Commissioned Jewelry

I've been working on some commissioned orders, and this post gives you an idea of how they come about. I ask for a little information about the person, which may include their favorite colors, hobbies, interests, and challenges. Here are some of the descriptions I was given -

"For her birthday, a real Statement Piece, some sparklies, lavender and that beautiful clear peridot green, a hint of darkness, (the deepest green you can find?), a touch of sky blue for her husband's and brother's eyes, a touch of red for courage and joy." And here is what came about:

Birthday Necklace

Detail of Birthday Necklace

And here is the pair of earrings I made for this woman, (not meant to be worn with the necklace of course). The beads are handmade lampwork beads from Jodi Price at Beadworx.com, and the earrings include sterling ear wires, and sterling chain accented with blue, red, and green glass beads.

Another description - "For my son's girlfriend - like me, she's complicated." I've had the opportunity to meet this girl, and she's not only gorgeous, but laughs all the time, and is very open-hearted and friendly, so I chose the sterling silver rabbit charm for trust and friendship, and the beautiful blue and green bead for a little mystery.

Rabbit Pendant for Trust and Friendship

For a young woman who loves orange, I made these red hot sparklies that include gorgeous round two tone orange glass beads, red and orange accent beads, and sterling chain with red and orange dangle beads.

Hot Stuff for the Woman Who Loves Orange!

For a woman who loves the beach, I made this pendant which includes a square fossilized coral bead, a carved bone bead, an amber glass circle bead, an agate accent bead, and a sterling silver sand dollar charm.

Sterling Sand Dollar and Fossilized Coral Pendant

For a young woman who loves horses, I made this pendant, which includes a puffed silver foil Millefiori bead, a red circle bead, a green jade bead, and an orange jade bead, along with sterling silver Pegasus charm.

Pegasus Pendant

For one of my sister's close friends who's going through some very rough times with several family members' health, we needed "to celebrate her strength as a woman and a daughter, so please use some red for her courage and steadiness through the darknesses." So for this very special woman I chose a vivid Picasso Jasper stone along with red agate and a clear, soft blue glass accent bead, with a strong island goddess charm to keep her grounded. This type of red jasper "grounds energy and rectifies unjust situations...[and] makes an excellent 'worry bead,' calming the emotions when played with." (Judy Hall, The Crystal Bible, 2004, Walking Stick Press, Cincinnati, Ohio.)

Red Jasper for Courage and Strength

For a woman who's a graphic designer, I wanted to make something sophisticated and elegant, but also colorful and creative, and here is the result, which includes a silver foil rectangular Millefiori bead, blue glass accent beads, a silver foil Millefiori disk bead, and a sterling silver swan charm reminiscent of the Art Deco period.

And there are several more that I'm currently working on. If you're interested in having a commissioned piece made for you, log into Dreamkeeper Creations and send me an e-mail with a description of what you'd like. It takes anywhere from a few days to a couple of weeks depending on whether I need to special order beads or charms or whether I have just the right ones on hand.

Thanks for checking in, stay tuned for more goodies to come!

Namaste

My Signature Necklaces

I may have mentioned my Signature Necklaces in one or more of my previous blog posts, but I'll repeat the info here for your interest, and because the story is just plain wonderful.

Bear and Hummingbird Signature Necklace

I had the good fortune to be able to visit my daughter in Portland (LOVE that city, so supportive of the arts and creativity, and the people watching is sooooo wonderfully entertaining!) awhile back and while we were there we drove down to the Redwood Forest just the other side of the border, in California, near Crescent City.

I feel a HUGE connection to the beautiful redwoods, so much so that I want my ashes to be scattered there when I pass from this place to the other worlds. I made a vow there years ago when I had the chance to visit.

I found those trees so awesomely inspiring that my jaw dropped when I got out of the car and walked up to one and stretched my arms as wide as they would go, discovering that it would take several more people stretching their arms wide to actually be able to surround the tree, it was so strong and so old and so huge. I could hardly speak for a couple of hours, just being in awe of the beauty and strength and history of where they grew. The energy there was very powerful.

I made a vow to grow as straight as that tree and to try to be just as strong, no matter what should come my way, and to be true, no matter what. The reason I felt this the right place to make such a vow was because these trees, these entities, these living beings on the Earth had been able to not only survive, but thrive, some of them for over 2000 years, and I found that immensely impressive. Also as I stood inside the hollow center of one of those magnificent trees, enveloped by Earth, by sweet smelling wood and dimmed light, soft ground under my feet and the throbbing of Earth herself pounding around me and inside me, I felt so very protected and a sense of belonging like I've never experienced before. I wanted to be able to do that - what the trees were doing -  to extend belief and the protection that comes of it.

