Of Life and Dragons

Life seems to be settling in. I've finally made a few pieces for myself and it felt so good to get back into the studio and create. Don't get me wrong, I've been making, all my sales on Amazon are made to order and there's rarely a week where I don't have orders. That in itself has been a blessing but as I've said pretty much every blog post for the past year, I've had no desire to create. That's not entirely true. I've known I needed to, my head wanted to, just my heart wasn't ready. I've made a ring for myself, and a handful of necklaces and chokers.

 Cork and Wood Tile Choker: Made for ME!

Remember that awesome box I got from Endless Leather? This is the gorgeous cork cording with gold that was in the box. I knew it would make an awesome choker and I was so right! I won this tile in a random draw on FaceBook held by J-Lynn Jewels in one of the groups I'm in. I was surprised and just thrilled to win! The combo of the cork and wood makes an incredibly lightweight choker that you  forget you're wearing, until someone tells you how much they love your necklace. If I were being a smart business person right now I should probably buy some tiles from Janice and place an order for cork from Endless Leather and make a bunch of these up to sell. 

I probably will at some point as I have a new line in mind and the cork is just perfect for it. I won't say what just yet. I have sketches, I have thoughts, but no prototypes made yet.  The heart is healing and I have the desire again but my studio is pretty much the way I left it a year ago and it's a little overwhelming to be in there. I have been cleaning and putting things away, little by little and it feels it little better to be in there with each cleaning spree.

I think there may be a final poem in the works, time will tell.

It's starting to feel as though most if not all of the dragons are slain.

So, we'll see you next time!

Thanks for hanging with me!

Dana

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The Dragon

Dragon's Eye by Wind Dancer Studios

Oh my it's been a long time since I've posted!

I've had no heart to write or create and I hate to admit it but there were even times I had no heart to go on living. But I did, strength comes when you need it most and I have far more than I ever imagined. I had forgotten how truly blessed I am, and  I am blessed in so many ways.

I finally feel like it's time to create again. Yay! That thought alone makes me happy, makes my hands happy, makes my soul happy. I'm planning a little playtime in my studio today, thought I'd make a dragon fly.  And a dragonfly too :)

Another poem for you to tide you over until I share a new pretty.

The Dragon

T’was time to slay the dragon

on a quest she did go.

Ferocity in her heart and eyes

but little did she know.

The dragon she was out to slay

was her very own ego.

She thought the dragon

was a criminal but she was just a seed.

Planted by the fears she’d known

sown by a need.

She thought she could slay it

by treating it like a weed.

But weeds you know have many seeds

and plant themselves with ease.

On a journey into her heart and soul

was the only path it seemed.

The journey was a long one

filled with darkness, pain, and malaise.

She held onto the fear like a rope

through both the nights and days.

Slowly letting loose the grip

feeling it slip away.

Finally realizing it was fear

that had pushed him away.

But the dragon was

not yet slain.

Til Next time!

Thanks so much for sticking around!

I promise new pretties for you next post!

A Little Tennyson for Your Day.

Watching Penny Dreadful with the kiddo last night Ferdinand Lyle quoted Tennyson "It is better to have loved and lost, than to never have loved at all." We've all heard the quote many many times, and it dawned on me I had never read the entire poem prompting me to google it.

This truth came borne with bier and pall,

I felt it, when I sorrow’d most,

’Tis better to have loved and lost,

Than never to have loved at all–

O true in word, and tried in deed,

Demanding, so to bring relief

To this which is our common grief,

What kind of life is that I lead;

And whether trust in things above

Be dimm’d of sorrow, or sustain’d;

And whether love for him have drain’d

My capabilities of love;

Your words have virtue such as draws

A faithful answer from the breast,

Thro’ light reproaches, half exprest,

And loyal unto kindly laws.

My blood an even tenor kept,

Till on mine ear this message falls,

That in Vienna’s fatal walls

God’s finger touch’d him, and he slept.

The great Intelligences fair

That range above our mortal state,

In circle round the blessed gate,

Received and gave him welcome there;

And led him thro’ the blissful climes,

And show'd him in the fountain fresh

All knowledge that the sons of flesh

Shall gather in the cycled times.

But I remained, whose hopes were dim,

Whose life, whose thoughts were little worth,

To wander on a darkened earth,

Where all things round me breathed of him.

O friendship, equal poised control,

O heart, with kindliest motion warm,

O sacred essence, other form,

O solemn ghost, O crowned soul!

Yet none could better know than I,

How much of act at human hands

The sense of human will demands

By which we dare to live or die.

Whatever way my days decline,

I felt and feel, tho’ left alone,

His being working in mine own,

The footsteps of his life in mine;

A life that all the Muses decked

With gifts of grace, that might express

All comprehensive tenderness,

All-subtilising intellect:

And so my passion hath not swerved

To works of weakness, but I find

An image comforting the mind,

And in my grief a strength reserved.

Likewise the imaginative woe,

That loved to handle spiritual strife,

Diffused the shock thro’ all my life,

But in the present broke the blow.

