Posted by: alenegeed | May 19, 2013
Evolution of a Jewelry Collection
Posted in books, Copper, Jewelry Collections | Tags: Arizona, artisan, collections, Copper, Earrings, GEO, Geometric, inspiration, jewelry collection, jewelry design, legends, make a difference, myth, patina, silver, stone soup
Posted by: alenegeed | April 28, 2013
The Taurus Personality plus Gemstones for your sign!
Sign of Taurus
If you were born between April 21st and May 20th… your astrological sign is Taurus!
Family and peaceful surroundings are a vital part of the Taurus personality.
Are you a Taurus?
if so, do you find that you are more methodical than most, taking the time to make the right decision?
Not much spontaneity in your life, right?
You are also known as a problem solver. Someone who follows the goal until it is reached.
Perseverance is a key personality trait!
Gemstones for you:
Chrysocolla: This beautiful blue/green stone has lots of copper in it too.
Wearing this gemstone will reduce stress and anxiety in your life… Especially those that are caused by sudden changes.
Rhodochrosite: This rich deep pink gemstone is one of my favorites.
It is also known as a stone of love. Wearing this stone will promote a positive self image. It will ease some anxieties towards financial worries.
Agate : A prevalent earthy gemstone and perfect for you Taurus babies. Wearing this stone will strengthen your thoughtful character even more!
Agate Slab Necklace
I hope you have enjoyed these tidbits about the zodiac and gemstones. For information on the designs shown. Visit my web site.
Posted in The Zodiac and Gemstones | Tags: Agate, April, Arizona, artisan, chrysocolla, Earrings, family, gemstone, gemstones, jewelry design, May baby, perserverance, rhodochrosite, Southwest, Taurus, zodiac
Posted by: alenegeed | April 26, 2013
The Color BLUE; Calming and Stabilizing
Sodalite pendant
Colors surrounding us do affect the way we feel.
When you put on a certain color in the morning… does it make you feel energetic? empowered? calm?
Do you tend to gravitate towards certain colors in your home and wardrobe?
How about the jewelry you wear? are you attracted to certain gemstones and colors?
Blue is one of my favorite colors! It is associated with open spaces… like the sky and the ocean.
Blue is a friendly color. Almost everyone likes some shade of blue!
And corporate America has embraced blue as well. Business (power) suits, ties, company logos … and the US FLAG all use blue.
When I wear blue, I feel calmer, more in control. How about you?
Turquoise Ring
The key feelings associated with blue are: calmness; confidence; unity; intelligence; conservatism
Gemstones in blue (like sodalite and turquoise) when worn are said to aid in relaxation and open the flow of communication.
Check out my designs using Turquoise and Sodalite.
Posted by: alenegeed | April 20, 2013
Inside the Mind of a Jewelry of A Jewelry Designer. Kindle Sale this week
I am so excited to offer my book (Kindle Version) for a special Sale Price of $1.99.. This week only!!
Nook Version on Sale too! Click here for details.
Inside the Mind of a Jewelry Designer studies the compelling question, “What is creativity?” in an absorbing and personal look at my new found career of jewelry designer.
In this book, I uncover my journey (and transformation) from businesswoman to artist.
This is a great time to get a copy of this book and find insights and wisdom to help you discover your own passion in life.
Check out the reviews on Amazon to get a better overview of the book.
Plus, there is a 20% OFF coupon in every book… giving you the opportunity to purchase one of my pieces at a great introductory price.
Mother’s Day is just around the corner, too!
This book became another creative outlet for me… and an unexpected chance to relive my emotional journey.
I have learned (and finally embraced) that life is about moving forward… and that standing still or stagnant is not even an option.
I hope you enjoy the book and look forward to your feed back on the book AND my designs
Posted by: alenegeed | April 4, 2013
Onyx: Legends and Fascinating Facts
This is one of my Favorite stones! While most think onyx is a black stone… this is far from true.
Most of the solid black onyx you see has been dyed to cover up the inclusions.
The slab shown here is from my stone soup collection. You can see the white and tan inclusions clearly. To me, this is what makes this semi precious stone so beautiful……….……..