So during this wonderful  trip, I chanced upon a really special place called It's a Burl in Oregon, and there was a little shop near there where I bought a verrrry special necklace. When the shopkeeper sold it to me she explained that it was made by a Native American artist who worked locally, and the artist's wish was for her creations to inspire their owners. I wore her necklace hiking through my FAVORITE place on the planet, the beautiful Redwood Forest, so it picked up great vibes and lent me great vibes, and by the time I got home, I was feeling so inspired that I found myself making necklaces and pendants and bracelets and dolls like there was no tomorrow (lucky you!).

I'm ever so grateful for this artist's inspiration, and really enjoy passing it along to you. It is my sincerest wish that all the jewelry that you buy from me brings you joy. As I make it, I "program" good energy in, and I can't wait to hear from you about whether you can feel the energy behind it and the times you have while wearing it : ) I suppose my "programming" is based on the Native American tradition of singing while working - the teachings that I embrace from their culture teach that the energy you impart to something while you "make it" transfers to the one who receives it. There is power in this, and caution...be aware of what you bring into your environment, and assure that it has been created with, or brings, good energy. (If you're not sure about the energy, you can clear it, look for that post in the near future).

One of the things I've learned about living here in this place, our Earth, is that the thoughts we have, the ideas and feelings and inspiration in our minds, have energy, and when we bring that energy into concrete realization in some form, it begins to take on additional energy, so when we bring something close to us that has positive energy, it can lend power to the things we're working on bringing about - such as giving us strength, purpose, comfort, etc. No Eyes, in Summer Rain's books, describes these things, these "items" as "props," and she teaches that though we don't "need" them, they nevertheless, can impart energy. I understand this to mean that when we are masters, we can work with energy without "props," but until we arrive at mastery, it certainly helps to surround ourselves with positive energy however we may find it : )

Reach for the Stars Signature Necklace

 A Signature Necklace that I make is one that generally includes all or most of the following:

One Or More Heart Shaped Beads for Love

One Red Bead for Life and Vitality

Gold Beads for Wealth

Silver Beads for Purity

Copper Beads for Transformation

One or More Sliding Beads for Flexibility in Life

One Black Bead for Creativity (all things are born of the void)

Star Bead(s) to help you reach for the sky to make your dreams come true

A Few Pointy Beads Representing Challenges in Life (which you can definitely surmount)

A Cube Shaped Bead for Stability

And may include other qualities not listed, depending on the properties of the gemstones.

Thanks for checking in, come back soon!

Namaste

How Does It Feel To Wear These Creations?

How does it feel to wear one of these lovely pendants?

The One That Defines Me

 Well, it feels like you have a little bit of spirit energy with you all the time. The thing is, these are tooooo fun. First you buy one, and the first purchase is a bit of a *save*, cause you want the sterling necklace chain to go with it. So you pick out a chain, and you pick out a pendant, and you're good to go (the chain will fit all of the pendants so you only need one, though you might collect more than one depending on your choices for style and length). Lots of times the first choice for your pendant is something that really means something to you, perhaps defines you in some way. The pine cone pendant above is one that I love to wear because I'm all about woods walks and have been for years, so this one is my "defining" pendant.

Oh, but after that, look out, because it's rather addictive, like candy! You get one, and you have such a good time in it, and people say, "Oh I love that necklace, where did you get it?" and it makes you feel so good, you want to spread that around and you tell them or pass along a card (thanks ever so!). But here's where the addiction starts (totally harmless, no worries). You have one pendant, but you put on an outfit and wish you had something fun in another color, so you pick up just the right color.

The One I Chose For Color

 Now here's where it gets really bad - you see one online and fall in love with it, bring it home, but this time you buy an outfit to match! (Okay you needed that lovely blouse anyway...it's great for work and image is important....) I fell completely in love with the bead below, because to me it looks like a painting - of a lake with a strip of land on the horizon and the trees on the land, and the clouds above, with the setting sun throwing a beam across the water back to "me standing on the shore" - I've been on so many walks where I've seen just this image, and I love that the goddess charm somehow embodies  a being that would feel quite at home in the setting of the image within the bead. So, a new dress was purchased to go with the browns...I'm good to go (for a minute).

The One I Fell In Love With

Truth is, these pendants match almost anything. You can coordinate carefully, or you can break all the rules and wear one just because it feels sensual dangling just between your, er, well, above your sternum if you will...and it's wonderful to twirl between your fingers. I try when I make them to make sure they are not too tight and not too loose, but just right for the tactile pleasures of twirling : ) I had no idea that some of them would be so fun to play with, to twirl between your fingers - until I tried on the one below. Well, it'll never make it to the shop, but I'll try my hardest to create some really tactile ones for you. This one appeals to me not only because it reminds me of swimming in the summer, but also because the little bead on the bottom is very texturey and I love to feel the bumps on it when I'm daydreaming....

