WindHorse Arts is a fused glass jewelry studio on Vinalhaven Island, Maine, where I design and create limited runs of custom-crafted color entirely by hand.
Holding Summer
Enhance your necklace with a stunning silver chain, elevate your jewelry, adding elegance and sophistication that makes it truly stand out.
photo by S.Crossman
Holding Summer is for anyone who knows summer can’t really be stored, and still can’t resist trying to keep a little bit of it anyway. A bright, joyful bit of August to wear now, and keep when summer has moved along.
Because we may not be able to save the long days, the flowers, the swims, or that particular feeling of stepping outside without first finding a coat. And that has never stopped us from trying. Consider this one more small way to tuck a little summer away for later.
The Story of the Color
Every summer I become a bit of a collector.
Beach stones go into my pockets. Flowers come inside and land in jars. Feathers, shells, seed pods, bits of bark, and other things that absolutely did not need to come home with me somehow do. I take photographs of the sky, the woods, the water, the horses, GiGi, and whatever else catches my eye. Lately that includes the faces I seem to find everywhere, appearing in rocks, wood, moss, or simply in the arrangement of debris on the forest floor.
Apparently simply experiencing summer is not enough. I would also like to keep some of it.
Usually, August makes this particularly easy. The garden begins producing faster than I can keep up, flowers tumble over one another, and there are tomatoes on every available surface. There are berries to freeze, basil to turn into pesto, beans to pick, and zucchini appearing with the persistence of junk mail.
Not this year.
The drought has changed the landscape of summer. The garden is trying, and I give it credit for that. There are things growing, things blooming, and things making a valiant attempt at becoming dinner. Abundance is not exactly the word I would use. Even the weeds seem to have reconsidered their plans. And perhaps that has made me notice what is here even more.
A handful of flowers feels worth bringing inside. A few berries are worth picking. A beautiful stone still goes into my pocket. The Queen Anne's lace is blooming along the edges of the field, the woods are full of tiny worlds I somehow never noticed before, and there is still more beauty than I could possibly gather up and carry home. And I keep trying.
Holding Summer feels like one more thing for the collection.
I started with opaque blue-aqua glass, layered it with deep red dichroic, and topped it with transparent turquoise. The result has wonderful depth, with flashes of darker color appearing and disappearing through all that blue and turquoise as the light changes.
Holding summer isn't about preserving some perfect version of it. This year has made that particularly clear. It's about noticing what is here while it is here. Picking the flower. Pocketing the stone. Taking the photograph. Eating the three tomatoes that actually managed to ripen before something else got to them. And perhaps wearing a little bit of summer isn't such a bad idea either.
After all, pockets can only hold so many rocks.
About the Jewelry
Holding Summer is an easy color to wear, bright enough to stand out and layered enough to play well with almost anything. The blue-aqua and turquoise are especially good with crisp white, denim, navy, black, khaki, and all those sun-faded neutrals that seem to take over our closets in summer. The flashes of blue and hints of purple add a deeper note that comes and goes with the light.
Wear it with a linen shirt and shorts, a favorite sundress, jeans and a T-shirt, or something a little more dressed up for dinner, a wedding, a summer party, or an evening out. It works just as easily on men and boys who love strong blues and turquoise.
This is jewelry for wherever summer takes you: the boat, the beach, the farmers market, dinner with friends, a gallery opening, a wedding, or simply out the door on an ordinary Tuesday.
Part of the 2026 Color Series
Colors inspired by the changing light on the Maine coast.
Barefoot in Blue
Joy
Kye
Island Time
Abundance
Gilded Moss
About the Maker
Hi. I’m Alison the artist and maker behind WindHorse Arts, creating fused dichroic glass jewelry on Vinalhaven Island in Penobscot’s Bay, Maine. For over twenty-five years my work has explored the relationship between color, light, and place.
