Sacred Symbols- Yoga and Inspiration Shop Update.

Hello friends!

Well it's been an exciting past week! I may have posted that I had attended my first yoga class in about 9 years the other week. It was AMAZING to say the least. I was so inspired by my class that I did an entire run of Yoga inspired beads. Let's back pedal for a second to tell you the story ;)

So when I went to create these special beads I needed to find some pictures for inspiration.

Here you can see an 8 petaled lotus with an Om in the center.

Next I found a picture of a lotus.

Here is a picture of the Om I found. I am glad that I picked this style. If you look at the top photo you will notice the symbol is a little bit different. This is the one that spoke to me so this is the one I chose. 

I began to notice that this sacred symbol had found it's way to me on a few occasions. The bead had been gifted to me or I had chosen it for no known reason, just that it spoke to me.

Here are some of the beads I either chose or they found their way to me. I couldn't find the pewter pendant of Ganesh that had made it's way to me when I was about 17 so he is not pictured here.

From left to right and top to bottom: Polymer clay Om by Second Surf. I received this Om bead from Barbara in a trade we had done awhile back. Small metal Om- Mary Jane Dodd. This one I picked from the Art Beads Love Tour chain. The Spiral and the Triad I had picked up at a bead show. The Wisdom eyes of Buddha, Ricky had picked up for me at a bead shop in Portland, OR :) The tiny silver hamsa hands I picked up at Bokamo's home show. The bronze lotus bracelet focal I received from Staci. , and the Hamsa hand with eye I received from a friend at Christmas :) 

I thought it was interesting that all of these sacred symbols had made their way to me :)

Off to work I went working on my new run of beads.

 I made a few beads to re-stock in the shop before moving onto my new beads. There was something amazing about "drawing" the Om symbol. The strokes to make the characters were so peaceful and just flowed so well. So I did the first run of beads and then went back to tweak the design before going into a production run of beads.

Here was day 2. I was really cranking out those beads! 

One of the things I had in mind when I made these beads was to gift my yoga instructor Nici Krehbiel. I enjoyed her class so much that I wanted to make her a special something. I noticed that they jewelry she wore was very teeny so I created her a dainty set to go with her style. I am in LOVE with the sweet set I made for her!

So before I show you the beads, I will list some links so that you can read more about the symbols.

The Spirit of Water was a wonderful source for information on these sacred symbols.

You can read about the Chakra's here. You can read about the Eightfold path here.

I decided it may have been confusing which bead was which in the listings since most of them have a lotus on the front. So when I post them here you can see the front and back together.

I could have literally made these beads for days, BUT... I ran out of these glass base colors. So.. if you see something you like you may want to grab it. I am not sure when I will be able to order another haul of glass(even though I am SADLY over due!).

"Sacred Om Lotus" focal. This was actually the first design for this style focal. In the next designs I decided that I really liked the spotted raku underneath with a bold black Om. I am not sure if I will re-make this style.

"Sacred Om Lotus" small focal- I actually created this one for Nici. After I realized that she wore small jewelry I wanted to created a petite version of the focal just for her. I loved it so I made more :)

"Sacred Lotus" small focal- I created this more simplified version of the focal if just the Lotus speaks to you. 

"Sacred Om" small focal- I created this version more simplified version of the focal if just the Om speaks to you.

"Sacred Lotus" large focal in Plum- I tried a lighter color opal glass for this one. I think I like the darkest color best, but Karen told me she liked this color better ;) 

"Sacred Eightfold Path Om Lotus"- This one turned out incredible! I finally got my petals more rounded and not so sun looking. Just look at all of the colors! 

I hope you enjoyed my new designs as much as I enjoyed creating them! 

Namaste!

Genea

Collaboration- Second Surf and Genea Beads

Hello friends!

Remember my and Barbara's trade? Well she has gotten some WONDERFUL earrings created and listed in her shop Second Surf! She is even offering a discount on purchases! 

 

"Grass Stains"

 

 "Sedona"

"Pipeline"

Do you make your own jewelry? Well you can even go to her shop for components and create them yourself with her tutorial she just posted on her blog!

All you need from my shop is some Wing Dings and then you are well on your way to those amazing last minute handmade gifts!

Happy Holidays!

xo Genea

Introducing Barbara Bechtel

Hello friends!

I would like to introduce to you my friend, Barbara Bechtel of Floridity and Second Surf! Barbara is really amazing! She is so sweet and talented. I have really enjoyed writing back and forth with her during our trade. So speaking of talented. She does it all! Yep, from her packaging, to her beads and even her prints!

 

Here you can see her lovely stamped cloth bags and her super cute 2S tag. I love that the bag is hand stamped with this aqua glittery paint? Everything is carefully packaged with detail and care!

 

Here is a close-up of the wonderful little print she added to my package! I was super excited to not only receive beads,but some of her artwork as well! It even came in one of those wonderful shiny bags, which I really think showcase stuff so well ;)

 

So Barbara and I got a little carried away in our swapping and it had that extra element of surprise because I didn't know exactly what I would receive from her when I opened the package. I was FLOORED by it's contents! Everything was carefully labeled with it's name and price all in their own little bags. Can you believe ALL of this was in that little cloth pouch?!

 

In the box I received these AMAZING items! I was really excited that Barbara sent me so many of her little treasures! She even sent things that all went together :D

I LOVE everything she sent, but thought I would take a few close-ups of things so maybe you could get a better idea of the details that go into her work...

 

Just look at her "Carved Rainbow Nuggets". They are so colorful and "painterly". They look like little water colors carefully faceted. The wonderful rainbows contrast well against the white facets!

 

I especially LOVE this new style she is doing. They have this wonderful "scratchiness" to them. They look like the are dry brush painted, but they also have these teeny tiny scratches in their surface as well giving them this wonderful visual appeal. 