My Tactile Pleasures!

Some of them have meaning to me, like my huge six sided beautiful green gemstone bead with the griffin charm that I keep because the griffin is part of my family's coat of arms, and the glowing multicolor silver foil beads with the lizard charm that represents the guardianship of life (always good), and the large swirled bead with the eternity goddess who protects my business (also really good), and the green *signature necklace that represents so many things in life, from stability, to change, to growth, to wealth, and protection, and creativity, and vitality - you can see how this could become quite addictive.

SOLD - Signature Necklace

And that's the thing! I started making them for me, but I couldn't stop, still can't, and the interesting thing is that I can feel the energy of each of the people who will buy them - someone in need of a bit of shoring up, someone who wants to hold some special meaning close, someone who laughs all the time, or someone who wishes to give a friend some good energy. They're all about the energy.

I don't make these by myself. When I create these works of art, I invite not only Spirit to help me create for the benefit of all, but also the spirit of each owner, to fill you up with a bit of joy, because joy belongs to us all, it's part of our divine inheritance (yay!). I really enjoy being a part of being able to bring you joy and it thrills me to hear of your happiness. Sometimes a little bit goes a very long way, and I celebrate the joy of sharing beauty and the sparkle of life with you.

Namaste

Twisty Talking Sticks

Twisty Vine Growing Up a Tree at The Villa

Sometimes I devote a lot of time to certain beadwork projects, and my Talking Sticks are some of those. I have a limited number (60 or so) of gorgeous old twisty grape vine sticks that I collected in a very special place where I used to go to be alone when I was growing up. The place was called "The Villa," and it was an old estate in a town where I lived for a few years. The size of the twisty sticks ranges from a few inches to over 3 feet long.

The Greenhouse Foundations

Back in the heyday of this gorgeous place, there were greenhouses on the acreage, covering a lot of ground, where they grew roses, but by the time I started going there The Villa was untended and overgrown, though there was still at least one person living in the big house. The name of my hometown was "Rose City," and that is most likely what they raised in these greenhouses (roses).

Steps to the Greenhouse

So I would sit on these steps, reflecting on things and daydreaming in this beautiful place. I was never afraid there, was always completely alone except for birds and animals, and poison ivy, which I always used to get into, still do in fact.

I would collect sticks when I walked there, am sure no one would miss them, and feel they're happy to have a continuing purpose. I think they're old grapevines, not from a cultivated grape, but from wild ones. And some of the twisty sticks are from old wisteria vines. Anyway, here's what I do with these treasures:

Twisty Stick Being Groomed

I shave the bark off, which used to take a lot of time until I learned to soak it in water for a few days - then the bark peels right off like a banana peel. After the bark's removed, I sand the stick and stain it. I love to feel it twirl in my fingers as I work with it.

Staining the Wood

I love to choose the materials I'll use to dress it. These may include fur (usually rescued from antique stores), leather, and definitely seed beads, plus some gorgeous fringe beads chosen for special meaning.

Choosing the Materials

After it's stained and dry and I've chosen the dressing materials, I begin by gluing on the fur and the leather. For this Talking Stick, the fur is silver fox (the red leather is for vitality, and fox represents camouflage - more on representation a bit further on...).

Dressed in Fur and Leather

The colors of the beads I choose are important, as they each represent something.  More on this a bit later too.

I am beading, beading, beading

It takes me about 150 hours, 14 yards of thread, and 12,000 size 11/0 seed beads to make a Talking Stick like this one, which is about 12 inches from tip to tip. Going around the curves is quite a challenge to say the least. I pass the thread through each bead twice, using the Peyote stitch. So I bead and I bead and watch the seasons change outside the window, and then at last, it's ready for the fringe.

At last, ready for fringe!

Now the fringe is the best part, not only because it feels deeelicious running through your fingers, but because each bead chosen for the fringe also represents something about the person I'm making the Talking Stick for.

Fringe on Moonjie's Talking Stick

I made this Talking Stick for my friend Moon, and sent her photographs of the progress throughout the year. She was so excited to finally receive it. She lives in Missouri, is part Native American, and uses it in ceremony with many other women.

