The Samhain Collection

Initially I wanted to create a spider collection, I transitioned to making it more whole to cover this auspicious time of year. I believe all of us find Halloween so beguiling and comforting because as much as life is a beautiful thing, death will be our reprieve. Thus I decided to create a collection that celebrates one of my favorite pagan sabbaths, Samhain.

Samhain is the Celtic/Pagan holiday celebrates the harvesting season, when mother earth releases her leaves, when we gather honor our ancestors with gifts, prayers and festivities.

So just as snake showed up into my life quite seamlessly, spider is doing the same. Earlier this summer I came across a gorgeous little orb weaver. She’s so pretty with her lil points and black and white colors.

Besides being quite beautiful, spider is an excellent reminder that we are the weavers of our own destiny. And the amazing interconnectedness of humanity and that what each of us does in our lifetime can affet many others.

As you might guess, creatin a spider jewel would be done by hand NOT by casting an actual spider although I’m sure it could be done.

And to challenge myself I decided to create my own spider. It was not easy and I’m still perfecting it. I wanted to create a spider that has longer legs but wouldn’t get in the way of you wearing it.

When I was reading up on spiders I was not surprised to learn that spiders are just as scared of us as we are of them! Yes spiders are scared of giant human beings. And spiders are quite fragile, they can actually break if you drop them from high up. Thus let us have respect and honor for such small yet might creatures.

Perhaps death is scared of us? I know it’s a silly concept to think of, or that human life is just as fragile, complex and if we aren’t too careful - we can break it.

The Samhain Collection will have you amazed and surprised at how necessary it is for our human existance to celebrate, revere and honor death and the departed.. I will be dropping this collection, officially on Wednesday October 20th, the New Moon in Aries.

La Luna Gift Box

Yes BOX gifts are all the rage and I can honestly say I understand why, because you get a fun box full of tiny treasures that you can keep for yourself AND gift some of the box treasures.

Several years ago I purchased a gift box from my fellow maker, Priya Means Love, and it contained wonderful creams and lotions. It made the perfect gift for my close friend.

And so as I was brainstorming gift ideas for you, a giant LIGHTBULB appeared above my head. A Moon inspired gift box. Because as you know I’ve been connecting with the moon phases and this box celebrates the intention and tranquility of syncing ourselves with the moon.

In this gift box are magical tools:

• A round luminous moonstone orb, large enough to fit in the palm of your hand.

• Herkimer earring studs, these will help open your third eye chakra

• A rose sage and lavender cleansing bundle that will last you months

• A silver polishing cloth, to maintain all your favorite Eilisain Jewels

Also a suggestion here, you can use this gift box to cover small gifts for your friends and family, give the sage and lavender wand to that one friend that needs some calm and clarity, or the earrings to gift your mom, they may not be real diamonds, but herkimers are the next BEST thing, and keep the polishing cloth for yourself then use the magical moonstone orb as a touchstone for when you want to open up your crown chakra.

I wanted this gift box to reflect complete intention and sacredness to your life.

Revisiting the Vespa Collection

Over the past seven years I’ve been pretty consistent in creating two collections or sometimes one collection of jewels a year. And since the beginning I’ve had friends and long time customers tell how much they loved my Vespa Collection.

The Vespa Collection was inspired by the wasp nest and it’s geometric shape. Now, you know my jewelry is very much inspired by animals and the natural world and I tend to use more organic looking shapes versus geometric so this was a bit of a departure to create jewels with more defined edges. However there was a nice combination of both.

I truly enjoyed making this collection because I didn’t use any ‘cast’ elements, meaning any talons or claws. As much as I love them, it’s fun to switch it up. I especially loved using warm honey colors like citrine, gold druzy and other druzy stones. AND the best part is the fantastic shape of the ring, a five sided pentagon with a ring in the middle. I’m quite proud of that design and I love how different it is for a ring shank.

How dreamy is this shot of my Vespa citrine earrings???!!

I’ve decided to re-introduce the Vespa Citrine ring as I’ve acquired new citrine stones. That’s the trick is finding the right stones, it can be incredibly difficult to find the right stones especially when you can’t go to all the fun gem shows (one day)!

I’ve only got TWO stones for this ring. I’m working on acquiring more stones but for now I expect an all out panic, just kidding, in snapping up this fabulous ring.

