Heirloom Memory Necklace: December 2010

Memory Necklace 2010, Beth Hemmila (Hint Jewelry)
silver charm: rabbit run
materials: garnet, brown pearl sterling silver chain and wire

This month I completed my Memory Necklace from 2010 with one last addition -- 

Hint's Rabbit Run charm.

Memory Necklace 2010, Beth Hemmila (Hint Jewelry)
silver charms: flaming heart milagro, lion courage, and rabbit run
materials:garnet, brown pearl, sterling silver chain and wire

Originally I had intended to use the Crescent Moon charm, but when I laid out this section of the necklace alongside my charms, I notice that Rabbit Run and Courage Lion looked like they fit together.

story board for december 2010

I wanted something to symbolize the moon because I was so enchanted by the idea of a lunar eclipse happening last month. Even though I was unable to view it in Portland, I imagined it to be a beautiful sight in outer space. The Rabbit Run charm seemed to both embody the moon and the feeling of moving towards the future.

Here's me wearing the final three necklaces together.

Memory Necklace 2010, Beth Hemmila (Hint Jewelry)
silver charms: lotus blossom, tree of life, flaming heart milagro,
bluebird of happiness, karma wave, lion courage, rabbit run and cross
materials: apatite, aquamarine, carnelian, turquoise, lemon quartz, iolite, peridot, prehnite,
garnet, brown pearl, citrine, sterling silver chain and wire, and gold filled chain and wire

There is so much going on in this piece that it's hard to photograph as a whole.

Memory Necklace 2010, Beth Hemmila (Hint Jewelry)
silver charms: lotus blossom, tree of life, bluebird of happiness, and karma wave
materials: aquamarine, carnelian, turquoise, lemon quartz, iolite, prehnite,  
sterling silver chain and wire, and gold filled chain and wire

The front of the necklace feels grounding with the Zen Lotus, Karma Wave, and Tree of Life charms paired with the heavier gems.

Memory Necklace 2010, Beth Hemmila (Hint Jewelry)
silver charms: flaming heart milagro, lion courage, and rabbit run
materials: garnet, brown pearl, sterling silver chain and wire

While the middle is more representative of the environment swirling around me (rain, sunshine, and happiness), coming to rest in the center with the three main themes moving through my life -- courage, compassion, and creativity.

Memory Necklace 2010, Beth Hemmila (Hint Jewelry)
silver charms: cross
materials: apatite, carnelian, turquoise, peridot, prehnite,
garnet, citrine, sterling silver chain and wire, and gold filled chain and wire

I'm especially fond of the back of each necklace.  They act like hidden secrets that are only known by me. Such as the dangling cross or the warm, golden metal sunshine across my shoulders.

Memory Necklace 2010, Beth Hemmila (Hint Jewelry)
materials: apatite,  sterling silver chain and wire

It's the precious details that touch me.

Like this simple clasp I made to resemble a waterfall.

Memory Necklace 2010, Beth Hemmila (Hint Jewelry)
materials: citrine, sterling silver chain and wire, and gold filled chain and wire

And lastly the ever present raindrops and puddles that are my life in Portland.

The Sketchbook Challenge

Back in August while I was drawing pictures with my nieces -- the inspiration that led to my 120 day Heart Speak drawing challenge -- Sue Urquhart from Lulu Bug Jewelry had already been blogging about Drawing Just for the Fun of It using Zentangles.

When I came across her post in September, I got goosebumps. I love how ideas are always floating out there and people will almost simultaneously jump onto the same wave as it moves around in space and time. This made me realize that my little drawing project was really part of a whole team of sketchbook people out there searching for something within their creativity.

As a holiday coma clouded my life, I stopped connecting out in cyber space and focused on Hint and my Heart Speak sketchbook. Then last week while stopping by a bunch of blogs, I noticed that sketchbook fever had spread and there is some of the coolest stuff happening out there.

I saw LeAnn Weih at Summers Studio exploring Zentangles who had been inspired by Marsha Neal's Zentangle who had been inspired by a Zentangle doodle blog. You get the picture? Creativity is spreading like wildfire out there!!!

This kind of connection and how we simultaneously relate through something that gives us pleasure totally excites me. That's why when I saw a posting on Blue Moon River called The Sketchbook Challenge last week, I had to share it on my blog because it's just such a wonderful idea to bring people together.

