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.

My Journey and Self Discovery

One of my most treasured self care rituals is taking a bath and this evening as I lay there in warm soothing water (my element as a Pisces) I thought of what to post here on my blog; and it came to me - sharing my journey and path to jewelry and love of gems, tarot and the Occult.

I will not shy away from saying or writing that word - THE OCCULT - because in my mind it isn't bad or riddled with horrible things but of magic.

Shot from the Valkyrie collection.  The cup represents water and the cauldron.

When I was in my early twenties I was at my lowest in self confidence and direction.  I was lost; and of course I got into trouble.  I went through so much inner pain and anguish and filled the deep void within myself with material objects.  And as with many individuals whom get lost, I found faith.  First through Christianity but eventually I became fascinated with the old gods, with their tales and myths.  Mind you, I've loved storytelling since I was a child in middle school.  Their tales gave me hope and renewal.

Enamel brooch, 2011. 

Fast forward roughly ten years, I still had some emptiness inside but I learned to channel my fear and doubts with keeping my hands busy.  A thought formed in my mind of melding my two loves - faith and adornment.  Ritual adornment has fascinated me since I was a girl attending the traditional catholic church and prayers.  I loved using the ritual beads and iconography.

Thus I continued my passion for making jewelry and became fixed on turning it into a career.  As humans, our nature is to create culture - to embody the Gods by also making and forming with our hands and mind.  And I'm most happy and fulfilled when I'm being creative and not just in the studio but in my garden, my kitchen and with spirituality. 

When I moved to eastern North Carolina I was thirty years old, at a precipice of venturing into the wonderful world of jewelry and metalsmithing.  I'd found my calling and it felt liberating to embrace it and take the leap.  It changed my life moving to North Carolina, and it's not so much the place but the people I met that challenged me.  

***peep my brief interview below going into more detail of my process.

So my tale has come here, to a happy and growing place of contentment and exploration.  I hope that it gives you hope to leap, and that your net will appear.   Be patient with yourself and give your space to explore and question yourself. 

Thank you as always for reading!

Beauty of the Beast

I don't often participate in exhibitions so when I was invited to submit several pieces for the Greenhill Gallery at the Greenhill Center of the Arts exhibition Beauty of the Beast, I was extremely honored and thrilled to participate!   Below are the details and concept behind the exhibition.

So many amazing and talented artists from North Carolina and abroad. 

What I love most about the concept behind the exhibition is merging art with the wild - because when you truly think about art - nature and the wild is the ultimate creation, the ultimate form of art.  And North Carolina has such a rich history of both art and appreciation for wildlife.  I truly became in touch with animals and my own inner strength because of them when I moved to Eastern North Carolina.  I hope that the exhibition brings attention to preserving our parks, rivers, streams and oceans.   Now more than ever we need to be aware and also be active in our wild environments.   If you live in Greensboro, I hope you can attend the exhibition and events the amazing staff at the Greenhill Center of NC Arts have organized.

The Bast One of Kind necklace will be on display along with other signature EJ pieces. 

Queen of Autumn

If you've followed me over the years you know that I truly enjoy working with other artists and partnering with other creatives in my community.  I've long been an admirer of Madalyn McLeod's illustrations.  We were both in the art and design program at East Carolina University years ago and I've been following her journey as a budding artists and finally I reached out to her to create a fantastic autumn gift package.

And it was so timely that I recently created a new ring from a tree branch (and perhaps more tree pieces to come).  Thus I'm excited to release....on Samhain my our Autumn gift package! When you purchase the Dryad ring, a sterling silver ring with two orange topaz gemstones (2mm) which is $185 you get a signed print copy of the Queen of Autumn by Madalyn McLeod!

The Dryad ring came about from a special commission for two very good friends of mine who recently got married, they wanted rings that were nature inspired and to be honest, I've mostly stayed away from pieces that are cast from twigs, nuts or branches because I felt they were too 'done'.  As in, popular however I've come around to the fact that whenever I create new pieces, they will always have my signature stamp and aesthetic.  So I felt drawn to create more branch inspired pieces, plus I've been so consumed with growing my own herbs and truly connecting with herbalism and growing things. 