The name onyx comes from the Greek word ‘onux’ meaning claw or nail.
Legend has is that Venus, while sleeping, had her fingernails cut by Cupid. He left the clippings scattered on the ground. Since no part of a heavenly body can die, the gods turned them into stone… which is now known as Onyx!
Onyx is part of the quartz family a sister to agates and you can easily see the resemblance when seeing these onyx glasses. Almost no black at all in these. Just gorgeous tones of caramel, and gold.
Since Onyx is a harder gemstone, it is great for making jewelry.. It can be used in rings or bracelets without fear of the wearer chipping the stone. That’s what makes it so versatile and great to use in designs. It is also used in carved cameos.
The healing uses of onyx date back thousands of years. This gemstone treated eye disorders in the 1300′s. Onyx is said to deflect negative energy and enhance inner harmony.
Check out more Onyx jewelry designs at Alenes Adornments.
Posted in Gemstone Legends and Facts | Tags: Arizona, artisan, gemstone, gemstones, Greek, greek myth, harmony, jewelry design, legend, myth, onyx, quartz, West
Posted by: alenegeed | March 25, 2013
Pinterest and Blogging
I have finally figured out how to post my blogs on Pinterest!
This is such exciting news for someone so ‘social media challenged’
With the help of a Social Media Guru (OK, she’s not really a guru… more of a goddess) I learned how to make these blogs come alive and have them read by my Pinterest followers.
I hired Hania Whitfield about a year ago to consult with me on several matters. Back then, when Pinterest was just new, she indicated that I should make this part of my marketing strategy.
It was the perfect way to highlight my jewelry designs… plus Pinterest is lots of fun.
The first time I played around with the site… several hours passed before I realized it.
I love playing around with all the Social Media options of course, but have found that each one has it’s own learning curve and takes many hours/days to utilize in the best manner possible. That is where Hania helped out so much. She cut through a lot of the ‘learning curve’ time and advised me on the best options for me to market my designs.
Adding the actual blog post was easier than I thought…. once someone gave me instructions.
Check out my Pinterest Page and let me know what you think. And if you need your own consulting for this type of service, contact Hania.
You can thank me later!
Here are some of the blogs I have on Pinterest so far.
Melanie Earrings
Green – the color for 2013
The Breaths we take
Posted in Color Does Affect Us, Jewelry Collections, This and That | Tags: Arizona, artisan, blogs, Copper, Earrings, gemstone, green, inspiration, jewelry design, Limited Edition, malachite, Melanie, Pinterest, Southwest
Posted by: alenegeed | March 9, 2013
Remember to Look Back Occasionally
There have been times recently when I have questioned my progress and gotten frustrated when results I want have not been as quick to manifest.
One particular day last week, I expressed these feelings to my husband.
He encouraged me, of course… but more than that he provided me with an amazing analogy that helped tremendously.
In his earlier days, Bill was an avid hiker. He traversed much of Arizona on foot. During these hikes he gained a perspective that applies to virtually every life experience.
Often the hike lasted 8-9 hours a day… and the destination seemed distant. That is when he took the time to look back and see just how far he had walked already! That encouraged him to keep moving forward and lifted his spirits tremendously.
With this in mind I started ‘looking back’ on my creative journey and all that has transpired since I first woke up one day and discovered that I was bursting with creative energies that would not be denied.
I began with simple beading projects… including the memory wire bracelets. They were fun to make but weren’t enough to keep me challenged. Then I found metal work, took classes, took more classes, designed more jewelry, created a unique web site, joined social media groups, and finally published my book last year. Inside the Mind of a Jewelry Designer.
After reflecting on all this, I realized how far I had come, too! And I’m not finished yet.
Take time to reflect on your own journey. It will do wonders to propel you forward!!
Posted in books, This and That | Tags: Arizona, destination, encouragement, hike, inspiration, jewelry design, journey, look back, outdoors, path of life, Southwest
Posted by: alenegeed | March 7, 2013
Tools of the Trade; Mini electric sander and filer.
I received this neat tool as a Christmas gift from my husband.
Since he cannot buy me jewelry anymore (as I design and create my own) he got creative and bought me something that could shorten some of my processes.
How cool is that!