My work begins as flat sheets of dichroic glass that I cut, layer, and fire in a kiln at nearly 1500 degrees. Through multiple firings, the glass transforms into luminous stones that shift and shimmer in the light. I set these elements into clean, wearable forms that allow the color to take center stage.
Living and working on a small island has deeply shaped my palette. My colors are drawn from the landscape around me—Atlantic blues, lichen greens, foggy silvers, spruce shadows, and the clear light of the Maine coast. I release these colors in small, limited runs, each with its own name and story tied to the rhythms of island life.
Over the years the work has found collectors across the country, many of whom return for new colors as they are released.
At the heart of my work is a deep respect for the craft of glass and the power of color. My goal is to create jewelry that is vibrant, enduring, and meant to be worn often—pieces that catch the light and become part of a person’s daily life.
Islandscape Bracelets
These Islandscape Bracelets are a joyful collaboration between painter Elaine Crossman and me, blending her expressive islandscape paintings with my fused dichroic glass. Each piece becomes its own tiny “painting,” alive with color, light, and the spirit of Vinalhaven. Every piece is unique — layered with hues inspired by sea, sky, spruce and stone — and pairs effortlessly with any outfit. Handcrafted on the island, these bracelets bring a touch of Maine’s landscape and light wherever you go.
Summer Dawn is the quiet moment before the island fully wakes.
Lavender haze meets pale seafoam. A blush of rose catches the light. Butter-soft yellow glows underneath like the first line of sun sliding over Penobscot Bay. Each fused dichroic glass stone shifts gently as you move, revealing shimmer, translucence, and layered depth.
There is nothing loud here. Just luminous color, softly unfolding.
Handcrafted on Vinalhaven Island, Maine, this limited edition bracelet brings together pastel pink, lilac, sea glass green, and warm golden undertones in a balanced rhythm of light. The dichroic surface adds a subtle iridescent sheen, echoing early morning sky reflected on tide-wet granite.
It feels hopeful. Fresh. Like a deep breath before the day begins.
Part of my Islandscape collaboration with painter Elaine Crossman.
Radiant and full of warmth, the Marigold bracelet glows with the colors of late-summer light—sun-washed gold, petal orange, soft rose, and a touch of shimmering white. Each fused dichroic glass link captures the essence of a flower-filled garden at its peak—bright, bold, and alive with color. Handcrafted in my island studio, this piece is both cheerful and refined, an easy way to bring a touch of sunlight to your day.
Part of my Islandscape collaboration with painter Elaine Crossman.
This bracelet holds the shifting palette of the Maine shoreline in early light. Soft sea-glass blue, charcoal stone, and silvery white sit beside a flash of mossy green with a golden-dichroic shimmer that catches like sunlight on tidewater.
Each fused dichroic glass stone is individually kiln-worked, creating a rhythm of matte and luminous surfaces. The cooler blues and smoky grays feel like wet granite and ocean fog, while the bright green square adds a spark of reflected sun through spruce.
Connected with sterling silver links and finished with a secure clasp, this piece feels grounded, elemental, and quietly radiant.
A wearable stretch of coastline.
Part of my Islandscape collaboration with painter Elaine Crossman.
Island Time
A color for August on an island, when the days are full, the water is warm, and time seems to answer to something other than the clock.
Island Time moves through turquoise and sea green with unexpected flashes of red leaning toward purple, shifting with the light and changing from stone to stone. It’s a color inspired by days shaped by tides, ferry schedules, chance conversations, and the irresistible invitation to stay just a little longer.
Enhance your necklace with a stunning silver chain, elevate your jewelry, adding elegance and sophistication that makes it truly stand out.
The Story of the Color
Living on an island changes your relationship with time. And island time isn’t necessarily slower. In fact, summer days here can be ridiculously full. There are trails to walk, berries to pick, sunsets to chase, work to finish, friends arriving and leaving, swims to squeeze in, groceries to remember before Carver’s closes. And somehow, underneath all of that, there is another clock ticking, one set as much by the tide and the ferry schedule as by the hour on your watch.
