The Hunter and the gatherer

It takes a stylish and confident person to style their jewelry in a way that is bold, interesting and truly unique.

Jesse is wearing three of his new talon necklaces. I met Jesse in October at the Vintage Charlotte holiday market and we instantly bonded over jewelry and style. Jesse is an entrepreneur and small business owner as well. Jesse restyles, redesigns and creates custom created clothing from vintage finds.

I asked Jesse if he’d style his new jewels and wow did he take it and run with the assignment. I love how he went out to the woods to photograph himself wearing his Eilisan Jewels. What do you think? Smokin’ right?

So fellas, YOU TOO can wear jewelry and be an absolute BOSS!

Jesse purchased the Squirrel bone pendant, Hunted owl talon charm and the hawk talon charm. These necklaces truly make a statement with any outfit that showcases them.

Jesse and I are currently working on a custom gold chocker necklaces with charms so that he can style his jewelry with his custom re-worked clothing. I can’t wait to see how our collaboration comes together!

So treat your man to some spiritual and badass jewels.

A charm for every patronus and totem animal

You truly bless me with the best ideas, and I can’t ever stop talking about it!

Back in October when I did a market in Charlotte I met a super creative entrepreneur, Jesse Titus of Block Benefits. He requested a thick cable link chain with some of my classic charms. At first I wasn’t feeling this idea, I wasn’t sure it would work.

Well lo and behold, I became a BIG fan of this style/idea! And here it is as modeled on me in sterling silver. Jesse requested an 18kt gold plated charm link chain. I LOVE both styles.

Here I am in my studio modeling the silver chain with my new favorite outfit - leather harness with a velvet dress!

This necklace also looks great with the Crab claw charm necklace.

Serving FACE, jk but I do love getting all gussied up for a night out in my jewelry.

And here’s the 18kt gold plated chain with the squirrel bone charm, bear claw charm, owl talon, badger claw and crow claw.

It just goes to show that it’s best to be open to new ideas and styles because it truly can amplify what is already cool.

Thanks for reading and PLEASE do not hesitate to reach out and let me know what thoughts and ideas you have.

Full Circle Holistic Wellness + Spiritual Market

What have I been up to? I know it’s been a month since I posted on here. August was a vacation month, which was desperately needed.

Okay so on to the BIG NEWS! I’m co-hosting/working on this fun project with two of my favorite spiritual women, Nikki Kornegay of Golden Ginko Holistic & Restorative Wellness and Jemily Krall of Spy Collective.

Back in July I was chatting with Jemily and I told her it’d be so awesome to have a witchy/spiritual market here in Eastern NC, specifically Greenville and Jem jumped at this idea. Which I’m so happy she did because she has taken this idea and ran with it to the heavens!!!

So here we are and this amazing market will be on Saturday, November 11th, 11-5pm at Melt Fitness studios in Downtown Greenville.

As you can see below we will have a small yet mighty collection of individuals sharing their healing and restorative gifts.

I will, of course offer my tarot readings and maybe some jewels. So if you’re in the area, COME OUT and treat yourself to a day of community and restoration!!

Playing around with jewels and walking in gardens

How’s your summer going? Are you HOT as a bbq oven? I honestly didn’t know what other comparison to make but you get it.

My summer has been somewhat quiet and slow which I absolutely LOVE. I’ve been teaching weekly jewelry classes and just generally spending time with my family.

Two weeks ago we traveled just outside of Raleigh to visit the Juniper Level Botanical Gardens and it was such a treat! We loved the waterfalls, all the amazing BIG cactus’ and being in nature. I tell you it is SO soothing.

We marveled at all the different and beautiful plants. Are you growing anything, doesn’t have to be plants? Are you growing a new project? A new idea?

We accidentally grew sunflowers and my daughter and I lost our minds, it’s such a delight, and the sunflowers bloom just outside my studio door. We’ve also got Japenese eggplant, pumpkin, green peppers and of course cherry tomatoes.

I also had a chance to visit my parents in the mountains and I made sure to harvest some of my Dad’s abundant sage and lavender. I created some really pretty bundles with some other wild flowers grown on their property.

When I sit down and spend time with these herbs I feel so connected to Mother Earth, we’re cocreating beauty and presence with these sage and lavender cleansing bundles.

Ya’ll know I LOVE to gift these cleansing wands to you and my friends. I was visiting my parents last month (June) to participate in the Girl Tribe Pop Up in Charlotte.

I had such a great time reading tarot at the event that I decided to participate in the July event which is happening this coming Sunday! If you live in the Charlotte area, come out and shop this super fun event!

I hope to see YOU there and if you can’t make it, be sure to check out my late summer and Fall events. It’s going to be a busy yet fruitful season!