Each Talking Stick has an Answering Feather to go with it, and here is what the fringe on Moon's Answering Feather looks like:

Moon's Answering Feather Fringe

I use commercial feathers that I buy in Oregon for the Answering Feathers. These are from birds that are not protected migratory species. They're painted very carefully to look like other feathers, such as eagle or owl, and serve quite well (they're very strong). Here's what the beadwork looks like on Moon's Answering Feather (you can see it has a bit of silver fox fur as well):

Moon's Answering Feather

The Back of Moon's Answering Feather

After I finished Moon's Talking Stick I had to start another one, this time for me to keep. It has my special colors that were given to me in a dream (red, green, blue, gold, cream) and some very special fringe beads.

My Talking Stick

So you may be wondering what a Talking Stick is all about. It comes from a Native American custom that was used when the people would gather to talk, be heard, and make decisions. If you held the Talking Stick, you had to speak the truth, and no one could interrupt you. If someone wanted to interject, they had to make a sign, and then you would hand them the Answering Feather. In this way, important things were sorted out with civility and respect. I'd guess that many could use this tool today to great benefit. In Native tradition, it's more common for a person to make their own Talking Stick and Answering Feather than to have one made, but few people continue this tradition today. For information on where I get some of my most beloved Native references, check out Jamie Sams Sacred Path Cards and Jamie Sams and David Carson's Medicine Cards. I've been using them for 25 years for several purposes, and they're uncannily communicative and accurate. In contrast to traditional European tarot cards, these are very positive, no matter which one you choose, and they share the incredibly gorgeous teachings of many tribes of Native Americans.

Look for the occasional Talking Stick in my Etsy Shop, Dreamkeeper Creations, but don't hold your breath, they take a while (it'll probably be about 2012 when the first one becomes available there - they're high ticket items, generally commissioned.)

Namaste

Where do the jewelry descriptions come from?

Photo used with permission from Photos.com

So about the stories around my jewelery that you see in my Etsy shop - I'm laying asleep in my bed, it's five in the morning, and the music comes on my wakeup ipod. Lovely music, and I float along and realize there are all these thoughts roiling in my brain. I listen to them, and pretty soon I realize they're for you!

I wake up and fix coffee, if it's a really good day, it's Kona from Hawaii, and I zombie footstep over to my computer and sit down, and write. What a pleasure. After a few sips I read it over and realize it's a bit of a gift, from spirit, to me, to you.

I love the receiving end of my artwork. I never know what exactly it'll be - seems to be some combination of what I want to share with what spirit wants to give, all good. Very good. Enjoy!

Namaste

Gold, Silver, and Copper, As I Know Them - A Meditation

In my signature necklaces I like to include gold, silver, and copper, and here is the story of why....

Photo used with permission from Photos.com

In the early days of when I started to meditate (some 30 years ago) I had a vision in which I encountered a most beautiful being. The "agenda" I had posed, which is a common approach when seeking answers or "advice" in meditation, was that I invited my guide to come and introduce him or herself to me. In my mind I imagined that perhaps I'd finally get to see "my spiritual teacher," or "higher self," and develop a relationship with one who could advise me on matters close to my heart and confusing in the material world. Little did I know that meditation, the language of the spirit, does not always work as easily as that.

As I sat in the quiet of my study, I began to see a shape materialize, the shape that became an awesomely exquisite woman with dark skin, piercing green eyes, beautiful long black hair, and seemingly perfect in every way. She stood and stared at me, not moving, saying nothing, then turned her back on me and slowly disappeared. It was as if she melted away as she left. Her beauty was enviable. But she was not smiling, not even a little bit. She looked sad, and I felt incredibly powerful energies emanating from her. I felt very drawn to her, but also confused, as the meeting did not go as I'd imagined.

I had wanted to talk with her, to ask her things, to feel some kind of love, some sign of her affection and wisdom. But this appearance wasn't at all what I had wanted to experience. It was unsettling to say the least, and would become even more so....

At the time, I was attending small public sessions presented by a channeler (I forget her name, it's in my journals but there are 30 years of them and I'll get quite sidetracked if I look it up). She conducted her sessions in my favorite new age bookstore on Tuesday evenings, to audiences of about 20 or 30 attendees. These were people from all walks of life, who simply had questions and were curious to find out if we could get helpful information from "esoterical" sources. Many of the sessions were conducted such that attendees would each get a turn to ask a question, and the channeler would "go within" to seek answers.

When my turn came, I asked if the woman in my meditation was "my guide," and the channeler said to me, "She is not of the light." She closed her eyes, listened hard, shook her head gently, and said, "You must seek her again."

This, needless to say, was not the reply I had expected or wished for, and it put me off of meditation for several weeks as I didn't want to have encounters with ANY entities not of the light. I was scared to go back into meditation to converse with this entity, not knowing what she wanted from me or what evil she might do to my psyche. But after a few weeks I decided the not knowing was worse than the risk (had no patience with letting the fear hold me back), so I set about doing another meditation to call upon this entity and find out more. The result was surprising, and meaningful, in an archetypal way that I found I could apply to many questions in my life.

