Friday, February 24, 2012

Year of the Dragon Gemstones

Opal. Opals are said to assist in spiritual journeys, as well as stimulating change and manifesting your ideas. For Dragons, who are believed to live in great balance with their spirituality, these are powerful gemstones for spiritual exploration.

Opal beads are hard to come by, but you'll be able to find a variation called Mountain Opal which is actually a vein of opal that has been cut with the surrounding "parent" rock. Opal cabochons, both artificially created and natural, can be purchased from some gemstone dealers.

Sapphire. Sapphires come in many different colors, including green, orange, pink white and yellow, but blue sapphires are said to help one use their full creative potential!

Since sapphire beads can be more expensive than other gemstones, you can always buy just a few of them and then enhance them with your favorite deep blue seed bead.

Amber. Amber is fossilized tree sap or resin, so it's not technically considered to be a gemstone or a crystal. Like sapphires and opals, it comes in a wide range of colors including green, golden, honey (a beautiful opaque light yellow), red and black. The red amber is believed to offer peace and promote self-love and acceptance. I've heard of amber being referred to as the "human" gemstone, because it is naturally warm to the touch. When worn directly against the skin, amber is said to be able to transform negative human energies into positive energies. 

Amber comes in a variety of beads and cabochons, some of which have been carved with beautifully intricate designs. Be aware when purchasing amber that the pieces with real inclusions (like bits of bugs and leaves) are very rare and hard to come by, and should be priced higher than other pieces of amber. If you find a piece of amber with inclusions at a price so low that it seems too good to be true, it probably isn't genuine!
Jennifer from Beading Daily

Watch for some designs using some of these beautiful gemstones in the near future at:  http://www.etsy.com/shop/DesignsBloom


Thursday, February 16, 2012

Year of the Dragon

The Dragon is a Symbol of Power!

Therefore in Chinese astrology the dragon person born under this Chinese Zodiac sign tends to be a "doer" – they do things and achieve power by getting things done.
A dragon can breathe out fire so the person born in the Chinese Year of the Dragon can be a hothead. Watch out if you make them angry!
However, the dragon has a soft underbelly and so in Chinese astrology the dragon person born in this Chinese Zodiac year has a "soft spot" to them. They may get angry at someone who annoys them but they also show great compassion to people in need.
A dragon has a long tongue which is often seen.
So in Chinese astrology the dragon person born in this Chinese Zodiac year has a sharp tongue – they will say things that can be quite sarcastic and biting.
The person born in the Chinese Year of the Dragon can be quite a confronting person but if you can reach their "soft heart" they are worthwhile allies.

Here are a few of my pieces in honor of the Year of the Dragon




Saturday, February 4, 2012

Steampunk Valentine Heart Necklace

Sharing my latest Valentine Design.  A Steampunk Heart Necklace!  This is one of my favorites to date.  This style typically doesn't last long so if you like it, you might want to head on over to my shop - http://www.etsy.com/listing/92213723/steampunk-heart-necklace-brass-valentine.
Valentine's Day is right around the corner and you won't want to miss it!!

Thursday, February 2, 2012

All my Special Olympics kids are going to State

I am so proud that I have to share this!  I am a coach for special olympics.  This past Sat. all my kids had their area meet for basketball.  If you place first in your area you get to go to State and compete.  Every single one of the kids got 1st which has never happened before.  Whoohoo!  There was also a movie that recently aired on ABC!  The title is A Smile as big as the Moon! It was a movie based on a true story about a special needs teacher who was also a football coach.  This teacher pushed for the impossible so the kids could go to space camp at Nasa.  It was a wonderful and inspiring movie and if you have the chance to see it, it is a must!