My pulses therefore beat again

For other friends that once I met;

Nor can it suit me to forget

The mighty hopes that make us men.

I woo your love: I count it crime

To mourn for any overmuch;

I, the divided half of such

A friendship as had master’d Time;

Which masters Time indeed, and is

Eternal, separate from fears:

The all-assuming months and years

Can take no part away from this:

But Summer on the steaming floods,

And Spring that swells the narrow brooks,

And Autumn, with a noise of rooks,

That gather in the waning woods,

And every pulse of wind and wave

Recalls, in change of light or gloom,

My old affection of the tomb,

And my prime passion in the grave:

My old affection of the tomb,

A part of stillness, yearns to speak:

‘Arise, and get thee forth and seek

A friendship for the years to come.

‘I watch thee from the quiet shore;

Thy spirit up to mine can reach;

But in dear words of human speech

We two communicate no more.’

And I, ‘Can clouds of nature stain

The starry clearness of the free?

How is it? Canst thou feel for me

Some painless sympathy with pain?’

And lightly does the whisper fall;

‘’Tis hard for thee to fathom this;

I triumph in conclusive bliss,

And that serene result of all.’

So hold I commerce with the dead;

Or so methinks the dead would say;

Or so shall grief with symbols play

And pining life be fancy-fed.

Now looking to some settled end,

That these things pass, and I shall prove

A meeting somewhere, love with love,

I crave your pardon, O my friend;

If not so fresh, with love as true,

I, clasping brother-hands aver

I could not, if I would, transfer

The whole I felt for him to you.

For which be they that hold apart

The promise of the golden hours?

First love, first friendship, equal powers,

That marry with the virgin heart.

Still mine, that cannot but deplore,

That beats within a lonely place,

That yet remembers his embrace,

But at his footstep leaps no more,

My heart, tho’ widow’d, may not rest

Quite in the love of what is gone,

But seeks to beat in time with one

That warms another living breast.

Ah, take the imperfect gift I bring,

Knowing the primrose yet is dear,

The primrose of the later year,

As not unlike to that of Spring.

I'm doing a little better these days, working has helped. Being around people when I wanted to crawl in a hole and die has helped. I've lost more than 40 pounds and I can see myself in the mirror again, I've aged some these last few months. He's aged more. I don't know what exactly the future brings, but after the past few months I'm sure I'm ready for some good things to come my way. My schedule changes every week so trying to get back into a routine has been a little difficult. Some days work is all I can manage, others I look forward to trying to figure out a routine again. One thing I have learned is I don't need to be on the computer all the time to make sales, but it does increase the frequency when I do come online and do a little something.  Thankfully sales have been fairly steady, little lulls here and there but enough to allow me to make so I don't go crazy. My muse allowed me to make a sweet simple pair of earrings the other day and I fully intended to make another to list but haven't found the time do so yet. At least they're planned that's more than I've done in awhile! 

Be kind to yourselves. Love one another

Oil next time!

Apologies for my silence.

If you've been reading my poems you pretty much know what has been happening in my life.
No surprise then that my muse has been weeping in the corner - I'm right there with her. It's very hard to create beauty when you have to fight to see it. So my hands sit idle or simply cover the pain that is leaking from my eyes.

My life it seems, is completely falling to pieces. I will get through this eventually. The sun will shine again. And I promise I will find routine again for those things that used to make my heart sing with joy, including this blog.

I've also just received notice from Rebel Mouse they will no longer be offering the free media site. It's a shame really, it was nice to have fresh content for the blog here even when I wasn't able to find words. Didn't want you to wonder what happened to the page here on the blog once it finally disappears.

Work these days is my happy place. I put a smile on my face and fake it until it's real. I think I might have gone insane if not for that place. I am so incredibly grateful for my customers and for you.

Never let the ones you love forget that you do. Hold them tight, whisper sweet words in their ear. Do it every day, don't let someone else do it for you.

Tim next time

More Poetry and Daggers

As promised, the third poem or stanza - third written but would be the first if it becomes all one. There may be more yet, I thought it was finished but now am not so sure. There may be a dragon to slay yet.

She talked to him into the night

and helped him fight the tears

She fueled his anger and his lust

she made him forget the fears

She handed him a dagger 

 and whispered in his ear

They created a wave of destruction

 smashed his marriage like tiny mirrors

She smiled as she thought she’d won

and began her reign of terror

This nightmare was his error

~~Dana 2016

Speaking of  daggers. Remember that cool little box from Endless Leather  It had some great black cord  and some beautiful sterling cord ends in it. 

You know I’m a member of the Artisan Group  and one of the things we do is supply various costume stylists with accessories they can use on the tv shows or movies they’re working on. I created this dagger piece, largely inspired by the poem and sent it off the stylist for the Originals  tv show on the CW. I’m very hopeful it will get used and you can say you saw it here first!

Black Velvet Choker and Silver Scimitar

So there you have it, what’s been going on in my world. Like I said before, Smoke and Mirrors and ....more swords and daggers! 

