Treasury of Mandalas

I finally created my very first Etsy Treasury today!  Unfortunately I couldn't quite figure out how to take a photo of my screen to show you all the lovely black and white mandalas I found within Etsy.  If you click on "Etsy Treasury"...in the first sentence, you will get there.  I included one of my Cosmic Mandala Necklace too.  Here's a sneak peak....


NatureMandalas

mindmanifesting

joelpillerart

MelissaBeach

I haven't been posting...or posting about my jewelry...... lately because I've been busy creating!   LOTS of new stuff will be appearing on my blog and Etsy soon.  

As Above, So below... and Within

A couple of days ago my sister sent me a link to an incredible place which I had already seen several months ago in National Geographic Magazine but was so happy to revisit.  In the middle of the Mexican desert in Chihuahua.... there are huge ....gigantic....crystal caves.  They are beyond amazing.  To think that below us there are places of wonder beyond our wildest imagination gives me goosebumps.  I feel the same way for what is above.  Watching E.T., The Extra-Terrestrial, last night with my family, I began to wonder (as I have many thousands of times) what we will find out there in space, in the future,  that will make our mind spin.  But, thanks to the Hubble telescope, we do have astonishing photographs of distant galaxies, supernovas and nebulas. And last but not least, the wonder of ourselves...what is within.  Miles and miles of small inconceivably fascinating journeys.  

Giant Crystal Caves 

Outer Space

Inside the human heart

I am definitely motivated to make some jewelry with crystals...and assymmetrical curvelinear designs!

Glorious Nature

I just had to share these images I photographed in my backyard on Sunday.  My husband and I planted everyone one of these glorious flowers just a couple of years ago.  It's amazing what a little time, sun and water will bring.  We are blessed.....

"Earth laughs in flowers."

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Incredible Ink

I was going to wait until she told everyone but I can't wait.  My sister  FINALLY has her own shop on Etsy, LucindasPetPortraits! 


She is an incredible talent...in more ways than one....acting, singing, drawing (ink and pastel), painting (watercolor and oil), writing, photographing, collage, giving, loving, sharing.  I am very proud that she has honed so many talents but it's about time she shares her art with the rest of the world.  Here is a sneak peak of her shop, which focuses on Pet Portraits...... and hopefully soon, she will be opening her second Etsy shop for her fine art.  You won't believe it......

This is just a sneak peak as she also draws animal friends, including endangered species... and paints lovely watercolors of birds!

Kumquat may....

When we moved to the Arbolada in Ojai with all the houses are so spread apart, I figured it might take years to get to know only a few neighbors.  I was so wrong.  Maybe because everyone walks,  maybe because I was pregnant when we moved in, or maybe because everyone is so amazingly friendly, I got to know just about everyone in a three block radius within the first year.  


One of my neighbors, whom we met because she walks by our house almost daily, saw my husband at the Farmers Market last year buying kumquats.  She mentioned that she had a tree full of them that nobody ever ate and that she will remind us to come by.  A year later now, she called to let us know her tree was ready for us.  I couldn't believe she remembered.  And here are the beauties I picked.....Thank you Jo!

I must add that Jo and her husband Kris Young, started our Ojai Locavore group and started the project Eat Local One Year last year.  This year, they are hoping to get everyone to eat at least three completely local meals throughout the year.... Locavore Lite 2010.  Check out their websites!   

www.eatlocaloneyear.com

locavorelite2010.webs.com

Come what may...

I will be always thankful for such great neighbors.

Heaven & Earth

These turquoise beads were a great find on Ebay, though I wasn't sure what I would do with them at the time of purchase. I couldn't resist them as they reminded me of a little planet... our beautiful gaia... of earth and water.  I knew I wanted to hang them from a handmade silver piece that I would eventually create and when I had them in my own hand, I knew that the silver would represent the heavens.  Keeping with the theme of my "Cosmic Mandala" pendant, I decided to make a unique silver "cosmic" disc for each bead.  Here are the results!

I'm going to call them "Heaven and Earth" .......hoping to get them up on Etsy tonight! 

Full sink... Out of Sync....