Launched on the 1/1/2011 The Sketchbook Challenge is a project that invites people to fill their notebooks based on a monthly theme. The Sketchbook Challenge has a blog and sponsors who will be promoting giveaways and special offers. The Sketchbook Challenge is a place to see what others come up with, learn new tricks, and connect with other sketchbook people. You can also share pictures of your own sketchbook musings during this challenge on a flickr group.

It's never too late to start your sketchbook and January's theme is "Highly Prized."

2011 Year of the Rabbit Baby

Rabbit Run, Beth Hemmila (Hint Jewelry): sterling silver rabbit charm

A friend on Etsy saw my sterling silver Rabbit Run charm and reminded me that next month beginning on February 3rd, 2011, according to the Chinese zodiac, we enter the Year of the Rabbit. To be more exact it is the Year of the Metal Rabbit or Golden Rabbit.

The prediction for Year of the Rabbit is that life will be more quiet, fun, and relaxed. Babies born during this time will take on rabbit-like characteristics and will be more sensitive, creative, friendly, and compassionate. Oh, to be a lucky baby born this coming year! Wouldn't that be fun to be a rabbit baby?

The rabbit is also associated with the moon -- the perfect symbol for wish making. So remember to take advantage of some full moon gazing during the Year of the Rabbit. I'm guessing you can never have too much moon dust and moon glow in your life!

Behind the Scenes: How to Get Over 1000 Page Views on a Blog Post

community, beth hemmila

How do you get over a 1000 people interested in reading one of your blog posts? What's the formula for spreading the word?

Well, I don't have any magic up my sleeve, but I do have some interesting experiences to share that have prompted some silly insights:

1. Write about subject matter that comes from your heart.
2. If you have a trade secret to share, then be sure to write about it.
3. Make it a priority to add value to the Internet.

The Internet is a database, which is the same thing as walking into your local library -- a place where information is stored and cataloged using keywords, titles, and authors names. Though a lot of blogging is used like a daily journal or insight into a person's life, sometimes I think we forget that every time you make an entry, you are adding another book to the shelf in our collective library. Personal histories are wonderful records and help us connect to forge important communal bonds, but ultimately the most powerful technological tool in our lives today is at our fingertips to provide answers to questions.

Many of the questions are concrete and relate to a process while others are less tangible. Here is a list of my all time top blog posts:

Behind the Scenes: Designing Rubber Stamp Molds for Metal Clay Charms = 2,199 page views

Huichol Indian Prayer Bowl = 1,644 page views

Ishtar Gate & Wonder Woman = 518 page views

Backyard Sanctuary: Adding Compost = 218 page views

Behind the Scenes: Packaging Charm Stories = 217 page views

I always get a giggle when I look at the statistics for my blog, because not one of these posts is my most memorable, and I would have never imagined they would be popular. And therein lies the key to getting over 1000 page views on a post. If you are inherently helpful in what you write about and don't concern yourself with a personal or business marketing agenda, people will naturally seek you out.

From the list above, you can see I wrote about things that gave me inspiration. And I wrote about answers to questions that I had been seeking, such as "how to add compost." I had done quite a few Internet searches on this process and thought that there might be some other confused souls out there wanting to know how to do this effectively and there wasn't much to go on, so I was determined to help the next person.

Add value on the Internet by providing possible answers to questions. Where to start is often sharing the answers to questions that you had difficulty finding on the Internet.

Even now I shouldn't be surprised that most people come to my blog through my post on Designing Rubber Stamp Molds for Metal Clay Charms, because honestly when I was trying to figure out how to do this I couldn't find anything out there in books or the Internet that dealt with the complexity of creating a decent image in Adobe Photoshop for relief molds. Everything I learned was through trial and error. For the longest time, people would ask me to write about my process, but I was reluctant because I felt kind of silly talking about it. In retrospect, I see that my blog post filled a gap in our community library and this is what people had been asking of me.

One of the biggest surprises is the post on the Huichol Indian Prayer Bowl. This post still holds a lot of meaning for me. It was a gift that I truly adored giving my husband, and connecting Carlos Castaneda's teaching with this prayer bowl is still working in my life today as I search for my happy spot.

