Yin Yang: Soggy Weather

Just back from a lovely week in London and weekend in Brighton. It's a good thing that I like the rain.  I find it a guilt-free excuse to curl up by the fire with a book (or beads as is the case for me). 


I managed to snap this gorgeous picture at the beach; however, it proved to be simply a moment in time. We had just tucked in to a little beach cubby to grab a bite, and to shelter our lunch from the vulturous seagulls that dive bomb at sandwiches up and down the boardwalk. We were there less than 30 minutes when I noticed my friend start to scamper: packing up, grabbing her coat.  My view was still blue skies ahead, but I turned behind me and saw the wall of grey that was coming our way. Right. Duck and cover.


I spent most of my time in England dashing indoors out of the rain.  It went from rain, to pouring rain, to thunder and lightening to hail over the couple of days I was there.  Thank God for my husband who reminded me to slip an umbrella in the suitcase. Too bad the umbrella wasn't large enough to shelter the rolling suitcase as I dragged it through the streets of London!


I started my weekend by meeting an old friend in Victoria Station and heading down to her place in Brighton. That began our 24-hour whirlwind catch-up session.  We haven't seen each other in a year, and there was just so much to talk about. We did manage to get in a lot of shopping. Honestly, the rain gave us an excuse to shop. 



She brought me into COS a new shop that appears to be sweeping the nation in the UK.  I can see why.  Cute styles, great colors, nice fabric, reasonably priced ... we managed to try on half the store, and sit out yet another downpour.  By the time we emerged the sky was blue once again and we were off to the bead store to find colors that would bring out the blue in the dress she just picked up. 


We stopped in Kerrie Berrie beads and found the perfect combo of blues. She packed up enough for a necklace and earrings.
What fun to pick beads specifically for a new outfit.  I confess I've never done that before.  I finished up this matching pair of earrings and necklace yesterday. Off to the post to get these into the mail so she has her matching jewels for the new dress.


She sent me a note yesterday to tell me that the rain continues on her 'side of the pond.' I do find rain to be very yin-yang. It isn't as 'cozy' by the fire without the soft sound of rain outside, in my opinion.  When the dark skies of rain clear; the sky just never looks so blue. And every now and again you get a rainbow.  We did. Just as we emerged from Victoria station we caught a rare glimpse of a huge rainbow over London.  You can't have a rainbow without the rain. 

Yin Yang: Miss Jackie-O

In fairness, my last post on the Bam-Bam necklace was for a friend at the office who has absolutely exquisite taste.  I think that is why the post is all the more absurd. The first time she asked me to work on a piece for her she asked if I could find something to bring out the light blue color in her eyes.  I went hunting for chalcedony, but came back with a string of lace blue agate rounds (right).  I had expected to make a simple pair of earrings, but when I showed her the stones she gasped and said "perfect!"  She wanted a full necklace with the strand.  


Whenever I first start working with someone new, I typically ask them to explain what style they wear. Or to bring in pictures of pieces that they love so I can get a sense of what they typically like. I prefer a picture. It tells me much more than my friends can describe to me.


In this case she came in wearing a necklace that she loved.  It was made by a friend of her's while she was living in Italy.  It was a beautiful Cartier style necklace... with simple pearls set with small black beads as spacers. The style was so classic and the Yin Yang of the black & white contrast was completely elegant.

The necklace told me everything I needed to know. I could tell from her love of Cartier style jewelry, that Jackie O is the best image that describes her --- classic, elegant styles that still work today.  My Jackie O friend is so put together with pencil skirts, scoop necks and her hair tucked up in a twist.  The only difference is that she is blond and blue eyed. 


I LOVED the general idea of the necklace. I decided to use it as the basis for the necklace I created for her. First I tried the pattern with some antique pearls I inherited from my mother (left). This necklace and style is the basis for a new vintage line I'm designing. You can check it out at my Etsy shop.    


I adapted this idea again for the necklace I created for my friend. I used small fresh water, heshi pearls to space the lace blue agate.  I finished it with a simple silver box clasp and striking blue focal bead.  It was absolutely beautiful on her.  Once finished she said "do you think you could make some earrings to go with this?" Easy peasy. I love designing for her. Absolutely everything looks amazing on my friend. Even that Bam-Bam necklace did! But this Jackie O style is stunning, and really sets her apart.

Yin Yang: Lotus Flower

One of my favorite charms, or symbols to work with is the lotus flower.  Not too frilly, has just a little sparkle to it when done in silver, adds that 'other world' touch to a pattern.  I saw a lot of lotus symbolism while traveling in India, which has made its way into many of my jewelry patterns. 

I found this hammered silver charm at my local bead store and have used it in a number of patterns.  The one to the right I used with long tear drop, jade stones.  I used the same charms in the pair (below) with dainty pink mystic quartz and Bali beads for accent.  Again, just a simple pair to highlight the charm. The colors and style seemed the right balance to me based on what I saw in India.

The traditional Buddhist explanation for lotus flower history is that 'the glorious lotus flower appears to spring not from the sordid earth but from the surface of the water and is always pure no matter how impure the water may be.' 

Some say that the perfection above the surface in contrast to the mud beneath represents yin yang, or the concept used to describe how polar opposites (or seemingly contrary forces) are interconnected and interdependent. Opposites thus only exist in relation to each other.


We visited a beautiful temple in India shaped in the form of a lotus flower. Large, magnificent, single structure with a reflecting pool.  At night it casts an alternate shadow of the temple out across the water. Absolutely stunning.

As with any of the temples, shrines, mosques or places of worship in India ... you start with removing your shoes.  One thing that stands out in my mind from our travels through India were the rows, upon rows of abandoned shoes lining the entrances of these places. This particular one is an active place of worship for the Baha'i faith in India.  India's version of a cult, but don't take my word for it -- check the link.  

    

At the Baha'i Temple the lines are long with streams of people wandering through.  All barefoot, all quiet and organized.  The entire place is white marble (the steps, the walkway, the inside walls, the domes). Once inside it is almost church-like with rows (or pews) facing the center of the structure. The white in a lotus flower (a significant color in Asian thought) represents the state of spiritual perfection and total mental purity.

The marble is indigenous in the Nagaur district of Rajasthan with 56 million tons and 40,000 laborers working 400 local mines.  Seriously.  There was marble absolutely everywhere we went in Rajasthan ... it is as prevalent as building wood houses in Pacific Northwest. 

We drove through the district with stacks of marble slabs as far as the eye could see.  Many places in India are made from this marble including the famous Taj Mahal.

I do love using the lotus flower.  And you'll find it in many of my patterns.  I used it with the simple bracelet to the right. And you'll also see it in my previous blog on a turquoise bracelet.  It adds just that little extra touch.

This bracelet is a simple double strand bracelet using top of the line Miyuki seed beads in black and accent reds.  It brings out the pattern of the single, white, speckled lampwork focal bead. I added a simple lotus flower charm to balance the yin yang pattern of opposite colors between black and white.  

Red is also significant in Asian culture.  In China it is the symbol of celebration and luck, and in India it symbolizes purity (thus used extensively in Indian wedding outfits), and it signifies joy when combined with white in Eastern culture.