This hand held tool comes with several grades of sand paper and a few mini files as well.
What a time saver for many of my designs! I love using the coarser grade sandpaper option when creating my copper cuffs.
Once the sawing and fold forming techniques are done, what is left normally is some rougher edges to smooth out.
Sacred Spiral Design bracelet
This cuff has gone through the first processes, but is still rough around the outside rim. If left this way, it will scratch the wearer when she attempts to slip it on her wrist. And of course that is not acceptable at all!
Previously I would have hand filed this down, starting with coarser files, moving to coarser sandpaper and finally to finer sandpaper. This process could take as long as an hour for ONE cuff! Now it takes 15 minutes or less.
That leaves me time for the more fun processes, like designing, adding patina and finding the perfect wrist for the finished piece.
The tool is available at MicroMark . They also have LOTS of unusual tools for many creative endeavors.
See finished cuffs designs at Alenes Adornments
Posted in Tools of the Trade | Tags: Arizona, artisan, Copper, form fold, grade sandpaper, hand filer, jeweler, jewelry design, jewelry tools, mini tool, patina, sacred spiral, Southwest, spiral design, time saving tools
Posted by: alenegeed | February 28, 2013
The Pisces Personality and Gemstone Connection
If you are a Pisces Astrological Sign, then you were born around this time of the year. February 20-March 20 to be exact!
I’m not a Pisces but have known many in my lifetime. Artistic and Intuitive defines them well. Do you hate the 9-5 job routine? Or any routine for that matter? Well that type of environment does not suit you at all. And you live more from an emotional/feeling side than some of the rest of us. Here is the great thing about Pisces in a nutshell. You are:
good-natured
hate being the center of attention!
intuitive and love-able
Secretive
and Give without asking in return
What gemstones are associated with Pisces personalities?
Amethyst: Wearing this gemstone tends to strengthen your creative gifts. (of which you have many).
Amethyst and Copper Earrings
and help you organize your feelings so you can express them more easily.
This Rich Purple Quartz stone is so beautiful! It screams royalty, too!
Jade: Wearing this gemstone helps to open your soul to the beauty of life. The Jade earrings pictured here show both the darker green version and golden jade. Both are rich deep colors.
Jade Earrings
Agate: Wearing this gemstone gives you self confidence! Agate is prevalent in the USA and there are lots of variations. Make it a challenge to pick out the agate that feels right to you personally.
Agate Slab Necklace
Posted in The Zodiac and Gemstones | Tags: Agate, amethyst, artisan, Earrings, gemstones, gifted artist, Jade, jewelry design, one-of-a-kind, Pisces, sensitive nature, Southwest
Posted by: alenegeed | February 19, 2013
Oh, the Places You’ll Go!
Several Years Ago I was introduced to this delightful Dr Seuss book.
I was familiar with many of his books, of course.
Green Eggs and Ham; If I ran the Zoo; How the Grinch Stole Christmas; and at least 20 more!
But this particular book was new to me. I LOVED it immediately! Every so often my copy finds it’s way to my night stand.
It can be read in one sitting… and it packs a wallop!
I did not realize then that this book is meant for children AND adults!
Since it was written in 1990 and I was already well into middle age at that point (and did not work with children) the book was not on my radar.!
“Congratulations! Today is your day. You’re off to Great Places! You’re off and away!”
This is the opening page of the book. It sets the tone for a marvelous journey through your life. Each page offers a treatise on life… offering hope, encouraging us to dream big and reach for the stars.
“You won’t lag behind because you’ll have the speed. You’ll pass the whole gang and you’ll soon take the lead.”….. “Except when you don’t. Because sometime you won’t.”
More words of wisdom to help us all get the most of our journey in life.
If you haven’t yet had the opportunity to read and enjoy ’Oh, The Places You’ll Go’ …. get a copy of it today and experience the wonder this book brings.
“So… be your name Buxbaum or Bixby or Bray or Mordecai Ali Van Allen O’Shea, your off to Great Places!
Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting.
So… get on your way!”
Posted in books, This and That | Tags: books, Dr Seuss, dream, journey, life, lifestyle, literature, The Places You'll Go, today is your day
