Hammer Engraved Koi Necklace with Lavender and Orange Agua Nueva

RESERVED

Millimeter by tiny millimeter the graver cuts through the sterling silver

creating the picture of something beloved:

koi.

This piece was inspired by the tiny babbling koi pond that sat right outside the window of our farm stay on the Hamakua Coast on the Big Island:

the weather was chilly, and the fish huddled under a lily pad

tails undulating with the tiny wind-blown currents of their home.

Engraving little pieces of Hawaii is my way of

sharing the energy of the island with those who take home the pieces I craft.

Just as delightful as the finned friend

is the cut of Agua Nueva Agate partnered in this necklace:

orange and yellow as a sunset (so difficult to capture in the chilly light of winter)

with lavender banding and a hint of parallax in the lower right hand corner.

You can reserve this piece if you wish with a simple

CONVO

in the Metal Shop

And if no one claims her, I will list sometime this evening

or tomorrow morning.

With love from California,

Sunny

N.C. Black, Pie and Weddings

This morning I am having pie for breakfast:

the last piece of an open-top rustic apple pie that I made for the dear

duo of Andrea and Les of N.C. Black

as they swung through San Jose last night after a demo in Cupertino.

For those of you who don't know (perk up your ears, smiths!)

Andrea and Les are the ambassadors and educators for their company that makes stellar hammers, forming blocks and stakes.

I took an engraving class with them last November in Long Beach

and it completely revolutionized my work.

Their instruction was tremendous

and always above and beyond the basics - students walked away

filled with the kind of understanding that fuels passion:

that's good teaching!!

Les showed me a bit more about forming in my studio

and I look forward to showing the excellence of their tools through my work

as it becomes more three dimensional.

When I hold an N.C. Black hammer in my hand I am always amazed at the grace and ease with which it swings and makes contact: their work is sublime

Balanced

Elegant

Anthony has been instructed to get me a big vise (ho ho ho!!)

and I will be acquiring a small table to use as my forming station.

I will be writing a bit about each hammer I use

after I get the feel for them.

After a break in January, this dynamic duo will be heading back out on the road for what may be the last year of intensive workshop touring:

I sincerely recommend you check out their schedule and see about

getting some higher education

to take your metalsmithing to a whole new level.

I am happy to report that the wedding I sang at on Saturday night was a smashing success

complete with blushing bride and a fully choreographed high school- bff-dance to N'Sync's "Bye Bye Bye" -

I was amazed!!!

I have some really heartfelt work to share with you this week -

stay tuned!!

xoxo,

Allison

Hand and Heart

I have had my heart broken many times

through romances and friendships that lived out their full life-span

before I was ready to let them go

We have all been cut off in traffic, cursed at by someone we don't even know,

given the cold shoulder, cried on a bus full of people with nary a compassionate glance

And yet the bravest among us still hold out our hand to the world

and offer the gem of our best self

as a gift with nothing expected in return.

Expectations shatter joy

in a sad and noisy way - I've had my share for people I've loved

places I've wanted to go

things I've set out to accomplish

but the times of great surprise and open-mouth smiling

have normally come to pass when I didn't develop a notion about what was to come -

joy crept in when I simply gave of my time or my heart

without banking on what I would see, think or feel.

The wonder and passion of living seem to be the results of a generous,

adventurous soul who ventures into the dark cave of that next moment

with a beacon and a full lunchbox

knowing when to nourish and when to rest

expecting nothing

and giving everything they can to life.

Every day I rise I pray that God helps me

open

grow

and learn from both the slings and arrows

as well as the bountiful harvest

and I trust that in giving the best I have in me

there is a bright spot left where darkness once fell completely.

This design is one of a kind, paired with a gem quality Coober Pedy opal

from Australia.

The fire in the opal is a rich grasshopper green with hints of yellow, perfect for the heart chakra over which it rests.

It is roughly 19 inches long with a double chain

and the hand itself was hammer engraved, which is an ancient and time-consuming art that I cherish.

