Good news! I finally took the plunge and contacted one of my favorite stores to see if they might be interested in carrying any of my work. Leslie, the owner of Three Sisters in Ukiah, CA, was a sweetheart and both took 6 pieces on consignment and invited me to do a trunk show next week in celebration of kicking off the holiday shopping season. I'm really thrilled to have some things in her store and to do the show.

Three Sisters has been one of my all-time favorite shops over the years. In their own words, "We specialize in gifts that nurture body, mind and soul for the entire family." In my words, it's a place of magick, gemstones, the Goddess, healing energy and so much more. I'm always sure to take company there to go shopping whenever anyone visits and love supporting them and the various local artists that they support.
Exciting!! Thanks Leslie!

The show is Nov. 18th from 5-8pm. I'll be set up in the store in Ukiah, California, which you can find by checking out their link: Three Sisters .

Here are the pieces that she chose to sell in the store: (plus one that I don't have a photo of). Hope to see you there!

I've been neglecting my blog as well as others' blogs. After my last post at the beginning of May, my carpal tunnel TOOK OVER. It took over mind, body, and spirit. I can't remember what I've said of it here on my blog, but I have it in both wrists and at my worst, cannot pet my cats or wash a dish. It gets pretty bad. Needless to say, I also couldn't type or use my mouse, but that's not so much what kept me away as it was the draining of my spirit by the old depression, which is very prevalent in my life. I realized somewhere along the way that I figured everyone knew what was going on with me as I dropped out of this online society because I had updated how things were going on Facebook, but of course we are not all on FB. So - apologies to any of you who wondered where I went.

In my last post, I shared a photo of this piece that I made for my mother. My dear friend Swati, commented to the effect that I was teaching her something new in regards to "green amethyst", and I realized I better get my butt in gear and do some research so I'm not sharing false information!! So this post is a little about this green stone :) I am not a specialist - just explaining as best I understand. I welcome anyone to add more or correct me!

I've been working away at orders and swaps and "create it forward pieces." I'm having lots of fun and thought I better just stop in here and update you on what I've finished!

I suppose I won't share any of the "create it forward" pieces until they are all done and out to their peeps so you'll have to wait to see those :)

I recently did 2 pendants for my mom's birthday which she got today. Happy Birthday Mom!!!
These are the two that you see above. The first one is black onyx with a tiny faceted black spinel up at the top. She had been wanting something in just black and silver so this is what I came up with. Hope she likes it!

The second one is a "green amethyst" briolette. Green amethyst is a treated amethyst - there are natural ones (Prasiolite), but very rare I think. When she picked out this stone last time I went back east to visit, I knew I wanted to wrap it using a tutorial I had purchased from "Earrings By Erin" on Etsy. Here's a link to the tutorial: Erin's Vintage Briolette Tutorial.
It was a very well done tutorial and I'd suggest it to anyone who wants to give it a shot. I quite enjoy Erin's work! I had to change a couple of things to adapt to a different sized briolette than she used (mine is smaller), but it has a quite similar look. I thought about oxidizing mine, but mom had made the comment in the past about a bracelet that I gave her, that she likes to watch it darken, so watch she will:)

Happy Birthday Mom!! One of these days I'm going to get her to actually post a comment on my blog. You hear that??!

Okay....
The next items to share were all ordered by a lovely woman who happens to be a good friend of my mothers and probably rivals her in how many pieces of my work she owns.
She had selected a piece of petrified wood (fossilized wood) when she and my mom visited me here in CA some time ago. When I went back east we then picked out a herkimer diamond that she wanted to pair with the wood. She didn't have a particular thing in mind except that she wanted them together - possibly with the herkimer below. I decided to go with a fairly standard style cabochon wrap for both pieces, and used round wire to keep the soft look of the petrified wood. So, here she is front and back or front and front, whichever way you choose to look at it.
Hope she loves it!


The final photo shows a selection of pieces that she ordered to give out to a group of women with whom she celebrates a bit of the supernatural each year. In my mind I think if them as "The Unofficial Coven" though they do not profess themselves to be witches or anything like that.
The do get together yearly to photograph Orbs and call to their ancestors and other friendly spirits. Of course, this is my abbreviated version since I've never accompanied them, but I have been invited and my just have to do so next year.
I had so much fun making these for them!

The stones used in these pendants are: prehnite, amethyst, quartz, amazonite, fluorite, kyanite, mookaite and aventurine. I think she has inspired me to do some more individual group pendant sets. It'd be fun if someone bought a set to give to their friends or keep for themselves if they want.

