Wednesday, April 16, 2014

more specimens!

i made more specimen pieces! it seems i cannot stop; i am just loving these.
 
also the you were born with wings necklace,
with rainbow moonstone
 
and a handmade chain with iolite, topaz, amethyst, prehnite, moonstone, and labradorite beads as well as bezel-set amethyst and prehnite, a square ring, and a specimen flower
 
 
the back has a beautiful rumi quote "you were born with wings, why prefer to crawl through life?"
 
the luna moth has a lot of significance for me. they are representative of metamorphosis and transformation, the shift from one way of being to another. as the quote says, it is up to us whether we crawl or soar through this life. there's no reason why we cannot transform from a life of crawling to one of flying. it's entirely up to us.

 

specimen necklace no.3
 

 

 
 
specimen bracelet no.1,
with chrysoprase, amazonite, and rainbow moonstone

 

 
the sea star shape has a wood grain texture on the back.
 
 
 
specimen ring no. 1
 
 
 
 
specimen earrings no.1,
with aquamarine and green garnet
 
 
 
 

 

specimen earrings no. 2,
with ice blue topaz
 
 

 

there's a lovely wood grain texture on the back.
 
these pieces are all available in the etsy shop now.
 
also, please answer the survey question at the top right hand side of the page if you haven't done so already, m'dears. thank you so much!

 

Sunday, April 13, 2014

spring, a survey, shannon, and the star

please, if you would, take a moment to answer the survey question in the upper right hand corner here.  i am working on some new endeavors and would like your input.  once you've answered the question, please leave a comment with your email address and this will enter you in a drawing for an as yet secret and undisclosed prize.  but i assure you it's very lovely.

we have some new baby girls here- tilly, klara, and johanna
(klara and johanna, of course, being the gals from first aid kit, hazel's favorite band)

they are a bit spoiled.  one of our current chickens, sunshine, is a bit aggressive.  in fact, june will not go outside to feed or collect eggs without her "chicken whacker", a green plastic bat, for protection.  they have decided that they are going to shower these new girls with plenty of love and affection so that they will be gentle and kind.

it's been fun having the girls out in the shop with me lately.  i've actually been putting them to work, doing a bit of filing for me.  they both enjoy it and produce nice smooth edges. all three of us were out there yesterday, discussing how lovely it would be for them to take over my business for me when i am too old to make jewelry anymore.  hazel said it looked really easy to make.


olive and jo are enjoying spring too

my good friend shannon took some photos for me so that i can, finally, update my "about" page on easy.  she is an excellent photographer, and if any local folks need some photos you can reach her at shannonlivick@gmail.com.





also, this picture was featured in the local paper.  you can see it here, if you'd like.



xoxo




Tuesday, April 8, 2014

specimens

after quite a long period of low inspiration, i am delighted to say that i have once again been feeling very much inspired. i wouldn't even argue with you if you were to call me, say, prolific as of late. i don't know if the cleaning out of the shop prompted this new wave of productivity. but i'm not going to question it; i'm going with it and it's wonderful. i am amazed at how therapeutic beading has been for me recently as well. i know i mentioned it before, but it is so soothing and comforting and mediatative to me, and, as you can see there are beads incorporated into most of my new pieces. from simple stringing to wire-wrapping to hand-knotting, i have been truly loving beading again.
when the beads are all layed out on my tray i feel like a painter with a palette, choosing the next bead for its' various qualities- stone, size, shape, color, texture. the flow of design just makes its own way.

i've also been really enjoying working with pmc again. these new specimen pieces are really speaking to me. the organic patterns, textures and imprints are very grounding. specimens are collected as samples, for further study, to examine to determine genetic make up, classification, genre, etc. they are used to further knowledge, to better understand. information is extrapolated from them to answer questions or determine further study. collected specimens are more than mere keepsakes; they have a purpose and a value beyond the sentimental. they tell us something of origin, place, roots. these specimens do the same. they are earthly remnants represented in silver. they symbolize inner study and definition, collection, classification. i've been asking myself a lot of these questions lately, looking at my thoughts and feelings in new ways, trying to see patterns in my mind, my thinking, tracing my thoughts, seeing where they come from and where they go and what feelings they triggger. as someone very dear to me put it, "who are we and why we are, in the moment, how we are?" who are you and what does it mean? how do you classify yourself?

specimen necklace no. 1, moonstone


my usual photographer (the amazing hazelnut) was otherwise detained, so i've got these strange selfie photos happening here.

specimen necklace no. 2, prehnite


with a prehnite, labradorite, green garnet, smoky quartz, and pearl wire-wrapped chain

specimen necklace no. 3, amethyst

with a moonstone, iolite, prehnite, and amethyst wire-wrapped chain


the prehnite trio necklace,
with a large chunk of prehnite, a wire-wrapped labradorite briolette, and a tab charm that says "intend", suspended from a handmade silver ring.

the necklace chain is in three parts. on one side is a conglomerate of large wire-wrapped beads- prehnite, labradorite, kyanite, aquamarine, iolite, and moonstone. on the other side is one strand of hand-knotted beads- prehnite on brown string- and a strand of wire-wrapped iolite rectangles with one of my rectangular charms mixed in. because prehnite is a stone for dreaming and remembering, it says "dream" on one side and "remember" on the other.

the iolite star necklace,
with iolite, moonstone, and london blue topaz
"if the stars should appear but one night every thousand years, how man would marvel and stare." -ralph waldo emerson


your very own little shining marvel here, a fine silver heart with a tiny little faceted iolite set into it, suspended from a textured square with a london blue topaz and rainbow moonstone floating on it. the necklace is made of gorgeous faceted iolite rondelle beads, with a few moonstones mixed in for good measure.



the garnet heart necklace,
a small fine silver heart with garnet beads




the harmony heart necklace,
a very large pmc heart is surrounded by a beautiful chorus of color. on one side of the heart, tiny garnet beads are wire-wrapped alongside hand-knotted lepidolite, peridot, turquoise, garnet, kyanite, aquamarine, labradorite, and amethyst. on the other side, green garnets, chrysoprase, apatite, and rhodolite garnet sit beside wire-wrapped turquoise, rainbow moonstone, carnelian, garnet, and amethyst. a wire-wrapped green garnet briolette dangles from a small ring. the back of the heart says "harmony".




the knowing she has wings necklace,
with a gorgeous pale pink and purple banded laguna agate




the chain is made up of wire-wrapped pale pink and purple beads- rose quartz, lepidolite, and chalcedony- that coordinate perfectly with the stone.


be like the bird who, pausing in her flight awhile on boughs too slight, feels them give way beneath her, and yet sings, knowing she has wings. -victor hugo

i also made a couple of pairs of gemstone lantern earrings.


prehnite


and amethyst


all of these pieces are in the etsy shop now, my friends.

i hope you all are well.