creativity - leilani handmade

Call to Action – We Need your Creativity – March Update

Posted on March 14, 2023March 14, 2023 by Leilani — Leave a comment

“If you hear a voice within you say ‘you cannot paint,’ then by all means paint, and that voice will be silenced.”
– Vincent van Gogh

Now is the time

When I left the corporate world to explore a creative life, I was secretive and embarrassed to admit it. It didn’t feel like people took what I did seriously. And who can blame them? I gave up a steady salary and the “prestige” of a career to stay at home and play with beads!

Never before in recent history has it been more important to inspire and create. That is my (humble) opinion. It comes from both my intuition and observation. After the past few years, the world needs YOU. Your inspiration. Your creativity. Your positivity introduced by what you create.

If there was anything you’ve ever wanted to try to do, now is the time. That creative energy will help off set all the chaos and negativity that seems to be relentless these days. We can start a creative renaissance!

What does it Mean to Create?

To create could mean well, just about anything. If you are not into an art or a craft, create a beautiful space to share with friends. Put an intention forward to support others, even if it just means smiling at strangers in the grocery store.

Imagine if everyone created something beautiful and positive every day. No matter how small, it doesn’t matter! Take it a step forward and be brave enough to try that new skill or hobby you always wanted to.

Some Days are Harder than Others

I know not all days are inspirational. Today, I didn’t feel like creating or being positive. Instead, I replanted my seedlings into bigger containers. It’s not what I wanted to do, but by the end of the afternoon I felt a sense of satisfaction for channelling my negative feelings into something productive (and thus, positive).

Nurturing these veggie plants that started from seed

March Update

Follow me on Pinterest

Mt Pinterest profile – if you are on Pinterest come give me a follow 🙂

I no longer use social media actively. In 2020 I completely abandoned Facebook and Instagram and I’m not sure if I’ll return. But I’ve been thinking about putting up pins of my creative work on Pinterest. The other day, after doing some research and watching some YouTube videos for advice, I decided to go for it.

Pinterest is more of its own search engine than a social media platform. I use it almost daily for recipe inspiration. So, it seems a good fit for me. I also like that they encourage individuality and expression but in a positive way. If you use Pinterest please give me a follow.

I may consider social media platforms where artists and creative types tend to gather. But for now, the Meta brand is just unpalatable for me.

What’s new

New Bouclé Yarns

Now available: several skeins of bouclé handspun yarn

I enjoy spinning bouclé and have amassed several skeins. So I decided to list them as 1 listing where you can browse all that is offered on one page. Some are mohair and some are Wensleydale, and some are plied with cotton while others are plied with silk thread. Descriptions on each available when you choose a skein from the drop down menu.

These yarns are available here on the website only. I only list clearance yarn items on Etsy. I’m happy to entertain offers for bulk amounts of yarn or payment by barter.

Revamp: Celtic Braid Earrings

celtic knot earrings silver or gold with tourmaline — These earrings have gotten a face lift and are on sale for the Month of March

These earrings have gotten a face lift and are on sale for the Month of March

These earrings have been available for many years, and originally you got to choose from either Malachite or Onyx beads as accents. I felt that they needed an updated feel, so I decided to pair them with this amazing faceted green tourmaline. Honestly the pictures don’t capture all the beautiful nuances of these gemstones. I’m pairing the silver version with tourmaline that have more of a grey-green tone, whereas the gold has stones that have a more yellowish green tone. Each has an element of either grey-brown or honey-brown as well. I’m really happy with both the look and the feel of these earrings.

New On Sale

celtic knot dangle earrings — A things for Shoes Stitch Marker set of 8

A things for Shoes Stitch Marker set of 8

I’ve added some new products to the Clearance section. I want to retire some older designs, while others are on sale for a limited time.

What’s New on Etsy

I like to list the one of a kind and limited edition items on Etsy. I typically mark them down right away, and I find Etsy a better audience for these type of items. New this month:

Peach Freshwater Pearl Leverback Earrings

Jade and Tigereye Leverback Earrings

Marble Amber and jade Leverback Earrings

Moukaite and Jade Leverback Earrings

Turquoise Chip earrings on Long Gold-Filled Kidney Wires

What I’m working on

I took an entire week off this past month to just work on personal projects. One is this massive it-was-going-to-be-a-rug, now it’s an “ugly” weighted blanket.

I started this project several years (!!) ago, and I have not done any work on it in the past 3 years. I wanted to preserve some of the first yarns I ever spun. Bulky, uneven and of a tougher texture, I think most knitters would tell me to discard it.

