March Means Spring, Right??

Well, maybe not in New York ...

Anyway, it is the first day of March, and I have something exciting to say - I actually made more new Magic Vial Pendants for my etsy shop! *gasp*  First non-commissioned batch of 2014!

Blue Seas here is the latest incarnation of one of my favorite themes.  I love the sea/ocean themed pendants, even though I'm not a water sign myself.  I just love the deep color saturation that apatite (normally for seas) and iolite (normally for oceans) lend to vials, whether I pair them with pearls or sapphires, or anything else!

This one is a new type of apatite that was gotten for me from the AZ Gem & Mineral Show.  The texture and crystal structure is really fascinating compared to the little glassy pieces I normally find at my gem shop in the city.  It gave it a whole different feel, I think, that directed it more towards creativity, intelligence, mental clarity, than just peace, calm, protection... it's paired with freshwater pearls and lavender leaves with sterling silver wire.

A new theme is this one at right, "Foundation In Love."  I had a nice little fight with this Rhodonite stone while trying to break it down the other night, and got some really good insight to how different it is than Rhodochrosite, which is what I had previously used for these a-typical love charms.  This charm is very much more about having a strong and stable love of self and internal sense of emotional stability more than drawing any kind of external love.  Paired with the Rose Quartz for some added softness, and healing, this is a really different kind of love charm for those who might need some reminding to love, trust, and have faith in themselves, and from that foundation, build their love and light upwards and outwards.

 

All the Greens here is a bit of hyperbole (and based on a joke from Hyperbole & a Half.  I knew I wanted to make another trees/forest themed vial - they're another favorite, especially in winter, but I wanted to mix it up  more.  So, instead of using only 2 gemstones, as is my usual formula, I mixed together 4 different green gemstones from my stash:  Chrysocolla, Malachite, Peridot, and Moss Agate.  The meanings follow the same as with most green earth elemental themed pieces, lots of growth, prosperity, health, stability ...  and I always like to pair these with contrasting red cedar splinters, not only for the sharp red against the variegated greens, but cedar has wonderful properties itself, for purification and protection.

The last of the new batch is this new theme, "Success."  I've been feeling really great in this department recently, and wanted to make one in this theme, even though the vials in this color spectrum don't always sell the best.  (I don't know why, I normally don't like or wear yellows or oranges either, but in these vials, I think that color ray is gorgeous!  And it has a great energy/feel, too, especially when you're feeling deprived of sunlight!)  This one is a mix of Citrine and Garnets with a big, glowingly yellow "immortal flower" to finish off.

So, there's the latest four!  I'm hoping that as spring starts to finally rear its head (hopefully before May up here), that I'll get back on balance with crafting and making art on a more regular basis despite the full-steam-ahead day job (which I am REALLY enjoying!!!).

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Also, the other members of FAE (Fantasy Artists of Etsy) are also dreaming of spring.  Their latest monthly exhibit is called "Lucky Charms" and hoping to pull a little bit more spring and green into all of our lives.

Check it out HERE!