Making those rattles led me to study many cultures and their use of rattles in song, dance healing and prayer. As I practiced these rituals, some ancient cellular memory awoke. These memories have not only produced ideas, images and a creative force inside me, but awoke a deep love and respect for Mother Earth.

Be it sculpt from Her clay, or plant from Her, or dance on Her, it's all I want to do. This is when I'm happiest. Because of this my granddaughter has given me the name Mamu Mud Woman. I am deeply gratified when I see faces transform as people touch and are touched by my work.

Included in this online collection is a series of "Sacred Urns." In college, our instructor had us make our own urn. This opened a whole new experience and thought process around death and dying. I started making urns for friends. As we explored different, new ways to look at our death, we discovered there was a lot of joy in owning our urns. We have used them for sacred ritual and to store our wishes and secrets.

Making the urns solved and healed the sadness, frustration and anger around the lack of choice the mortuaries offered me when my daughter died. I hope they bring you a lightness and a new way to look at our final exit.