The love hate of vending at shows and festivals

Wowwee! May and June have been packed with lots of fun for me.

It has been festival after festival along with a fashion show and trunk show in Seattle. Also May was my birthday and the birthdays of two of my sons~~ 33, 14, and 8 years!!
June is my little ones bday and my husbands too!!
Well I am back to stay here in Eugene for a while. Which means I will be vending at the wonderful Saturday Market once again. I have been a member for 6 years.
The Eugene Saturday Market is a great opportunity for local artist to sell at.
Sad to say I had a $145 necklace stolen from me last weekend=(

I would like to discuss the pros and cons of street and festival vending.
It is a great way to get your art out there and promote yourself . And also fast cash$=)
BUT.....
A few things that I have learned is
1. Always get a grass spot if possible rather in the dirt.
2. Keep a good eye on your goods.
3. Get plenty of rest ahead of time.
4. NEVER sell at a venue with imports!
5. Be positive because you never know when and who could come strolling along and love to buy lots of your art.

I must say that after years of vending at festivals I may be ready to give it a rest (for exceptions of those for sure successful shows).
I am tired of all the hard work of setting up and taking down and also there is all the time and money that you spend buying the the materials and making the product.
I am not trying to just complain I am keeping it real. Enough times I have had my jewelry pieces stolen, dirty and dusty, and fallen over and broken. I have also had great times!
So my point being is that I am now going to be focusing more of getting my jewelry in Galleries and Boutiques.

~April 28th is Poetry reading day~

For those of you who did not know April 28th is "Poetry reading day".
I love poetry, spoken word, rhyming, freestyling, Hip Hop.
Sing your heart song.
Freedom of speech.
This is a tribute to the wisely spoken and written ones.

The words are blue to represent the throat chakra.

I must start of with one of my favorite poets of all time, Rumi.

This Marriage - Ode 2667

May these vows and this marriage be blessed.
May it be sweet milk,
this marriage, like wine and halvah.
May this marriage offer fruit and shade
like the date palm.
May this marriage be full of laughter,
our every day a day in paradise.
May this marriage be a sign of compassion,
a seal of happiness here and hereafter.
May this marriage have a fair face and a good name,
an omen as welcome
as the moon in a clear blue sky.
I am out of words to describe
how spirit mingles in this marriage.

Mystic Odes 833
Our death is our wedding with eternity.
What is the secret? "God is One."
The sunlight splits when entering the windows of the house.
This multiplicity exists in the cluster of grapes;

It is not in the juice made from the grapes.
For he who is living in the Light of God,
The death of the carnal soul is a blessing.
Regarding him, say neither bad nor good,
For he is gone beyond the good and the bad.
Fix your eyes on God and do not talk about what is invisible,
So that he may place another look in your eyes.
It is in the vision of the physical eyes

That no invisible or secret thing exists.
But when the eye is turned toward the Light of God
What thing could remain hidden under such a Light?
Although all lights emanate from the Divine Light
Don't call all these lights "the Light of God";
It is the eternal light which is the Light of God,
The ephemeral light is an attribute of the body and the flesh.
...Oh God who gives the grace of vision!
The bird of vision is flying towards You with the wings of desire.

KRS One is one of my all time favorite MC's. This is some of his words.

Verse one: krs-one

Well now youre forced to listen to the teacher and the lesson
Class is in session so you can stop guessin
If this is a tape or a written down memo
See I am a professional, this is not a demo
In fact call it a lecture, a visual picture
Sort of a poetic and rhythm-like mixture
Listen, Im not dissin but theres somethin that youre missin
Maybe you should touch reality, stop wishin
For beats with plenty bass and lyrics said in haste
If this meaning doesnt manifest put it to rest
I am a poet, you try to show it, yet blow it
It takes concentration for fresh communication
Observation, that is to see without speaking
Take off your coat, take notes, I am teachin
A class, or rather school, cause you need schooling
I am not a king or queen, Im not ruling
This is an introduction to poetry
A small dedication to those that might know of me
They might know of you and maybe your gang
But one things for sure, neither one of yall can hang
Cause yo Im like a arrow, and scott is the crossbow
Say something now ... thought so
You seem to be the type that only understand
The annihilation and destruction of the next man
Thats not poetry, that is insanity
Its simply fantasy far from reality
Poetry is the language of imagination
Poetry is a form of positive creation
Difficult, isnt it? the point? youre missin it
Your face is in front of my hand so Im dissin it