I don't know how to get over 1000 people to view a blog post, but maybe that's the point. It shouldn't be about the numbers of people coming by, but who are the people you are trying to connect with and why are you seeking to connect. For if you naturally seek to build a community of like-minded people through the sharing of helpful information, you don't need a formula.

Garden Diary: Northwest Winter

daisy

Unlike places that are all covered in snow there is actually quite a bit of activity going on in my Northwest garden in Portland Oregon.

We left some flower heads on for birds to find a perch.

garden stone

My mom and dad gave us this wonderful stone as a Christmas present. My husband temporarily placed it in the front near the tickseed, but its final destination is yet to be determined.

I LOVE the beauty in that saying!

cover crop

My cover crop is actually looking rather vibrant and seems to be thriving. I planted a cover crop of mixed cereal grass and legumes over the small vegetable patch in the front yard garden so it wouldn't look bare through the winter and would add nutrients to the soil in the spring.

iris

And then there are some interesting colors and textures that you can only see during the winter, such as the dead leaves from this iris. I suppose we should cut them soon, but they're so lovely in their decay.

buds

Alas, there is new life coming forth. I can't remember the name of this bush, but I do recall it flowers rather early in the season. Here it is starting to bud up. In the Northwest, beauty is just around the corner for February tends to be a month filled with all sorts of exciting bulbs starting to blossom.

However, for the meantime it's fun just to enjoy this in between state of our garden and take in the wonder of a Northwest winter.

Climbing Mountains & 120 Day Challenges

Mount Everest

During the last half of December, I became obsessed with mountains. Maybe it was because mountains were on my Vision Board for 2010 or that my dad and I were reading The Skull Mantra a mystery novel by Eliot Pattison set in Tibet, but for whatever reason I became a little loco for everything related to mountain climbing.

I re-read Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer and devoured Ed Viesturs No Shortcuts to the Top: Climbing the World's 14 Highest Peaks. I downloaded every Mount Everest movie and documentary I could find on Netflix and watched Touching the Void for the first time -- a harrowing account of a climbing disaster in the Andes.

What was this hunger all about? What was I searching for? Even my husband began to look at me warily as I developed a bit of an obsessive glaze over my eyes.

heart speak day 108, beth hemmila

I'm still not sure, but I do know the metaphor for ascending and descending a mountain touches my heart. And for some reason I felt a weird sort of kinship with the stories of these mountaineers. Hey, don't ask me to go climb a mountain though!!! I'm not that rugged :)

heart speak day 120, beth hemmila

In December, I was finishing up my second 120 Day Challenge of Heart Speak drawings, and at some point it began to feel like I was climbing a mountain.

If you ever do a 120 Day Challenge, be sure to do two and if possible back to back. The first one was awe inspiring, but the second challenge was the meat and bones of the teaching. I suppose that idea can be applied to any goal you take on -- make sure you do it twice for good measure.

By the end of my second 120 Day Challenge, I started to fully understand the process. The first 60 days is walking up to the mountain and preparing yourself for the climb. You're building skill and fortitude. Day 60 to Day 90 you are climbing this mountain, one tiny step at a time and are just exhausted and beat down. This is when you build your endurance and faith. Day 90 you reach a sort of peak -- a pinnacle experience or breakthrough moment. And from Day 90 to Day 120 you take on the most important task of all -- descending the mountain.

The great American mountaineer Ed Viesturs's says it best “Getting up is optional. Getting down is mandatory.”

So much of our focus in life is making it to the top of something that rarely we leave energy or room for understanding the importance of the descent. During this second 120 Day Challenge I came to the understanding that the descent is what the journey is all about. How you behave, the decisions you make, and the way you choose to perceive your path down the mountain is the meaning you are looking for in your personal quest.

In the documentary Frontline: Storm over Everest, filmmaker and mountain climber David Breashears sums up what I think the metaphor of a mountain must mean for me and others who wish to explore unknown places in their soul. The point of climbing is how the mountain changes you and what you chose to do with it.

