focusing on stone

i've been making things ... perhaps you guessed, which is why I've neglected my blog, other than to post the fruits of my labor so you may see what's been keeping me in hiding ... a beautiful pendant of Crazy Horse Jasper called to me (click on the photo for a close-up of this Jasper's kooky spottiness) ... but it took me awhile to find just the perfect mix of elements ... I've fallen in love with coin pearls ... and of course, the fall...



Turquoise and Coral are bound together, our ancient deserts were once the sea, and here they are bound once more.



a splendid pendant of Galaxy Quartz looks as though it might be filled with a tiny amber sea or rust colored sands from Sedona... it is a "farmed" crystal and not created by Mother Earth. Still, it caught my eye. I combined it with amber Czech glass crytals for a touch of sparkle... like rain on my window...



and then ... another a delicate wrap necklace was born...



filled with blue-green light ... I call it "River"



it calls to mind the cold green waters that rush over mountain boulders in the Cascades...



pouring forth from pristine, frozen lakes, reflecting snow-capped peaks and the delicate colors of the sky...



this one is "Winter" a fine wrap necklace that seems to have risen from just such a lake ...

but now it is fall, and I am in love with the colors of the season ... when the sun shines through the rain and for a brief while ...



the world is golden ... today was such a day



i hope your world is as beautiful...

~lora

what i've been up to today

i've been quietly preparing for my upcoming show and so haven't been posting to my website or etsy, however, here's a peek at what I've been up to.



silver wrap necklace using smokey quartz, freshwater pearl, carnelian and crystal quartz



silver wrap necklace using aventurine, chalcedony, moon stone, quartz crystal, Austrian crystal and flourite


i just love the delicate mix of colors!



these necklaces can be wrapped many times or just once and worn long down the front or, if you're so inclined, down the back



silver wrap necklace using lemon quartz, died quartz and peridot


these items won't be posted for sale until late October, since they are show inventory at present ... now, back to seclusion!

hope your Tuesday is fabulous!

wrap necklace is long on looks

today I played more with the idea of the claspless wrap necklace using two smokey quartz pendants and a handful of faceted crystals with a Sterling chain. Note the same necklace below antiqued ...meaning it has an oxidized silver chain (more liver of sulpher)...




and look! (shhhh!) A real live model! Don't let the others hear or they'll be so terribly nervous about their jobs.

exciting news...I just sent off my check for a vendor booth at the Portland Fashion Week event (http://www.portlandfashionweek.net.) I'm just a little nervous, however, since the event is 6 days long and I will be doing most of it on my own! Okay ... more than a little nervous ... how about a lot nervous!

but I know that the best way to undertake such things is to greet them head on with a smile... so ... I have three weeks to prepare!

pictured below is the Aphrodite Goddess Necklace, combining blue lace agate hearts, faceted crystal quartz and Sterling silver... modeled here by the lovely Claire...



i am still toying with the 7 "things" ... since I was tagged. But afterwards, I may be forced to close up shop for a couple of weeks while I prepare for my big show.

have a fabulous Thursday!

~L

journey in stone

i have long considered starting another blog dedicated to the healing and regenerative power of stones, and that may be a future endeavor as another way of looking at gemstone jewelry for those of you who may be interested ... I'll keep you posted here as to whether I do. However, in the meantime I have decided to at least offer some of that type of information here since this site is dedicated to the inside view of the daily life of a jewelry maven. And stones are an integral part of my existence. Though I do prefer to keep this site light and humorous and not belabour you, my dear visitors, with the deeper aspects of my journey in stone.


that being said, I will give you a small history lesson. You may not be aware that the original purpose of jewelry was not for physical adornment! Imagine....


in ancient times, only rulers, holy people or healers wore "jewelry" or those who required healing or had somehow earned the right, or had the need to carry a particular stone, and thus entertain its qualities and influence. Stones were thus carried close to the body and secured. Ta Da... jewelry!



(I called the bracelet pictured above Love's Catch. Rose quartz is a translucent pink stone said to express an energetic vibration matching the high-heart's. It's gentle light draws and expounds upon unconditional love, kindness and nurturing. Flourite, the green stone, has been called The Relationship Stone, helping to balance and stabalize emotions, honor clear vision and decisions based on truth, rather than fogged by emotion.)

