So... this wonderful artist, Lorelei randomly selected me to participate in this pretty neat shadow box challenge. Here's her post so you can learn more about it: Lorelei's Shadow Box Challenge

Now, you may be surprised because I have been overwhelmingly absent over the last year due to problems with my wrists. F i n a l l y... they are coming around and creating is soon to happen! Why not start it off with something that makes me absolutely nervous and excited? Yep, that's what I've chosen to do in putting my name "in the hat" with Lorelei's challenge. I was one of 23 folks chosen to create something with these nifty enameled boxes made by C Koop Beads . On August 27th, there will be a big blog fest where we all show our creations. I have NO idea what I will make with the little beauty that I will soon receive, which makes it even more exciting - no?

You may not even know that I've had a growing interest in mixed media jewelry -- that I've been collecting old skeleton keys, numbered tags, silk and the like. Will I make something completely different and out of my range or will I primarily incorporate gems and wire (which is still out of my range when given a cute little enameled box to incorporate). I have no idea and while this may seem like a very small adventure to some, it's a bit of a leap for me. I have made virtually nothing in a Year - if you are a creator, you know how painful that is! My creative juices have been held down and put away and I can feel them roaring back to the surface. Yipeeeee!

I don't have any expectations about this challenge except to actually make something again, get over the fear of sharing it with a bunch of people, and have lots of fun.

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