Eilisain Tarot

You could probably see the writing on the wall. As much as I write and talk about tarot it was inevitable that I’d create a tarot deck. So here is your sneak preview!

And I almost can’t believe it’s happening!!!! Back fourteen years ago when I began my jewelry journey I tried to create jewelry that referenced tarot however I couldn’t really figure out how.

Cue to now and I’m creating my own deck. At the beginning of the year I set about working on this project and I had absolutely no clue HOW. If you follow ‘manifestation’ they always urge you to forget about the HOW and to trust in the universe. Well I did and let me tell you this happened way faster than I thought it would and I have to give most of the credit to my friend and assistant Victoria Schultz.

If you recall Victoria began working with me three years ago during the pandemic. Victoria has been my angel, my right hand woman. Victoria took this project and RAN with it, she knows the Eilisain brand so well and she nailed the graphics and look.

In late April and just last month we shot images of me with our sample tarot deck. These are the major arcana cards, with several of the minor cards.

We organized the deck with each suite corresponding to an Eilisain Jewelry collection, so Wands/Fire = snake, Swords/air = owl, Cups/water = Cuttlefish jewels and Pentacles/earth = Turtle.

Each jewelry collection features jewels and photos that easily correspond to the tarot and the messages we receive from each card. This has always been my intention, to meld the divine/spiritual with jewelry. The messages are intertwined.

This year I truly embraced reading tarot and the opportunity to intuit and attune myself to how I can assist you in your daily life and inquiries.

So to wrap this up, Eilisain Tarot will drop in late Fall of this year - perfect for this spooky season. In addition Eilisain jewelry will transition over to a new website that will provide jewelry AND tarot.

I’m just SO thrilled and excited to share this with you!! Stay tuned by signing up for my email list so you can purchase your deck as soon as it drops!

Shop for Eilisain in Seattle at Ghost Gallery

Seattle holds a special place in my heart. I visited many years ago on a work trip and I loved the energy and vibe of Seattle. It’s so different from the East Coast cities.

Well fast forward or backwards to ten years ago when I just got started with Eilisain as a business I somehow became connected to Laurie Kearney (owner of Ghost gallery) through Etsy. Laurie and I worked together for about five years with my jewelry in her shop.

Eventually Laurie shifted her business model and still kept Ghost Gallery which is now a beautifully kept gallery and event space. Ghost Gallery is located on Capitol Hill and very cute neighborhood I used to stay when I’d go for work events.

Thus Laurie has been with Eilisain for over ten years and I love that fact and I love that Laurie has stayed committed to sharing and promoting independent artists across the country.

Next time you’re in Seattle I HIGHLY recommend you visit her gallery, you will NOT be disappointed!

I’m OBSESSED with the art work Laurie stocks at her gallery. Laurie has exquisite taste!

The classic owl talon ring which is currently stocked at Ghost Gallery.

How elegant and gorgeous is Ghost Gallery?!

I hope you enjoyed this post, and if you’d like to learn more about Eilisain and my stockists or get special offer codes, sign up for my email list below!

Featuring YOU and how you style your Eilisain Jewelry jewels

You, YOU are the reason I make my jewelry. To get you in touch with your badass side and to become closer to animals that inspire us.

Below are some new photos of you out and about wearing your Eilisain Jewels.

It was a complete surprise when I ran into this gorgeous lady out and about in Raleigh wearing her bird bone bracelet and Medea snake cuff. She looks so cute in her Santa cape too!

Kristen Hardee, is a G-Vegas local and she’s also an artist, student, mom and friend wearing her Hunted small double owl talon pendant in sterling silver.

Allison Goldfine, a magician in my eyes, this woman is a beautiful human being that is multifaceted. She’s also an artist, a hair stylist, model and multi dimensional human being. Allison is wearing the Keeper II turtle shell ring with garnets.

It truly makes my heart sing to see you wearing my creations. Thank you so much to all of you that love and support my small business. I love ya’ll!!

PS - Permission was granted to share these photos.

You and your year 2023

Happy New Year! Yes I am still saying that 10 days into the new year. How’re you feeling? I hope well rested and rejuvenated.

I certainly do feel so much better after having about two weeks to celebrate and be with my family. I honestly feel that we all needed much more time, especially us folks in the US where we’re constantly in go mode.

This new year promises to be one of continuing our journey in our purpose and that we’re all guided to be our highest selves. What does that mean? Tarot can help you answer that question.

For example, yesterday I did a tarot reading for an individual in the art scene and her reading was so encouraging of her continuing that path even though she felt inclined to move away from that career. We did a full picture reading and then we did a more specific yes or no spread of three cards. My client was able to gain a much clearer understanding of what spirit was telling her to do.