Practice Makes Perfect

In order to get good at something, you have to practice. A lot. And for the first 3 years when I was teaching myself to spin, I spun just about every. single. day. Unless I was gone overnight or had a migraine, I was spinning. Back then I wasn’t spinning merino or any of the finer top rovings. It was a lot of cheap wool rovings that I now realize aren’t that easy to spin! In retrospect I am really glad that I learned to spin on such challenging fiber, because it makes me a more versatile and nimble spinner today.

…the rest becomes an Ugly Blanket

But throw it away? Is it really good for nothing? It’s wool, it came from an animal (mostly small farms in New England) and it needs to be respected. So at first I thought I’d make a rug out of it, but I misjudged the size since I’m crocheting holding 2 strands of this bulky yarn together. Now I’d say it’s turning into a delicious weighted blanket.

2.5kg is about 5.5 lbs – and this project is nowhere near done. Weighted blanket indeed!

Not so Ugly Afterall

I have to pause this project for now because I’m running out of yarn! There are a few older skeins that I may want to experiment on my SampleIt loom. Once I determine that, I’ll pick it up crocheting this monstrosity once again. But as you can see below, the ugly project is not so ugly after all!

This is just single crochet using a size N hook.

Moki enjoying a spare bit of yarn from this work-in-progress.

New Reeds For the Ashford SampleIt Loom

I’m really enjoying my little 10 inch SampleIt Loom. So much so that I had to have every reed available for it! So I contacted John & Alan at the Fibre Garden in Jordan, Ontario and John responded that they did indeed have them all in stock (or would be in stock shortly). By the following week, I had all the reeds.

And wouldn’t you know, I haven’t had the time to play with them, yet! The goal will be to try each size and do a mega SampleIt Loom post, with video! Fingers crossed it will happen this year (ha ha!).

Peanut critically inspecting the current weaving project using the 7.5 dent reed that the 10 inch SampleIt Loom originally comes with. This is for DK and Worsted Weight Yarn. I’m currently weaving panels to use up some handspun that was a little rougher in texture than I like to use for my garment knitting. I’m planning on stitching the panels together to make a throw blanket…or a mat if I don’t have enough to complete a blanket

What is Inspiring you?

I hope this month’s post inspires you to get started with creative projects you have been meaning to start or have put off finishing. Can I assist you in any way to get started? Offer you an encouraging word? I’ve been a maker for a very long time, and it has so enhanced my life in ways I can never truly express. At one time, I could sincerely say, creating saved my life! This was long before I ever delved into the fiber arts.

I’m always open to chat, so please leave a comment or drop me a line any time!

We all need a purpose and a drive toward something positive. At first creative work may seem a waste of time in a society that puts so much emphasis on “the grind”. But I promise you the enhancements you will make in all aspects of your life will make it worthwhile. I’m living proof…

The 6 Characteristics of Highly Creative People

Posted on November 13, 2009July 19, 2017 by Leilani — Leave a comment

I found this article several years ago, after looking up the exact wording to one of my all-time favourite quotes by Thomas Moore. The article spoke to me so much I cut & pasted it for future reference. I found it the other day while cleaning out folders on my hard drive. I thought I would share it here as I’m sure many of you can relate, esp. other “innerpreneur” types like myself. Unfortunately I am not sure what website this originally came from, however I was able to give credit to the author.

by Michelle L. Casto

Thomas Moore said, “We are all poets and artists as we live our daily lives, whether or not we recognize our role and whether or not we believe it.” Human beings have an innate need to create. Even you! There is a continuum of creativity, ranging from being slightly creative to highly creative. The good news is that you can learn to be more creative by observing creative people and modeling yourself after them. Artists, writers, and creative types seem to have similar characteristics. Some of the personality traits listed below may seem eccentric, odd, even “out there”—but that is where creativity lies— in the outreaches of our consciousness, in the depths of our souls. If you had the opportunity to speak to Picasso, Walt Disney, or Jane Austen, you would probably find out that they are ordinary people, much like you and I. The difference is that they have allowed more of their soul to come out and play and have freed themselves of convention and restriction. Creativity is essentially the art of discovery and an act of faith. When you create something— a work of art, book, software program, dance routine, or role for a play, you discover parts of yourself that you never knew existed. Creative people have a strong need to express more of who you really are and often have to fight for that right. The character Isabelle in the movie, Fire and Ice, has a great outlook on what it means to be creative, she says, “To create, sometimes you must rebel.”

1. Unconventional
Creative people do not feel the need to conform to society’s standards. They often swim against the current and flow with their own way of thinking and living. They have original ideas that literally turn the world upside down and right-side out. Take for example, the 16th century Italian astronomer, Galileo, who proved that the earth revolved around the sun (instead of the other way around), which was revolutionary in his time.