Finally, my courage up, I went into my study, and floated into the familiar trancelike mindset, first requesting the protection of my Creator, and asking for teaching of the highest quality (which is a recommended first step for any meditation, along with closure at the end). Then, slowly the beautiful woman reappeared, looking exactly the same as before. I found myself pointing at her and suddenly saw, streaming from my right hand, a bright flow of light, first golden, then silver, then copper. It streamed from me to her, and she absorbed it, smiled, and slowly disappeared as the emanations dwindled from my fingers.

As with many meditations, the meaning becomes more clear as time passes, and often with some research involved. With this one it took me a while, but eventually I came across some information that brought the meaning to life. The information was that in some cultures/beliefs, gold represents wealth, silver represents purity, and copper represents transformation (this somehow felt "right" to me). So what I understood from this meditation was that she had been lacking in these elements/qualities, and I had the power to bestow them on her (surprise). Once they were given to her she became whole (enlightened).

I understood that wealth doesn't necessarily mean "money" as we know it. I understood it more as fulfillment in this particular meditation. I had called her to teach, and she now had a purpose, which could fulfill her. I understood silver's representation of purity as a symbol of the agreement between us, that all of our exchanges would be pure, devoid of any harmful intention, meant for the good of the whole. And the last element that I had given her, copper, represented transformation, the magical thing that comes about through understanding and knowledge.

So when I first met her she was incomplete, and after our first exchange she was restored, and so our relationship could begin on those terms. She was not going to settle for teaching a pupil who would give up their authority, in the sense that I had to engage and become part of the learning, and she was not going to settle for a pupil who would come to rely on her without bringing their own knowledge to bear. Perhaps my higher self indeed - she knew me better than any other could. And I was the only one who could give her what she needed - fulfillment, the intention for the best for all (the good of the whole), and understanding and knowledge - the culmination of the meditation. So we were now ready to move to the next level. The other revelation/understanding I took from this meditation was that not everyone who is "bad" is inherently evil, they may be only "lacking," and when we can fill that void, the place where something is "missing," we can restore them to their inherent potential for good.

As I thought about the people on this planet who hurt others, I could see the value in understanding that what we sometimes perceive as "evil," can also be understood as "something missing"; a void, and if we can figure out how to fill that void (admittedly sometimes a verrrry tall order), we can bring about restoration, which is not to say these people are "healed," because learning, application, and refinement must take place with their commitment and participation, before they can be perceived as "healed." They are simply brought back to a place where the "healing" can take place.

Just food for thought, and a bit of insight as to why I include silver, gold, and copper into my signature necklaces - for wealth, purity, and transformation, three of the essential elements which to me, represent qualities which can take us to higher levels.

Signature Necklace Detail (sold)

I'll have more signature necklaces available in which I incorporate silver, gold, and copper, soon at Dreamkeeper Creations, stay in touch : )

Signature Necklace Large View (sold)

Namaste

Who needs sleep anyway?

Fairy Godmother with Wand

Last night I stayed up til 4 a.m. enchanted by the beads again (uh oh). My latest order of charms arrived yesterday afternoon from Treasure Island Jewelry, and as I checked it over that night, I fell in love with every one of them - I bet you will too! Beautiful sterling silver flowers (dogwood, hibiscus, sunflower) and pixie people (elf, female winged sprite, fairy godmother) and some of my favorite animals (sweetest little duck you ever saw - think Easter all year 'round when you wear the pendant I'll make with this little treasure). The purple box I keep them in is bursting at the seams. Can't wait to spend some time making more pendants.

Winged Sprite

Spent time poring through the Shipwreck Beads catalog in search of sparklies for my sister's Christmas order for 12 of her closest women friends - lucky them, lucky me! I've read about every page of this catalog - all compleeetely delicious.

I'm finding that it's really fun and inspiring to do commissioned work (will set this up in my Etsy shop soon, so you can convo me and let me know what you'd like). The way we went about it was that she gave me a couple of sentences about each of her friends, with suggestions for color, what their main interests are, plus a few personality traits. Then we just let spirit take over. Looking for just the right charm and just the right focal bead is such fun! Fusion Beads is another fabulous resource for sparklies! Eventually I'll hook up with artists who make beads by hand - and then you'll see some really exquisite stuff. Here's where you can find some great information on how silver charms are made and what goes into getting set up. These links give you an idea of the work that goes on behind the scenes for your special pieces of jewelry. The hardest thing for me is choosing - I want one of each!