Verse two: krs-one

Scott larock is innovating, decorating hip-hop
The beat may drop but not like all the others
They just cover while I just smother
Every single stupid mutha -- wait wait brotha
Krs-one will have to show another
Mc or self-proclaimed king or queen
Or gang or crew or solo or team
That I mean
Business
So tell me what is this?
See I come from the bronx so just kiss this
Boogie down productions is somewhat an experiment
The antidote for sucka mcs and theyre fearin it
Its self-explanatory, no ones writin for me
The poetry Im rattlin is really not for battlin
But if you want I will simply change the program
So when Im done you will simply say damn
So this conversation is somewhat hypothetical
Boogie down productions attempts to prove somethin
I say hypothetical because its only theory
My theory, so take a minute now to hear me

Verse three: krs-one

So whats your problem?
It seems you want to be krs-two
From my point of view, backtrack, stop the attack
Cos krs-one means simply one krs
Thats it, thats all, solo, single, no more, no less
Ive built up my credential financially and mental
Anytime I rhyme I request the instrumental
I speak clearly and thats merely
Or should I say a mere, help to my career
Im really not into fashion or craze
Just the one who pays and how soon I get a raise
Youre probably in a daze, acting out of sympathy
Wrote a couple of rhymes and think that you can get with me
But what a pity, Im rockin new york city
And everywhere else, you put the jams on the shelf
You as an amateur is outspoken
Im looking at your face, you seem to be hopin
That I might stutter, stop, or just mess up
But everythings live thats why I dont dress up
Blastmaster krs a synonym for fresh
Im the teacher of the class, I do not pass no test
Got dj scott larock by my side, not in back of me
Cos we make up the boogie down productions crew faculty
Get it right, or train yourself not to bite
Cos when you bite you have bitten, when I hear it, thats it
I do not contemplate a battle cause it really aint worth it
Id rather point a pistol at your head and try to burst it

Im teaching poetry
Im teaching poetry
Scott larock
Were teaching po-e-try

And this one WOW I love it!

"When you commit your life to being a vessel as an artist, you witness magic." --Saul Williams

Taurus Bull

I love this time of year... Spring! April showers brings May flowers~
This time now the sun is in Taurus. I am a Taurus. The Bull represents the zodiac sign of Taurus. My mother always did say to me as a child that I was like "a bull in a china closet". Is that because I am a Taurus? Here is a little bit about the general aspects of Taurus.

Sun in Taurus

As the second sign of the zodiac, Taurus represents the second stage in the evolution of man and his place in the universe. The first thing man uses are his physical senses. What he can see, touch, and physically hold represents the reality of his position. It is why the celestial heritage of Taureans is to conserve physical resources and possessively cling to people whom they regard as their own. Their strongest desire is for personal security. Broken promises or the betrayal of others are threats to this security. Their reaction to such personal affronts is likely to be bitter, and those who inflict such abuses will not be given another chance. Disappointed Taureans can behave in a manner totally against their own best interests. They may completely retreat from the world, or, go in the opposite direction and become promiscuous. Whatever direction is taken, they may end up sacrificing the meaningful, enduring relationships they really need to feel emotionally secure.

Taureans are stubborn and impervious to changes not of their own making. However, they are able to accomplish things in life because of their tenacity in sticking to projects in which others may have long since lost patience or stamina. The astrological symbol for Taurus is the Bull and indeed, the stubborn bullheaded nature of the Taurean personality can be extremely formidable to those who have the unfortunate experience of coming up against it. On the positive side, their quiet strength and determination inspires others to trust them. Because they dislike being unable to rely on others, they are usually very dependable themselves. Taureans are loving and patient when trying to accomplish what they think is worthwhile and when dealing with people they care about. As a rule, they do not enjoy surprises or spontaneous changes. They are far more comfortable when given sufficient time to prepare for things and allowed to follow their planned agenda.

Taureans react to what they experience by assessing its possible worth. That is, before they take physical action, before they sort out their emotional involvement, and before they reason it out intellectually, they ascertain what tangible advantages are to be gained from the experience. What appears too abstract or vague fails to attract more than their passing interest. They need a definite purpose in what they do and in relationships they form. Because they don't want to be unnecessarily burdened, they willingly rid themselves of worn out items, but only if they cannot find any other way to make use of them.

