Part of the challenge of being a creative person is that I am always making more than I know what to do with.
This past Christmas season, I realized that all my female friends, relatives and clients had more handmade jewelry from me than they could wear in a week. Many of them would not necessarily say this, but some of my dearest friends and relatives have maybe 10 original gemstone necklaces, all made by me.
I was crestfallen when my mother told me, “I don’t need any more jewelry.”
Personally, I never feel that way. I am 110 percent girly girl. I never feel like I have too much jewelry, clothes, makeup, shawls or scarves. I can’t wrap my own head around the possibility of having too much girly girl accoutrements, but I understood that my mother felt that way.
So I decided to do something different. I like to make my presents, whenever possible, so I found some gorgeous yarns and began knitting for everybody.
Although I had always felt that my necklaces, bracelets and earrings were true works of art, the scarves I made seemed to become an even bigger instant hit.
Complete strangers would stop me where ever I went to ask me where I got my scarf. My friends, relatives and clients experienced the same thing. I would heart stories about it. They seemed to appeal to everybody from my seven year old niece and her best friend to her best friend’s grandmother to the lady whose house burned down to people I met at seminars, at church and in the grocery. Somehow everybody loved my scarves so much they would wheedle even my favorite scarves off my neck. I am not even sure how it happened, but I personally at the moment have only one of my own scarves left. I figure I can just make more.
I also like to give handmade presents to people who have been especially kind to me, not just for Christmas or birthday presents.
So recently I was waiting at the OK Cafe in Buckhead to have lunch with Theresa Dean, head of health services at Westminster School. I had taught yoga at Westminster for about four years, but recently found the schedule too much for me to commit to, so I bowed out.
I was wearing my jewelry and carrying a scarf to give to Theresa when two ladies sitting next to me at the OK Cafe waiting room started admiring my handiwork.
It turns out they are buyers for www.elegantattic.com, a boutique in Roswell, Georgia that carries the work of local artists.
About a week later, I met with Nora Maccaro, the owner, and Jackie Denis, one of the buyers who discovered me. Jackie bought seven scarves – including the one around my neck – and Nora selected eight of my necklaces to sell there on consignment.
Nora called me yesterday to say that one of their regular customers had bought my necklace of rose quartz and pearls.
I like to bead in the spring, summer and fall when I can sit on my porch in the natural sunlight. In the winter, I like to sit by my fire and knit.
I am sure that my posture would be better if I didn’t bead or knit, but being creative feeds my soul like nothing else.
It all started because of what I do.
Years ago, I decided that I wanted to wear yoga clothes that looked beautiful so I didn’t feel like I was schlepping through my days.
When I was running my radio show, a client of mine taught me how to bead. Running my radio show was so stressful I joked at the time it was either beading or drinking. So I chose beading!
Long after my radio show concluded at the end of 2007, I kept making original gemstone necklaces that I bless with Reiki.
I have made so much jewelry that in January 2011 I gathered my closest friends together and gave away about one-third of what I personally had been wearing. This does not count all the jewelry I have given away, which is most of what I make. Sometimes I sell pieces to raise money for the Atlanta Pet Rescue, or donate pieces for pet rescue auctions.
I am always making new jewelry and like to invite friends over to sit on my porch and bead with me.
My favorites at the moment that I wear all the time are a necklace of herkimer diamonds mixed with rhinestones from Walmart and another with a prehnite heart that I found in Sedona, along with amethyst, herkimers and labradorite.
I am very excited that the Elegant Attic is now carrying my work. You can visit them in person at 1105 Canton Street in Historic Roswell, or call Nora or Jackie at 678-261-7988 to find out which of my pieces are available for sale.
I am also always available for commissions. Just send me an email or give me a ring on my cell at 678-612-8816. When I make something for an individual, I use my intuition and tune into their energy.
Once, I made a necklace for a client’s mother. I chose all green stones for healing her heart. Malachite, aventurine principally. I did not know my client’s mother, but when she visited my office and I gave it her, she said, “How did you know? I just came out of the hospital after a heart surgery.”
Photo: Jackie Denis bought this necklace of lavendar jade, amethyst and purple agate that I am wearing.