(Above is pictured a long, flapper style, wrap necklace of freshwater pearl, jaspar and jade I have named Avalon. Did you know jade has been said to carry the energy of all previous wearers forever ... therefore be careful from whom you buy your jade!)


whether one believes in the healing or recuperative power of stones, or not, it exists and is discussed in our most ancient texts and languages including Sanskrit. Individuals of royalty carried crystals with them (eventually they became the crown jewels) initially to enable them to govern their societies with clarity, wisdom and integrity. Crystal, as discussed in my July 30th full moon blog, draws, holds and refracts energy, and thus the crown jewels were passed down through the generations, in hopes that too was all wisdom gained by the previous rulers.

gems have been worn for thousands of years around wrists, on fingers, as amulets or carried in medicine bags. Because of their ability to stimulate energy, they have always been consciously or unconsciously worn in conjunction with the various chakras, or energy centers of the body, thus activating certain qualities such as love and compassion, wisdom, right action, right speech or creativity.

(The Jasper donut here can be removed from the necklace. Jasper was long considered The Warrior's Stone and was carried into battle as an amulet or totem. The stone's vibrational qualities coincide with those of strength, courage, trust and nobility. It has been used in therapeutic environments to help those who are dealing with addictive behaviors break free, or shy withdrawn people dealing with difficult change find courage. I think it is a beautiful stone that tells a story if one looks deep enough. This one of mountainous journeys, mist and mystery. )


you are probably thinking, how in the world do people use stones to heal? That just seems weird. I suppose if you really think about it, we often receive a "healing" effect from an experience we might not have considered a healing modality! Certainly a kind word or a hug from a child or loved one. But think about stepping out into nature in your bare feet, feeling the warm or damp earth under you, smelling the sea air, sitting on a flat boulder warmed by the sun and watching a rushing river, even eating fresh foods ... things of this nature cause a feeling of renewed energy. This is a subtle healing response. If you seek healing from an experience consciously, you are adding an element of intent which strengthens the intensity of the experience.

(Here aventurine is mixed with amethyst and flourite. Amethyst is one of the crown jewels, and is called a mystical stone and coincides with the crown chakra, assisting us to get in touch with our highest values, true feelings and intuition, fostering healing, selflessness and spiritual awareness. Aventurine is associated with the heart chakra and is appreciated for attracting abundance, wealth and opportunity. It has a reputation as "The Gambler's Stone" in that it has been held in esteem for its good luck qualities throughout the ages!)

the nature of crystal healing can be described as thus, aside from their beautiful physical qualities, when worn or placed in close proximity to the human body, their electromagnetic energy field joins with the human electromagnetic field, which you may have heard referred to as the aura. Kerlian photography proves this without a doubt. Remember, we are all energy on a sub-atomic level! The stone's particular color and light force "vibrations", are refracted into the aura and the increased color frequencies thus dissipate and/or neutralize physical, mental, emotional and psychic stress. The result is balance, which shows in the body as health. Most healing experiences are initially quite subtle, but sometimes the experience is amazing.

here's a good "test" if you are open to that ... which can be really fun and interesting! Find a stone that is very attractive to you ... one you find in nature is usually too dense ... but you may wish to go to a rock shop or new age shop where they have crystals, which have a more refined energy and are often easily felt by even the most cynical naysayer!

holding the crystal in front of your body (close but not touching), in your thumb and forefinger, run it from your groin area upwards to the top of your crown ... what do you feel? What is most often felt is a tugging sensation in one or more locations as you move upward. There are 7 main chakra's located in the torso, neck and crown and these respond to the energetic field of the crystals as they come close together. I love this test because I've rarely had someone "not" have an experience! It's sort of that "yippy" feeling you get when you're on a roller coaster or glance down a long stairwell or over the side of a cliff!

but aside from the more aesthetic uses and meanings associated with the element of stone, the most healing experience of all can be merely wearing a special gemstone and feeling attractive because of it, or knowing your beloved grandmother wore it, perhaps there is a story surrounding it that is secret and beautiful... these experiences bring an unparalleled connection to your deepest self... and with this comes confidence and personal power! I say ...What doctor can give you that?

so that's my stone story for the day ... I will make an attempt to slip one in now and then, including the particular healing qualities of the various stones I use in my jewelry.

thanks for stopping by today!

~L

meet flora ... the blue fairy

yes, I do know that she's missing part of her head but ... we don't mention those things within ear shot.