In the Metal Shop today.

xo,

A

Amidst the Hotel Reviews

On Saturday night I am singing at a wedding in Marin County,

oh so close to the old stomping ground of Petaluma.

Knowing the wedding won't be done until the wee hours of the morning,

I opted to find lodging for the night

as opposed to dragging this exhausted frame home to San Jose

long after bedtime.

Looking online, there were some extra fancy places and some seedy-looking flophouses

and then I found an Inn that looked just right:

there amidst all of the comments

both positive, negative and downright Homeric was this gem:

"The sun rose in the morning and set in the evening. There was Peace and Plenty."

I sighed and smiled, rubbing my warm belly as Baby O kicked and turned.

Has there ever been a wiser, more poetic lodging review?

x

o

.

Oh

Heavens.

xo,

A

Offering

A piece of a gift came to me today

in the form of an idea that could not be stilled

enough to even murmur,

"Tomorrow, it can wait until tomorrow"

from the warmth of my bed...

everything else got put off today

but this.

A hammer-engraved hand

carefully drawn

tenderly carved with the graver...

It will be a necklace

and in the palm there will be a gift of a gemstone

and I feel opal might be best

to be worn over the heart.

In the leather shop the hummingbird clutch

called out to be antiqued, painted

but it must wait until at least tomorrow

when I feel stronger.

Its centerpiece will be a piece of gorgeous green turquoise

I've been holding onto for years...

And in the midst of these deepening dark days of winter

the uncanny word 'bloom'

beckons from the flip side of the piece.

This was the work of my hands on the last days before leaving for

Minneapolis - sometimes tooling obsesses me

and I can do little else

and then the impulse flips to metal...

I love the contrast and the ability to do both

with all my might.

xoxo,

Allisunny and the box of tissues

Volcano Ring

Erupting

HERE.

xoxox,

A

Sunday

Something's coming this way I just know

the way a woman does;

It's leather and metal

Born of my son

of Hawaii

family

and a patience I normally do not possess.

Sick and in bed

I do not lament these passing hours

because in their wake they leave

bits of dreams

colors

and streams of new technique

to ponder:

I am not bored by the quiet

I am lacking for nothing

but instead languishing in a way

that would normally have me tapping my toes for want of action

nails bitten in the stress of hoping it will be as wonderful as its unrealized form

Carrying a babe

is a fierce gift for any artist

in that gestation imparts patience like never before

and creativity

while able to be fostered and led

is also the independent idea coming through the artist

quite like a child does

in its own time

with its own dna

and destination

.

Once my baby was a grain of rice

whose food was a yolk sac

clinging to the wall of my most secret body

now he is a soul I can feel

He is

hands and feet that tell me of waking

and sleeping

dreaming of adventures to come

He is

one of the loves of my life

unmet

but experienced fully

and in his presence I am brave

for love

impervious to slights

better with my heart

clumsy with my hands

.

Something's winding this way

on golden heels

and I am waiting

in folds of cotton

covered in sleeping cats

carrying this babe

and the knowledge that all is well

indeed.

.

.

.

xo

A

Eruption

The Big Island is born of volcanic activity

(as are all of the Hawaiian Islands)

so lush and green

with many different kinds of landscapes

and weather patterns - it's like five places rolled into one:

high desert

jungle

small town

beach enclave

rolling rural Marin

But to look into the crater of the volcano is to see

desolation;

the aftermath of furious heat

the precursor to wind-planted seeds and decadent soils...

Though I've been working with the volcanic design for quite some time now

being near the center of an actual eruption site

taught me volumes about texture

and feel....

What was a concept just became a bit more of an exercise in remembering

the smells, sounds and heart of the beloved model.

The scene is beautifully bone-chilling up there...

It reminds me of the aftermath of anger, rage or dervish-like confusion...

Nothing but a red-eyed fierceness

that eventually will soften into understanding

and a welcome place for verdant, lovely life

like a feud between southern families

that heals and ends in marriages and babies.

