Communication.

Why, heeeeelllllo there.

I'm feeling a bit silly tonight! Maybe it's due to all the blustery wind outside, or maybe it's because Rachel, of Rachel Pfeffer Designs, who gave me the insider scoop on a good video camera for my up and coming 'vlogging' adventure. I'm so excited... Here's the one I want:

Isn't this the cutest thing? You know me, I'll need to name it/him/her.

It even comes with an adorable little tripod/wide angle lens action.

In other news, I listed a couple of new gems. Would you like to see them? I thought so. Here they are:

'Lucidity' (noun): 1. free from obscurity and easy to understand; the comprehensibility of clear expression, 2. a lucid state of mind; not confused. (It's all about possibilities of the dream state).

'Water Baby' ~ A stranger in a familiar sea.

   

What else? Oh, yeah... I just got *THIS* from my friend Elisa of Pesky Cat Designs, because she knows how much I love horses ~ it's even made out of tweed!

Gidday YUP!

And I'm waiting for a couple of other fab things from two more Etsy friends ~ I'll show them to you when they get here :)

Meanwhile (if you say that in a nasal NY accent, it's funnier), I'm also waiting for more studio supplies ~ a couple of machines and some new burs/bits for my enamelwork. Hopefully, they will come sooner rather than later, ya' know? But I'm getting there.

I think that's all I have to say for the present moment. 

Wait. One more thing...

YOU are special. Yes, you. You know who you are.

xoxo

Isolation.

This is going to be a quick one...

I missed you. I just wanted to tell you that sometimes it gets a bit lonely in 'jewelry land.' I thought I'd take a quick moment to tell you how grateful I am that you come here and visit with me from time to time. That means a lot. It's quite nice to know that I'm not all alone. Not to be pushy, but I would love it if more of you left me comments. That just really makes my day. No, really... it DOES :)

And I was thinking...

...That *perhaps* I will purchase a small video camera so that I can say 'howdy' a bit more often, and you can see the things I am working on. Doesn't that sound fun? I think so! (*Note to self: wear makeup while filming). Please let me know what you think of this idea. I'm curious.

Okay. Here are some of my latest creations. I haven't listed all of them yet, but I'm getting there:

'Kaiso' = seaweed in Japanese ~ an oceanic treasure.

'Synesthesia': (noun) 1. a sensation that normally occurs in one sense modality occurs when another modality is stimulated.

'Hǎizhé' = jellyfish in Chinese ~ an oceanic delicacy.

That's all the listings for now. I have a few more to go, but I'll save them for another time.
 

Before I go, I just wanted to show you my two 'companions.' They are the ones who answer me when I talk to myself. Here's a hint.

Did you get it? Okay, I give! It is my pleasure to introduce you to (drumroll, please)...

Esmeralda, aka, Ezzzz... (she's being a coy little minx in this photo).

Here she is! Much better. Why, yes. Those are her *real* eyes. Cool right?

And the incomparable Sahara Ann, also known as 'Sahara, Lady Marmalade.' Please leave off the 'e' at the end. She likes it when you pronounce it as the French do. Don't ask.

 
Oh, jeez. I guess this makes me the crazy cat lady, who talks to her pets while making jewelry and drinking tea. Yeah. Not yet, I hope. 

Write me back? Pretty please?

xoxo

V-Dazed.

 Do you LOVE Valentine's day? Because I sure don't.

However... I absolutely, 100 and 10% respect you if the big day of *love* gets your gears turning. Really, I do! I have more than one friend who goes all out for the occasion ~ house decorations, candles, chilled wine, boxes of chocolates, romantic dinner. You know, the whole nine. 

I guess I just feel as if the idea of being allowed to love the special people in my life for only one day is inhibiting. If I told you that yesterday, I danced with my love in the living room to an old Van Morrison album, to this song would that be more or less of a loving act than attending a fancy dinner wearing a red dress? You see my point now, YES? Okay... GOOD. Whew, I feel better knowing that I've gotten that off of my chest! EVERY day is a good time for some lovin', if you know what I mean. And I think you do...

