into the abyss I fall,
There is no one I can call,
Lights shimmer, then fade;
No one comes to my aid;
White to green to deep blue,
My mood is one with you;
You can make it and survive,
So can I…Yes, I am alive.
plate glass and frit blown lampwork beads • glass and foil beads • sterling silver