Through the Looking Glass - Cindy's Art & Soul

"I wonder if the snow loves the trees and fields, that it kisses them so gently? And then it covers them up snug, you know, with a white quilt; and perhaps it says, "Go to sleep, darlings, till the summer comes again."
— Lewis Carroll (Alice's Adventures in Wonderland & Through the Looking-Glass) 

Look closely you'll see water bubbling under the ice... cold, inspiring, sparkling icy water that used to feed the tiny birds that would flock to our yard in the summer months. Now still. 

Inspiring all things shiny and bright...

Wings of Hope.

Fine silver nugget earrings featuring winged hearts. 

 Newly listed at www.artandsouljewelry.com

 

Hip Chick Star Charm Earrings

First, does anyone know where Hip Chick has gone? I have loved her charms for... forever! I'll admit, I  stopped ordering a while back  when my jewelry designs went a different direction. But I still have a small personal collection I adore (horde).
 
Hip Chick beads & charms are sterling silver and have a rustic handcrafted appeal.



Today I bring you Hip Chick Star Earrings featuring small blue handcrafted ceramic beads by Cindy's Art & Soul Beads. (new sets coming soon!)

Wrapped in a thick gauge pure silver wire with tiny Indigo Swarovski crystals dangling below. 

Available at Art & Soul Jewelry...

Peace & love to you, 
today and always. 

Firey Carnelian Gemstone. Rusitic Silver Hoops.

Happy Halloween! 
So much going on today. 
Thank you for joining me!

In my last post I shared a leaf photo that had inspired me. And I never tire of looking at leaves in Autumn. I walk often and take a lot of photos. I took this one last week... 

The color of the leaves absolutely captivated me and still does. The rich hues of the reddish brown are stunning. Maybe that's why I've been wearing Carnelian all week. 

Carnelian gemstones have always been a go-to favorite of mine. The translucent colors can range from orange to reddish brown. These odd little nugget shapes often remind me of apples. 

According to my book the illustrated book of Healing Crystals, Carnelian is a very positive energy stone. "Carnelian is above all a crystal of personal happiness and fulfillment; if you believe in your unique talents and follow your personal goals rather than those set by others, you can achieve anything." Which I think goes for anything in life whether or not you wear gemstones! However, I do get a real sense of positive energy from this stone. 

Look for this set to be available with my next Art & Soul Jewelry shop update in about 2 weeks. TBA. 

Peace & Love, 

Blast From The Past. Fused Hoops. Cindy's Art and Soul

I am still very busy working on new jewelry for my August 31st shop update. Therefore I am going to share some earrings I made about six years ago. They are being modeled by my beautiful daughter who magically makes them 100 times prettier! Don't you agree?

Interestingly (or not?) enough, back then I was naming all my creations in order to keep track and ID them. This set I named Molly which is the name of my dog now. (fun fact!) 

I am still very proud of this design and that is why I am sharing it today.

Created with pure copper and pure silver, the hoops are fused. Fusing occurs when the metal is heated to the point of being molten and thus does not need solder. Fusing copper can be tricky, but is so rewarding, for me. I adore the rich hues of this metal and the natural patina that begins even one day after polishing. 

See you in two weeks! 

Peace.

Basic Black Earrings Beach Stone Jewelry

What is the main color that fills your closet? Mine has a lot of black. I don't want to be that "emo" girl who always wears black but I am drawn to it. (no offense emo girls!) I love wearing black and it's easy to fit any other color with it, so it's a good go-to accessory & clothing color. 

These earrings are another take on my beach glass/stone earrings. The only two stones I found that were so beautifully smooth and really *black. All the other stones I collected on this day were some sort of gray. I really love the look and feel of these smooth stones. 

photo by Cindy Pack free for personal use

They pair well with the silver and add a nice contrast to the metal, even in it's rustic patina'd state. 

My original idea was to have the asymmetrical rings hanging side by side. But I was inspired by some of the many asymmetrical earrings I've seen here on the EE blog and I mixed it up a bit. I'm really pleased with how they came out. 

Part of my "Peace, Love & Rocks" Collection

http://www.artandsouljewelry.com/collections/peace-love-rock

Found black stones, handmade fine silver rings, 
and black stone beads from Alexanders Bead Bazaar (Seattle, WA). 

What's your go-to color? 

(original post date Oct 2014)

Of The Earth

Hiking at Cape Disappointment, WA 2012

It's winter here in WA state. The landscape is a lot of gray, and muddy browns. I'm not one that dislikes one season or another, one day over another.