When Pigs Take Flight

All the charms shown here can be found at the wholesale supply company Treasure Island Jewelry

I so meant to take a nap today, but don't want to miss a minute, so I'm kind of floating through the day - likely you'll find me snoozing on the couch after dinner.

I feel such urgency to get the rest of the photos up on Etsy so you can really see what I've been doing for you, but this week I learned something important about starting a small business. I chose the name for my business a while back, and when I went to the bank to set up a business account I learned that if the name of the business doesn't include my last name (who can spell or remember that?!) I have to file an application for a "fictitious name," and the app has to go all the way down to Harrisburg and back. It may take as long as three weeks. So the app has been sent, plus had to put a notice in the newspaper, so everyone knows that my real name (Jen Berghage) is associated with my "fictitious" name (Dreamkeeper Creations). Once I get the notarized copy back from Harrisburg I'll run to the bank and set up my account so the Paypal button will work on Etsy. Can't wait! Stay tuned : )

Update - October 2010 - Paypal's set up in my Etsy shop, yay!

Namaste

How I Discovered I Love Working With Beads - Past Life Regression

I lived in beautiful California for many years in my 20s and 30s, where the mindset is freeflowing and progressive. While there I spent time exploring many new age concepts, which included various kinds of meditation, hypnotherapy, past life regression, alternative healing, etc.

According to Michael Newton, Ph.D., past life therapy is a wonderful tool we can use to tap into forgotten skills and talents (like beadworking) as well as to initialize emotional and physical healing. It's also a great way to find out about the history of the relationships you have with people in your life and to help you understand how to make good decisions about these relationships.

When I encountered Dr. Newton's material I decided the only way to really know if what he was talking about was true was to try it. So I started by doing meditations and regressions guided by several different practitioners, some with academic backgrounds, some degreed health professionals, like Marion Winisky RN, MA. And I learned a lot from others who have great information and materials available commercially, like Dick Sutphen and Sonia Choquette. Check out Sutphen's Web site and some of Sonia's information.

So back to how I discovered my hidden love for beadwork. I explored several different past life regressions over a period of several years, and one of these was, as these events usually are, surprising in many ways. I saw myself walking over a rainbow, this being a common method that guided meditation uses to get the mind to go within, and when I got to the other side of the rainbow I found myself in a beautiful wooded area, interspersed with large meadows. It was fall, and the sun was glistening through the yellow and orange leaves. I bent over to look at my feet, and found myself touching the soft tanned hide of the knee-high boots I was wearing (examining the shoes you're wearing is common method to "ground yourself" within a regression). On this hide were bead designs, with a lot of green and blue and white. I can still remember the tactile feeling of the soft hide and the texture of the beads as I ran my hand over them. The boots were comfortable and beautiful as well as functional in that environment.

As I stood up I became aware that I was a Shoshone female, with long black hair that grew past my waist. I was what would today be considered overweight, but in those days and in that culture, a plump woman was considered very attractive for childbearing.

I had on a fringed dress of soft tanned hide, and I don't remember much detail about the dress. After touching the boots I was wearing, I stood up straight and looked around. I noticed the trees glistening in the fall sunshine, their leaves shimmering in the wind. Then a sound came to my ears, the sound of others. I became aware that the women were working together and children were playing together, watched over by the elders. Much of the work was done by those who were neither very young nor very old, but strong and capable and well trained according to their interests.

I remember the feeling of my heart being flooded with love, a love greater than any I had imagined in my current life. It was the love of the whole community, where I had a place of honor. I was known as the one who took care of many children and my specialty was doing beadwork. The items I made were sought after over a wide region, not only in my own community.

What I understood during this regression was that during that lifetime, one of the things I had chosen to learn for my soul agenda was to live such that I would have a full understanding of the concept of giving.

At this point in the regression I understood what giving in a communal culture meant. I had a place of belonging, I held the respect of my community, I felt loved. And I loved, through my work and the care of the children, so I had an outlet for the love I wanted to share.

I was about to be married to a man I loved, and carried this sweet knowledge in my heart, looking forward to the time that this would come about.

As many regressions do, I learned during this one that there is more to know about giving than we imagine, and it surprised me. What happened is that I walked down the wooded path under the dappled sunlight towards a clear creek, the sounds of the water sharing their own kind of music, peaceful to my soul. But as I neared the creek, a warrior on a horse approached me very fast. He grabbed me around the waist and tried to pull me up with him on the horse. I struggled, and he slit my throat with a long, fat, sharp knife.

His arm loosened from around my waist and I slid down to the ground, limp, with the life flowing from my body though my mind was still very much alive.

In those moments I knew his thoughts, that if he couldn't have me, then no one could, and my own thoughts, that he could not hurt me for I was of spirit, and spirit is energy that is always alive.