A Brazilian Garden Quartz is the seed inside the mighty cone

beckoning its mistress to take a closer look inside

so that she may heal herself well and fully

after any eruption.

Size 7.75. Distinctly One of a Kind.

xoxo,

A

Our Shells

NOTE: THE DENDRITIC AGATE IS NOW RESERVED

It would be almost unreal to think about what life would be like without our protective shells...

just like the sea turtles of Hawaii

we have a thick armor, dinged by years of deflecting

battered by the passing of time

and life's roller coaster of high and low moments.

In moments of great love and friendship

we may slip our heads out, move about

and in some divine circumstances completely set aside that which

we no longer need, completely trusting

our ability to weather anything without protection:

this, my friends is a rare and special thing,

usually the result of a peak experience

or years of meditation, yoga or seeking.

All it seems to take is one rage-filled driver

or someone in more pain than we feel comfortable with

and we find ourselves again

bearing that ratty shield

in hopes that we won't fall apart behind its strength.

But the inside of our hearts and souls?

Beauty.

Compassion, clarity, love.

These two sea turtle necklaces I have engraved, formed and hammer-aged

are the metal embodiment of our desire to self-protect

and the beauty we fear being damaged inside of ourselves.

Perhaps on days that feel dangerous the shell side sees the outside world

while the gorgeous gem of you presses against the warm skin near your heart

.

On days where you feel comfortable opening to life more fully

your opal-self or your dendritic tree-self kisses the sky and causes the sharp intake of breath

from those you meet,

offering a connection

a conversation.

A portion of the profits from the sale of these necklaces will go

malamanahonu.org

to aid in their ongoing efforts to protect these magnificent creatures.

If either of these necklaces speak to you, please do send me a

CONVO

to reserve one.

With love,

Allison

25% off Everything in the Leather Shop

Hello, dear friends!

I wanted to let you know that I will be starting a new design series in the Leather Shop

for 2012,

which means clearing out what's there:

everything will be 25% off in the

Leather Shop

with coupon code NOV2011 used at checkout.

I will do reserves for up to two weeks - please convo

me if you need a hold!

xoxox,

Sunny

.

Schmilly and I waxed marvelous over dinner this evening

discussing the differences between our two

Hawaiian vacations thus far as a couple.

During the first trip to Kauai, Anthony had just lost his job

and we were a newly married pair

lost in a vanilla-chocolate swirl of 'for worse' and tremendous support

from friends and loved ones.

During this trip, we are post-three-year-anniversary

and pre-baby.

Anthony has just been a part of the production of

a very popular video game that is doing well for itself.

The contrasts are stark

both situations rich with beauty and potential for growth,

both very important times in the lifespan of lovers...

but the ways in which we know each other

have grown many

and the tenderness that knowledge has engendered

is deep and wide

We've navigated life together these last 6 years

from dating

falling madly and quickly

moving in

hitching our wagons

and creating new life.

I thanked him a lot on this trip

and I told him that if we were single

and had gone on this trip as strangers in a group that traveled together

dined and hotel-ed together

perhaps as friends of friends

or coworkers

I would want him to ask me out;

I've found him witty, tender, chivalrous and handsome

And I would have carried a flame for him

Had a crush on him

Wanted to feel the weight of his hand on mine...

That's a nice feeling,

realizing how much you like the one you love

How you would choose them again and again

If life would be kind enough

To just introduce you.

xo,

A

An Unexpected Blessing

Last night we went out for Thai food - delicious fresh Thai food...

we held hands

we ate well

and I of the small bladder

went back as the check came to use their facilities.

It was a strange setup:

four restrooms, two for women, two for men

but I simply saw one door marked women and proceeded to wait

and

wait

and

wait

when out of nowhere, a male patron

approached me and brusquely told me that there was another restroom

and I should use it.

Where did he come from? How long had he been watching my wait?

I closed the door behind me, face aflame

and felt a rolling wave of hormonal grief wash over me:

I had looked like an idiot

as I have so very many times over the course of the last month or so

since the 'fog' seems to have descended.