Don’t worry friends, I’m on the look out for more faceted citrine stones and if you have your own or find some contact me! Let’s work together.

Life is a Labyrinth

When I began researching the theme of labyrinth it began to crystallize how timely and appropriate this concept is. The labyrinth is a very ancient image, painted on cavern walls and spans countries and timelines.

I chose this image and card to depict the PATIENCE it takes to go through life’s ups and downs, twists and turns. Just like the labyrinth.

Now, we are all familiar with the infamous Labyrinth movie and why not, as it’s such a classic fantasy movie but it also demonstrates the power of the journey and lessons we learn on a labyrinth walk. As you walk through one you learn valuable lessons and how to navigate the trials of life.

For this collection I used several design elements to reference a labyrinth. One of my all time favorite stones, the dragon vein agate has gorgeous lines and colors that resemble a labyrinth. In addition I used malachite for the gorgeous deep green and also the lines and swirling patterns. The color green is perfect as labyrinths are made on the flat earth, sometimes in a garden design or by using stones or sand.

This is DRAGON VEIN. Isn’t it stunning?

In Celtic culture and beliefs the circular patterns the ancient Celts and inhabitants of those regions considered the circle and labyrinth design leading to the navel of the earth. Mother earth if you will and the abundance that the earth provides just as a mother does.

In my early twenties I became obessed with the Celtic culture and beliefs, I still am. There is something old and very familiar of the art, myths and pantheon. And thus with the Labyrinth collection I wanted to go back to that fascination and allure of the ancient designs and colors.

This photo was taken from one of my many Celtic books.

ISo how can a labyrinth and the walking of one aid you in your life, or even how can this jewelry do the same? Well, whenever I learn a new concept or idea I look at it thru the lens of my own life. Some days I’ll be sitting or walking or making jewelry and I think about my past and the times I struggled so hard and came thru wiser and stronger or even in my present moment.

Granted, I’m still working on it but I feel a strange sense of purpose and confidence that I can. Walking a labyrinth in my mind, I’m doing that now. I came up on a situation and turned it around in my hand many, many times until I found the way to make it work.

“For the past two years I’ve been grappling with how to juggle my momlife with my bossbabe life. And for a time I kept telling myself the same story - that it was hard and that I couldn’t do all the things I want to do because of being a mom. But FINALLY I flipped the narrative and decided that regardless of me being at home doing the SAME ROUTINE with my daughter I was going to get shit done and be effective at doing it. ”

— Lisette Fee, owner and creator of Eilisain Jewelry

The bone of a flying fish. How amazing is that texture and design?

Another element of the Labyrinth Collection is the bone of a flying fish that my friend gave me. The intricate textures and design on the bone are incredible. They could be a labyrinth, the lines go all over the place. And I felt that this was essential to including it in the collection.

I’m going to continue posting about the collection and also provide you with more tools to aid you in your life journey.

PS - World Labyrinth Day is May 4th. Five thousand people are scheduled to walk Labyrinths in the name of peace.

Color Therapy and How It Can Change Your Life

Years ago, when I worked a desk job, I had a supervisor that I was struggling to connect with and demonstrate that I was confident to perform my job. One day, I summoned confidence and courage with the color red. I wore my carved red dragon pendant and red lipstick. Does this sound silly? Maybe but it worked, subtly I channeled a side of me to own my presence and talent.

There’s a reason houses sell more quickly with a red door, it stands out. It’s striking and vibrant. There are so many different ways to use color to improve your life and well being.

“Color therapy, also known as chromotherapy, is a non-invasive energy medicine (vibrational healing) modality. Color is simply a form of visible light, of electromagnetic energy. All the primary colors reflected in the rainbow carry their own unique healing properties.

The concept of color therapy is premised on the idea that on the surface of our skin, physical and energy systems of the body interface through the color vibrations found and utilized in the visible light spectrum. 12 vibrating fields of colors generate electrical and magnetic fields of energy that are prime activators of biochemical and hormonal processes, and also stimulate or sedate activities within the body that are necessary to balance every system and organ of the body.”

— -Innovative Medicine

This is essentially the chakra system, an Eastern spiritual tradition that associates seven centers on the body with color and universal properties.

