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Jewelry and print sets now on Etsy!

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Long time, no update. I’ve been busy taking biology classes, dancing, and more. And then the whole quarantine thing happened…

I’ve been sorting through my jewelry and art inventory lately. With no craft fairs on the horizon due to COVID-19, I’ve started posting some pieces and sets on my Etsy page again.

So I came up with the idea to list several jewelry pieces (like earrings or necklaces) together in the same listing and have customers choose which pair or piece they want. The sets will also come with a small print, some stickers, and perhaps more. Sort of a grab bag assortment with some options and some surprise, all at a reduced price. I call them “Choose your own adventure” sets.

This is the complete set for one customer, who chose the copper floral earrings with obsidian. Her package came with a print, gift tags, some stickers (not shown), and two cards from the first proof of my oracle card deck.

jewelry and art set

Another customer chose these Celtic and amethyst earrings, and also received a print, stickers, a wirewrapped ring, and several oracle cards.

jewelry and art set 2

While these particular earrings are no longer available, I have other jewelry pieces available in this section of my Etsy shop here.

The prints and the stickers should be in stock — just make sure to request which ones you’d prefer when you order (and I can surprise you, too!). I only have one copy of each oracle card, but if you want a certain theme, I’ll tell you what I have available from my proof set so I can include it in the package. (Some ideas of what’s in my oracle card deck.)

Also, one piece of jewelry, a print, stickers, and more is only $18.50 (tax not included)! I doing only U.S. based orders at the moment.

So if you’d like some of my work, now’s the time! Go to my Etsy site and check it out!

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Etsy update poll

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Long time, no see.

If you have time (and have Facebook), I’d love for you to take my poll on what kinds of items you’d like to see in my shop. It’s been a while since I last did a full-fledged update, and I have some new inventory. So please, follow this link and vote!

Commenting on this post is also welcome.

What would you like to see? More necklaces or pendants? Ornaments and suncatchers? Earrings? Cards and prints? Bracelets? Something else?

You can also visit my Instagram or Facebook page to see some of my latest designs.

 

 

2016: Artistic accomplishments

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It’s been awhile since I last posted. I hope to give more of an update soon, and perhaps post about my artistic goals for the next year.

First, I wanted to share some of my artistic wins from this year through images:

Participated in an artist card exchange

artisttradingcards

Released my oracle card deck!

Oracle Card archetypes

Participated in several craft fairs, including two in my new home in the Las Vegas, NV area.

craft-fair-table

Sold 12 items on Etsy.

turtle-bracelet
Turtle bracelet, from August

Got married! (not artistic, exactly, but relationships are an art unto themselves)

ring-and-handfasting-cords
October 9, 2016, photo credit Adam Durant

Processing progress.

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Sometimes I wonder if I’m making enough new pieces of jewelry and art. After finishing my oracle cards, which was a huge undertaking, I’ve felt a little…well, anticlimactic about my artistic process and progress with the lack of a major project.

In reality, I have continued to create. I’ve made a variety of new things – cards, decorated hair clips, a few new pendants, etc. It’s been more that I’ve been making things a few at a time; it’s been very here and there.

abalone hair clips
Abalone hair clips
I have a decent inventory of items I can sell. I’ve been doing fewer craft fairs this year, although have been successful with selling items to friends, family, and a few Etsy customers. Some of that is because I’m busy doing other things (e.g. oracle cards, planning my wedding, preparing to move) and part of that is because I’m a little more discerning about what kinds of events I put my energy, time and money towards.

There’s also another factor: I’m an aspiring Nia Technique dance fitness teacher. I’ve been putting some of my creativity energy towards learning routines and finding my own sense of movement. I take several classes a week, and for the next two months, I’m teaching once a week. So, I’ve been putting more time into that than into my visual art. However, I also recognize that I’ve been doing art for most of my life; it comes more easily to me. Dance…much less so. I took a few modern dance classes when I was 12 or so, but didn’t have the time or patience at the time. I took improvisational dance and dance history classes in college and took expressive moment classes for a while when I lived in San Diego.  When I started Nia, it became about the body-mind-spirit connection and more. It became a regular activity I wanted to practice and improve at. I not only wanted to learn the technique, I also wanted to teach it. And learning to teach is a very intensive process.

I don’t see my Nia practice as replacing my visual art practice by any means; they definitely can exist side-by-side in my life. However, even as I write this, I’m realizing that I practice Nia regularly. I don’t currently have a consistent art practice. I see blogs that talk about sketching or making at least one thing a day. At the moment, I am not doing this. At one time, I was practicing wirewrapping on a regular basis, and my skills definitely improved dramatically. I don’t think I’m at a stagnant place with my art – but I might be at a place where things aren’t moving very quickly. And really, they don’t have to. I’ve been satisfied with the small supplemental of income I’ve earned, which mostly means some of what I create pays for itself. I also realize that I’ve felt vulnerable about the idea of getting feedback on what I can do next art-business-wise.

