So lately I have been really hooked on making Etsy Treasury's. It has been a lot of fun to hand pick other sellers items and share them with your friends. It also gives your shop exposure as well as exposing the shops you've chosen. What an awesome idea! I have been using etsy for quite a while now and I am almost embarrassed to say I never knew how to use it because I never took the time to navigate and get involved in the etsy community. The other week I took some time and that is when I discovered the treasury. I have now realized there is a whole new side of etsy to explore and I am very excited to get started :)
I wanted to share my new treasury... "Namaste"
As a lotus flower is born in
water, grows in water and rises out of water to stand above it
unsoiled, so I, born in the world, raised in the world having overcome
the world, live unsoiled by the world
Buddha (563 - 483 BC)
http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4d7e4bb88e816d91e430e80c/namaste
Monday, March 14, 2011
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Black Swan #2
I just conquered my second Black Swan headpiece! I was asked to do one for someone on Etsy (thank you Kathleen :) She just wanted the gold on the last one changed out to black and gray. I had fun making this one. The creative mojo was going with the help of Pandora radio, Prince and Michael Jackson ;) Life is good!
xo
~Michelle
xo
~Michelle
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Yemaya
Yesterday a good friend of mine and I were talking. Gracie was telling me about a project that she has to make for her African Dance class. It is on an African goddess named Yemaya. She has to make an alter of a goddess that she identifies with. As I listened to the story I got so inspired and wished that there were not 500 miles between us or I would have been there helping Gracie get started. So when we hung up and I was left with all this inspiration I decided to make my friend something really special. So I got out my soldering iron, my stamps, disc cutter, and went to work making and adding symbols that reflect the spirit of Yemaya. Here are the pictures... the story of her will follow. I hope you in enjoy reading about her as much as I did. xo
http://www.goddessgift.com/goddess-myths/yemaya-goddess.htm
Yemaya, Goddess of the Ocean and the New Year
They call her the goddess Yemaya, Ymoga (Mother of the Fishes), Iamanga, and Balianne. She traveled with them from Yoruba to distant lands, comforting them in the holds of the slave ships that took them far away from their homeland in Africa. Today she is also celebrated under many other names, including the virgin Mary (Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception), Stella Maris (Star of the Sea), and Our Lady of Regla...to name but a few.
Originally Yemaya was a river goddess of the Yoruba in Nigeria, far from the ocean. She was a nature spirit, an orisha, a powerful guardian spirit that reflects an important aspect of the God of the Ife religion. An orisha manifests itself as a force of nature. When her people were hoarded onto the slave ships, Yemaya went with them, thus becoming the Goddess of the Ocean.
Yemaya
Actually Yemaya shares responsibility for the ocean with another orisha. Ookun rules the dark and turbulent depths of the ocean. Her domain is the upper level, the part of the sea that the light strikes, where water evaporates to be carried to land by her daughter Oya (the wind) to make rain for the crops. Yemaya's gentle waves rock the watery cradle of the abundant life forms of the sea.
Yemaya is a mother goddess, the goddess of home, fertility, love and family. Like water she represents both change and constancy--bringing forth life, protecting it, and changing it as is necessary.
In the creation myths of the Yoruba, the creator Olodumare first created a mortal god-human, Obatala, and gave him a wife. Their children were Yemaya and Aganyu, who had a son together. They named him Orungan. As a teenager Orungan rebelled against his father and brutally raped his mother. When he tried to rape Yemaya a second time, the river goddess fled to a nearby mountaintop where she cursed her son until he died.
In sorrow she chose to end her own life on the summit of the mountain. As she died she gave birth to fourteen powerful orisha. When her waters broke it caused the great flood that inundated the world and created the seven seas. Obafulom and Lyaa, the first human male and female and the ancestors of all humans, arose from the bones of the goddess. According to legend, Yemaya is the mother of all life.
According to legend, Yemaya's first gift to humans was a sea shell in which her voice could always be heard. To this day we honor Yemaya when we hold a shell to our ear in order to hear her voice, the ocean.
Olokun, the orisha of the bottom of the sea where the light does not shine, inspires respect and fear, for the powers of destruction that can be unleashed from the ocean depths are vast.
In The Secrets of the Sea, Gloria Rolanda tells of a time that Okolun, feeling unappreciated, decided to punish mankind.:
At his orders, immense waves began to invade the land...the ocean swelled up, darkened, infinite, and people who lived furthest from the coast saw, terrified, a horizon of water mountains running towards them.
Fortunately Yemaya was able to calm the fury of Okolun just in time, and the wave settled gently into the shore, leaving mounds of coral and pearls when the water receded.