A short errand lasts longer than you expected because you ran into someone in town. A quarry swim stretches an extra ten minutes because the water is too beautiful to get out. Plans change because the wind came up, the fog rolled in, or someone said, come with us.
Island Time is that feeling captured in color.
Turquoise and sea green with hints of red leaning toward purple move through these stones, sometimes bright and clear, sometimes deepening with a soft shimmer that changes as the light moves across them. No two stones hold the color quite the same way, which feels exactly right. The island never looks quite the same way twice either.
And maybe that is what I love most about Island Time. It asks you to pay attention to what is happening now, rather than insisting that the day unfold exactly as you planned it.
It feels particularly right for August, when the water is warmest, the island is full, and our days seem to be lived outside as much as in. There are still swims to take, people to see, chores to do, conversations to linger over, and long evenings to use right down to the last bit of light.
Take the swim. Stay for the conversation. Watch the ferry disappear around the corner. Let dinner be late.
Here, the clock may tell you what time it is. The tide and the ferry remind you there are other ways to measure a day.
About the Jewelry
Island Time is a wonderfully changeable color. Turquoise and sea green form its foundation, while flashes of red and purple surface as the light moves across the glass. Some stones feel brighter and more ocean-blue; others lean greener or reveal deeper, moodier color. Because of the way the dichroic glass shifts and reflects light, no two pieces are exactly alike.
That movement makes Island Time especially beautiful in jewelry. Earrings catch the changing colors with every turn of your head, while necklaces give the larger stones room to show off the full range of turquoise, green, red, and purple. Bracelets bring several stones together, creating a small landscape of shifting color across the wrist.
Island Time is easy to wear with summer whites, denim, navy, and all the watery blues and greens of the season, but those unexpected red-purple flashes also give it enough depth to carry well beyond August.
Each piece is handcrafted with fused dichroic glass in my Vinalhaven studio. As with the island itself, the color you see depends a little on the light, the angle, and the moment you happen to catch it.
Part of the 2026 Color Series
Colors inspired by the changing light on the Maine coast.
Belfast Blue
Abundance
Barefoot in Blue
Joy
Gilded Moss
Kye
Jewelry Hand Crafted with Color and Connection
Ready to add a splash of color to your day? Explore my vibrant collection of handmade jewelry, from sparkly earrings to stunning necklaces and bold bracelets – each piece as unique as you are. Crafted with creativity, color, and a dash of love, my jewelry is designed to make you smile. Let your accessories do the talking – shop now and find your new favorite piece!
Give the Gift of Color and Craft - Give the Gift of Handcrafted Joy
“WindHorse Arts is one of my favorite places to buy jewelry. The colors are unique and there is something for everyone. I had been looking for a sable brown earrings and this year WindHorse Arts had just the shade I was looking for. While I have never been to the physical store, shopping online is easy and products are sent out with blazing speed. Great for late gift giving! ”
— Heidi S.
“My wife and 3 daughters each have several items of Alison’s handcrafted artistry. As the inventory and designs are always changing there are always new items to add to their collection of jewelry.
— Guy W.
“My daughter loved the birthday gift I ordered from Alison. The earrings were as bright and beautiful as the picture on her website. I highly recommend for affordable, handcrafted gifts from Maine!”
— Lorri B.
“This summer, I was introduced to Alison’s beautiful work. Worn by 2 friends of mine, her necklaces and earrings are inspired by the world around her, designed with an intimate knowledge of her materials, and fabricated seamlessly, no mechanics visible, revealing the spirit pf the piece. Her pieces are aptly named — the names further the magic of each of her creations. The earrings we chose, in the colors of nectar and pewter and ember, are proudly worn by my daughter and me. Worn with pride and gratitude!”
— Susan M.