2. Individualistic
Creative people want to find out what the truth is, and they have a strong need to decide for themselves what works and what does not. Often they are ahead of their time, and much of their work is appreciated/acknowledged after they are dead and gone. Many writers are famous for marching to the tune of their own drum, such as Ralph Waldo Emerson, who wrote the book, Self-Reliance, and Robert Frost who penned, “two roads diverged in a wood, and I took the one less-traveled.”

3. Inventive
Creative people live in the world of ideas, and don’t always have the best interpersonal skills. Because they are so highly intelligent, and live in the realm of possibility, they are constantly coming up with bright ideas. They also take notice of what is missing in the world and/or what could be improved. Take for instance, Thomas Edison, who invented hundreds of things in his time, his most famous invention being the light bulb. He saw that there was darkness and then created light.

4. Driven
Creative people cannot “not do something”-they are almost compulsive until they can bring their internal vision into fruition. They have that “fire in their belly”—a passion to contribute to the beauty and betterment of the world. Because of their high drive, they can produce a lot in a relative short amount of time. Talk about drive— the material girl herself, Madonna, has not let public praise or criticism stop her from being a super star. She is a modern day Diva, multi-talented as a singer, dancer, and actress who has released hundreds of songs, albums, videos, movies, books— all the while reinventing herself as someone new.

5. Visionary
Creative people have a guiding vision in their head, heart, and soul that they are often called to bring to life. Who else but Michelangelo could look at a large piece of marble and “chip away at everything that wasn’t David?” According to him, “I saw an angel in the marble and carved until I set him free.” One of his best-known works is the immense ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, which took him three years to complete, where he often had to work upside down for hours at a time. If you ever have seen any of his work, you can easily see that it is a vision to behold.

6. Intuitive
Creative people are very in touch with their inner selves. They pay attention to the signs, synchronicities, symbols around them, and make use of that information in their work. They often act as a channel, where ideas and inspiration come from a higher plane. They allow the work to guide them to where it needs to go. The work clearly originates in their soul, not from their ego. Talk about ideas coming from out of the blue, remember how the scientist, Isaac Newton “discovered” gravity? He was sitting under a tree and an apple fell on his head! Had he not made a connection with his intuitive nature, he would have missed a major theory about the world we live in!

As you read this, do you find yourself relating to some of these traits? If so, it is time to start creating. Getting started can often be the hardest part, because we often limit our creativity by listening too closely to our negative inner voice. But so did all of these examples of creators. Even the famous painter Vincent Van Gogh struggled with that, but he created a remedy for that, he said, “If you hear a voice within you saying, you are not a painter, then by all means, paint, and that voice will be silenced.” Robert Henri says, “When the artist is alive in any person, whatever his kind of work may be, he becomes an inventive, searching, daring, self-expressing creature.” Once you have created, you now have to put yourself out there for all to see. This is where your faith comes in to support you. Remember that if you are creating from your soul, it will not matter whether other people accept your work or not. You are simply doing what you are called to do as a human being, create.

Michelle L. Casto is a whole life coach, speaker, and author of Get Smart! About Modern Romantic Relationships, Get Smart! About Modern Career Development, and Get Smart! About Modern Stress Management. Her coaching practice is Brightlight Coaching, she helps people come up with bright ideas for their life and empowers them to freely shine their bright light to the world. Contact her for a free 30 minute coaching session: www.getsmartseries.com and www.brightlightcoach.com

Contributed by:

Michelle Casto
©2003, Michelle Casto
Website: Get Smart! LearningBooks, Seminars, and Life Coach

100 Days of Creativity: Day 68

Posted on March 14, 2009July 26, 2017 by Leilani — 1 Comment

Wow day 68! I will be so proud when I make it to Day 75 of this! I was in a bit of a funk today…I am not100% sure why. I don’t feel tired as in, I need sleep tired, just slow. I think I need to cut out the bread products for awhile and detox out the gluten. That would help. I also had such a negative experience with a potential new supplier yesterday. I really hate being a hard ass, but business is business, you know? I think I really need to start critiquing online businesses. One thing that’s great about buying from Etsy is that there is feedback. Doing a google search & finding these online stores really is buy at your own risk at times. I was also thinking I really need to thank all the suppliers I have, big & small for the great service they offer. How often do we let people know when they are doing something right & that we appreciate it? Okay, mental note to self to do this…

Back to today’s creation. Today when I woke up, the sun had this haze coming over the horizon that reminded me of the summer. I was also up early unable to sleep due to a bit of back pain so it really felt like I was on a trip getting ready to start a day of exploration. So the piece I was inspired to make, is entirely in white and accented in silver. I love white & silver toegther. So clean & fresh, like a summer blouse or a white washed house against clear blue skies on a tropical isalnd…ahhhh…are you feeling me or what?