Olukun demands respect for his ominous power that is unbounded, but it is Yemaya that is associated with creation and with life itself. When each of their dual aspects, (such as male and female, power and compassion) is held in proper balance, these two orisha unite to offer enormous gifts and unlimited energy.
Often depicted as a mermaid, or simply a beautiful woman standing amidst the waves, Yemaya is a goddess of comfort and inspiration. When it comes to caring for others, her impulses are sincere and comforting. And she has a love for children that is unequalled.
Yemaya reminds us that even the worst catastrophes can be endured and that, with her help, we can learn to negotiate the ebbs and flows of change in our lives with her wisdom, courage, and grace.
Goddess Symbols and Sacred Objects of Yemaya
The symbols of Yemaya, Goddess of the Ocean follow in the chart below. Such goddess symbols, individualized for each goddess, were incorporated into the worship of the ancient goddesses, were often worn as jewelry, and also used in the household decor as talismans to seek the goddesses special gifts, blessings, or protection. A large number of goddess symbols have survived in statuary and other works of art.
Many of the goddess symbols come from the legends surrounding a specific goddess and were "characters" in her story. Other goddess symbols were derived from the rituals used in the ancient rites of worship of these pagan goddesses.
Yemaya is often represented by symbols associated with water. It is not surprising that many of our icons representing the enduring beauty and simple goodness are derived from the ancient goddess symbols of Yemaya.
Yemaya : Goddess Symbols
General:
Ocean, rivers, mermaids, the virgin Mary, New Year's Eve, February 2, the North Star, half moon, rivers, dreams, pound cake, boats and ships, fans, sacred dance, and the Number 7.
Animals:
Fish, ducks, doves, peacocks, feathers, chickens, snakes, and all sea creatures.
Plants:
Oranges, tropical flowers, yams, grain, seaweed and other plants that grow in the ocean.
Perfumes/Scents:
Scented soaps, raspberry, cinnamon, balsam.
Gems and Metals:
Silver, pearls, mother of pearl, coral, moonstone, crystal quartz, turquoise, and any blue gem or bead.
Colors:
Sky blue, silver, white, green, and especially a blue dress with full skir
http://www.goddessgift.com/goddess-myths/yemaya-goddess.htm
Yemaya, Goddess of the Ocean and the New Year
They call her the goddess Yemaya, Ymoga (Mother of the Fishes), Iamanga, and Balianne. She traveled with them from Yoruba to distant lands, comforting them in the holds of the slave ships that took them far away from their homeland in Africa. Today she is also celebrated under many other names, including the virgin Mary (Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception), Stella Maris (Star of the Sea), and Our Lady of Regla...to name but a few.
Originally Yemaya was a river goddess of the Yoruba in Nigeria, far from the ocean. She was a nature spirit, an orisha, a powerful guardian spirit that reflects an important aspect of the God of the Ife religion. An orisha manifests itself as a force of nature. When her people were hoarded onto the slave ships, Yemaya went with them, thus becoming the Goddess of the Ocean.
Yemaya
Actually Yemaya shares responsibility for the ocean with another orisha. Ookun rules the dark and turbulent depths of the ocean. Her domain is the upper level, the part of the sea that the light strikes, where water evaporates to be carried to land by her daughter Oya (the wind) to make rain for the crops. Yemaya's gentle waves rock the watery cradle of the abundant life forms of the sea.
Yemaya is a mother goddess, the goddess of home, fertility, love and family. Like water she represents both change and constancy--bringing forth life, protecting it, and changing it as is necessary.
In the creation myths of the Yoruba, the creator Olodumare first created a mortal god-human, Obatala, and gave him a wife. Their children were Yemaya and Aganyu, who had a son together. They named him Orungan. As a teenager Orungan rebelled against his father and brutally raped his mother. When he tried to rape Yemaya a second time, the river goddess fled to a nearby mountaintop where she cursed her son until he died.
In sorrow she chose to end her own life on the summit of the mountain. As she died she gave birth to fourteen powerful orisha. When her waters broke it caused the great flood that inundated the world and created the seven seas. Obafulom and Lyaa, the first human male and female and the ancestors of all humans, arose from the bones of the goddess. According to legend, Yemaya is the mother of all life.
According to legend, Yemaya's first gift to humans was a sea shell in which her voice could always be heard. To this day we honor Yemaya when we hold a shell to our ear in order to hear her voice, the ocean.
Olokun, the orisha of the bottom of the sea where the light does not shine, inspires respect and fear, for the powers of destruction that can be unleashed from the ocean depths are vast.
