THANK YOU to all those who left me encouraging messages on my last post. I am grateful for your good thoughts and letting me know I'm not alone. I wanted to share my experience with the good intention to perhaps inspire awareness in others. I know now, I was unconscious of what I was really doing to myself and I thought others might be in the same boat I was in. I received wonderful emails and messages from some of you. Most of us don't realize how powerful our thoughts and feelings are and how much damage can be done with being negative to ourselves. I know I thought as long as I was sweet-as-pie to everyone else and gave myself fully outwardly to the world, that was ALL that mattered. We don't think that what we think and feel inwardly has any real, tangible affect, but it absolutely does. The great news is, we can change all that around by being aware of ourselves and thinking good, happy thoughts! I know this knowledge will always be with me now and I will remember to be aware of what I am thinking and try to keep good, happy thoughts with me at all times. I hope you will, too.
On other note, some of you expressed an enthusiastic interest in my Chakra Meditation Pendant! I'm thrilled! I thought about and I think this item is unique enough, so I'm offering a few of them in my newly opened Etsy Shop. Please excuse the appearance, the shop is a work in progress! If there are others that would like one, I can make more, so just let me know if you would like a pendant made for you. I'm so happy for your interest! Thank you!
Saturday, January 7, 2012
Gratitude
Labels:
Chakra Meditation Pendant,
Gratitude,
Thank you
Thursday, January 5, 2012
Let's Be Kind to Ourselves, Please.
Chakra Meditation Pendant
I'm thinking a lot about self-care and self-kindness in the new year. For the past few weeks, I've been using meditation as a tool for coping with and releasing some negative emotions and anxiety. You see, I have not been feeling good physically and most important of all, I have not been good to myself emotionally. In fact, come to find out, I've been inner trash talking to a point that shocked me when I recently became aware of it.
For the past few months, I've been feeling a little lost about where to put my time and energy. I've been struggling with whether to focus on growing my jewelry-making career such as, selling jewelry, teaching classes, working on more publications, blogging, and networking or to focus more on family and home life such as, fixing up my house, decorating, organizing, cleaning, cooking, doing more for my daughter, Nora, and generally making life more pleasant and comfortable for me and my family. Up until now, I've been an all or nothing kind of gal. I pick one thing and focus on that with a one-track mind. So, for me, integrating all of these things into one life is difficult for me to grasp, to say the least.
The following is the inner trash-talk dialogue that went on:
"You really should be able to do both but, unfortunately for you, you can't multitask. Ha! You've never been able to. You used to be able to get away with it before you had Nora, but now, your slowness and total lack of any kind of time management skills is completely exposed. Maybe if you were someone else you could do it, but there's no way YOU could keep all those balls in the air. Why can't you seem to get it together enough to get more done in your day? If you were a good mother, you'd be feeding Nora better meals that this, too. If you were competent, you'd be able to make jewelry and keep the house clean. You'd be absolutely mortified if someone walked in and saw this house in the state it's in right now. This is disgraceful...."
And on it goes...I've said this and much, much more to myself many, many times over the months. I would never, ever, ever in a million years, talk to someone like that. I wouldn't dream of treating someone else like that...EVER. So, why on earth am I doing it to myself??? Crazy, isn't it? Well, needless to say, I won't be doing it anymore, I will try anyway. I think it will be a process, but at least I'm more aware. Awareness is the key. It is the first step. You can't very well change something until you become conscious of it first.
Listen to that inner voice, BUT please, make sure it's a KIND voice.
Thank you.
I made myself this Chakra pendant inspired by my meditation practices.
Labels:
awareness,
Be kind to yourself,
meditation,
self-care,
self-kindness
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Holiday Sparkle
Can't resist a little sparkle for the holidays! I made this pair of earrings to go with my LBD I'm wearing on Christmas Eve. Faceted black onyx rounds, gold faceted Czech glass beads and Swarovski crystals are hand knotted on black silk beading cord. I know...these beads are such a deviation from what I would normally chose. I'm not usually into the glitz stuff. I think that's why I'm finding these so exciting, because they are different from what I'm usually drawn to. And the gold. The gold is different, too. I never do gold. I'm feeling the gold and I'm digging the faceted gems and crystals. Must be all the twinkly lights and festive glitter everywhere that has stolen my mind. Still, even that is out of the ordinary. I don't remember wanting to make sparkly things last year. I think it's the silk cord that brings these earrings to a place I want to go. It adds that touch of fiber and natural texture that I find so appealing. I love the elegant drape of the cord, too. It gives the same effect as a delicate chain. I finally came up with a way to create dressy earrings that I enjoy making! These will be my signature fancy earring from now on.
Oh...and I was having so much fun with the silk cord and the sparkles that I made this pair of faceted gem drops, too! I can't wait to make more of these earrings.
Happy Holidays!