Of course, please don't feel as if I'm negating Valentine's Day at all. In fact, I have set up a special sale for the big day in my Etsy shop. Just use the coupon code VDAZE2011 (I couldn't help myself, sorry), and get 10% off of your order until the 14th of February. Yay!!! Who doesn't like a sale for new treasures, right?

I even made a few new gems for the big event. Want to see? Of course you do...

'Waterfall' Earrings ~ A discovery of the force of love.

'Ice Queen' ~ The love, trickery, & escape of a young boy.

'Sweet Tarts' Earrings ~ A sweet and sour kind of love.

'Rock & Key' ~ Love... an act of faith.

'Conversation Hearts' ~ A reminiscent kind of candy.

  

And finally... a special piece dedicated to my hero...

Lillie Blooms ~ The *special* love of a grandmother.

 

Okay, that's all for now. Except... hold on a sec... oh yeah...

S.W.A.K. ~ Lip makeup design by my adorable friend, Karina Cruz. Here's her Facebook M.A.C. photo album! Enjoy, my lovelies... XOXO

 

Voluble.

Voluble ~ (adj.) marked by a ready flow of speech.

As you can tell from my lack of posts, I have not exactly fit the definition of the word defined above. However, that's not because I've had nothing to say. On the contrary, I am filled with thoughts and words that fill my brain matter until I am practically tipping over with the weight of my own stories. (Perhaps now would be a good time for you to make yourself a cup of tea. You won't want to leave for a while).

And so we begin...

Let me start the new year with some thank you's. That's always a good place to pick up, isn't it? There are a few very *special* people whom I'd like to thank. The best part? They don't even know, yet.

Shortly before the holidays, I received an e-mail from my very dear friend Astrid (I've mentioned her before, but methinks I'll mention her again). She wanted to send me a package. EEP! Astrid makes corsets and other body care goodies, the likes of which are truly to die for. She's French... you get it. When my box from her arrived, it looked like THIS:

Who *wouldn't* want to open such a giftie?

So... of course, I did!

Ooooh... Bath and body goodness. And a candy cane! And a brooch! And, and, and... LOVE.

But best of all, a special parfum created from essential oils, just for me. In a tiny cobalt blue flask, no less. It's my favorite...

Thank you, Astrid! And Joyeux Anniversaire (Happy Birthday)!

From the tip of my nose to the tips of my toes... Please go check out her shop so that you can get some of this deliciousness for yourself or someone you love:

Astrid's online shop 

Astrid's Facebook group

Astrid's Etsy shop

And now we interrupt this programming for some more thank you's.

I follow a blog. Wait. That's NOT the exciting part! I love kind over matter so much, that I just had to sponsor Amanda's work this month. If you look on the right hand side of her pages, you'll see my ad that she made for me, which links directly to my Etsy shop. Amanda is not amazing because she advertises for me, though. Please take a moment to scroll through her posts. They are inspirational, poignant, and sometimes they make me laugh. Sometimes I even cry. But I read it every day, because what she writes reminds me that the act of kindness is the MOST important thing. AND... if you like free things ~ who doesn't like free stuffs ~ please click here for some amazing printable freebies filled with kindness. Thank you, Amanda. As she would say, "big love."

Here comes another thank you... can you handle all the gratitude? 

I hope so.

I 'met' Katayoon Zandvakili via my cousin Julie Michelle (I'll get to HER in a moment) through the power of the interwebs. In short, she is amazing. A talented painter and a poet, Kat is pure light personified. She is as fascinated with wordplay as I am, which is why she gifted me with not one, but two, new books: 

The Disheveled Dictionary

The New Well-Tempered Sentence 

Please do yourself a favor and peruse her websites. They really will fill you with *joy.* I am, of course partial to the horsey paintings. I think y'all know the reason:

Kat's paintings

Kat's poetry 

Kat's Facebook fan page ~ show her some love  

Last, but not in the very close to least... I have saved the VERY best for last.