Venus, planet of beauty and pleasure, rules Taurus, which means that by nature, people born with Sun in Taurus are tactile and sensuous, seekers of personal comfort and physical pleasure. By design however, they are pragmatic with an appreciative eye for both monetary value as well as aesthetic beauty. They are lovers of nature and natural things. Their harmony in life is tied to reality and the material world, but sometimes they get carried away with personal acquisitions. When they go too far afield they tend to either accumulate wealth and never use it, or recklessly squander it without improving the quality or enjoyment of their lives. As a result of their addiction to personal pleasure and comfort, Taureans can be very lazy as well as very vulnerable to the unpleasant consequences that invariably result from overindulging in rich food and other physical pleasures. Their natural cautiousness saves them from making mistakes, but it can also prevent them from taking advantage of valuable opportunities.

As a rule, Taureans are physically strong and solidly built. Even those who are not fat, may be physically more dense per pound of body weight. Many of them favor weight lifting or other body-building routines as a way to keep in shape. They enjoy participating in sports that require strength and endurance. They usually like to putter around the garden, and readily engage in other outdoor activities such as picnics, hikes, and trips to botanical gardens or a zoo. They love music and art and may have considerable talent in these areas. They often have a pleasant speaking or singing voice. Though Taureans tend to be rather subdued, they have a lively sense of humor, and enjoy socializing.

Taurus colors are brown, russet, and turquoise. Vulnerable parts of the body are the neck, throat, shoulders, and upper torso. Stiff necks, sore throats, and earaches are common Taurean complaints. The emerald, a variety of the mineral beryl and as costly as a diamond, is the Taurus birthstone. The emerald's rich green color is suitably Taurean since it is the color of money, green pastures, and serenity. The emerald has a six-sided geometric form. Six is the number assigned to Venus which in turn, is the planetary ruler of Taurus. Flowers for Taurus are the rose (red), daisy, lily, and daffodil.

So many exciting adventures to come

So many exciting adventures to come with Jewel of the I. I have been creating like crazy. Well kinda. I only have nap time... which I also usually have to do some tidying up and after the kiddos get to bed.
Be sure to check me out at any of these locations if you are in the area.
April 9, 10, and 11th I will be vending in Davis California at the "Whole Earth Festival". If you are in the area please do check it out. Strictly handcrafted goods with eco-friendly quality. I am proud and excited to be a part of this event. http://wholeearthfestival.ucdavis.edu
May 17th I will also be decorating up some fabulous ladies with jewels... made by me of coarse, at a fashion show going on in Seattle.... the event is called "Interdimensional Art Show" there will be the "Sun Tribal Trunk Show" that I will be setting up at the following day May 18th.
Check the flyer below.
And last but not least for this month, May 31st and June 1st I will be vending at the 2008 Summer Arts & Music Festival. Located in Redway, CA. This is also a strictly handcrafted fair. With good music too. http://www.mateel.org/summerarts.php

Hand crafted is where it's at!

My 22 month old is growing out of all his clothes so today I decided to go out around town and get him some gear. Hhmmm where should I go??? I make my way to the 2nd hand stores where you can trade in your used clothing for other used clothing. Recycling used clothing. I wasn't able to find anything that was nice in his size. I go to the next place and did not find anything there either. I meet a woman in the store that says that she likes to go to Gymboree to shop because there is nice quality clothing for a good price. So I make my way to the mall which I NEVER do. I avoid malls for many reasons. One... most things are made in other countries and who knows what the workers are being paid or how they are being treated. Two.... the lighting kinda makes me sick feeling. Three... nothing is one of a kind.
Conclusion one of a kind, hand crafted is where it's at.

The healing properties of crystals

One of the reasons that I love to create jewelry is because not only is it a piece of wearable art it can be healing too. Here is a tidbit more on healing with crystals and gemstones. If there is a crystal that you are interested in the healing properties that is not listed here let me know and I can post more. Be sure to check in with me tomorrow. I will be writing about the crystals and the chakras.

Aventurine - A good luck stone, especially in financial matters. Stimulates creativity, intelligence and perception. A great healing stone, it gives a sense of mental and emotional well-being.