I hope it's merry and bright and full of sparkle for all of you!
Labels:
Erin Siegel Jewelry,
Happy Holidays,
Holiday earrings,
sparkle
Saturday, December 17, 2011
Nora Story-time!
I haven't shared much of my daughter, Nora here on the blog lately. Here's a video we took of her just today! She's nearly 14 months old now. Please enjoy Owl Babies story-time with Nora Siegel.
Thursday, December 15, 2011
Art Bead Bookmark
Did you like my handmade beaded and braided bookmarks? If so, head on over to the Art Bead Scene blog today for a free tutorial on how to make them! I hope you enjoy my project and Happy Holidays!
Monday, December 12, 2011
Beaded Bookmarks
I've got books, books, books on the brain lately and rightly so. Lorelei and I will be doing the final edits and will be getting our very FIRST look at our completed book, Bohemian-Inspired Jewelry: 50 Designs Using Leather, Ribbon and Cords over the Christmas holiday! A very special gift for me, indeed. I came up with this idea of making a beaded and braided bookmark as a celebration of sorts and also as a way to create and share my joy and excitement with others as I wait in great anticipation for the release of the book! I'm really excited about how my projects came out. I just had to share. I'm giving these as holiday gifts this year to family and friends. Everyone as been so supportive over the last year and this is my way to express my gratitude for that special support that was needed and given during the book writing process. I really like that it's something other than jewelry, but still expresses my style, esthetic and materials I love using in my jewelry designs.
Looks great holding your place in your favorite novel! Or these bookmarks would certainly be perfect to use along side your favorite beading book, don't you think?...just sayin'. :)
I think these will make great gifts, even for the guys! The guys on my list are getting one, like this bone bead one pictured above.
Hmmm...maybe I could make up a tutorial for these so you can make one for yourself or give as a gift as well. Would anyone be interested in that? Let me know. I would love to share this with all of you, too!
Labels:
beaded bookmarks,
Book,
bookmarks,
gift-giving,
gifts,
Hand-made holiday gifts
Friday, December 9, 2011
Artists Helping Artists
Several artists in the blog community have decided to band together to help a fellow artist in need. Each one of us is conducting a silent auction to help raise funds during this time of hardship. All moneys raised will go directly to the artist in need.
I'm offering my "Rainfall" earrings below:
Rainfall Earrings
Modern and stylish bohemian chic earrings with a long, dramatic drape! Perfect for the hip, fashionista in your life or maybe that person is you! If you're an earring girl like me, you will love them. These earrings are light weight and so much fun to wear. Beautiful red aventurine gemstones are hand-knotted with precision and hang from artisan-made hammered and antiqued 25mm copper rings. Ear wires are also hand-forged antiqued copper. Earrings measure 4 inches long including ear wires. You will receive the earrings pictured above packaged in a pretty organza gift bag.
This is a rare opportunity to own one of my original designs! You won't want to miss out.
The starting bid for these earrings is $20.00. International participants welcome! Shipping costs will be included in the winning bid amount. Auction closes Sunday, December 11 at midnight.
Would you like to be the winning bidder?
Please leave a comment along with your bid. If you are the winning bidder, you will receive an invoice after the close of the auction. There must be a way to contact you. If you have email preferences turned off in your profile, please leave your email.
Many people are auctioning items to help out! Please visit these other artists below and place your bids!
List of participants:
Heidi Post http://expostfactojewelry.blogspot.com/
Marie Cramp & Lori Anderson http://skyejewels.blogspot.com/
Barbara Bechtel & Staci Smith http://secondsurf.com/
Erin Fickert-Rowland http://elysianstudiosart.com/
Keirsten Giles http://www.cerebraldilettante.blogspot.com/
Andrew Thornton http://andrew-thornton.blogspot.com/
Karen Totten http://starryroadstudio.blogspot.com/
Kristi Bowman-Gruel http://dreamsomedesigns.blogspot.com/
Nan Emmett http://spiritrattles.blogspot.com/
Maire Dodd http://mairedodd.blogspot.com/
Amanda Cargill Austin http://www.seashoreglassgirl.com/
Janice Everett http://jlynnjewels.blogspot.com/
Rebecca Anderson http://songbeads.blogspot.com/
Shannon Iko Chomanczuk http://formysweetdaughter.blogspot.com/
Jennifer Justman http://soulsfiredesigns.blogspot.com/
Erin Prais-Hintz http://treasures-found.blogspot.com/
Kerry Bogert http://kabsconcepts.blogspot.com
Patricia Gasparino http://www.mylifeunderthebus.typepad.com/
Erin Seigel http://erinsiegeljewelry.blogspot.com/
Courtney Breul http://beadsbybreul.blogspot.com/
Other Fundraisers:
MaryAnne Carroll at LMAJ http://lovemyartjewelry.blogspot.com/2011/12/5-huge-giveaway.html
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