Here’s the bracelet, done entirely in fiber optic cat’s eye & accented in lead-free pewter & sterling silver:

With that, I must start my Saturday night. DD is in front of me, singing me a song & dancing. Must go enjoy the simple things in life that makes us smile… 🙂

100 Days of Creativity: Day 67

Posted on March 13, 2009July 26, 2017 by Leilani — Leave a comment

So, the sun today really had me thinking of summer. As the snow slowly melts I was looking at our back deck thinking about sitting out there soaking up some sun. We bough DD (almost 18 months) a wooden playhouse yesterday. Can’t wait to put it together. That energy really made me migrate to the colourful beads. Anything turquoise/aqua & white really makes me think hot weather. So this is my contribution to my Artfire Studio for today:

All fiber optic cat’s eye accented in sterling silver. Makes me want to go sip lemonade in the shade or a pina colada on the beach!

I need not say it is Friday night & I so do not want to be working…so I say so long farewell for now…

100 Days of Creativity: Day 66

Posted on March 12, 2009July 26, 2017 by Leilani — Leave a comment

Thank you daylight savings time…I didn’t think I would be able to post my thing for today since I was out. I didn’t get anything created all day. But, I was able to put together these simple & affordable earrings at 5pm right before supper. Thanks to the extended daylight, I even got photos.

I put these earrings in my Etsy Shop & not my Artfire Studio as I had another sale today dipping my inventory below 100. I wanted to add a couple more affordable pieces, & these chip bead hoops seem to be quite popular:

The first pair are snowflake obsidian chips. The second is crazy lace agate…I always loved the name of that stone. 🙂 Affordable at $12 & free shipping. In this economy, I can see why simple & affordable would be attractive to customers.

Hopefully I will be home tomorrow as I would like to make something a bit more intricate. But, since I can’t sit for very long comfortably I’m not sure I can swing that anyway…

100 Days of Creativity: Day 65

Posted on March 11, 2009July 28, 2017 by Leilani — Leave a comment

I had a really, really good day today. I could get used to this leisurely living. Only, looking at the toilet & the pile of laundry I realize I have to do a bit of housework tomorrow. The other good thing, is this extended daytime means I was still able to make a piece today for my 100 Days of Creativity & photograph it since I made it right before dinner! I sold another pair of earrings today so I listed this bracelet in my Etsy Shop since I want to try & keep 100 listings there if possible:

Made completely out of coffee brown fiber optic cat’s eye beads & accented in lead free pewter bead caps. There is also sterling silver daisy spacers. I strung it on a heavy guage sterling silver wire: 20 gauge to be exact. I wanted it to be very solid & it is just that! It reminds me of a bangle in some ways. It’s 7.5 inches, & since it is quite solid, would look fab on a smaller wrist too hanging lower like a bangle…

100 Days of Creativity: Day 64

Posted on March 10, 2009July 28, 2017 by Leilani — Leave a comment

I took the day to relax. My body was so tired & the hormones were making me feel kind of weepy. This is the first day I have felt any kind of altered state hormonally & I guess I am allowed at almost 38 weeks. So it was a nice day just hanging out with my 17 month old & sneaking in a couple pieces of jewelry. It’s hard to just lay around for me…esp. considering that’s all I will be doing for 6 weeks after this baby is born. Sit and nurse. Sleep when baby sleeps…I look forward to it and yet I don’t want to get bored with sitting around ahead of time…thank goodness for supportive husbands!

So this is what I came up with today. Again, simple pieces but I like how they turned out as they had my signature funky style:

This bracelet has 25mm shell beads & caramel mother-of-pearl. I added these sterling silver coil spacers to give it a bit of funkiness.

I took these wood beads & made a necklace that can be worn longer on the chain or as a choker. The wood beads are on a thick gauge wire so that they stay in this “U” shape regardless if worn long or choker style.

I continue to amaze myself because I can honestly say at this moment I am fresh outof ideas…then tomorrow comes & something just comes to me…let’s see if I can still keep that going tomorrow…

100 Days of Creativity: Day 63

Posted on March 9, 2009July 28, 2017 by Leilani — Leave a comment

Today I struggled to get motivated. Definitely my body is slowing down…but I did get a couple of bracelets made. Really, I am starting to amaze myself that I can keep going, but I just can’t sit around & wait, you know? 🙂

This cuff bracelet captures my earthy side! 10mm moonstone beads need nothing but themselves to make a bold statement.