Agate - General protection and healing, increases courage, self-confidence, and energy and promotes longevity.

Amethyst - Iincreases vivid dreams, relieves insomnia, relieves depression, promotes calm, serenity, and spirituality. So the next time you can't sleep, try putting an amethyst under your pillow!

Aquamarine - Iimproves sight, sharpens the mind, calms and clarifies emotions. asist flowing energy and is good for combining intellect and spirituality. It softens ones moods and lifts the spirits.

Aventurine- It has been long held that Aventurine has the ability to ground the spirit and bring balance to male and female energies. Its capacity to calm a troubled spirit or mind and bring an inner peace make Aventurine a popular stone. It helps align physical, emotional and auric bodies. The strong green color of this crystal lends itself to prosperity meditations. Use its strong tangible forces to better your chances for job related help and assistance.
These attributes make it a good choice when creative solutions are needed or critical decisions have to be made. It will also assist in relating to others on an emotional level.

Black tourmaline -will help you ground out negative energy and is a very protective stone. It promotes vitality. A perfect stone for any healer or light worker. It can be used with great success for grounding in conjunction with the root chakra and to draw dis-ease and imbalance from all the chakras. It is also considered to be a wonderful stone for transmuting negativity and protection. For more information on the metaphysical use of tourmaline .

Carnelian - Carnelian combats fear of public speaking and impotence. General healing stone.

Chrysoprase - Soothes heartache and helps depression, promotes emotional balance, wisdom, and peace.

Citrine - Helps digestion and aids in mental and intellectual functions. Increases self-esteem.

Coral - Helps in childbirth and adoption. Wards off bad thoughts from others and promotes general well-being.

Fluorite - All colors of fluorite are effective for auric cleansing and assists in reaching a deeper state of meditation. It encourages stability and the reaching of goals. Purple fluorite can be used to open the third eye and increase psychic awareness. It is used to assist in effective meditation and is associated with spiritual wholeness.

Green Fluorite -a stone of healing at all levels. It encourages you to approach a situation calmly and act decisively.
Purple fluorite is a stone of intuition aiding one in seeing to the heart of matters also usefull in divination and dreams a very intuitive stone.

Garnet - The Garnet is known as the stone for a successful business. It helps protect one on trips. Garnets bring constancy to friendships. It is believed that if a garnet is put under a pillow it will cure depression. Garnets can be used to make a person popular and have self-esteem when worn as jewelry. Sounds very versatile!

Jade - Wisdom, mercy, humility, generosity, peace, and harmony. Protective and lucky when worn as jewelry.

Jasper - Calms a troubled mind. Helps with digestive problems and other ills.

Kyanite - aligns all chakras instantly and can be used to open chakras. It helps promote communication, encourages tranquillity and psychic awareness. Excellent for meditation and dream recall. A wonderful stone for the New Age, Kyanite is also excellent for working on the throat chakra and third eye. Never needs cleaning or clearing.

Malachite - a stone of transformation and balance, assisting in ones spiritual journey. It is capable of stimulating ones intuition and insight whilst helping in recognizing and clearing past negative influences and experiences. It allows for insight into any emotional factors that may be manifesting as physical symptoms. It is also saud to help unlock the meaning of dreams. Traditionally it was worn as a stone of protection.

Moonstone - Draws love and helps in interpersonal relationships.

Peridot - Alleviates anger, fear, and anxiety. Aids digestion and insomnia. Emits a warm and friendly energy. A shield of protection around the body. It is mentioned throughout the Bible, and early Christians considered it sacred.

Quartz - The greatest of all healing stones. Acts as an amplifier for psychic energy and aids meditation and visualization.

Rose Quartz - Great for attracting love. Promotes self-loving and heals emotional wounds as well as promoting peace, forgiveness, and nurturing.

Ruby- The ruby is a stone of nobility. This stone encourages one to follow bliss. It also acts as a "plug" for holes in the energy field. Wonderful stone for the 1st chakra as it stimulates our basic instinct of/for survival. It strengthens both the physical and emotional heart. Ruby brings love, confidence, loyalty, and courage. It instills stamina, vitality and strength. A good stone for removing blocked energies in the reproductive system. It re-energizes one after exhaustion. Also good for balancing the blood's sugar. It also helps to reduce negative thought patterns. Ruby allows you to love Self and Spirit. A good stone of protection. Depending upon which type of metal it is worn with (yellows or silvers) it would bring with it these healing properties as well. The yellows carry the energy of the Sun or a masculine energy, while the silvers carry the energy of the Moon or a feminine energy.