Yes some are easier than others. Some more enjoyable. But I like to keep an open mind and take in all that my surroundings have to offer.

My jewelry work is largely inspired by nature and the beauty I can find there. No matter what the season, no matter what the weather.

Winter brings cold and rain and mud. It also brings green trees, red holy berries, water puddles for children to stomp! Just remember, it's all good.

Of The Earth. 

Silver, Gemstone, Ceramic Earrings, Art & Soul Jewelry

I found these gemstones at a bead show in Portland, OR. Purchased from Dava Bead & Trade. I clearly remember picking up the strand... mulling it over in my head. Why I should I buy these? They were on the $$$ side and they were mostly flawed stones.

The woman in the booth saw me and she must have read my mind because her words to me where that these stones are Of The Earth. Each one special and precious and the cracks and flaws are actually what make them beautiful. And I must have believed her because I bought them, and have loved them ever since!

None are matching. Yet I have still managed to make several great looking pairs of earrings with them. I love the facets, the deep brown color and how each one is unique. And yes, they are Of The Earth. How can that ever be bad?

Silver, Gemstone, Ceramic Earrings, Art & Soul Jewelry

I have wrapped them in .999 fine silver wire. And paired with some handmade ceramic beads finished with a two part brown and red glaze. Ear wires are hand forged, .925 sterling silver. Available at Art and Soul Jewelry.

I see this set with a soft, red, long sleeved sweater. Maybe a V neck or deep plunging neckline. A pair of soft brown corderory jeans and some tall boots. I'll leave that to your imagination.

Looking for handmade ceramic beads? Check in  with me the last week of this month! I will be offering sets of handmade beads! http://www.artandsouljewelry.com/

Peace & Love,

Winter Solstice in the Desert

Joshua Tree National Park, CA

I took a trip to the desert last week which happened to be Winter Solstice and a huge, full moon. I can't even begin the describe how beautiful and perfect it was. Both eye opening and jaw dropping gorgeous. 

At a glance the desert appears dry and lifeless but once you soften your view and relax you'll see it's teeming with life and magic. 
 
Just back home yesterday I wanted my next creation to reflect the colors, look and feel of the desert. Prickly plants, enormous rock formations, sandy earth, tall grasses, Joshua trees...

 

Joshua Tree Park, CA

 It's funny because I have always considered myself more of a mountain girl. But I've discovered that I truly love the desert, and I hope I am fortunate enough to go back one day.

Sterling silver earrings feature: disk charms- mill rolled with fabric, Agate stones dangling on ball tipped pins, Handcrafted ceramic beads and green Grossular Garnet gemstones, hand forged ear wires. 

Available at Art and Soul Jewelry. 

may Peace and Love be with you in the new year and always! 

Lucky Girl Sea Glass Earrings

 

 I don't want to use the word addicted but I don't know any other way to explain my feelings about sea glass. I have a nice stash and I can get carried away for an entire day, if time allowed. I feel time stands still when I am picking out pieces.

I lay out a towel on the floor and dump out a box (yeah, I have more than one) and put on my close-up glasses and light the lamp. Kneel down close and my heart quickens... LOVE just pawing though it. 

What is it about tiny things that get us excited? Beads, buttons, shells, beach rocks... any of it! 

I remember as a young girl one of my favorite things was the button basket. Dumping them out, picking through them and then maybe keeping just one with me. Probably to eventually loose it around the house. I was a lucky girl to live with my aunts and grandmother growing up. 

And there were lots of buttons!  

Fast forward to today... 

Now my bead obsession not only makes sense but also carries over to the sea glass. And still, I am a lucky girl. Getting to paw through it and make beautiful adornments for others and for myself if time allows. 

Thank you for allowing me to share (ramble) about one of my greatest passions. 

These earrings are a riff of a previous set I made several months back. The Peace earrings these were born from had a lot going on. This is a scaled down tiny piece of that design. 

I manged to find two sets of glass pieces that semi-matched. *And managed to drill eight holes without any breakage. Lucky again?

 Natural found sea glass, Lapis Lazuli, Czech glass and fine silver. 

Available at Art & Soul Jewelry. 

Folk Art Hand Earrings by Cindy's Art and Soul

Our hands represent our love, our life, our work. How we hold each other. How we are able to express our creativity through art, music and poetry.

 Created with white bronze hand charms by Lois Venarchick, pure silver fused rings, small gemstones of hessonite garnet and kyanite paired with funky stoneware ceramic beads by cindy's art and soul, finished with a topaz glaze.