I am really happy how this turned out. Very soft. This bracelet contains violet pearls & moonstone chips. Maybe I should be wearing it, since moonstone is supposed to bring on easy birth! This piece is the birthstone, planetary stone & mystical stone for those born under the sign of Cancer or in the month of June.

100 Days of Creativity: Day 62

Posted on March 8, 2009July 28, 2017 by Leilani — Leave a comment

Finally! A beautiful day! Felt like spring & the sun came out…a great way to start daylight savings time. Only, it doesn’t make me motivated to stay in and make jewelry. I did however, get 4 pairs of earrings made. Simple designs, mind you. I always feel unfulfilled when I just make simple pairs of earrings. Then today I had a sale in my Etsy Shop of a similar style…so I guess that’s all the confirmation I need that it’s well worth doing! 🙂

It was the day of the hoop earring. I made these gold-filled hoops with a cloisonné bead theme:

Then these chip bead sterling silver hoops featuring turritella agate & red tiger’s eye:

I’d love to get my hands on more turritella agate. I love the beautiful pattern of the stone. Anyway, I have a terrible crick in my neck so I have to keep it short & sweet tonight…

100 Days of Creativity: Day 61

Posted on March 7, 2009July 28, 2017 by Leilani — 1 Comment

I am totally finding it hard to concentrate tonight! Sloooooow like molasses I am. But it is Saturday night so I am excused. On an up note, I had a very productive jewelry making day. Played around with sterling silver chain to make some more delicate classy jewelry that seems to be so popular; at least from my customers…

I am annoyed with this weather. Garnet is really hard to photograph since it is a dark stone, and with it being cloudy so much it makes it even tougher. I am too lazy & too pregnant to dig the light box out of the garage. I wanted the first thing I made today to be an anklet as I already had in my Artfire Studio a necklace, bracelet, earrings & ring. I also thought of making a headpiece but that is just too much work, therefore too much sitting for me right now. So I am keeping with simple. I just had a handful of these 3mm garnet beads left. Nice to make more room in the bead box…

This necklace was inspired by the 13mm Swarovski crystal rings. A supplier of mine had these and I thought I would get two to play around with them, maybe use them in earrings. Only, once I got them home, I had no inspiration as to what to do with them! So they sat in the bead box for 3 years. I think they make a great focal point for this hematite & sterling silver chain necklace.

These last two pieces, are my favourites of today. I adore black & white, and the black carnelian beads with freshwater pearls in these matching earrings & necklace are elegant, classy & sassy! Yep, still milking those 10mm black carnelian beads. 😉

100 Days of Creativity: Day 60

Posted on March 6, 2009July 28, 2017 by Leilani — 2 Comments

I could have made more jewelry today while this piece was in the tumbler but it was so dark I figured it wouldn’t be worth it since I couldn’t get a decent shot anyway. I started this one last night & finished it this morning:

It was hard to get a decent shot but it truly a fun, funky ring. It contains a 10x14mm faceted quartz bead wrapped in 20 guage sterling silver wire. I make these rings on a whim for fun so I don’t pay much attention to size. This one turned out to be quite small even for my fingers; size 4. According to a fellow jewelry maker, size 7 is the most common size for rings. Ooops. I have a size 5 ring finger myself. But, it’s made & hopefully it will appeal to someone with small fingers who has a hard time finding rings to fit. Great for a teen, as well.

100 Days of Creativity: Day 59

Posted on March 5, 2009July 28, 2017 by Leilani — Leave a comment

I felt compelled today to use up my sea green quartz beads today. Tada:

The necklace uses up these pretty faceted quartz beads in varying hues of green. They measure 10x14mm. Accented with 4mm green quartz beads. These are not naturally occuring colours; these are dyed, but oh so pretty.

With the leftover 4mm beads, I decided to make a cuff bracelet. These paler green colours go really well with silver; so I paired them up with 3mm corrugated sterling silver beads.

I’m not exactly sure how I got these two pieces done today; sitting is a bit of a challenge right now! All I can say is a thoroughly enjoy doing it… 🙂 You can take a closer look at these pieces in my Artfire Studio.

