Christmas Jewels A new Line

I've started a new line just for the Christmas season. 

I love ornaments and candles in decorative holders during Christmas and so I couldn't resist combining my painting and jewelry making supplies to make decorations.

 I should probably also tell you that since I grew up in Florida I have never gotten the chance to really get into the snow thing.  What do I mean? Well, I have always had a great desire dating back to my kiddyhood to make a snowman. Obviously, south florida doesn't  know snow so one frustrated snow maker here.  I've finally solved the problem! I've indulged in polymer clay and paired that with crystal bicone beads, jewelry findings,wood and acrylic paints and have made my snowman....a snowman ornament https://www.etsy.com/listing/163582883/clay-snowman-ornament-painted-clay?.

As for the rest, well, I've taken heavy watercolor paper (300 lb) and using archival inks, acrylic colors have made ornaments for the tree that come with individual handmade (yes, by me of course) beaded silver wire hangers. So much fun! https://www.etsy.com/listing/163175918/red-birds-handpainted-paper-ornament?. But I couldn't stop there......I have some sandollars, large size that wre just begging to be made into ornaments too. so...https://www.etsy.com/listing/163077886/painted-santa-sand-dollar-ornament-santa?.

Now, I'm working on painting candle holders (i.e. glass jars,etc.), making candles for them and 

more ornaments.  Christmas is fun! 

Mandala Beaded Jewelry

Been working on Mandala beaded jewelry and have found that once started, it has a life of it's own!

Yes, I had a picture in my mind when I started beading of just what this would look like and innocently started; beads,gemstones and needle in hand.

What I have found is that this is truly a meditative practice AND just as in designing other pieces of jewelry the"creative muse" takes control of the process and the design.

Needless to say, I am fascinated by the design I seem to be creating and the colors and style of beads and gemstones I am being drawn to to use. This is becoming a much more complicated design than I had originally had in mind but I can see that it will be a delight to see when it is completed......a surprise for everyone including me! This is probably one of my favorite things about designing jewelry.....you never know just how a piece will eventually turn out! No wonder I find this fun to do!

So...I expect (silly me!) to have this first piece finished and ready for my shop by the first week in July. I'll let y'all know when it's there.

Mandala Jewelry Statement of Who You Are

We all have a story we tell about ourselves- our identity. Mandalas can help us integrate that story and heal ourselves to wholeness. Everyone of us is unique and these patterns help us to accept and show our uniqueness.

What exactly is a mandala? Well now, the usual definition is that it is a pattern of power that represents the whole of existence. The shapes seen in mandalas naturally occur in the natural/organic world; think crystals, waves, flowers.

Mandalas have been in long use in many cultures for shamanic journeys and personal meditations. An example would be the rose windows in cathedrals. Hildegard of Bingen, a 12th century nun and mystic published her visionary mandalas.  Carl Jung, noted psychologist, encouraged his patients to paint their own mandalas. He felt the patterns expressed universal archetypes and were a potent means for growth and self- development.

I'm drawn strongly to these beautiful patterns in nature, in all cultures. They are truly universal. So, I suppose it's no surprise that I have begun to make a line of statement jewelry using as the centerpiece  my designs of mandalas for healing, relationship, success, creativity, etc.  Within the next week ( June 17, 2013) these will begin to be offered on my Etsy shop. Each one will be a one of a kind statement piece. I hope you like them!

Oh What A Trip

Oh what a trip! 

Sitting at 5 a.m. in the florida room, cup of coffee and cigarette in hand.  In the dark just relaxing and thinking.  Ya know, winter in north central Florida really only lasts from January through February. A tolerable length of time, enough to enjoy a bit of cool weather without being worn down by dull,dark, seemingly endless days.  The trees and shrubs are bare of leaves and flowers- sleeping and re-energizing.  And I too have been re-energizing or perhaps hibernating.  Haven't been creating, designing jewelry. No ideas it's seemed.

And suddenly but gently my thoughts turn to the huge Azalea outside, the rose bushes, the pomegranate and the persimmon.  Yesterday I noticed the pomegranate and the persimmon are covered with new leaves. Their bare bone branches bursting into greenery.  And the Azalea towering as high as the roof and just as wide is covered head to toe in startling hot magenta pink flowers and deep emerald green leaves.  It makes me smile and giggle, full of joy looking at it and realizing winter's gone and spring as snuck in.

And then I wonder...can I find beads, materials in that wonderful color? Can I duplicate? imitate? the absolute beauty,symmetry, form, femininity of the Azalea flower?  And others thoughts, ideas start to flow for other pieces of jewelry.  Ah nature's done it again!  Gotten rid of my creative block, inspired me to make jewelry that I love and that will hopefully bring joy, giggles and feeling good to all those who wear it.

Oh man, what a trip!