In The Secrets of the Sea, Gloria Rolanda tells of a time that Okolun, feeling unappreciated, decided to punish mankind.:
At his orders, immense waves began to invade the land...the ocean swelled up, darkened, infinite, and people who lived furthest from the coast saw, terrified, a horizon of water mountains running towards them.
Fortunately Yemaya was able to calm the fury of Okolun just in time, and the wave settled gently into the shore, leaving mounds of coral and pearls when the water receded.
Olukun demands respect for his ominous power that is unbounded, but it is Yemaya that is associated with creation and with life itself. When each of their dual aspects, (such as male and female, power and compassion) is held in proper balance, these two orisha unite to offer enormous gifts and unlimited energy.
Often depicted as a mermaid, or simply a beautiful woman standing amidst the waves, Yemaya is a goddess of comfort and inspiration. When it comes to caring for others, her impulses are sincere and comforting. And she has a love for children that is unequalled.
Yemaya reminds us that even the worst catastrophes can be endured and that, with her help, we can learn to negotiate the ebbs and flows of change in our lives with her wisdom, courage, and grace.
Goddess Symbols and Sacred Objects of Yemaya
The symbols of Yemaya, Goddess of the Ocean follow in the chart below. Such goddess symbols, individualized for each goddess, were incorporated into the worship of the ancient goddesses, were often worn as jewelry, and also used in the household decor as talismans to seek the goddesses special gifts, blessings, or protection. A large number of goddess symbols have survived in statuary and other works of art.
Many of the goddess symbols come from the legends surrounding a specific goddess and were "characters" in her story. Other goddess symbols were derived from the rituals used in the ancient rites of worship of these pagan goddesses.
Yemaya is often represented by symbols associated with water. It is not surprising that many of our icons representing the enduring beauty and simple goodness are derived from the ancient goddess symbols of Yemaya.
Yemaya : Goddess Symbols
General:
Ocean, rivers, mermaids, the virgin Mary, New Year's Eve, February 2, the North Star, half moon, rivers, dreams, pound cake, boats and ships, fans, sacred dance, and the Number 7.
Animals:
Fish, ducks, doves, peacocks, feathers, chickens, snakes, and all sea creatures.
Plants:
Oranges, tropical flowers, yams, grain, seaweed and other plants that grow in the ocean.
Perfumes/Scents:
Scented soaps, raspberry, cinnamon, balsam.
Gems and Metals:
Silver, pearls, mother of pearl, coral, moonstone, crystal quartz, turquoise, and any blue gem or bead.
Colors:
Sky blue, silver, white, green, and especially a blue dress with full skir
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Feather hairpieces
These hair pieces are made for one of our Performance Teams. Ostrich Feathers, silk flowers and rhinestones. The first picture is an extra one that I am selling for $20. I will be making a new etsy soon for headpieces and will have several available for purchase. Please feel free to e-mail me with any questions or requests. :)
michelle@tinylotusjewelry.com
michelle@tinylotusjewelry.com
Monday, January 31, 2011
Black Swan Headpiece
I was recently asked to make some new headpieces for an upcoming competition (Youth America Grand Prix) for one of our girls. She is doing two variations from Swan Lake. So here I was faced with another challenge and very unsure of how I was going to accomplish this headpiece. It can be very nerve wracking at times because you can't always get inside the choreographers head and see their vision. So after researching the heck out of Black Swan tiaras this is what I came up with. I am very pleased and so was the mom, daughter and teacher :) I really enjoyed making these two headpieces. So much so that I have now decided to add to my jewelry business "Tiny Lotus Tiaras and Headpieces". My friend promised me some professional shots of her daughter wearing the headpieces. I can not wait!
This floral headpiece was made by watching a tutorial on Youtube. I could not believe how easy and how fun! I started with white flowers and used silk flower spray paint to match the color of her costume.
This next headpiece was done for another friend of mine whose daughter is doing a jazz piece wearing a black sequined flapper style costume. This one is all handbeaded...I got a little carried away. It took me 5 hrs to do! I also have a request to do 6 more headpieces for one of our teams. They too will be made with red and black feathers. I will post more pics soon. :)
This floral headpiece was made by watching a tutorial on Youtube. I could not believe how easy and how fun! I started with white flowers and used silk flower spray paint to match the color of her costume.
This next headpiece was done for another friend of mine whose daughter is doing a jazz piece wearing a black sequined flapper style costume. This one is all handbeaded...I got a little carried away. It took me 5 hrs to do! I also have a request to do 6 more headpieces for one of our teams. They too will be made with red and black feathers. I will post more pics soon. :)
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
jewelry for 2010 Nutcracker boutique
Nutcracker 2010. My daughter with our studio's Artistic Directors Vladimir and Nina Kolesnikov.