I’m a firm believer that we should trust ourselves more, our inner guide and teacher. Utilizing color and examining how you can change your mood, energy and mind through different therapies such as aromatherapy, color therapy, meditation is incredibly empowering. Now I’m not saying this is a cure-all, please consult your family doctor before you try any of this. However there are small things you can do that can simply improve your mood and mindset.

Light some sage OR burn an oil diffuser. I probably light my sage 2-3 times daily. I love the earthy scent.

The color GREEN is everywhere now, with Spring coming into full effect we NOT  can escape this rich and calming color.  But want to know a secret?

Bringing the color green into your home and life can bring YOU abundance and wealth. 
Color therapy is a fantastic way to call upon energies and manifests qualities we seek.  This is one of the reasons I'm using green stones such as malachite, agates and more in my upcoming collection.

I have yet to give it an official name or set date but stay tuned. 
You are going to LOVE this collection.

In the meantime, as you anxiously await these jewels to be listed.  I'm giving you some thoughts and ideas on how to use color therapy.

Green = abundance, wealth and vitality
Yellow = empowerment, increased well being and positivity
Red = energize, transformation and rebirth
Purple = spirituality, confidence and clarity
Blue = Relaxation, introspection and soothing vibes.

You can bring these colors and qualities into your life in so many ways.  By the what you wear, the jewelry you wear, your living space and office. 

Give it a try this week.  If you need some positive vibes, place yellow flowers at your desk.  If you need to chill out, look at water images on Pinterest. 

Subtle ways of infusing color therapy into your everyday life can have major impacts on your psyche and energy.

Treat Your Bestie, Your Sister from Another Mister Right!

My Galentine’s Day Gift guide is here! I curated this selection to truly match the special woman/man in your life. I’m not talking about your spouse or partner but the person that you call in the middle of the night or when you need to vent and cry your eyes out to.

Here I am with my dearest friend Cate. I’d be lost without her in my life!

“Over the years, my best friends have been my life line. They’ve seen me at my absolute worst (aka being a diva) and at my best (aka when I got married). So why not treat them to something truly memorable and special? ”

Of course, I do consider all of my jewelry perfect gifts for any occasion, but these selections speak to any price point $30 to under $200 and to the type of person in your life. I hope this helps and lets lift up the amazing souls that do the same for us!

Tap Into Your Third Eye With Your Jewelry

This is a super brief yet easy reminder that we can always tap into your inner teacher and third eye to guide us to more clear and conscious living. 

Tonight is the pink full moon in Sagittarius.  We can use this time look deep inside ourselves and ask, what is calling to us? So take a lil time out, even five minutes to be still and quiet and use your jewelry as a source of focus. 

thanks as always for reading and stopping by.  And click on the link below that takes you to my One of a kind jewels that will aid you in your meditation and journey to your inner teacher.

Featured Artist: Christian T. Berry Dreamcatchers

I'd like to introduce you to a wonderfully talented artist of various practices - tarot, dreamcatchers and yoga, Christian T. Berry.  I met him through the wonderful people over at Everyday Magic.  I'm a bit obsessed with his beautiful dream catchers and I decided he had to be featured on my blog because I know you'll become just as obsessed with his work as I am. Here's a lil interview with Christian and images of his exquisite pieces.

 I grew up in the clay covered Red Top Mountains of North Georgia, a now very conservative place, but what once used to be an incredibly free and wild land filled with wonder. I think mountains have an innately magical quality to them. So much folklore and mystery surrounded these specific mountains, with sightings of mythical creatures, ancient trees and springs, even Bigfoot.  As a child, I remembered hearing these tales and started conducting my own searches, only to come up short each time. But what I did find was an even greater gift, a deep love of trees, stones, nature, and the many cycles it goes through.