“I have bought several pairs of earrings from Alison. They are exquisite and are made with a lot of love and care. I have been wearing one pair for approximately 10 years and people still stop me to ask about them, they have not lost their luster. If you’re on the fence, buy her jewelry. You will NOT be disappointed.
_ Danielle M.
Crafting Color, One Piece at a Time
Hi, I’m Alison, the glass-fusing, color-loving creative behind WindHorse Arts! I’m all about making jewelry that feels as fun and vibrant as life itself. Every piece I create contains a pinch of serendipity and a lot of glassy goodness. I love working with glass because it’s dynamic, unpredictable, and full of surprises. Whether I’m popping colors together or experimenting with textures, I’m always aiming to create pieces that bring joy and that little “wow” moment when you wear them. Whether it’s a set of earrings that make you smile or a pendant that catches the light just right, each piece is crafted to bring a little joy and a lot of style into your day (and a little magic, because why not?).
Ready to add a splash of color to your life? Click below to see what’s new and explore the world of WindHorse Arts!
Tips for Choosing the Perfect Piece of WindHorse Arts Jewelry
At WindHorse Arts, I believe jewelry should be as fun and unique as you are! Whether you’re treating yourself or hunting for the perfect gift, here’s your guide to picking out something that’ll make your heart skip a beat (and maybe your friends a little jealous):
Go with Your Color Crush! Can’t decide? Start with your favorite color! Whether you’re obsessed with ocean blue, feeling the greens of a forest walk, or craving a pop of fiery red, let your favorite hue lead the way. You’re drawn to it for a reason, after all!
Occasions Are Great, But So Are Tuesdays
Sure, you might be eyeing something special for a birthday, but don’t forget about just because moments! A piece of jewelry from WindHorse Arts makes every day feel like a celebration. You deserve to sparkle, no matter the occasion.
Be Bold, Be Subtle, Be You!
Are you a “big statement” kind of person or more of a “quiet elegance” type? No worries – we’ve got something for every mood! Whether you’re rocking a chunky necklace or a delicate pair of earrings, there’s a piece that’s totally you.
Mix, Match, and Make It Yours!
Who says you have to pick just one? Stack a few bracelets, layer some necklaces, or go wild with earrings! My pieces play nice together, so feel free to create your own signature style that’s totally unique.
Handmade = Extra Love
Every piece of WindHorse jewelry is lovingly handcrafted, which means no two pieces are exactly alike. You’re not just buying jewelry – you’re getting a little piece of magic, made just for you. Isn’t that fun?
Pick a Piece to Match Your Vibe
Feeling calm and collected? Go for something soft and serene. Feeling bold and ready to take on the world? Find something that’s as vibrant as your energy! Choose jewelry that matches your mood and vibe, and let your accessories tell your story.
Give the Gift of Joy (Or Just Treat Yourself!)
Jewelry is always a great idea for a gift, but let’s be real – it’s also a fantastic way to treat yourself. Share the love (or keep it for yourself)! Either way, WindHorse jewelry is the gift that keeps on giving.
So, what are you waiting for? Let your instincts guide you, and pick out a piece that makes you smile.
After all, life’s too short for boring jewelry!
Do you have a shop focused on the joy of handcraft ~ Are you interested in carrying WindHorse in your shop :
Brighten Your Shop with Handcrafted Glass Jewelry!
Add a splash of color and creativity to your shop with WindHorse Arts' stunning collection of handcrafted glass jewelry. Each piece is a unique work of art, carefully crafted with vibrant hues and organic designs that your customers will love. From delicate earrings to bold necklaces and shimmering bracelets, our jewelry brings an effortlessly stylish touch to any collection. With a focus on quality, color, and craftsmanship, WindHorse Arts offers your shop the chance to showcase one-of-a-kind designs that speak to those who appreciate the beauty of handmade art. Ready to offer something truly special to your customers? Reach out today to learn more about carrying WindHorse Arts in your store!