Our Dancing Dolls:
This is our 5th Nutcracker and I think this is my favorite Nutcracker so far. The kids had a great time and sitting in the audience I have to say so did everyone who came out to watch! This show was so much more enjoyable because the kids and families really got into the theatrics. There were expression, acting, our Mother Ginger is amazing as well as the mom's behind it all! This has been the busiest season yet. I was put in charge of boutique this year and I decided to make new Snow headpieces (to match the Snow Queen that my friend and I made last year). I still have one more to make... ( one for me :)
Here are the Snow Headpieces:
Snow Queen:
During this busy time we have celebrated both my son's birthdays, my husbands birthday, and Thanksgiving. We also suffered through 2 deaths in our family. My Uncle back in October and just 6 weeks later my Grandfather a week ago this past Sunday. I think keeping busy is what got me through everything. This is the first year that we have ever had Nutcracker this early and as busy as we all were scrambling for the finish line, I am ever so thankful that we got it done. Now everyone can relax and really enjoy the spirit of Christmas this year. So here are some photos of some of the jewelry I made. My scrabble tile pendant were a hit ... they had images of vintage ballerina's, and sayings like "Royal Dancer", "Snow Queen", "Spanish Dancer", and "Little Princess".
A few of my copper cuff bracelets that I taught myself to make:
This necklace is one of my favorites...it tells a story. You have the bird, the bee, the flowers and the egg. I was explaining that to a woman at the boutique and she named it "Fertility" I LOVE that!
My Sea Glass necklaces, which I call my "Mermaid Tears" collection:
Our Dancing Dolls:
This is our 5th Nutcracker and I think this is my favorite Nutcracker so far. The kids had a great time and sitting in the audience I have to say so did everyone who came out to watch! This show was so much more enjoyable because the kids and families really got into the theatrics. There were expression, acting, our Mother Ginger is amazing as well as the mom's behind it all! This has been the busiest season yet. I was put in charge of boutique this year and I decided to make new Snow headpieces (to match the Snow Queen that my friend and I made last year). I still have one more to make... ( one for me :)
Here are the Snow Headpieces:
Snow Queen:
During this busy time we have celebrated both my son's birthdays, my husbands birthday, and Thanksgiving. We also suffered through 2 deaths in our family. My Uncle back in October and just 6 weeks later my Grandfather a week ago this past Sunday. I think keeping busy is what got me through everything. This is the first year that we have ever had Nutcracker this early and as busy as we all were scrambling for the finish line, I am ever so thankful that we got it done. Now everyone can relax and really enjoy the spirit of Christmas this year. So here are some photos of some of the jewelry I made. My scrabble tile pendant were a hit ... they had images of vintage ballerina's, and sayings like "Royal Dancer", "Snow Queen", "Spanish Dancer", and "Little Princess".
A few of my copper cuff bracelets that I taught myself to make:
This necklace is one of my favorites...it tells a story. You have the bird, the bee, the flowers and the egg. I was explaining that to a woman at the boutique and she named it "Fertility" I LOVE that!
My Sea Glass necklaces, which I call my "Mermaid Tears" collection:
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Because every girl needs a touch of WHIMZY in her life!
I am excited to announce that you can now buy Tiny Lotus jewelry at Whimzy's in Tustin!!! (www.vintagewhimzy.com) Two sisters own this store and I have been visiting them for a few years now. I have even had the privilege of taking a few classes from them which have always been a lot of fun as they pay attention to every last detail... even supplying us with yummy homemade cupcakes during class! Whimzy has been a magical place for me...stepping through the doors into a world of ballerina cupcake toppers, crowns, masks, whimsical findings, and glitter everywhere. This store makes my heart skip a beat as I take in its beauty :) Another of its many charms is all the Catholic relics that adorn the walls. If ever in Tustin I highly recommend visiting this store:
474 El Camino Real-Old Town Tustin
Here are a few of my latest pieces...2 of them you will find at Whimzy's...the Showgirl crystal and the vintage girl with roses. With Christmas coming up please keep Tiny Lotus in mind. I can always customize jewelry for that someone special in your life xo
474 El Camino Real-Old Town Tustin
Here are a few of my latest pieces...2 of them you will find at Whimzy's...the Showgirl crystal and the vintage girl with roses. With Christmas coming up please keep Tiny Lotus in mind. I can always customize jewelry for that someone special in your life xo
