Healing Stones

Precious and semi-precious gemstones have been used since recorded history and probably before, for spiritual, emotional and physical healing. Alternative healers all over the world use gemstones today.

Beautiful sea blue amazonite balances feminine and masculine energy. It promotes kindness and practicality. It is an excellent stone for artists and for men. Amazonite helps balance the emotions and gives physical stamina.
Labradorite with it's flashes of many colours, is a power stone, allowing you to see through illusions and determine the actual form of your dreams and goals. It is excellent for strengthening intuitions.

Carnelian is an energy booster. It helps the insecure person to find strength within them so they can come into their own. 
Citrine is an excellent stone to calm and soothe distressed conditions. Some use it to help relieve depression, digestive problems . It will give joy and love to the owner.

Tiger Eye is used to focus the mind. It will cause the mind to have feeling of oneness and feel more direct in all thoughts. When used in jewelry the tiger eye may bring good luck and protection from the evil eye to the wearer. It also known to bring clear thinking and insight.

White howelite is a super-calming stone and many people use it to relieve stress of all kinds. It makes an excellent antidote to insomnia due to an over-active mind.
Snowflake obsidian is used by healers to relieve muscle cramps. It is considered a good detoxification stone.

Green aventurine is the stone of luck and chance. It is said to increase perception and creative insight. Aventurine has a stabilizing effect on the emotions. It is excellent for teenagers.

Sodalite is the stone of athletics, as it stimulates endurance. It is said sodalite will harmonize the inner being or the conscious and subconscious mind. Sodalite promotes peace and harmony. 

Lava stone is stone of protection, strength and fertility, It provides stability in times of change. It often helps to dissipate anger and provide guidance and understanding.

Mookaite is a healing stone that bestows strength. It is said to shield the wearer from difficult situations and to connect us to loved ones who have passed away. Mookaite is believed to bring us into the "here and now," aiding with problem assessment and decision making.

Source: Crystal-Cure.com

In the Workshop

When the silver smithing bug bites me I like to spend a block of time working on just silver pieces.  Having gathered some ideas and and pulled out some unfinished pieces that I had developed a block about finishing I spent all my spare time in the past few days "hammering out" (pun intended) some new pieces.

My workshop is not glamorous...neither are my tools. 

I still use a small butane torch and most of my tools are gathered from Princess Auto but they work for me. 

I love the problem solving involved with silver jewelry creating..some physics and chemistry helps. Creating silver pieces is my zen place: I find that it teaches patience...which I sometimes lack in other areas of my life and I revel in the quiet creative time.  Hours pass with out me even realizing it.

This time I finished up a spinner ring that was giving me grief....

 2 water cast rings

 and the piece I am most proud of an adjustable bamboo textured ring set with beautiful blue and green translucent jade and a small watercast droplet.  

This design came to me when I was lying in bed one night thinking about how to make beautiful adjustable rings so I wouldn't have to produce many sizes.

The bamboo detail was time consuming but adds a nice touch:

I will be offering these pieces for sale at rePurpose Spring Thaw and Glamour in the Glebe in May.

Spinner ring $40, water cast rings SOLD each, Bamboo ring SOLD

First Juried Sale!

I am so excited that I was accepted into my first juried sale!  Glamour in the Glebe is a two day fashion event put on by the Glebe Neighbourhood Activities Group.

To celebrate, while I was visiting Toronto last weekend, I went shopping on Queen St W in China Town and the Gem Expo at the Hyatt Regency.  Look at all the pretty things I bought........

shiny stones......

and shiny metals.....

Endless possibilities.....  Better get to work!

Bead Soup Has Arrived!

My fabulous BSBP partner's, Bonnie, bead soup arrived today.  What a surprise!  She had posted a sneak peek on her Jasper's Gem blog and I thought it was purple and yellow..it was trick... that was just the packaging...
Instead what I found was beautiful ceramic beads in muted shades of wine purple and grey from Grubbi Ceramics , a very interesting copper clasp and beads and waxed cotton in the most beautiful wine colour.  She also surprised me with a few of her beautiful pewter pieces...awesome!

Doesn't it look delicious?!

Here is what I sent her:

I think we have both challenged each other...this will be an interesting reveal!

Bead Soup Blog Party

After seeing my first peek at the potential creativity created by someone else forcing you to think outside your beaded box I have been intrigued by the idea of a bead soup exchange.  I took the plunge and signed up for a blog hop with Bead Soup Blog Party hosted by Lori Anderson.  
She tirelessly spends hours pairing close to 500 beaders from all over the world with someone who will spark their creativity.  The concept is you send a "soup" of beautiful beads to your partner and they do the same for you.  You then have few weeks to create and post a piece or pieces made from these components.
It is an interesting concept because it forces you to use materials and colours you may not have considered before.
I have been paired with Bonnie Coursolle of Jasper's Gems.  She has been crafting and beading for years specializing in prayer beads and beaded trees of life.

This is a sneak peek at what I sent her: 

Hope she likes it!