So what does 2023 hold for you? I’d love to help you with gaining clarity and a roadmap of your year.

In your tarot reading with me you’ll receive the following:

• 10 card tarot spread with detailed descriptions of the cards meaning and placement

• virtual reading of your spread for 60 minutes where we delve into your year

• A document of your reading, photo and description of the reading

• Greater awareness of knowledge your highest purpose and calling

So book your reading with me today!

When witches convene, laughter ensues

Do you love a good story? I mean who doesn’t?

Here goes, last summer I participated in an evening market in downtown Raleigh, NC and it was hot and sweltering but I made a lifelong customer and friend through Marissa, she was shopping with her family and happened upon my booth. We immediately connected.

Fast forward to present day and Marissa reaches out to me in September to see if I’d be interested in coming to her home to show my jewelry and read tarot to her friends for a Witches Party! Of course I said yes. And let me tell you, it was so much fun. Marissa is an excellent host, her home is beautiful and her friends are a pure delight. And my Mom even joined me (secretly she didn’t want me driving home late at night).

It was a beautiful experience to read tarot and share our stories. It felt invigorating to me to read and investigate further into the issues her friends needed more clarity.

Here are some of the photos we snapped of the party. I love all the fantastic and inventive costumes the attendees wore.

Halloween spirit in full effect! Marissa has such a big heart and it was such an honor to share my jewelry in her home.

The wisdom tarot holds comes back to you. You shuffle the cards and your energy is infused. Reading the cards we’re taken on a journey through images and symbols.

Tarot readings will be offered throughout the holiday season, book one with me before the end of the year.

I believe in this day and age, we are welcoming witch energy more openly. We are recognizing that there is a little witch in all of us. We are naturally intuitive healers, all of us. The witch reminds us of that, to embrace our inherent healing and magical powers.

I hope you had an amazing Halloween/samhain season. It was a fun and busy one for me!

If you’d like to schedule your own tarot reading or a personal Eilisain Jewelry party, email me at info@eilisainjewelry.com

The tortoise and a little girl

Last weekend my daughter and I got to meet the sweetest and coolest animal: a tortoise, Aladar!

My former assistant Victoria, whose parents live right down the street from us recently acquired a 2-3 year old tortoise. It’s hard to determine his age since he was raised in captivity and uncertain of his age.

Aladar was a treasure to meet! Victoria gave me some states on Aladar, he can feel your touch through his shell and he loves eating flowers, especially RED flowers. He loves to dig and eat all the grass. My daughter Tallulah was so excited and thrilled to meet a new animal. She gently pet him and fed him some flowers.

When I met Aladar i looked into his eyes and when I tell you there was a knowingness in him, this ancient beauty in his face, it was there. This is what I love about animals is the communication with them is layered and deep. It’s all about body language with animals. They will tell you if they like you just by their stance.

Aladar was very busy eating and moving around. He was quite gentle and even gets along with the dogs that live on their property.

Tallulah really enjoyed feeding Aladar and petting him.

What a treat! The more I get to know various animals and how they interact the more I’m informed about my own humanity. Whenever you get a chance to interact with new animals safely I suggest you do, their wisdom is nourishing.

The Keeper II Collection

Our model Alessandra was so excited to work with a real turtle! He was such a great model too.

When I look at these images I can’t help but wonder at the incredible synchronicity of life and how the pieces fall together. A former classmate of mine at ECU, Kate Barreto mailed me this gorgeous intact baby turtle shell with the skull and legs. He’s SO freaking cute and incredible to look at!

Immediately I knew I needed to update one of my favorite collections, the Keeper collection that I created years ago with a larger adult turtle shell. Turtle shells are absolutely incredible. The textures and skin has the most fascinating patterns. It almost resembles a map, but to where?

Turtles are magic to me, as are all animals but the way they are constructed beholds my interest the most.

The lesson with turtle is through sound, through absolute presence and awareness. That is a word I’m holding to this year, AWARENESS. You can learn so much through sitting in the moment, sensing energy through the air.

Now I’m on a tangent because I’m also reading a book about quantum physics and energy. Animals are aware of so much more than we are but on a different level, the 5th dimension maybe?

Okay regardless I hope you love this collection because I am in love with it and the possibilities!! I made a cute turtle skull ring and turtle skull charms.

The Keeper II Collection drops this week on Friday, September 23rd in celebration of Mabon. You can get EARLY access by signing up for my email list at the link below.

I also want to take a moment and thank my super talented friends and colleagues that helped make this photoshoot look so dreamy and magical, Ashleigh Bowden is a STELLAR photographer. She has worked with me for about ten years now, either as a model and now as an amazing photographer (she’s based in Raleigh and does family/portrait style photography along with photoshoots like mine) and of course my bestie in fun Meagan Wilson, whom did the exquisite makeup!