Okay, one more for the road. This is a piece I made out of sterling silver and aquarmarine crystals - just for fun:) Well, it's all fun really, but I suspect you know what I mean.
Happy creating to you!
Shay

Ever see the movie "Pay It Forward"? Simply put, the premise is that you do nice things for people and they in turn do nice things for people, and it spreads and spreads and spreads. Sounds great right? I thought so.

*update* 4/6/10 - Here are the links to the archive of the show with my interview. It has been separated into 4 shorter segments, so there are 4 links. (Part 1 , Part 2, Part 3, Part 4)

I've been happily creating away lately, but I seem to be in a battle with my camera. I think either it has changed on me or I can't take decent photos anymore! Actually... I think my camera hates me, but what can I say. I did manage to get a few clear pics this morning so I wanted to share my latest two necklaces with you.


I've been having lots of fun doing goddess pieces lately. I started off doing rather large copper pieces as you can see here. Those pieces were more focused on chunky and raw stones, while these latest two are getting back into the silver and more sparkly gemstones. I'll tell ya, I am loving making both styles. They have such movement and radiant energy. I can't wait to see who's neck they end up on!
Hugs around,
Shay

Hi all! Just in case you or anyone you know has thought about buying this piece, Spring's Harp, I wanted to let you know that I've donated it to the Etsy shop that is supporting Doctors Without Borders during this time of special need in Haiti. It is $235 and all proceeds minus fees taken out by Etsy and Paypal, will go to this cause. You can find it and many other items at the store here: Heartsforhaiti.etsy.com I've really been wanting to find a way to support the relief in Haiti, but haven't had the resources to do so, so I was pretty happy when I found this shop on Etsy. I deliberated about doing some lesser priced items, and I still may, but I chose my most expensive item instead, hoping that someone will be inspired to buy it and see the money go to a place it is so needed right now.

On another note, I hope you are all doing as well as can be! I haven't been online a whole lot lately. I'm in one of my "got-to-stop-spending-so-much-friggin-time-on-this-machine!" modes. I've been channeling most of my energy lately into cleaning my studio - I mean REally cleaning it. I've had years of stuff piling up under tables and on shelves and have been going through every little bit. I have about one shoebox more of things to sort and stow away and I will have officially been through every bit of the room and should theoretically even know where anything I have actually is. Though I do find myself wondering, "but where is that onyx pendant that I got that I was going to wrap for....." Not a good start, but it sure feels good to walk in there now. Now, back to creating since my hands are doing well again:) Yay!

Okay, enough about me. Please do check out the Hearts For Haiti store and see if there's anything you want to buy. It's a nice and easy way to donate and get a little something at the same time.

Love to you all, Shay

That's what I feel like lately -- this need to get back to ground, back to the beginning, back to earth. It's a raw emotion that I can't particularly describe other than by the above words. Creatively, it has been like a mantra in my head saying "Talisman... talisman... protection". That's what I've been needing to create for awhile.

When I began working with wire about 5 years ago, I used stripped copper electrical wire and crystals and stones. My pieces were rather large and chunky. Here are a few examples:




I still create on the larger side but I've tried to tone them down over the years. I also moved into tiny faceted gemstones and pretty much just sterling silver wire. I still love doing those pieces, but lately I felt I needed to get my hands back into my piles of rough stones and heavier gauge wire, so that's what I've been doing, and it's been great.

The first goddess piece I made, was created almost in a frenzy of energy. I walked into the studio and saw the amber hanging there and knew I had to grab that. Next I was just spinning around in the room grabbing anything that wanted to be a part of that piece -- bone goddess, rutilated quartz, obsidian needle, ruby, garnet, citrine, turquoise. Then I started wrapping it all up, without regard to doing a "neat" wrapping job. Quite the contrary, I want these pieces to be wild and unkempt (but obviously still with neat tucked wire ends so they don't poke!) That's how I feel when I'm making them, and all the while, I am thinking, "talisman, talisman, protection, goddess, powerful, shield", and such thoughts. I honestly don't even know what the various pieces of these necklaces represent in the metaphysical world. I may look it up, but I don't really need to because I know how they make me feel. Hopefully they will find a home with someone who feels their power.

I've made three in the last 3 days and for all I know I may not make more, but I'm pretty sure I will. You just never know about me! For now the shiny silver and faceted gemstones are sitting to the side as I am compelled to work with the Goddesses. I sure having fun with them!