I barely had a chance to say how do you do to Miss Flora ... (the lovely blue fairy pictured here modeling some creations) she'd hardly said giday ... it was less than 5 minutes ... truly ... when one of the slates toppled over during a photo session, banged her on the head, flattened her and caused several little chips to appear on her torso! Poor love! She promises not to sue, and despite the development of a rather odd tick ... she seems just fine!! Really, she does. Unfortunately, now she's damaged goods! I swear! She was in the mailbox when I got home, and I being so overly excited, rushed to my studio, situated her just so, and ... it took me no more than 5 minutes to destroy her. I have quite the knack for these things!

My mother came very close to naming me Grace. Perhaps if she had, I would've gotten through life with a few less accidents!

Must go wipe away tears now ... what a major KLUTZ!

... later

full moon monday and the proper clearing of stones

i don't have much time to visit this morning, which certainly shouldn't be the case, but today is my busy Monday and entails another job that isn't nearly as much fun as making jewelry and requires a great deal of stress medication in the way of caffeine and chocolate. However, that being the case, I still had a moment to begin my "list" ... the one I spoke of several posts ago. The one I had every intention of following through on and so here, this morning, I begin...

but first ...let me remind you that today IS the full moon, and if you are one to keep crystals in your house (being a bead goddess I have a multitude of cut and natural crystal), whether they are set in silver and strung about your neck or geodes placed next to your bed, or polished stones you keep in a medicine pouch, or just crystals you keep because you think they are beautiful, which they all are, and I fully understand!


Whatever reason... crystal does collect and retain energy and can lose its luster, clarity and other properties (except for citrine) and must be cleared regularly. As science has now confirmed, we are all merely waves of energy on the sub-atomic level, and so truly the same as our crystalized friends, just moving somewhat faster. And, just as the moon has magnetic qualities, stone acts in much the same way, drawing like-energy to itself or as they are used in healing, drawing detrimental energy away from us. Running water, sunshine and moonshine (as in the moon in the sky! Not the nearest distillary, dear friends!) are excellent resources for the purpose of clearing energy.

The problem with sunshine is, it may actually fade your gemstones, as some are quite sensitive to sunlight, being cave dwellers for the most part! Case in point, I had a brilliant green aventurine heart a good friend made me swear I'd leave to her when I died (I think she's still counting the days!) But, I left it on the top of a dresser for a day, unfortunately right where a splash of sunlight happened to fall for about an hour each day, and even more unfortunately ...my gorgeous lime-colored pendant faded to a mere ghost of itself! I still adore that stone and wear it often, but needless to say, it doesn't get the compliments it used to, but at least my friend has made no more threats on my life.

Fresh running water, the best source being a waterfall or fast stream, though an excellent source, is not so easily come by. Tap water is so so and if there's nothing else, leaving your stones in a bowl under fast running tap water for 20 minutes or so works just fine. Obviously, if your precious stones are set in silver or gold or any type of baser metals, be sure to dry and polish them thoroughly afterwards! Burying stones in a container of sea salt is another good method for clearing cluttered or stagnant energy, however salt can be caustic to some softer stones such as celestialite, tigers-eye and sugalite and again cause dulling, scratching or cracking.

However, one method that is clearly excellent and causes no adverse effects to your stones whatsoever is the light of the full moon. You certainly can set your stones in your window sill overnight, however as the earth and moon go through their rotations, the stones will not get a full dose throughout the night, which is preferred.

I recommend placing the stones on a tray and setting them outside overnight somewhere they can get some full-spectrum moonshine. Don't worry if there is cloud cover or rain, the power of the moon is undaunted by the weather. Tomorrow, you can set them out about your home again to be beautiful, or do their work. Some people prefer to re-program their stones with intention based on the innate healing quality of the particular stone. There are wonderful books available regarding this! What's really interesting is that most people, never having read a related book on the subject, usually just know the capabilities of their stone.

Finally, those stones that are set in metal of any kind should be stored properly when not being worn. If I'm not wearing my rings, pendants or beaded jewelry, I keep them in air-tight freezer bags. This keeps them gorgeous, without need for polishing or cleaning. Just... after each time you wear them, be sure to polish them with a soft, dry cloth and stick them away again for safe keeping until the next full moon.


Now ... that list ... I didn't get very far as you can see. I suppose tomorrow is another day!

Have a fabulous Monday!

XXOO ~L