Carolyn Landy's home is a testament to all her interests -- whether it's the fresh biscotti she baked that morning, the lively watercolor paintings on the walls or her handmade dichroic glass jewelry.
"I just have fun," she says. "I do it at a leisurely pace. I don't pressure myself."
Sewing is another of Landy's specialities: "I started sewing when I was 12. After that, I was sewing my mother's and sister's clothes."
And sewing continues to be part of her life. She has had a sewing room since moving into her house 21 years ago. It includes three machines, including a Bernina, and large work space to spread out fabric for quilts. Through the years, friends have given her items such as paintings, fabric dolls or needlepoint to decorate the room. Her collection of Longaberger baskets is decorative and provides storage.
"I come in here to do my own thing," the retired Caltrans spokesperson says.
With the children grown and out of the house, she and husband James enjoy spending time with their grandchildren. Carolyn, an expert cook and baker, encourages them to select recipes to try. "They come here and ask, 'What are we going to do today?' " she says.
Her favorite spot to paint is her kitchen, where large windows let in lots of natural light. Her watercolors include a still life of a basket of pomegranates, a farmers market in Monterey and an outdoor square.
It was her sister who encouraged her to learn to watercolor 10 years ago. She's taken classes locally.
"I really did enjoy it, but because I worked, I only painted three or four hours a month," the Fresno native says.
These days, she paints while her husband watches television. The couple have been married 46 years.
"He is very supportive of all the things I do," she says.
Meanwhile, she uses the dining-room table for her newest hobby, making jewelry out of dichroic glass. The glass, originally developed by the aerospace industry for use in satellite mirrors, takes on a luminous quality when combined with different colors.
"I took a class in 2005 but didn't do anything with it for a year," she says.
She's made up for lost time by creating about 200 pieces since then. Friends and family have received her jewelry as gifts. Some pieces are shaped like hot-air balloons and others as teddy bears, butterflies or hearts. She also creates wine stoppers, necklaces and night lights.
"The only problem with dichroic glass is that it breaks if you drop it," she says. "If you wear it as a necklace, you have to be careful."
While her jewelry has been sold at a local boutique, she isn't interested in branching out to arts and craft festivals.
"I didn't go into it for a business," she says "I got into it to have fun. There's great joy in giving. That's what I get out of it. It doesn't do any good to have it and not share it."
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