Lucky Talisman Necklace

 This month, I received a lucky horseshoe pendant from Melanie Brooks of Earthenwood Studio for the design team challenge. I love this cute pendant! It has a horseshoe symbol on the front and the word "lucky" inscribed on the back. I knew right away I wanted to create a charm talisman necklace for myself. A special totem piece to remind me of important things in my day to day life. The idea of creating jewelry with powerful symbolic meaning really speaks to me. I chose a fairly simple design because I wanted the necklace to be a universal piece I would wear with everything.

  Originally, I thought I would buy some charms and hand pick specific ones for this necklace. I don't have as many charms as I would like, but I dug through my stash and I found these three. A feather, a heart-in-hand, and a dragonfly. I decided to just use what I had. After I finished my necklace, I decided to do a little research and find out the meanings of each symbol and charm. Here's what I found:

The Horseshoe - Horseshoes are a symbol of good luck in many cultures. Especially, Ireland and European countries. Legend has it that a horseshoe pointing upwards will gather your luck and hold it like a vessel. If the horseshoe is pointing downward, your luck will pour out and you will be showered with it.

The Feather - Feathers are a powerful symbol, especially in Native American cultures. They usually symbolize a higher spiritual path.

Heart-in-Hand - This symbol represents compassion, charity or helping others in some way. It also symbolizes putting ones love, heart and soul into the things one makes with their hands.

The Dragonfly - As a creature of the wind, the dragonfly represents change. As a creature of the water, they represent emotions, the subconscious and/or dreams. These symbolic meanings are particularly found in Asian and Native American cultures. Some of the other symbolic meanings for dragonflies are prosperity, good luck, strength, peace and harmony.

I'm wondering what all this could mean for me? Yes, I do think there are some important messages here for me to think about. After all, it was my intention to make a lucky talisman/totem necklace for myself.

I will leave you while I ponder the deeper meanings of life....

  Oh, and if you know of any other meanings for the symbols in the necklace, please let me know in the comments! Or leave me any comment you like...I love your comments! :)

Summer Bliss

When I received my ice cream cone pendant from Melanie of Earthenwood Studio for the design team challenge, it immediately brought to mind fun outdoor activities, laughter and happy times. It made me think of all my favorite things to do in the Summertime. For me, the best part of Summer is enjoying the warm weather and doing fun things like going to the beach, walking along the boardwalk eating ice cream, playing carnival games at a Summer fair, riding a roller coaster or two, eating an ice cream cone....that's after the roller coaster, and maybe a few rounds of mini golf! And...did I mention eating ice cream on a cone? Somehow, you can NOT do any of these Summer activities without ice cream being involved. It's the epitome of Summer and fun times. I love Summer and I love ice cream and who doesn't, right? It's pure bliss!

Here is the necklace I made with Melanie's pendant. I call it "Summer Bliss" and I would totally wear this doing the above mentioned activities and have a ball doing it.

"Summer Bliss"

Ice Cream Cone Pendant: Earthenwood Studio.

Ceramic Mermaid Beads: Gaea.

Happy Summer! 

Now, check out what the rest of the design team did with their ice cream...



Andrew ThorntonGaea Cannaday Denise Yezbak MooreErin Prais-Hintz Heather PowersLorelei Eurto Lori AndersonJean Yates Marie Dodd Guest Designers:   Michelle Mach and Amy Sprite   

Springtime Frills

The beauty of Spring is truly amazing! I'm captivated by it every year. The weather is warm, the birds are chirping and the flowers and trees are in bloom. There are bursts of color everywhere and the air feels light and uplifting. It has me feeling energized and wanting to create things, like this bracelet I'm calling Springtime Frills. I stayed up way too late last night in the studio, but I couldn't help myself. I was feeling inspired by these Spring components from Earthenwood Studio.

Springtime Frills

Birds nest charm and new crackle egg component by 

Melanie Brooks of Earthenwood Studio.

Are you feeling that Spring fever yet?
You can find Melanie's new crackle egg components for a limited time at her Etsy Shop and bird nest charms on her website.

Earthenwood Design Team - Key to My Affection

It's been quiet on the jewelry front around here. Every spare second I have is being devoted to writing our upcoming jewelry book. I tell ya, I've never worked so hard on something in my entire life. It's all I think about and to tell you the truth, it's all I want to think about. It's the highlight of my life, my jewelry-making career to be creating this publication with Lorelei. I can't wait til we are able to share more. ANYWAYS. That's not what this post is about! lol! I'm rambling off topic here.

