Thursday, March 12, 2015

"Close Your Eyes….Open your Hand…."


What joy the above words made in my heart,
even writing them makes me smile.

Mostly my mom said them.
Treats.
Gifts.
The unexpected.


I was good at closing my eyes and opening my hands as a cup…
I was good at getting.

Somehow along the line I lost that trust.
Playmates put bugs in my hand.
Smiles hid sharp parts that hurt.
Experience not as advertised:
Please read fine print.


Sometimes I shrink away
because life doesn't always put a sweet thing in your palm.
Sometimes it's pain
sometimes it's loss
maybe overwhelm
.


It takes bravery to receive in a world that is equal parts
joy and shit.

It takes a courageous heart to say 'yes' to things, 
sometimes even to getting out of bed in the morning,
to putting on pants.



This necklace is a prayer for your bravery,
for your blossoming.
After all these years I think the key is just to show up.
Be willing, present
To get bigger 
and Wider and let light into the cracks.
Your armor can wait:
today let's receive instead
.

Watercolor and enamel on copper hand. Robin's egg blue on the reverse side.
Fired just past sugar stage for a wonderful dappled texture.
Triple layer sterling silver hydrangea.



In the Metal Shop later.

xoxo,
Sunny



Monday, March 9, 2015

Homage to the Night Skies


Labradorite, dragonfly wing, Star Lassos. Sterling Silver and Brass. 




Double star studs. Sterling silver.



Lone Star Spells. Aventurine. Amazonite. Sterling silver and brass.




Oak leaf and Kyanite Magic Spells. Shooting Star. Chain cascade.




Variscite and hammer engraved spider web spells. Impending spring! Chrysoprase. Pink sea shell. 



Friends, Orion turned three last weekend.

His incredible trinity of years on earth and the impending spring have been 
lifting me out of an exhausted funk.

He has been so joyful lately, so willful and astounded. Loving and stubborn.
I've been on my toes. Broken record, I've been doing too much. It's like balance has become 
the thing, all of the time. "I'm working on it," I say.

When the studio door closes behind me the scale tips and meaningful silence cradles me
and smooths the edges. I appreciate motherhood more for the slight distance.
I have things to tell him when I'm done.

Sometimes he comes into the studio with me and we tap on leather together. He listens to my instructions of where he can go and what he can do. It's no longer like the studio is only mine, he touches my life in there. This is very much okay with me.

Most pairs in this incredible round of spells are my celebration of him, my greatest love. My star,
Monsieur Petite Etoile.

When I make from this place of personal inspiration, this full place of utter adoration, real magic happens, beyond the prayers, beyond the medicine certain plants and energies impart to the metals.

I am really excited to share not just the elements and stones in these special earrings,
but excited to share little pieces of my mama heart, the second heart my body built when Orion was born.

Plucked from the night skies and
Landing 


later today.

xoxoxo,
Allison