In those moments the thought ran through my mind, "I release you I release you for you can do me no harm." And that was the end of that life as I knew it.

I had no fear during the regression, since we are somewhat emotionally unattached as we experience them, kind of like watching a movie.

Past life regression can teach us a lot about many things, and what I find with each one is that there is usually a gift that we can apply that has the potential to change our lives for the better, and also those around us.

What I understood after this regression was over is that when we think that we are controlled by another, we find out that we are, in the end, free to continue living, and the finality that we associate with death is only an illusion. My reaction upon my death in that regression was based in the cultural certainty and simplicity of love, spirit, life, sustenance, continuity, and cycles of that lifetime. The gift of the regression was the knowing that we are truly free if only we choose to be, and this can affect others in a good way because it supports cosmic law.

So in learning about giving I found myself giving all that I thought I had, including my life, only to find that because the cycles of life are circular and infinite, the life experience only continues and cannot be truly stopped by anyone or anything for any reason.

Cool concept.

Here's a little taste of Shoshone beadwork currently displayed at the National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, DC.

Gorgeous

What's interesting to me about this regression is that in all the years I lived out West, I had never known that Native American women wore knee-high boots. After the regression I looked in every museum I visited, seeking some kind of substantiation for this, but found none. Then with the advent of the Internet I was able to research, and when I came upon some photos of the knee-high boots that Shoshone women wore, I realized they were very similar to the ones in my regression.The other thing that's interesting about the Native American beadwork is that if you study the different tribes and go way back, you can learn to "read" the beadwork, as the graphic designs represent various cultural beliefs/teachings. The symbols represent often universal concepts and "discoveries" about the frontiers of the mind and so many other things that we are rediscovering today. What's seemingly new is, in actuality, very very old.

The other thing that happened as a result of the regression was that I discovered a huge interest in beadwork. I found that the love and the interest stayed very much alive, and that the skills came very easily to me (carryover skills - yay). They also brought me more joy than anything creative I had yet encountered. I believe it's because they are a part of my spiritual history, which is likely longer than just this time around.

I understand that some of these beliefs are controversial. The only thing I can say about that is that we are all on our own paths, and I know that for each person, their own path is just right for them. I find mine interesting, certainly, full of surprises, and more rewarding than I could have imagined in my wildest dreams.

Namaste

I've been treasure hunting for you!

Today was a blast. I spent quite some time out in cyberspace treasure hunting for high quality sterling silver charms to add to the bottom of the pendants I love to create. Wow, there's a lot to choose from out there! I look for beauty first - if the charm's a character (I have a Fairy Godmother and some beautiful angels coming, plus a whole bunch more), I look at the features of their faces to make sure the artist who created them took the time to develop beautiful faces.

There are so many categories to choose from, all the way from sports to religion to nature, with a host of options in-between. It's tough to try to figure out whether you'll relate to the ones I choose. So I figure if they make me laugh, they're in, and if they kick up some sweet nostaligic memories, they're in. Ugly is out. Poor craftsmanship is out. When you buy my jewelry, you're going to get the best I can find, and I'm a stickler for great craftsmanship, lucky you! Lucky me, cause I get to work with these little beauties.

My prayer for when they arrive is "please just let me leave some for the customers," because I tend to enjoy "betta testing" my jewelry to make sure it holds up well, and you never know what's going to match the outfit I've picked out to wear for the day. Really, a girl can have too many sparkly, mysterious, energy filled gorgeous glass bead lucky charm pendants, and that's how the business of Dreamkeeper Creations was born!

Today I also spent many hours getting photos of the earrings and pendants up so the site is at last up and running, yay. Have fun, enjoy!

Desert Jackrabbit Banded Onyx Pendant

Arizona Twilight Teardrop Earrings

You can see I'm into the fall colors right now. With the trees looking their most glorious outside, it's hard to resist those golds and oranges,  with a touch of green to remind us of spring....

I know what I'm doing tomorrow - more photos and items up on Etsy for you!

Namaste

Dolls Already Here and Many to Come

So if you've purchased any of my jewelry you've also received one of my business cards, and on there it says that I make "one of a kind dolls." You may be wondering about that since you haven't seen any on Etsy - YET....