Thanks as always for reading - YOU’RE THE BEST!

Want to learn my secret techniques? Take a class with me

After a brief hiatus from teaching jewelry and metals (aka PRE COVID) I’m back to teaching locally in Pitt County, North Carolina! I’ll be teaching at two facilities, Emerge Pitt County Council of the Arts AND at Pitt Community College.

Many of you have asked me about when I’ll teach one of my favorite metalsmithing techniques, LOST WAX CASTING AND MOLD MAKING. Both methods are very integral to my jewelry and it’s SO much fun!

With mold making you can take any organic or small object and recreate it. Many of the things you see everyday are created through a mold.

Pulling waxes from a wax injector at my old studio at Art Avenue.

Both of the classes I’m teaching are adult evening classes so you can take them after work and create your own talisman or small object. Especially with the holidays coming up this is a wonderful way to prepare something meaningful for yourself or a loved one.

For the Pitt County Community college class you can sign up here. This class is Tuesday evenings from 6-8pm beginning on September 6th.

Here is the link to sign up for my classes at Emerge Pitt County Council of the Arts on Thursday evenings 6-8:30pm.

Here’s my very dear friend Caroline Hedgepeth working on her jewelry piece. Caroline has taken several classes with me at Emerge.

Here’s the thing with jewelry and metals and especially with mold making, this process allows you to play with natural objects in a new way. As human beings we CRAVE TO LEARN and experience life in new ways.

Even if you don’t live in the Pitt County area I highly recommend you take ANY kind of extracurricular class, it’s so good for our bodies and minds to continue learning and growing and ALWAYS STAY CURIOUS.

Thank you for reading and I’ll see you around the ‘nets!

YOU style Eilisain the best

It’s absolutely fun to see how you style your Eilisain jewels, in so many ways that I wouldn’t think of. Jewelry has a wonderful way of elevating an outfit. Often times when I see someone with a very beautiful simple dress or shirt I want to layer on a necklace or choker.

Jewels are talismans, they are tokens of our spirit.

My friend Jess, below pairs her crow claw pendant with larger stone jewel and with the hat and tank she’s rock n’ roll ready for a music festival (which is where she went in this smokin’ outfit!

The infamous Hunted Crow Claw necklace with a beautiful raspeberry tourmaline.

Maybe I’m partial but aren’t my customers sexy as hell??? I mean look at Rosie? I love how she combines her Eilisain jewelry with her cosplay outfit. She’s so talented too!

Show us how YOU would style your Eilisain Jewels. Email me at info@eilisainjewelry.com and I will mail you a complimentary polishing cloth.

thanks for reading and SHOP for your badass piece of jewelry!

Orchil and time

When I set about creating my newest collection I wanted it to touch upon one of the greatest mysteries of our lives…TIME.

As humans we crave and need ritual and structure. The sun setting, the moon rising, the tides going in and out and thus there is a push and pull to life. I’ve always loved and felt immense gratitude for this cyclical and gentle way of transitioning through our world.

Every night I read one of my spiritual books and one of them is by RJ Stewart, Power within the Land, and I came across this poem:

ORCHIL

I dreamed of Orchil, the dim goddess who is under the brown earth, 
in a vast cavern, where she weaves at two looms. 
With one hand she weaves life upward through the grass; 
with the other she weaves death downward through the mould; 
and the sound of the weaving is Eternity, 
and the name of it in the green world is Time. 
And, through all, Orchil weaves the weft of Eternal Beauty, 
that passeth not, though its soul is Change. 
This is my comfort, O Beauty that art of Time, 
who am faint and hopeless in the strong sound 
of that other weaving, where Orchil, the dim goddess, 
sits dreaming at her loom under the brown earth.

-William Sharp as Fiona McLeod

I was struck by the imagery that came to mind and how much coral resembles webs and the interconnectedness of our world. And also the incredible lessons we learn from Mother Earth and her dark mysteries. There is incredible knowledge and wisdom right below our feet that we don’t tap into.

So I sought to meld the two ideas together, the coral, shark teeth and transparency and depth of water and the mythology of Orchil.

Kyanite was a perfect stone to set in the large shark tooth my friend found scuba diving. Kyanite is healing and a beautiful stone to cleanse and align your chakras plus that blue is gorgeous set with sterling silver and yummy golden bronze.

All these jewels DROP tomorrow , Friday, April 15th….I really came up quick with these jewels and the incredible photoshoot I did with my friend Ashleigh Bowden.

So what do ya’ll think? Are you happy I returned to some seashell jewels and coral? Tell me your thoughts and sign up for my emails so you get the scoop on jewelry drops & events!