100 Days of Creativity: Day 58

Posted on March 4, 2009August 5, 2017 by Leilani — Leave a comment

I am so impressed I actualy made a piece of jewelry today. Seriously…it feels like there is a bowling ball wedged in my pelvis! Sitting for long periods of time is definitely not going to happen so I put togther these cute & yummy earrings this morning:

I so want summer to come…can you tell with these colours? ‘So cheery & bright & yummy looking. 🙂

Anyway…I must get up or change positions or something…

100 Days of Creativity: Day 57

Posted on March 3, 2009August 5, 2017 by Leilani — 1 Comment

Well, I did it. By the skin of my teeth I did it…I now have 100 things in my Etsy Shop for sale. I am really tired & brain dead…it is hard to focus after being kept up last night with contractions. I will continue tomorrow with my 100 days provided that I feel up to doing it. Tonight I am just finding it hard to concentrate…

So here’s what rounded out the items available in my shop:

I’ve been doing a lot with the black carnelian beads lately, & really wanted to play with typical carnelian. So I cheated & dipped into the “premium” supplies, which I usually only use for custom orders, to make this pretty bracelet. Carnelian is the traditional birthstone for August. These 6mm faceted beads are accented by sterling silver.

This bracelet was the challenge for the day: how to use up these 7mm lantern hematite beads. I paired it with 6mm tiger’s eye for a very earthy piece.

I figure you can’t go wrong with pearls. These 9mm freshwater pearls are very special to me since they are from the Philippines. A classy yet interesting pair of earrings mixing the dangle style with the hoop style.

For my final piece, I couldn’t help but get into those 10mm faceted black carnelian beads again. I really like how these earrings turned out coupled with the 7mm pewter beads. Tempting to keep for myself… 🙂

So, if it turns out I can keep up with the 100 Days of creativity, I will be putting any new work in my empty Artfire Studio. Don’t worry, regardless you’ll still be hearing from me…!

100 Days of Creativity: Day 56

Posted on March 2, 2009August 5, 2017 by Leilani — 3 Comments

I am happy to report that I was able to make another 3 pieces today…bringing me pretty close to my goal of 100 pieces in my Etsy Shop. Here’s what I came up with:

I only had a handful of these pretty jade beads left, & they are very special to me as they were purchased during a trip to India a good friend of mine took. So I came up with this bracelet, and then a matching pair of earrings with the final last two beads. These 9mm beads are really pretty, I hope these pieces go to a loving home. 🙂 Jade is also the mystical stone for those born in the month of March so it was very appropriate to make these pieces & list them this month.

The third piece, a bracelet, is comprised of 10mm denim fossil beads. I love these beads as they are a blue/black mottled colour that really do live up to their name. I wanted to make a versatile piece as usual, that will go with many outfits. I already had a pair of earrings listed, so a matching bracelet seemed like a natural choice.

I can;t wait for tomorrow & see if I can break the 100 item mark in my Etsy Shop! 🙂

100 Days of Creativity: Day 55

Posted on March 1, 2009August 5, 2017 by Leilani — Leave a comment

Today I really wanted to work on something slightly more challenging than earrings. I am getting rather sick of making earrings. Well, that is harsh. More like, feeling uninspired to make earrings now. So I decided today was all about the cuff:

This hematite cuff was hard to photograph. In fact, I would like to try & get more shots of it if there is time & adequate lighting in the next few days. It is has such a nice, shiny lustre however that makes it hard to get a good photo without glare/blur. This angle seemed to come out okay. When I started out to make this piece, I really saw it as a earthy, wear it to dress up your jeans type of piece. But it really is shiny & bold, I think it would make a statement with whatever you wore it with…

These two are very similar, using the same materials. This was my way of using up these green tube fossil beads. I paired them with South Seashell beads. South Sea shell beads are man-made. Mollusk Shells are pulverized to a powder, an iridescent pigment added, and shaped into beads. I thought this was a clever way to transform discarded shells into beads. Fossil beads are formed from limestone, a sedimentary rock which is formed by the skeletons of tiny marine organisms (calcium carbonate). Since limestone is so porous, it is ideal for making into beads since it will easily take on dye. Get a closer look at these pieces on Etsy…

Well, that was fun. Now I have to think what to do tomorrow…I am sort of running out of creative steam since I have made so many things in the past little while. But tomorrow is a new day and a new set of thoughts. Until then…

100 Days of Creativity: Day 54

Posted on February 28, 2009August 5, 2017 by Leilani — 2 Comments

Another jewelry making blitz afternoon! Let’s get right to it, shall we:

This chunky fun red agate cuff was a cheat today: I actually made it last spring; and had unlisted it to get new photos of it. I just remembered it today & relisted it. It’s very bold & earthy. Fun!