Available at Art and Soul Jewelry. 

Kenaz The Torch of Knowledge by Art and Soul Jewelry

Kenaz ~ The Torch of Knowledge

 by Art and Soul Jewelry

Earrings, kenaz runic design by Art and Soul Jewelry

"Ancestrally, we each must carry our own torch, creating a path of light that flows through the darkness. These torches are never extinguished, and can be used as signposts in the navigation of the ancestral stream, and to acquire the knowledge and tools from our ancestry" - runesecrets.com 

Earrings, kenaz runic design by Art and Soul Jewelry

A simple, yet bold design. Kenaz, ancient Viking runes, hand stamped on copper disks. Forged into domes. Accented with brass for a beautiful contrast of rich metal hues. Ear wires are hand forged sterling silver wrapped in bronze wire. http://www.artandsouljewelry.com/

 

Green River Black Copper Hoops by Art and Soul Jewelry

Lazy days by the river, camping July 2015- with Molly

Green River Hoops by Art and Soul Jewelry

Green River Hoops by Art and Soul Jewelry

 "Green River" fused, cascading copper hoops featuring shimmering Czech glass, faceted with a Picasso finish on hand forged copper wire headpins. Available for order at Art and Soul Jewelry. 

Happy Happy Summer! 

 

The Sacred Spiral

I use spirals a lot in my work as a jewelry artist and bead-maker. Maybe it's a natural part of my human nature to be drawn to the scared symbol. The most basic of Archetypal imagery.

"It is a sacred symbol that reminds us of our evolving journey in life." The Spirit of Water

The Earrings:

Handmade Ceramic Spiral Beads by Cindy's Art & Soul

Hand forged Fine Silver Hoop Rings

Hand Forged Spiral Headpins 

and Black Stone Beads 

These earrings feature handmade ceramic beads. I'll soon be firing my 8th glazed kiln load. Just over a year into my new adventure in ceramics and I can hardly remember what life was like before... For more about my journey and some works in progress, please check out my latest post on my personal blog. 

 These earrings and other ceramic beads can be found at www.artandsouljewelry.com

What does the spiral mean to you? 

What symbols are you drawn to again and again?

 

Until next time, Peace & Blessings. 

 

Halo Earrings in Wintergreen

I've been reluctant to use and share my new ceramic components. But at the encouragement of friends I am revisiting them and warming up to them a lot more! It's like when you think something is going to be one way and then it ends up being something else. But then you realize that what it actually came be to be is just as great or even better...

Maybe I'm getting ahead of myself with talk of winter when last week I was admiring the autumn leaves? It's cold and more cold is moving towards us from Canada according to the weather reports.

I am bundling up in my winter coat and will be digging my gloves out today!

I think this set would look great with a big fluffy white or pale blue-green sweater & jeans.
Casual, rustic.

For this set I have used a set of my own hand fused fine silver rings. I have hammered on one side to reveal a smooth silver surface on the other. I love smooth silver - and often turn the hammered side away.

The ceramic beads and dangles are handcrafted (Cindy's Art & Soul).

How do you see Winter? White and fluffy or maybe red & green? Or maybe neither of those? Maybe you are headed to the beach for a swim? What color is your winter?

☮ Cindy
Art & Soul Jewelry 

PS
Don't forget to check out this months Earrings Everyday Blog Challenge inspiration! Please join in the fun! Anyone can play and I think we'll see a lot of participants this month. It's going to be a lot of fun! You can check out the link over to the left of the page ---> or click here to go there now! 

Delicious Autumn

 “Is not this a true autumn day? Just the still melancholy that I love - that makes life and nature harmonise. The birds are consulting about their migrations, the trees are putting on the hectic or the pallid hues of decay, and begin to strew the ground, that one's very footsteps may not disturb the repose of earth and air, while they give us a scent that is a perfect anodyne to the restless spirit. Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns."

[Letter to Miss Eliot, Oct. 1, 1841]” ― George Eliot

Photo By Cindy Pack - free for personal use.

.................................................................

It doesn't get any better than this.

The beauty of Autumn melts my heart. 

Motivating me to get out everyday, to the lake.

To walk. To breathe. To see. 

And I will take it all in.

Until it is no more. 

And then I will love Winter...

 Handmade ear wires, 

Czech glass from ArtBellaSurplus on Etsy, 

Handmade Fine Silver Rings, 

and Found Sea Glass. 

Available at Art & Soul Jewelry online

http://www.artandsouljewelry.com/

Happy Fall! 

Cindy