There's been no time for ordering beads or going to the bead store these days. Luckily for me, I have Melanie Brooks of Earthenwood Studio! She sends me her gorgeous handmade creation every month and for that, I'm grateful. Melanie has started a new line of components called Earthen Oxide.

 

I got to play with this red resin heart key with a love description on it. 

Here's the piece that I made. I'm calling it "Key to My Affection".

A long, simple necklace. I love these brass heshi African trade beads! They give this necklace a cool vibe. I wish I had more of them in my stash. I strung the brass heshi up on some rust color waxed linen cord. I made a knotted bail for the key pendant. The turquoise beads add a shot of color, along with one of Melanie's new crackle-glazed ceramic links. You can find Melanie's crackle items in her Etsy Shop right now.

I love being apart of the Earthenwood Design Team! 

Thank you to Melanie and thank you to you for being here with me.

Here are the other fabulous members of the team: 

Andrew Thornton

Gaea Cannaday
Denise Yezbak Moore
Erin Prais-Hintz
Heather Powers
Lorelei Eurto
Lori Anderson
Jean Yates
Marie Dodd

Earthenwood Design for February

Valentine's Day is just days away now, so it's time for more hearts! This cool heart lock pendant arrived in the mail just a few days ago from Melanie of Earthenwood Studio. I love this pendant! It looks like an antique locket to me. I started working with it as soon as I opened Melanie's package. I just couldn't resist! She sent heart pendants and a few other link pieces to all the design team members this month. I'm sorry I didn't take a picture of the things she sent, but you can see all the beads on her blog!

I made a simple, delicate necklace this time around. Romantic, but a little dark. Actually, as I was working out the design, I thought of that girl from the vampire movies! It does feel a little Twilight inspired, don't you think? I call it Lovers Locket. Three strands of red waxed linen cord braided together with faceted black onyx beads. Drops of pear-shaped faceted garnets and tiny hemite beads dangle from one side and with the heart pendant as well. Finished off with a Vintaj brass hook clasp and a gunmetal chain extender with a garnet drop.

Lovers Locket

I'm looking forward to seeing what the other design team members do with the beads this month! Here's the list:

Andrew ThorntonGaea Cannaday Denise Yezbak MooreErin Prais-Hintz Erin Siegel Heather PowersLorelei Eurto Lori AndersonJean Yates Marie Dodd 

Earthenwood Design Team

 

 Melanie Brooks of Earthenwood Studio invited a few of her beady friends to participate in her newly formed design team! I'm one of the lucky designers chosen to work with her and boy, am I in some good company!  Here's the list of jewelry designers for this month:

Andrew ThorntonGaea Cannaday Denise Yezbak MooreErin Prais-Hintz Erin Siegel Heather PowersLorelei Eurto Lori AndersonJean Yates Marie Dodd  Lauren from Laurel MoonKristie from Colliebug and Company  This month's theme is "Cabin Fever" and Melanie sent us each the components above from her "lumber" series. When I first saw some of her components from this line, I thought of wood boards or planks that you would use to build a child's playhouse or...a tree house! I always wished for a tree house to play in when I was little. Heck, I still want that tree house, LOL! I finally decided to live out my childhood fantasy and I made myself a tree house bracelet! Melanie's work often looks as though it is from the fantasy realm. I love the whimsical nature her pieces bring to jewelry designs.

 "Tree House" by Erin Siegel 

 I used dark green waxed linen cord to string some tree agate rounds (which was very appropriate, I just love stuff like that!), varying shades of pressed glass leaves, wood beads and copper. I hope you like my design and I hope Melanie likes it, too! Maybe I can still get that tree house if I can get my husband to build one for our daughter, Nora some day and I'll get to play in it, too!...or at least live vicariously through her...but for now I will enjoy my bracelet.

Waxed Linen Jewelry

Well, I know it's been a little quiet around here, especially on the jewelry front! I did manage to make a few new pieces recently. Of course, they are created with my favorite material, waxed linen cord!

 Linen Blossom

This first necklace is a delicate piece with green agate rounds and new jade wire-wrapped dangles braided into the waxed line cord for the necklace. The pendant is an Earthenwood Studio flower bead with wrapped dangles of green agate, new jade and carnelian. The closure is also an Earthenwood bead.

 Night Magic

This next piece is a fun multi-strand bracelet! Eight strands of blue waxed linen cord beaded with hues of blue seed beads. The cool button closure is from Green Girl Studios. I used an easy technique to create the button loop that I will be sharing in the upcoming book! I hope you will be looking forward to it!