Thanks for stopping by!

We’ll see you next time!

Dana

of Smoke and Mirrors and Missing Muses

Smoke and Mirrors

Every time I’ve sat down to write a blog post I’ve sat and stared at a blank page and it’s blinking cursor. Nothing, Nada, Zip
The world has gone crazy, my life is upside down, and Facebook seems to be in an awfully ugly political fight. Even Year of Jewelry can’t help this one, my poor Muse is sitting in the corner in tears, it’s all just too much.

*I’ve managed to hold on to my sanity because even though I’m not making a lot of new pieces, I am selling and making those pieces.

*I’ve been working on the house, mostly tape and texture work. Hoping to layout the tile for the Master bath this week, we shall see but I am hoping to.

*I have managed to make a couple new pieces for The Artisan Group, I’ve sent in submissions for Bones and the Originals, blog posts coming for those in the coming weeks. And I’m thinking I’ll send pieces for the Press gift bags for this years Emmys - but I still need an idea for that and the Muse is still over there, sigh. Hopefully we can coax her back out again.

*New Kitten, omg what a sweetie he is. He just appeared on the door step this last week and has just filled all our hearts with love and laughter - it was much needed. He answers to Boogie, so we call him that. Or Boog, or Boo, or BB. He’s one of those kitties that stares into your soul and is so chill about everything which makes me think he was dumped and not feral. And he’s also extremely gentle with his paws.

*I’ve been having some very interesting conversations with friends but I’m afraid they may be what triggered the ugliness to appear in my feed. The algorithm thinking since I had one conversation I want to see all the ugly there is on it - sigh. I really don’t need to, or want to for that matter, it puts me in a dark place that I don’t like.

*The Hay House group on Facebook is a life saver, the constant positive up lifting posts there are just amazing - best thing I’ve done for myself in a long time.

*I’ve just joined a copy writing group - when you stare at a blank page long enough you realize a little help every now and again is a good thing.  Once I was accepted into the group the first thing I saw was introduce yourself, use a graphic NOT yours, NOT of your product, or your art, or of yourself. Show what your aspirations are, who do you want to be? What inspires you?

I’m still working on my introduction, the above is the photo I’ve chosen. My tagline is Artisan Jewelry with a Touch of Boheme but the words that come to mind as I think on this and the photo are Sexy, Strong, Exotic, Sought After, Loved. Now we ….. well I …… need to decide how those fit into my aspirations and inspirations, some are easier than others.

So there you have it, what’s been going on in my world. Smoke and Mirrors and ha! more swords and daggers! Speaking of, I do have another stanza for the Nightmare poem/series. Yes, it has a name now. There may still be more to write but my Muse, in the corner, yup. Maybe look for the new stanza next week….. or a choker ….. or hey! why not do both!

Thanks for stopping by!
We’ll see you next time!
Dana

On Storms and Paying it Forward

Leonid Afremov on Etsy
Find him HERE

It's storming again as I write this. Yes, AGAIN! This has been a rough month storm and rain-wise. If you remember the bread and butter business is in Construction, rain makes for downtime lots of downtime. Downtime means the bills run late because you need to work to make money. Which actually brings me to todays topic believe it or not.

I’m sure I mentioned I’ve taken a part time job recently. Our expenses have increased just enough that it was becoming a strain on the hubs, especially with the weather we've been having, and I wanted to help take some of that stress off. I've also been going a little stir crazy cooped up on this hill all by myself for so much of the time.  So, I’m working as a cashier at our local Dollar General. 

My In-Laws insisted I was going to hate working there, but I am really falling in love with this job. It’s a lot of hard work I’ll admit. Stocking shelves between customers can get to be a heckuva  work out. I was working on sky boxes (we keep over stock on the top shelves) the other day and I joked it was the best leg work out I’d had in a long time - up and down the ladder all day long! 

My customers, though, are the reason I love this job. They are just amazing people. They make me smile on days I don’t want to. They make me laugh when I think there is no more laughter. They love one another and me. I get teased for being short and for no reason at all. I even have customers who will come along behind me and place things back up on the top shelf after I’ve pulled them down to restock shelves. Best of all I regularly get to see acts of kindness and pay it forwards that genuinely warm my heart. 

I have missed this so very much! What I see of the world lately on Facebook isn't so nice. It's political and personal, angry and sad, and that wears on you, it wears you down and I was feeling it. It took its toll on my marriage too. I can't tell you how much I needed to have my faith in humanity renewed and my customers have done that in a big way.

Be kind to one another, commit random acts of kindness and pay it forward. The love and compassion you share has an amazing ripple effect. Those acts touch many other people as well and that’s a VERY good thing. It's what makes my job a joy, thank you!

I haven’t made anything new lately, but that doesn’t mean I’m not making. Amazon sales have remained steady and I make to order most of those. Once I get my routine back in order I’ll get back to new goodies again I’m sure. Those “leg days” are kind of whooping me lol

Thanks so much for stopping by!

We'll see you next time!