You can't really tell without holding the pieces in your hands to inspect them, but all of the pieces are very carefully cut and beveled. The edges are smooth and the holes are perfectly cut.  You can tell each piece is lovingly detailed through each part of the design process.

I hope you enjoyed getting to know Barbara a little more through my post and that you will stop on by her shop and pick up some gifts for the creatives on your list this holiday season!

Thanks for stopping by!

xo Genea

NEW focal and Bardara Bechtel bead swap REVEAL!

Hello friends!!

It has been so hard keeping my mouth shut and pics off the net about this NEW focal I created especially for Barbara Bechtel of Floritidy and Second Surf! It all started with our bead swap.(yep! Another swap, I sure am a LUCKY girl indeed!!) I kind of knew what Barbara wanted, but I got a few more quick ideas from her before beginning on her piece. 

One of the things she wanted was some wing dings. So I thought to myself what colors would I use for ocean water? I pulled out rods and rods of color. I had so many in opaques, opals and transparents.

 

So here are my oceany colored wing dings! Wonderful aquas, teals, sea foam, and turquoise!

I knew Barbara really loved my "Desert Serpent" style focals. She said to me that they reminded her of tide pools.

 

Here is an image of one of my Ancient Tablet series called "Desert Serpent Corazon".

So I sat down at my bead table and pulled out all of my goodies for this style focal except I wanted to create more of a sea themed bead. I wanted a really amazing "tide pool" look to it. I worked and worked and added glass, pressed, twisted, raked. I made cane and added sparkle. I finished and I just about cried! OMG look at this AMAZING BEAD! My God I hope it makes it in the kiln. I always have this fear when putting a bead with lots of layers of different glasses in the kiln that somehow it might come out broken. 

The annealing cycle was done. I RAN to my kiln and anxiously opened the door. I flipped on a light and brought the bead into it's glow....

 

This might be the most AMAZING bead I have made yet! I turned it's every angle and inspected it carefully. I was amazed by all of the little details, color and sparkle!

 

Here is the back side.

I LOVE the way the dichro glitters through the layers, the spots of rainbow raku, the little barnicles, the starfish, the look of sand from the silver leaf, the amazing webbing of dark ivory glass!

 

Some more shots of the angles.

I needed to make another! After making the first I had to try another one right after with some slightly different colors....

 

OMG another amazing bead! Look at all that shimmer!

Just like the glittery ocean!

Then spacers, yes, SPACERS!....

 

Two different styles. One to match Barbara's focal and then some slightly different ones to match the other focal. If you click on this photo to enlarge it you can see these amazing spots under the layer of tealy water colored glass. It is such an amazing effect!

 

AND look at THESE! OMG, watery and amazing on a wonderful sandy ivory base with gorgeous dark webbing!

I must make ANOTHER!

 

This time with some wonderful lighter seafoamy opal and glitter!

 

I just LOVE how this looks with the webbed ivory and the glittery opal glass half and half like that. I accidentally did that on Barbara's focal and had to mimic the effect on this one. This time I added a few little ivory shells to the bottom of this one as if they were gently layed there by a gentle wave from the sea to the shore. Lovely treasures washed up for the beach comber to find :D

It was such a pleasure to create such wonderful beads for Barbara! I was so excited to be so inspired by this new style. I hope you enjoyed seeing the beads I sent her for our swap and the inspiration that was born from it!

Thanks for stopping in again this week!

Have a wonderful weekend!

xoxo Genea

Etsy shop UPDATE- and other matching beads by Floridity!

Hello friends!

I'm excited about today's shop updates, but I guess when am I not? lol. You know I've been on this ivory and raku kick so I decided to finish up some designs I started when I was back living in Kansas City. Wanna see?

 

"Green Tea Rainbow Affections"- this baby was inspired by my "What Lies Beneath" beads(picture below). I am all about this wonderful new 2 colored glass that's kind of mint greenish and aquaish all in the same rod! I thought this color would be amazing with some raku and silvered ivory! 

 

The original beads that inspired these designs.

 

"Green Tea Rainbow Ribbons"- what are beads without some matching spacers? Can you believe all of that COLOR I got in this set?! Wow!

 

"Green Tea Rainbows"- and here is what that design looks like on a minty greeny turquoisy base! YUMMY!

  

"Love's Midnight Rainbows" glass headpins.  

I'm sad to say that Gail's package with the original set is LOST. I had another alternate that I put in the shop and I just happened to get one more heart to turn out. This might be the last. There is no telling...

And now for a new addition! These just popped into my head so I thought I would share. I don't know if you know Barbara Bechtel, of Floridity(and Second Surf), but she does some AMAZING things with polymer clay! I am really enamored with this new "watercolor" style she has been doing. Some of her new pieces match my new pieces so I thought I would share some of them with you!

 

Northern Lights- Watercolor Feathers - Earring Pair or Pendant Set

 

Grass Stains- Watercolor Wafers - Custom Drilled Tiny Charms or Earring Pair

 

Dark Northern Lights- Watercolor Toggle- Rustic Toggle Clasp or Focal

 

IN OTHER NEWS...

I was SUPER excited to become part of the "normal" world with my shiny new smart phone, the Samsung Replenish! Not only does it have a keypad and touch screen, but it runs the square and it's an eco phone :D

I downloaded this app for the android called "Pay it Square" you can find it by doing a search in the android market on your phone. 

As annoying as it is, I see why everyone has their faces glued to their screens. Am I going to be "that guy," hello no, but I sure will enjoy getting directions, taking payments and doing searches while I'm walking around! ;)

Well that's all for my update today. I hope you are having an awesome Thursday!

 xo Genea