Wrapped in love

I am studying about gemstones and it is very interesting the way they are opening up to me. I had some turquoise beads and I learned that the turquoise has the power to open up all the chakras, allowing the stone's power of love and communication to flow through the entire being. However, the healers associate it primarily with the throat (5 th chakra) - the center of communication, creativity and spiritual bonding. Turquoise can also help open up for giving and receiving love. Its true blue color sybolizes the spirit of sky source for spiritualists.

There were some lapis also on the tray. I came to know that the lapis makes the wearer aware and wise.

I grabbed some silver gray pearls.

Looking at them all I visualized a young girl who has fallen in love, can't quite make sure if it is right and at the same time cannot overcome the shyness.

It is for her I'm going to create this piece. I'll wrap them with silver and pray may she get all the help from these healing beads and then speak up for what she stands for. May she get all the luck and all the courage to win.

Fall Business Women Online Expo

Gee I am learning so much. There is no school to attend but I have never done so much home work in my life- trying to learn how to do networking to sell jewelry on line.

Well, here we are having a gala On line Expo. Dee came up with this grand idea, so that we can help each other. It amazes me to see how the world is becoming smaller this way, how we are all getting related like we are all spinning a huge web to sustain it.

So do visit our shops , give us feed back and buy hand made meaningful things.

This is going to launch from September 26th 2009. So keep checking. There is more info to come.

TETHY'S TEARS

Tethy was the sea -goddess in Greek mythology, the daughter of Uranus and Gaia. She was the wife of Oceanus, but then, unfortunately his sister too.

She was the mother of all the rivers and lakes but her name mockingly only meant "the old woman"

Tethy had the power to control the stars and the planets and all the constellations above. She'd never let them touch her water. That is why the stars only circle on the sky, over and over forever, but can never drop below the horizon, or touch the surface of the sea.

Here, she raised her daughter,Hera, protecting her from all evil and harm.


Tethy perhaps wished she could fly like the birds and the bees, have wings like the fire flies or the angels. See she has wings on her forehead (in the illustrated mosaic).

But poor Tethy was strangled with sea weeds and surrounded by her thousands of children-the sea creatures, with the destiny of a sea nymph.

I come to feel that Tethy must have shed a lot of tears but was too proud to let the world know. Sea shells and many sea creatures knew those stories but like faithful friends never gossiped about them or, never told them to any body.

They held her tearful secrets in their own bosoms for millions of years which has become drops of pearls today.



While I was making this bracelet with the pale pink pearls then a pair of earring and then a necklace to match, I was thinking about Tethy's story.

What price tag should I put on ?

Jewelry in Treasure Trunk

My friend Kathy and I had a Jewelry in Treasure Trunk sale last Saturday.

When we found out that we were too late to apply for the craft show in our community Kathy suggested why don't we just open our trunk on our drive way? I liked it and why don't we be just kind-a laid back (or lazy, shhh) and see what happens.

Well, for the first six hours nothing much really happened. I mean all the known neighbors even did not show up. I don't know where they went, because the bay bridge was closed for retrofitting any way.

Kathy and I decided we learned our lesson. Only two customers showed up and a little girl with a dad who purged everything he had in his pocket but he had only very limited money.

Then around quarter to five a lady zoomed in from no where, "Wow, this is great, I saw just like this in Nord Strom,... this is even better... your price is great..."

We assured her that since we did not make it to the craft show and did not have to pay for the booth fees we decided to pass on that savings to the buyers.

She started piling earrings and necklaces in one area. I thought she'd make a selection from them but no, she bought them all. We packed them all in nice organza gift bags. She said she is done with her Christmas shopping.

We were very happy. She made our day. We are thinking if we should give another treasure trunk sale on our driveway again!


Do you have an experience lately selling your jewelry? I'd love to hear that and share. Please do leave a comment. Thank you. Dita.

Happiness in a package

Today we went to a fair- Holistic fair. There were many vendors with healing jewelry, palm readers, fortune tellers with a twist, meditation scent sellers , peace sound making Tibetian bowls and what not.

But then a guy with a smile came and sat under a tree where we were sitting . This little out door hangout seemed like a nice shady place, here there are chairs in a semi circle. Another couple also came with their lunch plates and sat down.

Well this guy said I am going to talk about HAPPINESS and then he showed that he wrote a book about it which mainly says (what we all know) that when you stop chasing "HAPPINESS" you'll find it has landed right on your shoulder like a little yellow butterfly.

He talked for a good twenty minutes giving many formulas and theories and anecdotes.

HUH! Actually the listeners summed it up much better when they were given a chance for the open discussion.

Any way, I was thinking about how we get scared when we see dark clouds that gradually approach and we feel- here, it is going to gulp all my happiness, all my sunshine. But doesn't that make sunshine more precious? Don't the clouds have beauty in themselves?

When I move back a few feet, move back from ME, I happen to see the beauty,truth. Happiness is a much bigger thing.