I thought after each of my 120 Day Challenges there would be this incredible tangible habit that would continue on. I know it sounds nutty, but I actually thought I would cure myself of being a lazy yoga practitioner and artist. At 120 Days I would BE YOGA and BE DRAWING. Boy did I have a good laugh at myself when I quit drawing on day 121! :)

I think I may have misunderstood the concept of becoming the new habit at 120 days. For goodness sake, the great yogis believe that only after 1000 days do you even have mastery of the habit. I seemed to have deleted that tidbit from my grand plan.

The sense I have now of this 120 Day process is less tangible and more like dark matter. It's there but I can't always physically perceive it. I can take a week off practicing yoga and still BE YOGA. It's in my blood flow and my muscle memory. It's always in the back of my mind, and when I reach for a dish from the top shelf, yoga is weaving its way through my life.

The same with drawing and being creative. Though I may not draw a picture today, there may be one formulating in my head. More importantly, my muscles have changed how they respond to pencil and paper. There is no hesitation, no fear, and no judgment. I created a personal language with my Heart Speak drawings that spoke to my yearning for mark making, and now I have 120 doodles to draw from in my future.

Peak Studs, Odette NY: sterling silver mountain peak earrings

I'm not totally certain I've fully grasped what the metaphor of the mountain means to me, but what I do know is that climbing the mountain can be so individually engrossing and isolating, and now I see how the real work begins as I come down and extend myself out into the world.

For a wonderful way to celebrate the mountains that literally or metaphorically inhabit your life, I thought you'd like a peek at the new Fells collection by Jennifer Sarkilahti, jewelry designer of Odette New York. Here are two little mountain peaks for your ears.

Terrain Stack Ring, Odette NY:
sterling silver and bronze mountain range

And a lovely mountain range for your finger :)

May you always climb your mountains with grace and fortitude!

Dave Ramsey, Financial Freedom & Gazelle Intensity

Jana, Beth Hemmila (Hint Jewelry), sterling silver gazelle charm

Last year, I had a wonderful encounter with a friend on Etsy who saw Hint's gazelle charm as the perfect way to inspire her journey to financial freedom. When my friend shared her story with me, I was pleasantly surprised to find out that Dave Ramsey, radio host and financial author with a Christian perspective, has adopted the gazelle as a symbol for getting out of debt.

Dave Ramsey calls it "gazelle intensity" and developed the phrase from a biblical passage in Proverbs 6:4-5 "Give no sleep to your eyes, nor slumber to your eyelids. Deliver yourself like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter, and like a bird from the hand of the fowler."

It's pure ancient poetry and not new information if your truly in touch with your instincts, for when you're in over your head, drowning in personal debt you've got to work with extra intensity like the bobbing and weaving action of a gazelle to escape the claws of a cheetah. In Dave Ramsey's metaphor, the cheetah represents the endless parade of offers by credit companies, and you are the gazelle refusing to get into the game of financial deception. The first step in the Gazelle Challenge is to cut up your credit cards. Now that's intense!!

After I paid off a spate of credit card debt acquired during my thirties, I did cut up my credit cards and relied completely on my checking account and cash on hand for a couple years. I have to say there was a lot of peace during this time in my life when I abandoned the idea of credit, so his Gazelle Challenge has piqued my interest for the year ahead.

I haven't read Dave Ramsey's Total Money Makeover: A Proven Plan for Financial Fitness but am putting it on my list for 2011, for I just love the idea that there are a bunch of people running like gazelles out there seeking financial freedom for themselves and their families. Perhaps the more we all come to healthier relationship with money, then collectively we could have effect on the bigger picture -- the governance of money in city, state and country.

Gem Stories: Garnet

Silver Milagro Cross Necklace, Beth Hemmila (Hint Jewelry)
sterling silver wire, fine silver milagro cross pendant, and garnets

This is still one of my favorite necklaces from when I was starting to make jewelry. Not only because of my experiment with making a milagro cross pendant out of precious metal clay, but also because I chose to use only garnets, the birthstone for January.

I've always been in love with garnets because they are my birthstone, and they seem to pack a big punch in a simple way. Though it comes in a variety of colors, I am most drawn to this deep red hue that looks like a delicious bottle of Merlot.

Deriving from the Latin word granatum, "seed of the pomegranate," -- an ancient symbol of fertility -- it's no wonder that garnets rule over all matters of the heart. If you want to attract romance, rekindle passion, or mend a broken heart, garnet is up to the task.