They pair SO so perfectly, plus this is a great collectable piece and one that works well for your gallery wall or a gift for the holidays. 

Mark your calendars - this beautiful combination will be released in one week, on Samhain - All Hallows Eve - Halloween. 

Thank you for reading....stay posted friends!

I could so see the Queen of Autumn wearing the Dryad ring, the orange topaz is perfect with her dress. 

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 BEST Fantasy Movies

My favorite genre of movies and books has always been fantasy and sci-fi.  Perhaps it's the Pisces in me but I love nothing more than dreaming of far off worlds with wizards, witches, fairies and all sorts of fantastical creatures.

And since I was a child I devoured the classic fantasy movies such as Neverending Story and Labryinth.  These movies informed so much of my jewelry and art.  And often times jewelry and adornment is a central role in these movies - hello Lord of the RINGS?

Shot from the Valkyrie Collection.  We used one of my husbands many swords.  Inspired by myths and legends of the Vikings.

1.  Lord of the Rings - This truly is the ultimate fantasy movie grounded with universal themes.  I can't tell you how obsessed I became when I heard Peter Jackson was directing the triology, I checked the blogs daily for updates on the movie.   The artist in me is most in love with how much dedication the film crew put into making all the props, costumes, music, weaponry so realistic and detailed.  It's what I love about the appendices, they show all the background scenes and I eat it up!

2.  The Labryinth - There is something so extraordinary and exhilarating about movies that take us to other worlds.  Unlike Lord of the Rings, this story takes us from the human world to one where everything is upside down - literally.  Jim Hensen's characters are funny, silly and endearing.  Who can't relate to wanting to escape your 'annoying family' to one where your the princess or queen with, none other than the uber cool David Bowie?

3.  Neverending Story - I'm sure almost every kid that lived through the late 80's to 90's grew up watching this movie.  What I love most about this movie is that it's about a nerdy boy that loves books and stories and then becomes the hero of his own story.  I used to dream about what I'd do with an infinite amount of wishes!

4.  Pan's Labryinth - Another labryinth story although this one is much darker and sinister.  Guillermo del Toro is a master of demonstrating the subtle yet powerful archetypes that are both at play in the real world and fantasy.  Where humans are more monsters than the hideous and grand ones of the underworld.  I absolutely love the young actress in this movie, she conveys the pain and loneliness of that time and era. 

5.  Harry Potter series - I'll be honest, I have always been reluctant to be a fan of the Potter books and movies because they came out around the same time as LOTR and I'm very loyal to that fantasy triology.  However lately I've come to really respect JK Rowling's brilliance; she developed a character that we can all relate to, as well a fantastical world we all want to visit.

6.  Willow - There is something so endearing about Willow and his quest to be a magician as well as protector of Elinora; and I feel that he has the same qualities as Frodo.  The baby dropped in his lap and he never wanted to be a hero but the moral of this movie is that he finds the courage and confidence to be who he is meant to be. 

7.  Legend - I just finished watching this movie and what resonates most is that we've all been young, dumb and in love trying to impress someone and then being reckless and learning from our mistakes.  As do the young couple (Mia and Tom Cruise). In addition; there is the obvious parallel of light and dark, good and evil, female and male. 

The Epona ring for the Momentary Myth photoshoot with Sim Asher.

8.  The Dark Crystal - Another movie I've always been on the fence, yes yes Jim Hensen is a genius but there is something slightly nightmarish about the skekkis and some of the other creatures that I almost couldn't get past the wonderdful imagination behind the story.  Still this movie does belong on the list.

There are certainly other movies I'd add however I feel they belong in their own subsection (Coraline, The Witches, Interview with a Vampire etc - those are more Samhain/Fall movies).

And if have some other suggestion please feel free to add in the comments section. 
As always thank you for reading!