Finally there is a Christmas accessory that will never go out of style.

Local artist Pat Burger has designed a limited edition of Christmas tree ornaments that can also be worn as necklace pendants. He designed the decoration jewelry as part of an annual fund-raiser for the Palmer Museum of Art, which was held this Sunday at the museum.

The Palmer Museum of Art chooses a local artist each year to create a commissioned ornament at Christmas-time based on the quality of work, recognition of the artist and other merits, Burger said.

"They approached me two years ago. They really liked my work," he added.

The Friends of the Palmer Museum of Art have been commissioning handmade ornaments from different local artists each holiday season since 1992, said Robin Seymour, coordinator of membership and public relations for the Palmer Museum.

Each year the ornament is designed exclusively for Palmer, she added. Friends like to do a fund-raising event to tie into the sale and bring people in during the holidays. This year, Burger offered to do a demonstration of his glass technique.

Burger is a fuse glass artist, he said. He takes glass, like that seen in stained glass pieces, puts it in a kiln and comes up with something new, he said. Burger makes mostly jewelry.

"I love to do earrings and pins. There's just something nice about making a piece of art people are actually going to walk around with and show off to people."

The dichroic glass, which is a very shiny attractive glass, is conducive to the jewelry format, he said.

"To have someone walking around, feeling pretty, in something you made is a good feeling. I've had several situations where I've been in line in Wegman's [Food Market] ... and the person in front of me will be wearing my earrings. It's a good feeling."

Burger also designs window pieces, Christmas tree ornaments and "whatever my fancy takes me to at the time. I never get tired of it," he said.

Twenty-five years ago, Burger started working with stained glass as a professional artist and has branched out to fuse glass since then. He said he sends most of his work out to galleries.

These days he is creating new pieces and teaching his art at artist hot spots like The Creative Oasis, 133 E. Beaver Ave., and in local school districts, he said.

"He's been an instructor here maybe three years now I think," Charles Hughes, chairman of Creative Oasis, said. "He has been a regular glass instructor since he came here."

Burger teaches fuse and stained glass and started the glass program at Creative Oasis when he started teaching.

"[Burger] is always very friendly," Hughes said. "He is a very patient teacher, always willing to take the time to explain things. He is very knowledgeable in his field."

Burger is also a Pennsylvania Council of the Arts (PCA) artist, one of about 100 across the state who have been selected to go into school districts and teach.

Burger works with Galaxy Arts and Education for Central Intermediate Unit 10, Seymour said. He demonstrates in schools year-round through that organization and PCA. The money raised at Palmer's fund-raiser, in large part, pays for buses to bring school groups to the museum, she said.

The event was not an exhibition; it was a demonstration, sponsored by Friends of Palmer Museum, Seymour said. However, Burger's ornaments were available for purchase at the event.

His ornaments come in lots of different textures and designs and measure 2Ã~ inches long and Ã~ inches wide, he said. The Palmer Museum sold them for $12.50 as a fund-raiser. The ornaments are $25 otherwise.

"It's a nice achievement to be honored, for me to be selected by them," Burger said about being hand picked.

A lot of alumni are expected to purchase the ornament-pendants by mail from all different parts for the country, he said.

At the demonstration, Burger showed slides of his work and showed how to cut glass and how he makes a piece. There was also a special program in which participants could make their own pins. He took the pieces to fire and will get them back to the program participants later, once they are finished.

"This is a form of jewelry that's not mass produced. Most of the work is one of a kind. [Purchasing at the fund-raiser was] a great way to get a unique piece of jewelry that will never be seen in a department store," he said.

The pendants are not sold in stores. Each piece is the same glass in different orders and he has made about 140 pieces, each unique. The ornament-pendants will be on sale through Christmas break, Seymour said.