I like to think of garnet as that seductive, mature woman, who has been around the block when it comes to love and is completely unafraid of putting her passions out there. She is that confidant you run to for advice when you get duped by love or you need a bit of matchmaking. But most of all, she is completely driven to live life to its fullest. She inspires you to be passionate in all your endeavors -- be it love of another or pursuing a dream.

Winter Trip to Smith Rock and Bend, Oregon

Smith Rock State Park

During my Christmas break we took a short overnight trip down to Bend, Oregon to go skiing at Mt. Bachelor. On the way, we stopped at Smith Rock State Park to snap a couple photos.

Near Redmond, Oregon, Smith Rock is in the high desert, considered a mecca for climbing enthusiasts, and is assumed to be the birthplace of modern American sport climbing.

Smith Rock State Park

Wow, I loved this place and definitely want to go back. I hear Smith Rock State Park is crowded during the summer because of all the rock climbers and other outdoor sports enthusiasts, but at the end of December it was quiet and serene.

It feels like it must have been considered sacred place during earlier times, but I can't seem to find any information from local Native American tribes.

The Oxford Hotel: Bend, Oregon

From Smith Rock we drove to Bend, Oregon and stayed at The Oxford Hotel downtown. I had to take pictures of their eco-chic rooms that were so lovely to sleep in. We had a cozy fireplace on the TV and wonderful room decor to enjoy while it snowed outside.

Service at The Oxford Hotel in Bend was incredible and everyone was mountain friendly. That night we had a delicious meal at their restaurant 10 Below that serves urban organic cuisine and then enjoyed some quiet time in their sauna and steam room.

The Oxford Hotel: Bend, Oregon

The next day when we went skiing at Mt. Bachelor it was a whiteout -- cold, windy, and snowy. Unfortunately, I couldn't take pictures because it was just too darn freezing. So the last thing from this trip to Bend that I couldn't forget was this amazing bathroom.

Is it me or do other women fall in love with a great bathroom? Wish I had been able to take a soak in this tub :)

Royal Meow: Cat Tree? Cat Castle?

The best Christmas present under our tree was this amazing cat tower. Because my older cat Hugo and our new kitten Sierra are still sorting out territory, we decided to create more possibilities by adding vertical space.




I had never purchased a cat tree before, because in my youth I was rather nomadic, but when I saw this amazing piece of local craftsmanship at our veterinarian The Cat Hospital of Portland, I was sold.

Designed and handcrafted by a lover of felines, Mark in Vancouver, Washington has created one of the best cat trees out there at Royal Meow - Castles for Cats.

I probably won't be able to explain how great this Royal Meow cat tree is, but somehow Mark managed to totally understand what cats need for climbing, scratching, hiding, lounging, jumping, and exploring all in one piece of furniture. Royal Meow ROCKS!!!

He uses recycled car tires, certified sustainable plywood, natural sustainable sisal rope, and earth friendly non-toxic glue to make an incredibly durable cat tree. If you have a cat, definitely check out the designs at Royal Meow. They are sold at pet stores in Oregon, Washington, and Hawaii. Be prepared for the hunt...his designs sell out quickly and stores have a hard time keeping them in stock so you have to think like a cat.




Our princess, Sierra is infinitely grateful for Mark's innovative Royal Meow SkyRiver Keep design and pretty much spends most of her day ensconced in her tower :)

Hearts of Happiness

Heart of Happiness, Beth Hemmila (Hint Jewelry)
charms: flaming heart milagro, lighten up, and be mine

Valentine's Day is just around the corner, and I've been thinking about it a lot lately (to the groans of my husband!).

Not so much in the vain of romantic or passionate love and the giving and receiving of gifts, but more about what it means to practice life with a compassionate heart.

Kindness, Beth Hemmila (Hint Jewelry)

Last year I wrote a blog post called Open or Closed Heart? and then followed it up with What's in Your Heart? Of all the learnings that transpired last year, these two writings seem to sum up what I've been exploring most in my life -- opening my heart to let things flow in and out.

I've gotten in touch with the physicality of my emotionally closed heart. For me, it feels like a clenched fist or a mouth shut tight, unwilling to breathe. Through yoga, meditation, and practiced breathing I've noticed this amazing muscle begin to relax every once and awhile and create space -- like a small opening or niche -- in the center of my chest. I thought compassion would start with me being kind to other people, but honestly the magic didn't happen until I felt an immense kindness towards myself, which then spread out into the world like sunshine.

