Kinship Amulet

“Promise me you'll always remember: You're braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.” 

- A.A. Milne

And Another.

Starting this year with one of my favorite totems.

My heartfelt gratitude for taking the time, no matter how brief, to include me in your day..2012 was an amazing year of growth, renewal and changes.

It's going to be another roller coaster of a year and I'm so excited to be sharing it with you!

As always, thank you for following along..

xo Blue Gnome

Sterling & Turquoise

Available later this week in the shop.

xo Blue Gnome

Love Of All Things Furred And Feathered.

It doesn't seem that long ago that my grandparents lived in a beautiful log house with cathedral ceilings.  Their master bedroom was a huge loft that overlooked the living space below and their bedroom window faced the hilly mountain side that was their backyard

heavily treed with huge evergreens, the ground thick with fallen needles and tall grasses.  

It was the perfect place for quail..enough ground cover to hide and nest in and

sheltered up above by the majestic branches of the ponderosa pines.  

During my grandparents time there, it had become a sort of breeding ground and sanctuary for these adorable birds - every morning my grandma would open the sliding door from the family room and scatter a handful of seeds out on to the grass

within seconds, the tall grass would rustle and sway.  

The adults always came impeccably dressed for breakfast

wearing their jackets of black, fawn and light grey, 

their plume like tiny facinators on their perfect little heads.  

My grandma would always count the number of young and report to my little brother, who for a time when he was little, would be at my grandma's side during her many bird watching walks.  

It was during my time living in the Okanagan that I first became aware of these wee birds.  

In the spring time the mountains are teeming with them, always in a big hurry, the females bustling about up ahead while the males follow behind, herding what seems like a bazillion itty bitty chicks from straying from the group.  

Driving up the mountainous road to my parents house could sometimes be a treacherous affair - quail crossings are not uncommon and they dart out of nowhere, zigzagging hurriedly across the pavement while the unfortunate male would frantically being up the rear, 

their young like a bagful of marbles, 

spilling out onto the hilly roads 

where cars were whizzing by.  

Driving white knuckled, eyes darting back and forth watching carefully for tattletale signs of movement in the tall grass roadside, I'd been told numerous times that swerving for an animal crossing was one of the most common causes of vehicle accidents.  Personally however, I'd rather land in a ditch any day over running over a family of quail...

being singlehandedly responsible for the massacre of an entire family would be something I would never get over.  

My father I'm sure would disagree - especially since I'm usually driving his vehicle.

It's been years since my grandparents lived there..

my brother no longer seems interested in pursuing a life of bird watching

and my grandma passed away a few short years ago.

But in the springtime the hillsides are still abundant with quail and you still have to watch the roads for family crossings.

Sterling

A whimsical little necklace inspired by the beautiful Okanagan and my grandma's love of all things furred and feathered. 

Available in the New Year.

 xo Blue Gnome

Come Dance With The West Wind

Sterling & Natural Baltic Amber Pendant

I am the eagle, I live in high country
In rocky cathedrals that reach to the sky
I am the hawk and there's blood on my feathers
But time is still turning they soon will be dry
And all of those who see me, all who believe in me
Share in the freedom I feel when I fly

Come dance with the west wind and touch on the mountain tops
Sail over the canyons and up to the stars
And reach for the heavens and hope for the future
And all that we can be and not what we are.
- John Denver and Mike Taylor

Available on Monday in my little shop.

Have a glorious weekend everyone!

xo Blue Gnome

Holy Trinity

The holy trinity ring.  

Loyalty.  

Protection.  

Healing.

A part of the bear totem series, available here.

Sterling, turquoise and amethyst

xo Blue Gnome

Greed

The second piece in my series of rings is dedicated to charity, the counteracting virtue to the sin of greed.  This cardinal sin is the pursuit for wealth, status and power far beyond what is required for survival or comfort.  A sin considered to be directly against fellow man since a person cannot be over abundant in external riches without another man lacking them.


Living in todays indulgent consumerist society, greed runs frequent and rampant.  

Sterling, Druzy

For this particular virtue, I've chosen a beautiful bronze druzy.  

A crystalline formation that occurs when molten rock cools quickly, trapping gasses within.  When nutrient rich ground water flows overtop, it deposits layer after layer of minerals that eventually crystalize.  After hundreds and possibly even a few thousand years, we are gifted by mother nature what you see here..an over abundant example of mineral deposits, a showy side of the usual gentleness of mother earth.

A parallel between the superficial wealth sought after by the greedy, this druzy is but an ordinary quartz beneath it's brilliant, sparkly exterior...the contrasting virtue is charity.

