New Stone

rhodochrosite - a gorgeous, fragile stone - the Incas believed that it was the blood of their former foes turned to stone - how amazing! This particular piece of the lovely gem was purchased in Kauai, which makes it extra special. It is an extremely rare cut, with an orb at the center. 

It will be in the Metal Shop later today!

These chilly evenings are made for Snuggling

Hello, Little Friends!

I discovered upon my return to Los Angeles that my shop was empty of koi necklaces - GASP!

Today I introduce two new friends with very special new chain. I missed my studio so very, very much. What a rush to return. Now I am off to work on a few custom orders and silversmith!

Pinch me :)

Lust

My collection.

Months and months of thinking and dreaming and researching.

Over one hundred stones were purchased -

while girlfriends bought amazing shoes and Vera Wang dresses to recover from their broken hearts I purchased little bits of the earth

hoping they would literally ground me.

Now that I finally feel like I am ready to send more of them out into the world

I dream of what word or image to stamp into the pieces of jewelry they'll adorn.

Mother nature made these jewels for us and

Lapidary artists patiently pulled out their colors and shined them up nice.

I have hoarded them until I knew I could properly honor their shapes and heavenly hues.

This is the year of their marriage with metal

When they will meet the person to whom they belong.

Christmas Eve Greetings

Dearest Friends,

Greetings from this sleepy Sunny on Christmas Eve from my parent's adorable house in Pennsylvania - it's been a lovely few days of catching up with dearest girlfriends and staring at my parents and sister trying to memorize their faces for yet another season.

I've also allowed myself to fall apart lightly: these last few months have been nothing short of intense with Anthony's sudden job loss and the increase in my own business. We have proven ourselves to be an even more formidable pair of lovers than I could have ever anticipated, but in trying to be as rock-like as possible I have found a thread or two have come loose returning to the safe haven of my parents' house.
All these evidences of my childhood around me (the safest and most idyllic time I have ever known) have touched a chord inside that aches for how brave it is to simply be an adult. Sometimes that alone gets you weepy.

Schmilly is in Arkansas which is where I was to be this year on the rotation of family holidays, but I couldn't bear to be without my intensely close nuclear family, so all the Schmills lovingly and gently understood and let me go where I needed to be.

I am doubly lucky.
Doubly in love with my double families.

I miss my Anthony, our rituals and how accustomed I have gotten to his nearness - accustomed is not the right word: I love having him near- it's more passionate than 'accustomed'. I'll let you know when I find the right term.

In the meantime, tomorrow is Christmas. I am more excited to give than receive.

I am reading The Daily Coyote by the luminous Shreve Stockton and my goodness, this book is shining, lovely, honest and great. Please do yourself a favor and invest in the evidence that growth is all around us and amazing to discover.

I adore you all and send you absolute hugs and hopes that your holiday season opens your heart and holds you tight in its warmth.

Tons of heart,

Allisunny

Something Rare

One of my favorite places for cabochons carries some very rare stones. This stone in particular I had never even heard of before:

Eclipse Stone.

Apparently it is a form of rutile, crystal in various shades of yellow that has a host rock of hematite, a metallic grey or black stone often used in Native American jewelry. 

I couldn't stop staring at it: completely lovely and compelling. I bought three and held one to my throat without even thinking : pressed the stone into the hollow between my collarbones and felt.... better somehow. I don't know if I quite understand the meaning of crystals and how they heal the body, but I know a whole lot of people do.

Stones move me by sight, but this was the first stone ( not the one in the necklace ) that I felt compelled to touch to a specific part of my body.

What a wonderful mystery!!

I made a valentine to the moon with one of the stones: you can find it HERE.

You can also see it right here :)

CDBaby Link Up!!!

Yaaaaaay, CDBaby!!!!

:)

My Giant Heart

You have all made my heart grow three sizes this Christmas.

I believe in things I had started to get hazy on, good things - prayerful things.

My customers have shown me more grace and more heart than anyone has  a right to ask for.

My Husband has shown me more tenderness than I ever knew I could hold.

I am sitting here not knowing how to handle all this love in this small frame: it feels like a dam overflowing, being the recipient of so many emails and kind words.

I was just thinking before December that I should close up the silver shop because supplies are so expensive and the demand is so low, but if anything this last week has taught me that what I love needs to be made real as often as possible.

I have angels all around me echoing my deepest joys and a strong sense that everything is evolving.

I adore you all so much. Thank you for your orders, for your kindness and mostly for just being here with me on this page.

Love,

Allisunny

Well, at least someone here is resting!

I have never been so busy!! Making custom orders and trying to keep the shops stocked: it's the most delicious feeling. 

Busy-ness!!!

More koi will be in the shop tomorrow morning :)

Free Priority Mail Shipping in the Metal Shop until the 17th!!

!!!!!!!!

Melty Metal and a Reminder

Oh M G !!!!

Brass Love

I love brass and I am including some of my favorite stampings in the metal shop as part of a line of simple things. 

After

Wonders of the Sea and Sky

The shop will be getting quite a refill in the next few days: I always love to take the picture of what happens before the hole-punching and stringing of chain....the simple structure of these creatures makes me very happy.

Tonight I get to meet the hubby of one of my favorite human beings from across the sea, and I feel so lucky!! 

For now it's work work work in the studio...I think I might actually have a full-time job possibility for after the new year, which I can't quite decide how to feel about -

on one hand it feels like a tall drink of water: stability, security.

on the other it feels like a little defeat of the artistic ideal I have been so blessed to live for almost two years....

I have a lot of thinking to do, and some oranges to throw!!