I ignored the large stack of dishes slowly piling up in the kitchen sink from last night and this morning, didn't make the bed or fold the laundry today.  My poor houseplants... if they had vocal cords they would be weeping from lack of moisture.  This is not typical of my Virgo nature. Where did my mojo go?  I tried to find some  inspiration from our lovely weekend... to no avail.  The sky was mostly dark as the rain managed to keep falling throughout the day.   I did check emails and manage to "string" a few necklaces... and photograph only one....the one with the birds and flowers looking like they are celebrating the return of the sun AFTER the spring rains. 

I need sunshine.  I like rain but I love sunshine.  Did I just say I need sunshine?  Found a little in the bouquet I bought yesterday. 

Thank goodness Yin Yoga resumes tomorrow.  I want my sync back and my sink empty.

I left my heart......

in the Japanese Garden in San Francisco.  In fact, I leave my heart in all Japanese gardens... Portland, Pasadena (Huntington Gardens).... I love the architecture, color, composition... They are just so calming and zen and lovely.

 Don't get me wrong, I am a lover of wild abandoned nature too but something about Japanese gardens calls to me.  Maybe it's a past life thing. Who knows!

While I took the photo above, notice who also has a camera and took the following photos!

We (hubby, son and I) had a great weekend wandering Golden Gate Park on Thursday and then toodling around the marina before the BIG GAME on Friday..... the Giants opening (home) game.  And they won!  I'm  not a huge sports fan but attending a baseball game is fun.... especially in the gorgeous new AT&T Ball Park on the bay.  Though I've been a true blue Dodger Fan since I was a kid,  I do root for the Giants to please my hubby... as long as they are not playing the Dodgers.  We had a fun dinner with a great view at Alioto's after the game to celebrate their big win then breakfast at the historic Cliff House yesterday morning before the LONG drive home.  A nice end to a fun "weekend".

Ode to Joyful Sleeping

I must confess that when I began blogging, I felt that I needed to do it to market my jewelry.  Now..... I'm am a true blue lover of blogging. Instead of my once a week goal, I find myself enthusiastically planning several blogs ahead. But, I usually don't find the quiet time I need until after everyone in my household is asleep.  That means that I am not sleeping enough. I do sleep though the night but  I'm not sleeping truly deeply. Ask anyone, I have crazy dreams.... busy dreams, weird dreams, creative dreams, flying dreams, dramatic dreams, out of this world dreams.  Sometimes fun, yes, and some even worthy of a feature film...but I never really feel like I'm rested. I want to sleep like my son did at three weeks old.  I want to sleep peacefully. That is my goal now.  I'm going to bed now and pray for joyful sleeping.

Yes.... Ben was sleeping in all three photos.... (Was it you Dad? or Lucinda? who took these photos....)

New Silver Batch!

Bone dry fine silver metal clay pendants and earrings just before entering the kiln.....

Two hours later,  fired and just out of the kiln.....

Several hours later... polished, patina-ed in liver of sulfur.... and polished again.  Ready for assembly!

Coming to PK Studios Etsy shop sooon!

Happy Easter!

eggs by Benjamin and mommy  (except the chocolate ones!) ...

flowers daddy bought at farmer's market ...

Benjamin's pre-school project ...

......and another ...

mommy's new creative obsession ..... Ukrainian egg dying.... 

ps.  If anyone in the Ojai area is interested in Ukrainian egg making,  contact artist Bernadette DiPietro holds  classes

Luscious Letterpress

Letterpressed cards are very impressive....no pun intended.... well ... maybe.   Be it a business card, invitation or note card, it just doesn't get much better than one made from a letterpress unless it's hand drawn from a child, of course.  The perfect word to describe them is luscious, which according to Merriam-Webster is "richly luxurious; sexy; seductive"... and they are!


My friend Tegan Hope, who is also my occassional "clay" date (making jewelry), expressed a deep desire to someday learn to use a letterpress less than two years ago. She now owns her own fully restored vintage Chandler and Price letterpress and has become quite the expert!  With a long time career in graphic design and amazing creative abilities, she has now launched Bungalow 36, a design and letterpress company. 


And, today my dream came true!  No only do I now have my very own letterpressed business cards, Tegan taught me how to use her gorgeous machine and I printed some of my own cards.  Keep in mind that Tegan also picked out my new colors and designed the layout for my new logo.  Thank you Tegan!

Photos courtesy of Tegan Hope