Smoky Quartz - A grounding stone which helps reduce depression and negative emotions. Smoky Quartz aids the reduction of the effects of stress and can transmute fear, anger and other negative emotions into positive energies whilst calming the user. It is also said to provide clarity of thought, improve intuition and to stimulate higher connection in meditative states. As a healing crystal it works well with the first chakra area base of spine and surrounding organs. Smoky quartz is also good for self empowerment.

Sugilite - is extremely effective in those wishing to explore the relationship between physical health and the mental body. It attracts healing power and enables insight into the base causes that manifest as physical problems, whilst enabling the user to channel large amounts of energy and balancing the emotions. Sugilite that is included with veins of Manganese is particularly effective. Try it next time you feel tense or at odds with your surroundings and the situations created therein. It is also incredibly effective at removing headaches. Placed on the forehead it seems to draw out the pain in moments.

Topaz - Topaz soothes physical pain, promotes peace and calms emotions, as well as promoting forgiveness.

Tourmaline - Calm, protection, focus, and balance. Promotes self-assurance and goodwill. Fun fact, you can electrically charge your tourmaline by rubbing it on a piece of fabric. Watch it pick up bits of paper! It attracts dust even better so you'll have to clean it more often than other gemstones.

Turquoise(one of my favorites) - Turquoise healing stone. Attracts friendships, luck, and happiness. Releases shame and guilt. Turquoise is among the crystal healing master stones. Its powers can benefit the whole body, with special strengths in healing ailments of the immune, respiratory, waste and skeletal systems. Crystal healers recommend it for detoxification of alcohol, poison, pollution or radiation in the body, treatment of high blood pressure, asthma, infections, TMJ and dental problems. Turquoise is supposed to be a stone of communication. It is recommended for people who have a fear of public speaking. They believe it has the ability to make a speaker more eloquent, loving, creative and honest. But it is also improves the mental state overall by increasing all of the following positive mental characteristics: serenity, creativity, empathy, positive thinking, sensitivity, intuition, happiness wisdom all of which result in a calmer state that leads to greater self-realization. It is also considered a stone of friendship. As a communication stone, it opens up the connections between friends and allowing love to flow in those communications, which strengthens the friendship bond. Turquoise has the power to strengthen convictions, courage and personal power. Overall, Turquoise is said to open all chakras, allowing the stones powers of love and communication to flow through the entire being. Healers associate it primarily with the Throat or 5th chakra. This chakra is the center of communication, creativity, serenity and spiritual bonding. Turquoise can also benefit the operation of the Heart Chakra by opening it up for giving and receiving love. On the brow Chakra, it strengthens the connection to great spirit. The blue color has come to symbolizes the spirit or sky source for spiritualists.

Typical saturday for a creative Mama

Wake up to my one and a half year old rolling all over me. Sunrise.....what snow??? I actually thought that we were having an early spring a couple of weeks ago when it was in the 50's and 60's. . Maybe a late winter? I have four boys here to feed, three of mine and a another beloved boy almost mine. . Oh how delightful my 13 year old is finally up and is going to cook for us all "gourmet eggs" so he calls them. Saturday... no school.. YES! Lazy day.... I hang with the kids, bath the babe, and clean the house. Twelve o'clock rolls around... it's that time, nap time. Put the little wild child to rest. Send the big boys out to play. Moms time!!! Hmmmm... clean more? NO! Take a nap? No time for that. Up to my office/studio. So much to do in a little time. Dasan, the little one, usually sleeps for about one to two hours. And that is when I get to work ( along with late nights) doing anything from creating lovely jewels, researching on the web about marketing, working on my website, photographing my work, Etsy, blog, Flickr, and what ever else needs to be done.
Dasan is up. Kids are hungry again and want to be driven to friends... go to the park etc.
oh yeah can't forget to go grocery shopping. Come home, cook dinner, read stories, put the little angels to bed. Clean up. Wow I am exhausted. But I cant' stop now. BREATH DEEP, stretch, unwind, and head upstairs to my work space.