We spend our lives in this gigantic media vacuum being told to love others and to love ourselves. Obviously, we were born with the ability to love without instruction or guidance, but somewhere amidst all the hype and pressure the idea of love seemed to get mixed up in my head. To love is a verb -- an action word as "to look" or "to hear" -- but rarely have I ever come back to center so as to understand love in its truest form. Like a spontaneous smile or a hand reaching out to brush a piece of hair away. It is so natural and utterly present that we don't have to think about it. However, in not intentionally thinking about it and not focusing on its action, love seems to lose some of its power.

Is a smile more powerful left unnoticed or does it create more intensity when you bring it into focus? Calling attention to the little things. Refining the details. Pausing to see the world around me. Noticing the things I take for granted. These are the parts of my life that are bringing the word "to love" to life.

I hope you too are finding new ways to see love in the world and in your heart!

Heirloom Memory Necklace: November 2010

Memory Necklace 2010, Beth Hemmila (Hint Jewelry)
silver charms: flaming heart milagro and lion courage
materials: garnet, brown pearl, sterling silver chain and wire

Happy New Year, friends!!!
Hope you are all well and enjoying your new beginnings.

This post is not only late because I was on break at the end of December, but also for another very funny reason -- I couldn't remember where I put my Memory Necklace!!

First I was annoyed, because I detest the idea of not finishing a project. Then after scurrying around, looking in the most obscure places, I started laughing because the metaphor was just so hysterical.

I couldn't remember where I put my Memory Necklace.

Memory Necklace 2010, Beth Hemmila (Hint Jewelry)
silver charms: flaming heart milagro and lion courage
materials: garnet, brown pearl, sterling silver chain and wire

Hahahahaha!! Things lightened up, and I began to let go, saying to myself, "maybe this is my way of indicating the project is already complete." Eventually I shared this story with my husband, hoping that he might come across my necklace in some out of the way place like the freezer, but most importantly I convinced myself that it was done.

Later that day, I was working on another project and opened one of my plastic storage bins. Sitting on top was my Memory Necklace, looking pitifully out of place. Come to find out, right before Christmas, my husband had been wrapping presents in my studio, and Sierra our kitten knocked over this bin. When my husband reassembled everything, he stuck my Memory Necklace inside because he thought it belonged there.

storyboard for November

Through this mini episode of the universe unleashing its chaos on me, I saw my rigid attachment to the construct of how a project should proceed instead of just enjoying what's happening. What a relief to let go of this habit.

Also, I noticed that by quickly seeking out the laughter in my situation, things eased themselves into place, and I didn't have to fret as I let events take their natural course.

So I found my Memory Necklace -- my memories from 2010 -- and this allowed me to add one more component. Reflecting on a powerful dream I had back in November, I decided to add the lion Courage charm next to the flaming heart.

Memory Necklace 2010, Beth Hemmila (Hint Jewelry)
silver charms: flaming heart milagro and lion courage
materials: garnet, brown pearl, sterling silver chain and wire

This dream was so vivid and emotionally intense that I can still recall all its details months later. In my dream, there was a gigantic lion -- larger then life -- sitting in front of me, looking hurt and angry. Nobody else standing with me would approach this beast, but I cautiously walked up to him, stuck out my hand, and started rubbing a healing balm on his chest over his heart.

Memory Necklace 2010, Beth Hemmila (Hint Jewelry)
silver charms: lotus blossom, tree of life, flaming heart milagro,
bluebird of happiness, karma wave, lion courage, and cross
materials: apatite, aquamarine, carnelian, turquoise, lemon quartz, iolite, peridot, prehnite,
garnet, brown pearl, citrine, sterling silver chain and wire, and gold filled chain and wire

It was so incredibly frightening and freeing all at the same time. Not a unique story, for I'm sure my dream life was trying to recall Aesop's fable of the shepherd pulling out the thorn from the lion's paw, but what was truly powerful was being like an actor, trying on the feelings of bravery and freedom from pain. It was hauntingly magnificent, and I would transport myself back to the experience of that soul connection in a minute.