I have several in the works, and you'll see them soon, and be able to purchase them. They're based on universal themes, for example, I'm making a Sky Doll, and a Green Man Doll, an Angel Doll, and a Rainy Day Doll, a Creation Spirit Doll, a Viking Doll, a Power Doll, and many others. Their bodies are made of gorgeous fabrics, sometimes completely covered with beads, sometimes only partially decorated with beads. I've spent quite a bit of time learning various stitching patterns with beads, and they each have enough fringe to feel really good when you run it through your hands. They're big enough to feel good to hold, but not huge - anywhere between 6 and 15" tall. Look for photos soon, and I'll blog about the history and making of them here. They take more time than my jewelry creations, so they're a little slower in coming, but well worth the wait! The ones I'll have on Etsy will likely run between $150 and $350. They take a lot of time, but they're real charmers : )

I have a couple that run into the thousands - the little mermaid doll (which belongs to my daughter) took about 200 hours to make, and was a labor of love. The beads are sewn on about 10 beads at a time, and then I go back and overloop the thread next to each bead so that it sits tight and stays put. You wouldn't belieeeve how good this doll feels in your hands. She's about 6" tall.

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Little Mermaid Doll

Back of Little Mermaid Doll

This little Angel Doll I made for my son's girlfriend, whose father was diagnosed with mesothelioma - he was so sick, and I wanted her to feel the angels were close, not only to him, but to the family as well. He passed away in August and though there's some comfort in the end of his suffering, and loving thoughts of his new journeys, he is very very much missed.

Little Angel Doll

Back of Little Angel Doll

Here's a preview of my Power Doll (below). Don't be too disappointed, she's for me, so not for sale. It's serendipitous that I would be making her now, as my business gets started, because "in yin and yang terminology, a dragon is yang (male) and complements a yin (female) fenghuang 'Chinese Phoenix'," (Chinese Dragon, Wikipedia). What this means is that there's a connection between my female (receptive) nature and my male (active) nature happening, which is why the business is finally graduating from being just a dream to becoming a reality - kind of exciting. That connection has been a long time coming.

For most of my dolls, I get the molds for their faces from Kimberly Crick, who's very talented. I use ProSculpt Clay to make the faces, which you can get at artdolls.com, and then I carefully paint them with acrylic paint. Just the faces can take from 4 to 8 hours depending on how detailed they are.

This doll's coming along, but is really a work in progress. I have about 23 hours in this one so far, and she's not nearly done. It took about 4 hours just to get the boobs done. In case you haven't noticed, I have a propensity for celebrating everything female : ) This doll's going to be covered with beads, should be fun to work on, and really feel good to hold....updates as progress continues.... She has Tibetan llama fur for her hair - I often spend time in antique stores rescuing furs from those dusty old shelves to give them new life and new love. Sometimes I buy new but I try to buy only fur that is from animals that have had a good life and a natural passing.

And here is my Sprite Doll - a mischievous little elfin creature quite content with her world.

Sprite Doll

Here's another view. She's holding a golden hummingbird (hummingbirds represent joy) and she's very balanced, which you can see in the design of her body/fabrics - though balanced definitely doesn't mean boring! She's quite moveable and I put her wherever strikes our fancy, on a shelf or my art table or wherever seems to please her for the moment : )

Sprite Doll

So now you have some idea of what's coming with my dolls. Don't worry, I'll still keep the magical jewelry coming - that's my solace in the evenings, but weekends are for longer projects - keep checking back!

Namaste

Dancing with the Future - The Birth of My Etsy Shop

I've fallen in love with beading - am smitten by the color and sparkle of all kinds of beads, the endless variety, the tactile delight of so many different textures - a girl can have too many beads, and it's definitely time for me to share my treasures!

For the past couple of years I've spent countless evenings, weekends, and wee hour mornings in my favorite room at home, pups happily snoozing nearby, and sometimes husband too - while I lose myself in the delightful task of immersion in art.

I love to sort through the beads I've collected, discovering which ones go together best, watching as they come together to create a wearable object filled with a special magic and energy all its own! The necklace above is the one that represents the birth of my little business - the dancing spiral of life twirling it all into creation. The charm is the Eternity Goddess, embodying the spiral of creation as she dances and sways, spreading joy. It's a happy necklace, and I love to wear it, especially when I'm making new ones.

Recently I made a ladybug necklace for my Mom, who adores them. She hasn't seen it yet, hope she likes it - we'll find out soon! [Update - she loved it, yay!]

And for my sister, who loves elephants, I made a happy little guy.

She and Mom also love purple, so I made some different pendants for them to choose from. 

Purple is such an elegant color, full of mystery and rich as grapes at harvest time - I love to work with it. Look for more in my Etsy shop, Dreamkeeper Creations.

I've been working like mad to get it set up, and it's kind of like getting a brand new job - there's so much to learn! Here's a preview of what you'll find there, with much more to come!

Steel Blue Glass Tear Drop Earrings

Earth and Sky Eternity Goddess Necklace

Azure Tear Drop Earrings

Meadow Dancing Lunar Goddess Necklace

There's lots more to come, so check back often!

Namaste