As I got older, the magic in me grew. I would think about it often and dream of far off lands where I'd find gorgeous crystals and ancient woods and make powerful talismans with them. It never occurred to me to make them in real life. Visual art was a skill I thought I would never possess, seeing as how I could barely draw a stick figure, so that reality always passed me by, until I was in my early 20's. I had gotten really into Tarot cards and crystal healing. Reading them, studying them, meditating with them, cleansing them. The Wild Unknown was one of my first Tarot decks, depicting gorgeous imagery of nature and animals alike. I would draw cards from the deck, but one card always seemed to keep jumping out, the three of wands. I agonized over what it meant, but never came to a conclusion. One day I heard a message, from who/what I'm not sure, that said, "Listen with your eyes." Of course that made no sense because how could you listen with your eyes? But I interpreted the message as best as I could and gave it a try. I sat and stared at the card. And something clicked. The card shows three gnarled branches tied together to create a triangle, window type shape. Inside of the triangle is a beautiful, swirling, colorful cosmos. I immediately thought, "Wow, I could make this." And suddenly the dreams from my childhood of that far off land making crystal and wood talismans made sense. This was it. So I gave it a shot. And like everything, it was rocky at first, but I found a method, a flow that not only supported the piece, but myself as well. It inspired me, humbled me, gave me a confidence I had never been able to find in myself. I remember posting my first finished piece on my Instagram account, not for sale and kind of timid that people would think it was ugly or strange, and within five minutes, someone had messaged me offering to buy it. I proceeded to get messages about custom orders, an offering I had never even written about, and before I knew it, I had six custom orders in my lap.

“Magic was wild feelings, the kind that escaped out of you and into the world and changed things. There was a lot of skill to it, and a lot of learning, and a lot of work, but that was where the magic began, the magic to enchant the world.”

— The Magician’s Land by Lev Grossman

I've been making these talismans, dreamcatchers of sorts, for almost two years now. It has been the greatest gift, the greatest discovery because it has taught me worlds about who I am and where I exist in this big, bad world. In a nutshell, it's been a deep exercise in intuition. I found that the most profound method for making custom pieces was through having the client write to me about where there are/what they're looking for in the form of a questionnaire. I read them and intuitively pick a combination of stones for each piece, building the dreamcatcher around the energies of those stones and crystals, which often have a life and personality of their own. I've come to feel very proud of my process, using organic beeswax thread, only wood that has naturally fallen from trees, and feathers ethically sourced and naturally shed from a few incredible bird sanctuaries around the globe. I cleanse each crystal in a lavender and Florida water bath, as well as burning Palo Santo and White Sage, letting them dry in direct sunlight. Everything in life is based in intention. We shape the reality that happens around us. Constant negative thought typically leads to a constantly negative reality.

This is definitely my favorite one!

My biggest intention for my dreamcatchers are to be visual and energetic stop signs, making you check in and remind yourself of the control you have to create change, filled with whatever intentions and combinations of energies the stones provide (anxiety relief, manifestation, protection, self-love, etc.) And they double up as being pretty unique, hand crafted wall decor! Each piece is deeply rooted in trust and unconditional love and my hope is that it radiates to each person that comes into contact with them. That is what my process and my art is all about, our obligation and duty in this lifetime, to never stop dreaming and building the most magical, abundant life for yourself.

A variety of dreamcatchers by Christian T. Berry

I hope that you enjoyed this featured artist post and that you shop Christian's beautiful pieces.  If you do purchase a piece from Christian, please mention this post and you'll receive FREE SHIPPING. 

Ritual, Ritual - Boutique Feature

One of the best parts of being a small business owner is meeting all the other amazing makers and bossbabes of the world.  And I've met so much fierce owners out there that I have to highlight them - because without brick and mortar shops it'd be much harder for someone like me to get my jewelry out in the world.

Such a welcoming entrance to RR!

So without much ado I want to highlight one of my favorite boutiques on the East Coast - RITUAL, RITUAL.  First off, I LOVE the name of their boutique because wearing jewelry is a ritual in and of itself and secondly it's in one of my favorite east coast cities - Philadelphia.  Angela Monaco, an amazing jeweler herself of Concrete Polish, initially opened RR for her jewelry but soon decided to rebrand the shop as a collective representing over 60 independent designers.   The shop also provides studio space for rent and a reiki and message therapy space.  One of these days I've got to visit this amazing shop because they are rare gems (pun intended)

After realizing she didn't enjoy school or her part-time jobs that she claims she wasn't too good at, Angela Monaco decided to work for herself and do something she loves. The 30-year-old business owner started her own retail line, Concrete Polish, which she eventually turned into Ritual Ritual after combining with other designers. As we set up the camera to start filming, she said "Guys I don't know if I can do this, I've been speaking in my business class all morning and am kind of nervous." Her fellow designer reassured her that everything was going to be fine. As Angela fixed her bangs and whistled over to her dog, Franklin, to come sit with her, we hit the record button on the video camera, "okay I'm ready now ladies," said Angela.