Women with children laughingly told me that said day would come,

that I would find myself forgetting things,

misplacing things

and not really having the same sharpness that I usually do -

well, I get it now

and honestly

for a woman who struggles so actively with perfectionism,

I think last night was the doorway to a bit more freedom.

I looked in the ladies' room mirror at the restaurant

and saw my shame

right there in red and water:

yes, I looked like an idiot

to someone without empathy or warmth

but why am I so scared to death of the world?

Why is the first assumption one that renders me unsafe, unloved?

Is it really so bad to make mistakes? To mess up or miss details?

I've worn so many hats running my business

and caring for our home

that I've had to write pretty much everything down since about week 19

just to make sure I am aware of things, reminded of events to come.

I am exhausted from trying to keep up the ruse that I have my shit together at all times

and here in paradise of all places,

I hit a huge stop sign

and had to surrender.

I cannot say that I feel settled on this matter,

that I felt the mantle lift and the wonder of it all come in

but

I can say that having such a strong aching response to

such a simple gesture of help (harsh though it seemed to my tired self at the time)

has really opened my eyes

to the issues underlying the wish to be just right in all ways:

it's not possible, especially not right now

and perhaps beyond pregnancy

and motherhood

not ever -

perhaps it never was

and through its myth we perfectionists all

plan on getting the highest score

on the test of life

for....what?

Glory?

Blissful invisibility?

A Painless existence?

God's approval?

I hope in distancing myself from the crush of that pressure

to find an answer or two

and a lot of peace.

What do you do in the face of self-criticism or perfection?

I am eager for your insights.

Love,

Allison

An Attempt

In this post I am going to make a clumsy attempt to describe something

that defies description-

a magical moment in my life (in our lives)

that was a gift from our friends in Waimea

despite

a sick baby

and the rigors of getting a family of four into a harbor, a boat

and then back home -

we cannot thank you enough, dearest Jenni and Miro -

ever.

To be clear, this was not a cakewalk as far as miracles go:

I spent the better part of the journey with my head over the side of the boat,

giving the Pacific my breakfast

and when that was all gone,

foam and saliva.

Having just seen what I'd seen, experienced what I'd experienced I did not mourn my food or my dignity:

I simply laid my hands and head on the 'My Jenni' and watched the flying fish

leaping and traveling

in a state of such utter surrender

that I could practically feel the warmth of God's palm.

Empty.

From the beginning:

We traveled by boat from Kona southbound

until we saw them in the surf:

a pod of about 50 dolphins

with babies in tow

northbound in their travels.

Miro put the boat in neutral

and we donned masks and fins,

slipping off the back of the craft into the warm water

some 40-80 feet deep.

My heart was on fire

my breathing was ragged and a fear of deep water that has plagued me since childhood was ripe;

I all but missed the sight of the dolphins swimming close to us,

save for a few

that moved to my right.

We moved on, more streamlined in our process;

neutral

flippers

less fear this time

perfectly placed ahead of the pod

and

friends:

I saw them, so close -

underneath us, to each side:

they scanned me with their sonars

and seemed curious and close

and many.

With my head above water to find the boat

I saw them leaping and splashing in the waves

and a return to the mask

found them still coming:

big

small

close

far

still passing, still magic.

I swam sideways to watch them

and I thanked them silently with all my might for the visit

so few get to have in the wild.

Back on the boat, the above nausea took over.

I think almost more than the waves

it was the intensity of the experience

that laid me low...

for the rest of this day I've been

in utter surrender,

quietly watching the scenery pass.

Letting tears come at times,

I lean in as Hawaii pulls them from me

soft and slow like a river.

xoxox,

Sunny

LOVE.

I know vacation is meant for seeing beautiful things

and exploring a new vista

but

somehow I always leave a bit of my heart

not just in the verdant valleys

and blue waters

of this island chain

but

with small beasts who claims it

just as surely.

xo,

S