Jewelry-Making Articles
by Kristal Wick, Author, Designer and Instructor, Exclusively for Fire Mountain Gems and Beads®
Some of my favorite Crystal Passions® colors sunflower, fern green, vintage rose, padparadscha, erinite and now the two brand new colors, rose peach and crystal luminous green, call out to me rather loudly during the doldrums of winter. They're so bright and cheery reminding me of what's around the corner--springtime!
My mom used to get seriously depressed with the long, gray Minnesota winters and she would run away to a beach to thaw out and lift her spirits. That was before S.A.D. (Seasonal Affect Disorder) was termed. Winter depression is still a mystery to scientists who study it; what they do know is that many things, including brain chemicals, ions in the air and genetics seem to be involved. One of the most successful tactics we had of battling the winter blues, next to heading to the beach, was to make creative projects with our favorite theme, SPRINGTIME! We would surround ourselves in the colors, smells and memories of that wonderful time of year. A time when the buds start poking their shy little heads out of the damp, frozen earth; when the air is filled with fresh scents and slight breezes; when we are surrounded by beautiful flowers in every color imaginable; and those warm nights and longer days.
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New beginnings and possibilities seem to come a-calling during springtime no matter where you live. It's up to us to make sure we pay attention and enjoy the slightest signs of warmer days. Are we too busy to stop and take a deep breath of that refreshing springtime air? Are we too focused on the drudgery of our daily lives to remember the sweet chirps of the birdies joyously starting over and building their springtime nests? Every spring I marvel at their remarkable persistence. I've never caught them whining about finding new real estate each spring and rebuilding. They don't get depressed or turn into drama queens and make excuses like "I had a rough childhood" or other such nonsense. They always dive in 110% and gather all the necessities for building a solid foundation ... again and again!
We humans usually end up rebuilding our foundations a few times in the course of our lifetime due to death, divorce or illness, to name a few. But imagine rebuilding every year! And on top of that, happily singing while you're doing it! Instead of looking at the discomfort of rebuilding, perhaps we could learn a lesson from our birdie buddies and view it as a fresh, joyful beginning bursting at the seams with possibility and abundance. Embrace the mystery and not cower from it.
I invite you to join me in creating a new piece of jewelry symbolizing springtime and what it means to you personally; a talisman-type of creation reflecting a new beginning. As shown in nature every year, take lead from our chirpy peeps and bloom again in your creativity.
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We would like to share some of the customer comments we received in response to the article "Spring Time," as featured in an email newsletter. Please keep in mind that the comments expressed below are those of our customers and do not reflect the views of Fire Mountain Gems and Beads. |
"Hi! I enjoyed this article. Reading the Crystal Passions® list made me smile, since every one of the colors is also on my favorites list. The Sunflower color lifted my spirits in the early spring here in Ashland, OR, where it was sunny one moment and snowing the next (literally, on some days). The result of my musings from those days is a bracelet I call "Pansies." I used bicone beads in Sunflower, Fern green, and Purple Velvet ... Thank you,"
- Jeannie
"Aren't they cute!!"
- Jeanne
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