A little somethin' bout crystal healing~

As you may or may not know crystals have healing energy.
Since humans made the first flint arrow and fire strikers, and possibly long before that, crystals and stones have been seen as a source of wonder and in some cases power.

The Egyptian goddess Isis protected the dead with a Carnelian Amulet named Thet. After being soaked in Ankhami flower water, on a Sycamore plinth (a type of tile) and placed on the body of the deceased, Isis would grant the person protection from harm while moving through the afterlife. The stone also appears In Hebrew Mythology; Aaron’s breastplate included a Carnelian stone. Buddhists in China and India created amulets inlaid with Carnelian and other semi-precious stones, ascribing to them powers of protection and utilizing them for many rituals. To this day Carnelian is often suggested as a protective stone

Citrine was gifted to or carried by traders to protect them in there travels, As well as ensure the trip was profitable one. This too carries over to today where we find citrine often suggested to abundance and wealth.

In ancient times the Vikings used Iolite to help in Navigation. A slab of Iolite would be gazed upon to aid direction. This was because Iolite can bear a different hue when viewed at different angles, helping the mariner find north & south. It is also believed to protect for safe journeys. Today Iolite is often recommended as a stone to help one see the path ahead clearly, to promote clarity and aide in changes.

To name but a few of many mystical attributes humans have found in stones since time in memoriam.

Before the age of science and scepticism people knew these pretty coloured rocks had a power and uses all of there own. They found application for them in their day-to-day lives for practical and mystical application.

I take heart and pleasure from the fact that the old wonder and reverence for these little earth treasure’s lives on today in the hearts and minds of us who work with them and even in those who collect them.




According to crystal researcher Marcel Vogel, a senior scientist with IBM for 27 years, "The crystal is a neutral object whose inner structure exhibits a state of perfection and balance. … Like a laser, it radiates energy in a coherent, highly concentrated form, and this energy may be transmitted into objects or people at will. … With proper training, a healer using a crystal can release negative thought forms which have taken shape as disease patterns."


So to cut along story short the reasons crystals are such a useful tool in energy work is because they vibrate. Not only vibrate they can amplify or “mimic” any vibration conducted through them. The mechanical pressure referred to earlier is actually present already in the most common crystal formation. The structure of a quartz crystal was created under pressure. The silicates and minerals contained with in the crystal are pressurized, that’s why crystals are known to shatter when large energies are passed through them or even when left in the heat or the cold.

This is where we come in; when we use a crystal we alter its vibration. We are aware that simple thoughts have vibrations let alone when we focus our will, summon our energy and pass it through the stone. When this occurs we are easily able to create a huge beacon or battery, a continuous vibration of our will or intent.

It then also becomes clear why different properties are attributed to different stones. Not only do we have different materials vibrating at different frequencies we also have color. Again we know that color has a vibration of its own. That is why a pink stone is said to comfort the heart. Pink is thought of as a loving color and I agree pink is a very sweet and caring vibration. So carrying or holding a pink stone is equivalent to being in pink light/energy.

When we interact with the vibration our aura experiences the vibration and we are comforted. I have also found that auras can be a little like tuning forks They will pick up a vibration from their surroundings and if we wish “mimic” it. Energy is magnetic. As soon as we adopt a vibration we attract similarly vibrating energies.

This principle holds true to healing with crystals too and any other application one can think of. It’s a simple case of energy magnetism and complementary vibrations.

So that is the basic theoryon crystal healings and working.

Before I begin to sound too scientific, I must say, I personally believe there is something mystic about minerals. I feel they are a gift from the earth and have power and wisdoms inside them. My explanation that its all subtle little electric pulse, really doesn’t begin to explain why a piece of kyanite is protective or why black tourmaline is can absorb negative energies. Those are just a few of my experiences.

My first blog ever

My toddler is sleeping and my other 2 boys are playing so as usual I am working away trying to build my business the best that I can. I am a WAHM... work at home mom for those of you who are not familiar with that term.
Here in Eugene Oregon it is snowing today, yesterday was 57 degrees. I can't beleave that it is snowing in spring. I love this time of year... spring time. The beauty of nature coming alive, flowers blooming is wonderful. I feel so inspired here. My creativity is constantly flowing living in nature.