With all that memory and feelings I create something . A necklace piece. I have not given it a name yet, but how about if I call it VERDANT- some one who is inexperienced in judgment , yet young, unripe, innocent, and fresh?

Yes, that is what I feel when the sun beams go through those transparent tear drops. And the green little crystal beads glisten with glee.

Mythology

"Artists don't make objects
Artists make mythologies" - Anish Kapoor

I wake up from a strange dream.

I was swimming hard upstream, against the current. There were many other fish swimming like me. All trying too hard, sometimes pushed back way behind to start all over, some landing somewhere with a loud thud.

Yet, their shimmering bodies glisten with the moonbeams. Sun rays make rainbows. I am enchanted.

I am exhausted. My throat is dry. A gush of water like a huge waterfall, frightening, yet my only quench of thirst wakes me up.

I get a drink of water. Analyzing my dream I came to the conclusion that I was probably worked up inside, thinking how to survive in this home business. How are we going to pay the huge medical insurance when it will soon be all on us. Where would I sell my jewelry. If I don't sell them how will I carry on with this passion?

Then also I felt so small the other day when I went to see the Art fair last weekend. Am I there yet?

I try to think of my style. I want it to manifest itself. I don't want to stamp a brand too hard. No, I never feel satisfied working from a given pattern or kits. I mish mash many ideas, inspirations, experiments and come up with my own hodge podge.

Looking deeper I see that it has a trace of past - my style, I mean. Memories of my mother's, aunts', even grandma's jewelry- that have the touch of antique India in them.

Then it is mixed with wire work, recently learned, bead chips, Bohemian and Czech glasses, swarovski crystals, all that I take from the new age and the new world.

We have come such a long way- I was thinking as I had been crimping the last bead for my necklace the other day. I name this necklace- Mythology


I wanted to make this necklace piece to go with my Chevron danglers.

It shook me up. The story of the Chevron bead- that it used to be traded to buy slaves.

Then strangely yesterday I came across an interesting article, flipping through an old Bead and Button magazine. Here, Melody Mc. Duffy, an American beader is writing about her experience in Ghana where Krobo beads are made.

Of course the Africans villagers did not greet her with open arms in the beginning. It started with a lot of suspicion and doubt but gradually the spirit of Art brought them together and from a common interest of beading they shared their passion, knowledge and helped each other. The Soul of Somanya was born. Visit www.soulofsomanya.org to know more or help in this project.

Who Am I

I was trying to write "My Profile".

There was a time when I was known as- so and so's daughter. Then, I was Mrs....-so and so's wife. Even the last half of my name was chopped off and replaced by some unknown family link. Then I was recognized as so and so's mother, which went for awhile - a decade and a half.

Now I pause to think -who is this "Me" person really, that I am supposed to write a referral for?

What are the values that I cared for most, that I carry on in my daily living? Or, are they just big, pompous hollow word in my wish list.

I wanna be ...

Is it the same person who greets me every morning at the mirror?

I remember the day when in college we had to write about our values. We had to cherry pick only five qualities that we value most out of a list of hundred wonderful character traits. They were all super qualities- like honesty, sincerity,punctuality, artistic ability, popularity, beauty...etc.

I wondered why couldn't I choose all? Why only five?

Do I remember those five now, twenty five years later?

I think I can remember ... sincerity, art and the ability to love...

No, I don't remember the rest. Now I know why they asked to choose only five!

Of course I should have chosen slimness, money, intelligence... but no I was confused and I did not choose them.

I have a quote in my "studio" It says - "Art washes away from the soul the dust of every day life." by Picasso.

Isn't it beautiful?

In this vein I remember another event. I was a child then. I went to a very humble house in rural India with my dad. It was a mud hut. But in the entrance there was a beautiful design drawn right at the door step. It is called an alpana The design was drawn with simple rice paste, grinding rice added with water and the finger tips were only used. No other tools were involved.


At the end of the day most of it was gone, faded with foot steps and the wind.

I commented "What's the point in taking so much trouble to make such a beautiful thing when it's life is so short?"

The lady was shocked. "It's a welcome design. Shouldn't I do it? I'll make it again tomorrow. It doesn't matter if it doesn't stay forever."

What stays forever? Really!

Have you ever seen the Sufi monks dance? They go round and round with their limbs stretched out. One palm stretched up to the sky, the other one points downwards to the ground,as if they want to say -

Oh Almighty, Omnibus -make me thy messenger. Give me your omnipotent power and through me let it be passed to the next generation, to the world.

Bestow thy grace and blessings on me so that I may carry it to my fellow brothers and sisters. Make me selfless and let me forget my ego.


Yesterday I found a couple of Chevron beads in my bead box. These beads used to be traded in the slave industry. Buy human beings trading these beads! It gives me a chill. It used to be produced only by the glass artists of Italy.

Now they are made in China too probably! I got them in a small shop in San Luis Obispo. At least they looked just like the picture that I had seen in the wikipedia for Chevron beads.

I made a pair of earrings with them and now I am in the process of making a matching necklace integrating those colors.