This was my favourite piece today. I have had these 36mm onyx tubes for almost a decade! That’s right: one of those “these are neat” purchases and they never seemed to really work the few times I tried to incorporate them into a design. I realized today that simple is better, so I simply paired them with these 6mm stardust beads. The curved design of the pendants hug your wrist. I had six of these, so I made two identical bracelets, both available in my Etsy Shop…

I think as of today I am officially satisfied with exploring with Celtic influence! I have quite a few of these Celtic pewter beads so it’s easy to get many ideas for simply stated pieces. This is a remake of a pair of earrings that sold in this design with hematite. This time, I used faceted smoky quartz & added bead caps for accent.

Woohoo! The end of the amethyst chips. Simple yet fun earrings and that stash is officially used up! 🙂

These 25mm Celtic braid charms work well as a pendant, too! With 4mm onyx beads and sterling silver fine cable chain this piece is great for someone who wants a simple, dainty necklace that still makes a statement. I also made the piece full adjustable to a maximum of 20 inches so that it could be worn at variable lengths for variable neck sizes.

With that, I have broken the 90 item mark! So in a couple of days, I should make my goal of 100 pieces.

100 Days of Creativity: Day 53

Posted on February 27, 2009August 5, 2017 by Leilani — Leave a comment

Holy crick in the neck!!! This was a lot of listing…I got in the zone this afternoon and made these 5 pairs of earrings today:

For the sake of my neck I will try to be brief…I was inspired again by the up-coming St. Patrick’s Day…actually, I was happy to have an opportunity to work with malachite again! I have quite a bit of it and no opportunity to play with it lately. 🙂

I am putting the push on to get my 100 things. I am so close, so I am motivated to just get it done! I do enjoy making earrings when I need volume. It’s like a gratifying creative snack! Once the energy gets flowing I can usually churn out several pars in such a short period of time. They are also easy to photograph so there is not a lot of time editing pictures. Hence, 5 pairs in one afternoon…and afternoon for me with a toddler doesn’t mean the full 4 hours!

A very productive day. For more on malachite & these pieces please visit heavenly flower on Etsy…

100 Days of Creativity: Day 52

Posted on February 26, 2009August 5, 2017 by Leilani — Leave a comment

I wasn’t home much today, so I just was able to make this simple yet pretty pair of lapis lazuli hoops:

I have been hanging on to this hanful of lapis chips forever! I was happy to finally use them up in these earrings. These chips have many pyrite inclusions giving them pretty gold flecks throughout. Did you know lapis lazuli is the planetary stone for Capricorn? Learn more about the metaphysical properties of this stone by checking out the Etsy listing for this piece…

I am happy to say that two of the four Celtic earrings I listed last night sold almost instantly. I have an idea for a necklace I was hoping to get to today but I was just too busy. I am officially at 36 weeks today so I am giving myself another week of creating…then it’s all fair game when it comes to birth…anything that gets done after that will be bonus.

100 Days of Creativity: Day 51

Posted on February 25, 2009August 5, 2017 by Leilani — Leave a comment

Whew, I think my eyes are bloodshot tonight! Another busy day & I am still amazed at how much energy I have. Still, I also feel myself quickly fading…so on to the shiny happy things created today…

I was struck with the luck o’ the Irish today! 4 pairs of earrings in anticipation for St. Patrick’s Day:

I am really happy with how these turned out! Sometimes themed items can look a bit tacky but I think these are lovely if I don’t say so myself. The first pair I entitled “Celtic Wedding” as I think they would make a lovely bridal pair as well. I am happy to work in malachite with the other three pieces. I haven’t had the opportunity to work in this rich green stone for a very long time!

What I am not happy with, is my descriptions of the pieces in my Etsy listings. They were rather…blah…because I am feeling rather brain dead tonight. So tomorrow I want to rework the wording & also add a bit of information on the history of the Celtic knot symbol. But, that is for another day. I also have ideas for a Celtic themed necklace & bracelet. I have to run into the city tomorrow to the Naturopathic Doctor to pick up my herbs for birth preparation, so I’m not sure if I’ll get to that tomorrow or not…we shall see what my head comes up with tomorrow…

100 Days of Creativity: Day 50

Posted on February 24, 2009August 5, 2017 by Leilani — Leave a comment

Wow – I can’t believe I am half way through! Where did the last 50 days go? Time really does fly when you are having fun as they say…

I really wish I had something spectacular for the halfway mark, but it has been a busy day & I am lucky to even get one thing made, photographed & listed.