Wear this ring as protection from greed; may you always choose to be charitable in your wealth.


xo Blue Gnome

Envy

I've been working away on several new pieces lately - there are a ton of new ideas swimming around in my head that I can't seem to focus on just one thing to create!  So my shop is quite an upheaval, a complete and utter mess..but trust me, it's a meticulously organized kind of chaos going on down there and I hope to be able to introduce many of those pieces to you soon.

I've been working on a series of rings based loosely on the seven sins - or rather, the seven contrasting virtues.  I feel, more than ever now, the importance of focusing not on the sins of man but on the positive virtues created to counteract them - god knows we need more good these days - 

good deeds, good thoughts..good energy.  

Surrounding ourselves and our loved ones with thoughts of love and ribbons of beautiful white light to cast those shadows away..watching the news lately, there is a serious lack of goodness in the world.  

Actually on second thought, I take that back.  There is plenty of goodness and many people who are good but good deeds don't make the news nearly as often as the tragic and sad.  Why do we not hear of the happiness of falling in love?  The simple act of helping someone cross a busy intersection, giving money to the person who's short a dollar at the cashier without expecting anything in return?  Helping a stranger look for her beloved pet?  

Why are we so obsessed with the darkness?  

Why do stories of anguish and loss captivate us so?

Each of these seven rings, or talismans have been created with love, laughter and a heavy dousing of early morning sunshine.  With every strike of the hammer, a loving memory; every touch of the torch, well wishes and thoughts.  There is magic in these rings - your magic; as each of these rings find their way to the person they are meant to be with.  The words stamped on each band represents the contrasting virtues of a cardinal sin - this particular one kindness to counteract envy.

Sterling, Agate

  

Ah, envy.  It's a sneaky one.  It creeps up on you slowly and surely that you hardly know it's presence until it's got a firm hold of you and your heart.  A constant and agonizing gnawing at your very soul - to want and resent others for what they've accomplished and what they have.  A justification to hate.  

Like a drop of the blackest ink into the purist of pure waters, it has the ability to grow and spread quickly, to make the clear waters murky.  Rational thinking is muddled with envy..the contrasting virtue is kindness.

Wear this ring as protection from envy; may you always have kindness in your heart.

xo Blue Gnome

Seal Lullaby

Sterling

Seal Lullaby

Oh! hush thee, my baby, the night is behind us

And black are the waters that sparkle so green.

The moon, o'er the combers, looks downward to find us

At rest in the hollows that rustle between.

Where billow meets billow, there soft be thy pillow;

Ah, weary wee flipperling, curl at thy ease!

The storm shall not wake thee, nor sharks overtake thee,

Asleep in the arms of the slow-swinging seas.

By Rudyard Kipling

Can't See The Forest For The Trees..

Sterling 

Sometimes life gets hectic. 

Beyond hectic. 

We lose sight of the important things in life 
and worry ourselves silly with the itty bitty things that should  
in a perfect world 

remain small and insignificant.

Made entirely of sterling silver. 

Wonderfully textural and with silent presence.

Hope you're taking the time to enjoy your nows 

and not wasting time worrying about your laters.

xo Blue Gnome

Into The Blue..Or Turquoise, Rather.

Freeform turquoise, sterling.

 Tear shaped turquoise, sterling.

A couple of simple rings I finished this weekend, both gorgeous specimens of turquoise.  The oblong stone, rich with copper and aluminum has a higher dash of copper which has resulted in this case, in the beautiful, more-green-than-turquoise shade.  Although I try very hard to purchase stones that have been made by mother nature and not man made in a lab, I find it extremely difficult to turn my nose up at stones that are categorized as "lesser" quality stones.  If you're looking for turquoise stones of the highest, purest  grade, be prepared to pay a premium for them; turquoise mines are rare these days and there's a lot of research involved in determining if the purchase you made fairly reflects the high price you've paid.

With the rising cost of sterling these days (and all precious metals for that matter..) it's become increasingly difficult to keep prices affordable and attainable.  The large, chunky rings I love to design and create take into consideration the fact that although it's hard to avoid the high cost of sterling, there are other ways of creating beautiful jewelry while trying to keep things affordable.   Accessories, in my humble opinion, should be worn casually and frivolously without having to spend a month's worth of salary buying it.  Yes, many things in life are worth the high prices but at the end of the day, it's up to you and you alone to dictate what you want to spend your hard earned money on.  I like that I can pick and choose from a large collection of gorgeous rings and accessories, handcrafted with quality workmanship, depending on my outfit or mood..the stones may not be of the highest quality but there's something so interesting about the stories these "flaws or inclusions" tell.  So what if your piece doesn't hold the most pristine specimen of turquoise?  Isn't it more important how beautiful it makes you feel wearing it and that you love the design of it?