Please allow me to tell you one more story. It doesn't have an ending. But it has a beginning. And this 'thank you' is part of that story. Once upon a time, 8 years before my own birth, came my cousin, Julie Michelle. According to all sources, my arrival was somehow synonymous with hers. We looked alike, we talked alike, and we even displayed some very same specific body and verbal language.  

Here comes the strange part... we live 3000 miles away from one another. 

I have only actually been in Julie's presence on a handful of occasions. Yet nothing has changed. We are still the same mysterious sister/cousin/twins we have always been. Like me, Julie is an artist. No. That's an understatement. She is also an author and a highly regarded photographer. Here are the links to her many sites ~ I will try to explain each one:

ilivehere:sf ~ an ongoing photo-journalistic project 

ilivehere:sf was recently part of an enormous installation at SOMA arts in San Francisco.

Julie's personal blog ~ filled with beauty and insight

Julie's porfolio ~ of sorts... 

 

Please go and take a good long look at Julie's work. There is honestly so much more, but I'm only allowed to tell you about what is already public domain ;)And what I have given you will just take your breath away. 

So. Now for the thank you to my special cousin ~ it's a bit of an odd story...
  

Before Julie became the sort of artist she is now, she was a jewelery designer. Yeah, I know. I think the best part is that I had very little idea that we had ever traveled this same path. When she told me that she was sending me 'a box o' beads,' I was not expecting what I saw:

All the beads in ALL the world.

So that I can do this... aka, workin' it.

So that I can make things like these earrings... 'Baby Bee.'

Which, allows me to buy THIS.

Julie is part of my past, my present, and she gave me a future. To her, I give my undying love and affection. Thank you, my sister/cousin/twin.   

Thank you to all of my specials ~ even if I have not mentioned your name, you know who YOU are. I love you...

XOXO

Circles.

Well. I guess I'm supposed to wish you a generic, 'Happy New Year.'

However, I don't actually recognize this ball-dropping, number-changing, drink-fest as the new year. That may sound strange coming from me, as I am usually ALL for having a good time. I don't make new year's resolutions, either. To me, they are merely an invitation to break promises to the most important person in your life. That would be YOU, my friends. A resolution is nothing more than a sacred promise to one's self. We can make them on New Year's Eve, or next Tuesday. What's important is that we don't forget them. They are not gym memberships. A resolution (aka, a promise) that has been unfulfilled, can only be a future regret. I don't do regrets. They get in the way of hope, and undying love. The things the truly matter in the end. If there is 'an end' at all...

I guess I should tell you why I feel this way. It has nothing to do with the lunar year vs. the numerical calendar, which was allegedly invented during the dark ages. It has more the do with *circles*

Like this one:

'The Orange Tree.'

I just sold it. I also like to tell stories, as some of you may already know. Here is part of it's story... "Try not thinking of peeling an orange. Try not imagining the juice running down your fingers, the soft inner part of the peel. The smell. Try and you can't. The brain doesn't process negatives." There is more to the tale than that, but only the new owner of the piece knows what that is. I prefer it that way.

'Columbines.'

Interestingly enough, I also sold the earrings above, chock-full o' circular imagery, "So did the maidens with their various flowers
Deck up their windows and make neat their bowers:
Using such cunning as they did dispose
The ruddy peony with the lighter rose.
The monkshood with the bugloss, and entwine
The white, the blue, the flesh-like columbine
With pinks, sweet-williams; that far off the eye
Could not the maimer of tfadr mixtures spy."
 

It is *my* belief (and perhaps yours, as well) that life is actually a circle. Death, too. Therefore, the idea of linear time being our measurement of existence is baseless. Yet I also understand that in terms of things like deadlines, birthdays, weddings, and taxes, this straightforward acknowledgment of time and the 'new year' is sometimes necessary.

But... if for just one moment, we were each to take a breath. And listen...

I hope you clicked on the link above and really FELT the music. The band's name is Travis. They are an alternative band from the U.K. and I have loved them for many years. The three songs I've chosen to share with you are my wishes and *blessings* for you in this circle that we call life. 