I'm especially excited to share RR with you because they are celebrating their third year anniversary this weekend! You can check out all their fun events on their own blog.

I hope that if you live or are visiting Philly you take the time to visit and shop at Ritual Ritual, not only will you love all of their amazing jewelry, gems, clothing and objects you will be supporting a local small business that helps other artists and makers thrive.

Thanks as always for dropping by and reading!

The Power of Three

Just as there has been much studied about color therapy and crystal healing there is also quite a bit of research and studies on numerology.  As they say, math is the universal language.  And one of my favorite numbers is three.  Especially when it comes to design and jewelry pieces. 

This post will cover two things - my special Mother's Day offers as well as some information on the number three.  As you can imagine, this is a special Mother's day for me because it'll be my first celebrating as a mother which is why I'm very excited to announce THREE special Mothers Day offers to you!

But before I get into the offers, let's discuss why there is power in threes.  First of all for religious purposes, three is a divine number.  It represents the trinity - regardless of what religion you practice there is the mind, body and soul or father, son and holy ghost along with light, energy and mass.  The triangle touches upon this symmetry of threes - it is a statement about relationship and balance.  Three remembers the one.  For example the Borromean Rings, named for the appearance on the crest of the Borromeo family of the Italian Renaissance.  It's when three rings are interlocked and when you gaze upon them it appears as though each ring is interconnected to the other and not separate from itself.  It takes all three interlocking simultaneously to become unified. 

As you can see three has a magic and symmetry to it, which is why I love using it in my jewelry designs.  Which leads me to my three special Mother's Day offers!

For all orders of $200 and over, you will get an air plant! I've been going a bit mad over creating terrariums and air plant arrangements so I want to share them with you.  You'll get a small hanging air plant with a gorgeous color pink or purple moss. 

*Note the air plant gift will not look like this one but have an air plant and moss in crystal vase.

For all orders of $100 and over, I'm continuing the offer of the Empress of Herbs Ostara roll on oil.  I still have several left in stock and can always order more.  This is a great mini gift to give to the mother in your life.

For all order of $50 and over, you will receive a beautiful quartz crystal point to add or begin your crystal collection. 

And for those of you that live in the Eastern NC area - don't forget I'm having a special Mother's Day Trunk show at Moxie Pop on Friday May 12th 5-7pm.  You'll get to eat light snacks and wine and purchase one of a kind jewelry!

These special offers begin now and continue through Mother's Day - so get your SHOP ON!

The Effect Color Has On Us

I've been thinking alot about colors, mainly because I'm shopping for new stones for the Ursula Collection (release mid March) and also picking out paint for our bedroom.

A hand selected azurite stone.  I had to purchase for the gorgeous colors!

I definitely tend to go for the same colors over the years - mainly purple, green and blues but honestly I love all the colors of the rainbow in varying intensities and shades.  And I've actively been trying to use new stones and colors in my jewelry because it's fun and I know often times you want a deep blood red or a vibrant blue.  Even tho my hand will automatically reach for the brilliant purple!

I also think often of color when I want to convey a message or exude an attitude.  One time I was feeling insecure at one of my old jobs, and I decided that day I'd wear my red cinnabar carved dragon pendant.  The red for power and confidence and also because it's a super cool pendant.  Or my favorite badass outfit is all black - black leather jacket, boots and black jeans. 

One of my favorite images from the Valkyrie Collection, SS14.  Isn't the moss green agate beautiful? And her red hair?!

Maybe you don't consciously think about color but on a deeper level color chooses us - we are subconsciously affected by deep greens and blues when we're out in nature and the woods.  It's no wonder green has a calming affect on our psyche.  I just recently watched a video on how woods and nature is necessary for humans to declutter our minds.  

As you probably noticed, I love shooting outside with gorgeous pops of green!

So if you don't think about color often, try using it when you need a certain type of energy in your day.  Orange for happiness and vitality, yellow for friendliness or brown to ground you.  Especially think of color on a permanent level, such as your house! I chose a beautiful lavender/plum color for my future daughters room because I wanted both her and I to feel calm and serenity - especially for the days when she is screaming or crying!

As always - thank you for reading!