Here it is…still milking those 10mm faceted black carnelian beads I love so much! I decided I don’t have enough gold in my shop, so I put this pair together today:

Check out my shop for more info on this piece. I am thinking tomorrow I will make a few celtic themed pieces in honour of St. Patrick’s Day! That is the plan anyway…

100 Days of Creativity: Day 49

Posted on February 23, 2009August 5, 2017 by Leilani — 1 Comment

Despite being really tired today because my little was awake at the crack of dawn, I got quite a bit accomplished. This has to do with the fact I had my morning cleared as an appointment in the city has been postponed until tomorrow morning. So I was free to play amongst the beads. 🙂

First off I am happy to say my customer loved the baby birthstone bracelet I made yesterday, & bought it plus my tiny bubbles bracelet; which as I mentioned in previous posts I adore. It’s going to a good home, though. A milestone has been reached. I set a couple goals for myself at the beginning of the year. One was to have 20 things sold in my Etsy Shop by the time I have baby #2. As of last night this goal has been reached. It has been a really good month for me, considering how much time I can dedicate per day to jewelry making. Besides the Etsy sales I have had some off-line custom work as well. I am quite blissful with part time jewelry making & it is nice to see money in the bank again.

The second goal, was to have 100 things in my shop before baby arrives. Tonight I am pleased to say, I am 75% of the way there. Here are the three pieces I made today:

I am hard pressed to choose a favourite today. I so adore tiger eye & its metaphysical properties; yet pearls are always so classic & these are a light shade of violet; plus fluroite, another powerful stone…well, the cuff I am definitely proud of because of the tedious nature of this kind of work. No sore wrists today! Horray! 🙂

Anyway, I am very tired and probably incoherently babbling…so I bid you adieu for the evening…

100 Days of Creativity: Day 48

Posted on February 22, 2009August 6, 2017 by Leilani — 1 Comment

Ow, my wrist. Today’s creation was rather fun & used up a whole lotta agate chip beads. I bought a huge lot of chip beads about 8 years ago from a dude in Newfoundland with a rock hounding shop who was selling them out cheap. And, I have been trying to use them up ever since! I’m a lefty, so my left wrist hurts from holding 5 strands of wire steady while I added the beads…and then finishing it off is a very tedious task. The outer strands are easy to tie off; the inner ones are so tight together it takes a lot of patience & skill to get the wire wrapped.

I made this one 7 inches so it would be a nice snug cuff for most women’s wrists. It’s about 2 inches high, and priced really cheap considering how much tedious work I put into it this morning…

The second thing made today, was a custom order request for a baby’s bracelet. I was really excited to make this since it was yet another bloodstone request (who knew how popular that stone would turn out to be!) and it’s for a baby expected to be arriving in the world around the same time my next little one will. This was my first Alchemy request on Etsy, so I was very pleased to give this a shot. Even though she has not approved the request yet, I went ahead & made it and listed it as a reserved listing. If she decides she doesn’t want it then it counts as one of 100 pieces I want to get showcased in my shop. I also want an example of a bracelet that can be customized for babies for when my website will be up and running, so it’s all win-win for me. I have made a handful of baby bracelets over the years but never got one photographed! Go figure…

So this is a smaller version of my fully adjustable delicate bloodstone bracelet. I have two delicate bracelets in bloodstone currently for sale but I think something fully adjustable would make the most sense for a growing baby…

I can also customize this piece with a variety of different stones; I bought 4mm beads just for this purpose, and of course never got around to making any. My own baby goes jewelry-less…everyone says, “when are you going to make her something?” You know that old saying, how the cobbler’s children has no shoes…. 😉

100 Days of Creativity: Day 47

Posted on February 21, 2009August 6, 2017 by Leilani — 1 Comment

I had a pretty good day today: three things designed, made, photographed & listed.

I have a lot of pieces made out of hematite in my shop. A few years ago, I had a lot of requests for hematite pieces. It is a pretty, shiny, weighty stone that appealed to both men & women. Since it is an ore which is melted and molded into beads & pendants, it is also very affordable. So I stocked up…because of this, I have a lot of hematite odds & ends: 20 beads in this size, 10 beads in another size, 50 beads in this shape…I thought of starting a destah site & just selling them but really, the effort to photograph these & put them up for sale, well, I’d rather be making jewelry…

So I decided to challenge myself to make some pieces out of the smaller lots of odds & ends using up as many of the beads per piece as possible. These three creations emerged:

Piece #1: hematite & pink jade bracelet

Piece #2: hematite & moonstone bracelet

Piece #3: hematite & peridot anklet

Ah, pink jade. The controversy. I bought these pink jade beads several years ago from a distributor in China; before I knew that pink jade is awfully rare. I question whether or not this is the real deal, or simply dyed. No guarantees here folks, & that is reflected in the price. Either way, it is a pretty stone & makes for a great addition to jewelry making.

Check out these pieces, & my other hematite creations, in the “down to earth” section of my etsy shop…