May you always sing, see all sides of the story, and most of all feel safe. Make your resolutions if you wish. Just remember to keep them. Count down the years, the weeks, the minutes, and the seconds if you must. Just try to savor each and every one. Be safe. Not just for one night, but for the rest of your life. This is MY resolution. It can be yours, too. 

Oh, yes. One more thing... Happy New Year.

xoxo

Contact.

I'm having one of those very rare attention deficit days. In all honesty, my brain has been functioning at something of an 'Oooooh, SHINY' mode all day.

Perhaps this is because I sold two MOAR necklaces via Etsy over the weekend. Go, Etsy! Go me! The gentleman who bought them was so nice (yes, it was a man). One piece was for his wife, the other for his niece. Here's the first one, which he intends for his wife:

'Je t'aime.'

On a human subject, AKA, me.

The second piece is for his niece:

'Fly Away With Me.'

Mirror Image.

Recently, a friend asked me why I pose as my own model. I thought this was an interesting question. In all honesty, I'm quite shy. But I'm also convenient for myself. I don't need to wait to book me. I don't need to call myself on the phone to arrange when I'm available. I'm always free, cash and time-wise. That's it. The end. Now you know ;0>

In other news, I just bought the *coolest* (or maybe the hottest ~ haha) enameling kiln on the market. But it ain't no beginner machine, that's for sure. See:

It's ACTUALLY called 'The Kingpin 88.' It's SO bad@@$.

As soon as it arrives, I'm going to take a picture of the real thing. And then I'm going to take a poll regarding my kiln's name. I would *hate* to call it George, only to find out it's a girl. You know what I mean... I think.

What else? Oh, yes. I'm currently creating some gift certificates that you can use in my shop for existing merchandise or a custom order ~ your choice. I'll post samples as soon as I have them listed, which should be sometime tomorrow.

I'm also working on new designs for cloissone earrings and bracelets, so we'll see what I come up with. In addition, I'll be announcing the start date of custom orders. They will be first come, first serve, but if you want something very specific, please be sure to contact me as soon as possible.

One last thing, and this is VERY important: if you'd like to email me, and you don't want to contact me via Etsy, just message me at NatanyaElka@gmail.com. I'll create an email link on the sidebar of this blog for your convenience, too. Thanks, Happy Holidaze, and *blessings* to you!

xoxo

Exclusive.

Have you ever felt as if you have so much to say, yet you just can't put it into words?

That's how I feel, today. But I guess we'll stick with the facts. I sold my first necklace via Etsy last week, and I was so incredibly pleased! It was this one:

'Spice Trader.'

I have to be honest, I've sold many pieces in person, but this whole selling via the interwebs is sort of crazy. But... I am learning. 

Hmmm... what else? Oh! Yesterday, I had my first 'grown ups only' horseback riding session in a long time. It was so much fun, though I *am* a rusty rider. At least I think so, but I tend to be very hard on myself. I'm really quite a perfectionist. But I guess that's a good thing, considering that I work with molten hot metal and glass. There is no room for clumsy when it comes to enameling or horses, that's for sure. Having said that, I DO like to 'horse around' at the stables when I get a chance. (Go ahead, groan in agony at my pun. You know you want to). Sometimes you just need to be silly:

As my friend Astrid said, "Poor mister noble creature, getting gloves on his ears!"

 

 

Like many of you, I guess I am just getting excited up for my new studio space, and visiting with my family and friends for the holidaze. 

One more thing...(How could I forget this?) My friend Emilee and I lost our minds and built a gingerbread house for a local exhibition. That's not *so* interesting until you take into account that I am completely gluten-intolerant (I have Celiac Disease ~ if you'd like any info, please let me know). In addition, her daughter has a SEVERE lactose allergy. So that means that we baked and constructed a gluten-free, dairy-free gingerbread home. I think it's rather swanky. What do you think?

I'd live in it, wouldn't you? Especially if I could have the peppermint trees as shrubbery.

OK. I'm sure I will have many more interesting things to say in my next post, but to quote Charles Wallace from A Wrinkle in Time, "Let's be exclusive. That's my word for the day. Impressive, isn't it?" 

Sometimes being exclusive can be FUN.

xoxo