At some point in the relatively near future, I want to dedicate more time to it. I want to create goals for the act of creating – whether I’m doing it to create something for profit or just for myself. I want to get feedback on my Etsy shop, recommendations on what I could improve. I want to read books or take online classes about different aspects of running an art business. Ideally, I want to create enough time and space so my Nia and art can feed each other. Perhaps someday I’ll do a Nia and art workshop.

My time and attention is pretty divided right now, but perhaps once I settle into my post-wedding life, perhaps I will find more flow and ease in my visual art practice and business. It’s all a work in progress.

Characters and Archetypes cards

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Oracle Card archetypes

The above are several of the cards from my Characters and Archetypes category.

A brief summary of the meaning of these cards:

The Addict: noticing unhealthy behaviors and coping mechanisms

The Fool: Approach a situation with fresh eyes, return to “beginner’s mind.”

The Shepherdess: Nurture yourself; a return to self-care

The Enchantress: Lessons, what you are learning from current circumstances

High Priestess: It’s time to use your talents, gifts, and wisdom.

Want to pull a card of your own? I now have several decks (with freshly printed books!) available on my Etsy site.

Oracle cards: Creating a sacred spiral

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Inspired by a picture of oracle cards arranged in the shape of a spiral, I decided to try it with my cards. I thought it was appropriate, considering I call them Sacred Spiral Oracle cards.

Spiral of oracle cards

Since my cards are 4×6″, it took up a decent amount of space to include all 41. There was some meaning to how I laid out the cards: It tells a story that begins with confusion and resistance, leading to self-exploration and journeying, and ending in feeling powerful and at home.

Card Spiral from the side

I have to say: The drums and the rainstick that live in that corner of the living room look pretty good with the cards.

Sacred Spiral Oracle: Finding meaning in the cards

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img_0385-1
When I’ve introduced my cards to people, and they pull a card, a common question is: “What does this card mean?”
 
I refer to the book that comes with my oracle cards as a “book of insights.” I have created guiding questions and an overall description of the potential meaning of each card. Ultimately, the question I often want to ask: “What does this card mean to you? How does it apply to your life? How do you relate to the theme of the card? How are you aware of this theme in your life?” 
 
In other words, I do not view these cards as having just one fixed meaning. I don’t see them as having reversed meanings, either – where the cards while mean something different if pulled facing upside down. 
 
I see these cards as intuitive tools, and my hope is that they help people strengthen and trust their intuition. I hope they help guide people.
 
When I pull my oracle cards, I see it as similar to a conversation. “Okay, so what are you telling me?” Sometimes my response when I pull a card is like, “Yeah, yeah, I know. Thanks for the reminder.” 
Sometimes people like to do oracle spreads – laying out multiple oracle cards to give a more detailed reading of a specific situation. A simple one is a past, present, future spread, which uses three cards to reflect where you have been, where you are, and where you may be going. Here are more ideas for spreads that another intuitive card reader has gathered: http://lightnloveguidance.weebly.com/tarotoracle-spreads.html
 
More ideas on how to use the Sacred Spiral Oracle Cards: 
  • Use as part of your daily spiritual practice
  • Choosing a theme for the year on New Year’s or a birthday
  • Use the questions as journal prompts
  • Use as guidance for a specific decision or situation
 
How do you like to use oracle cards or other divination tools? How do you respond to a card’s meaning, whether it is based on your own intuitive interpretation or a written description? 

 

Summer Solstice Debut: Sacred Spiral Oracle Cards

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At long last: I’m mere weeks away from releasing my first printing of my oracle card deck, Sacred Spiral Oracle. I even created a section for it here on my website. And today, which is the Summer Solstice, I created my listing for pre-orders on Etsy!

Seasons Cards
Enter a caption

This deck has truly been a labor of love and healing. I created the original handmade cards in tribute to two years I devoted to a holistic healing program. I continued to work on them  sporadically for the next three years to bring them to their current form through times of depression, struggle, healing, and recovery.

Summer is a time of great heat and energy. For me, it seems like everything happens at a faster pace, and yet the heat also can feel heavy and draining. It’s also a great time to bring projects into fruition.

Pre-order your copy of Sacred Spiral Oracle Cards today!

Artist Trading Card Exchange

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In March, I participated in an Artist Trading Cards Exchange through Albuquerque’s Women & Creativity Month.

They sent me 10 small blank cards, which I turned into these:

artisttradingcards

(the picture is a little cut off at the bottom, but hopefully you get the idea)

I then sent these off, and they mixed them up with other people’s cards and sent them off to other people.

In April, I received this in the mail:

cardenvelope2

Which opened up like an accordion:

cardenvelope

I took out the individual cards…

other artist trading cards

…and got this lovely assortment of cards from 10 different artists!

I really enjoyed participating in this exchange, and hope to do it again next year. It was a great way to inspire and share my own creativity, and see what others created, too.