These gorgeous rings will be available in my shop tomorrow..

xo Blue Gnome

Seedling

Sterling, peridot As a quiet little seedling  Lay within its darksome bed,  To itself it fell a-talking,  And this is what it said:  'I am not so very robust,  But I'll do the best I can;'  And the seedling from that moment  Its work of life began.  So it pushed a little leaflet  Up into the light of day,  To examine the surroundings  And show the rest the way.  The leaflet liked the prospect,  So it called its brother, Stem;  Then two other leaflets heard it,  And quickly followed them.  To be sure, the haste and hurry  Made the seedling sweat and pant;  But almost before it knew it  It found itself a plant.  The sunshine poured upon it,  And the clouds they gave a shower;  And the little plant kept growing  Till it found itself a flower.  Little folks, be like the seedling,  Always do the best you can;  Every child must share life's labor  Just as well as every man.  And the sun and showers will help you  Through the lonesome, struggling hours,  Till you raise to light and beauty  Virtue's fair, unfading flowers. - Paul Laurence Dunbar Available now in the shop. xo Blue Gnome

Sakura

This past week has been the beginning of our unofficial spring, although the warmer weather has brought rain, last Sunday was an unbelievable 23 degrees.  It's exactly what the plants have been waiting for..overnight bright green buds seemed to have pushed their way up through the soil and there's a definite change in air.  I sat and watched a couple of Robins fight over a worm this morning as I had my morning tea, the warm weather's brought on the renovations in the neighborhood and by 8am, the air was busy with the sound of power tools and hammering, the radio playing faintly in the background reporting news about the rush hour traffic.

I've grown accustomed to city living and I have to admit, even enjoy the sounds of the bustling city once in awhile.  Having said that however, I'm in the midst of putting the finishing touches on a backyard project that started last summer, my goal is to have my backyard 'getaway' ready to enjoy by the time the warmer weather arrives.  I'm a pretty lucky girl - I have some very handy people in my life and with their help I'm going to have a beautiful, sanctuary of a garden when it's all done.  The next step (and definitely the most exciting step) is handpicking the plants, shrubs and trees that will shelter my home and loved ones from the craziness that has become a part of our everyday lives living in the city..streetcars and angry traffic, the unfriendliness of big-city living and a seemingly endless list of to-do's.  I'm looking forward to sinking into a comfortable patio chair with a tall glass of something cold with lot's of ice cubes, grabbing my copy of the latest issue of World of Interiors magazine and wriggling my bare toes in the warm sunshine.

A friend on mine recently posted pictures of springtime in Tokyo..cherry blossoms are nearing the height of their spectacular displays and the country, for a brief time, seems to be taking the time to enjoy and appreciate the beautiful things nature has to offer..not her recent fury.

Sakura Ring - Sterling, Ocean Jasper

 I decided to use this particular specimen of ocean jasper because it reminded me of Hanami - meaning 'flower viewing' during this time of year.  Poems have been about the delicate cherry blossoms or sakura, which were seen as a metaphor for life itself, luminous and beautiful yet fleeting as the blossoms only last about a week.  


Set simply in sterling to showcase the pink blooms amidst its deep green backdrop, the Sakura Ring is now available in my shop.


xo Blue Gnome

A Pocket Full of Kisses

Until very recently, I had two wonderful grandmothers.  Both so unique and irreplaceable, yet so very different.  Both taught me so much about life, two very different views on life from very different experiences.  This is about my grandma Jones..Vera Lorraine Jones.  She passed away in April of 2009 and there isn't a day that goes by that I don't think about her.  I see her in the Cardinal singing in my neighbor's tree, I see her in my garden that's now slowly starting to thaw as the tiny, green buds fight their way up into the sunshine.  She used to bake the most delicious chewy oatmeal raisin cookies and would keep them in cookie tins that were worn from years of use.   I have her recipe for those cookies but they never turn out the same.

My grandparents lived in a high rise senior's building back then, and we'd go visit them quite often.  They had an outdoor pool there and during the summer, it was always a treat to go hang out with them, go swimming and then have ice cream in their air conditioned kitchen.  My grandma would sit across from me at their small kitchen table while we ate ice cream out of glass bowls, and when I looked up at her in between bites, she'd always smile and wink at me.  I couldn't wink back then, and I still can't wink very well.  Not like her.  My dad's pretty good with his winks, and every time he winks at me, I can see my grandma in my dad's face.
When it was time for me to go home, grandma would always stand by the door and wave until I had to turn the corner in the hallway to get to the elevator.  I'd go push the button, then run back and that's when she'd blow me a kiss..when I blew one back at her, she would always pretend to catch the kiss from mid air and tuck it in her pocket.  She did that with all her grandkids..I sometimes wondered where she kept those kisses that she'd always tuck away.

This ring is about a pocket full of kisses, too many kisses to tuck away that they're tumbling out.

Made with love, from me to you.  Available later this week in my shop.

xo Blue Gnome

Sterling

Share In The Freedom I Feel When I Fly

Have you ever dreamt of flying?

I gather everyone has at some time in their lives had a dream that they were soaring high in the sky, not a care in the world.  I've had several of these dreams, and oddly it's through these dreams that I can honestly say that I know what it feels like to be able to take flight.  I'm not talking about flying around in a rocket ship or being belted to some technological gadget that flies around on some kind of jet fuel.  I'm talking about simply swan diving off of a cliff and swooping upwards and away..it's simply the most exhilarating feeling one can imagine.
  
I had another dream about that eagle again the other night.  I couldn't see him this time but I saw his shadow on the ground by my feet..when I looked for him above me, the sun was too bright..but he followed me for a little while.  I'm pretty sure I'm not feeling hunted, I don't get a feeling of uneasiness in these dreams..quite the opposite.  I feel like he's looking miles ahead for me, guiding me on my path.  I'm not sure where I'm going either but there's a spring in my step and I'm excited about whatever may come my way.

I started this ring the day after my eagle dream.  I heard a John Denver song years ago on the radio called ' The Eagle and the Hawk' and although I'm not particularly a John Denver fan, I fell in love with the lyrics.  As such, I felt it fitting that I set a picasso jasper in the ring, it reminds me of the Great Canyon and all the wonderful colours nature has to offer.  I imagine the pattern on the jasper might be something like the landscape an eagle might see as it soars high above the ground, miles in the sky.

Available next week in my shop.

xo Blue Gnome

Sterling, Picasso Jasper

I am the eagle, I live in high country

In rocky cathedrals that reach to the sky

I am the hawk and there's blood on my feathers

But time is still turning they soon will be dry

And all of those who see me, all who believe in me

Share in the freedom I feel when I fly

Come dance with the west wind and touch on the mountain tops

Sail over the canyons and up to the stars

And reach for the heavens and hope for the future

And all that we can be and not what we are

- John Denver and Mike Taylor

A Bounty of Riches

There's something so wonderful about holding a handful of finished pieces, all of them just pieces of flat sterling a little while ago, now so rich with life.  There's something so satisfying about manipulating the metal, the heating and hammering, watching it all come together right before my eyes.  I lose hours in my studio, it will literally be daylight when I head down, and when I come back upstairs, Sachi will have  been sitting in a completely dark house, looking at me accusingly of neglecting her for so long.  Just to clarify, she actually has a cozy bed on the floor of my shop but when the hammering begins, she gets up in a huff and trots upstairs to her other cosy bed.  This dog is not neglected..far from it. 

 I'm hoping to have more images available to post this weekend, I love how the sunshine brings out the best of what nature has to offer, and I refuse to take photographs of stones in indoor lighting.  As such, today has been a heck of a gloomy day..so no photos yet.  I'm hoping for a peek-a-boo of sun tomorrow when I will scramble around the house setting things up to be photographed.  Until then, this is all I have to offer this evening..First Bloom necklace with turquoise.  It hangs with such a wonderful weight, I've been wearing it all day as I went about with my chores.  I might keep this around for a little while..I've kind of fallen in love with it.

Happy weekend!

xo Blue Gnome

Sterling, Turquoise

Rise of the Fireflies

Fireflies..have you been fortunate enough to see them?
My first and only time was during a installation job in Georgia, Atlanta.  Small, glowing orbs of light dancing around on someone's front yard..I was mesmerized..then my good friend and coworker told me that when he was a kid, he and his brother used to catch them and squish them..and paint the glowy stuff on their arms and faces as warpaint.  Nice.  Boys are so weird.

I grew up watching movies from Studio Ghibli, an animation house in Japan.  Among their popular animated films like Totoro and Spirited Away, they produced a powerful, heart wrenching movie called 'Firefly Grave'.  It's about a young boy who takes his little sister into the forest to escape the war.  Although they succeed in escaping the bombings of the city, without rations they struggle to survive.  One of my all time favorite movies..but not one I can watch often.  I know my Japanese grandmother couldn't watch it..she survived the war as a child and the movie hit too close to home.  The little girl in the movie also has the same name as my grandma..Setsuko.  The title of the film comes from the fireflies the boy catches for his sister.  He traps them in a glass jar, and she keeps this by her bed at night since there are no lights.

I saw this ocean jasper and I immediately thought of this movie.  And that night in Georgia when the night air was warm and muggy.  It reminds me of what it might be like to walk through a field of fireflies in the darkness of the night and see them all float up into the night sky.  Soft, glowing orbs of light, dancing all around me.

Available later today in my shop.

xo Blue Gnome