Some creations; Bracelets for men

Designs for men

My friend and husband asked me to make macrame bracelets for them so I created pieces designed individually for them. This time my purpose was not to create special power amulets but just something special for special people. 

This bracelet I made for the friend who lives in between two cultures and has a active and dynamic personality.

Design for someone who loves mountains...

Creating power amulets for life

I will be creating power amulets / jewelry or different kind of accessories to remind us the power and gifts what we all have within. I am inspired of the old indigenous cultures of the world and of how they used external symbols to present what they believed was within. Or by external means such as jewelry they trusted to obtain gifts and power they believe they needed.

I am exploring different kind of themes through my creations. Here is an example how I am creating power amulet for myself and what the process itself might be and how the end result will look like.

At the moment I have swans feathers I collected from the forest last spring 2012. The Swan had just shed it´s winter feathers and I was lucky to find them "accidently". Swan has a lot of symbolic meanings which inspire me a lot;

A quick keyword list of swan meaning, taken from the site : http://www.whats-your-sign.com/swan-meaning-and-symbolism.html ;

• Love
• Grace
• Union
• Purity
• Beauty
• Dreams
• Balance
• Elegance
• Partnership
• Transformation

"The swan may also bear messages of love and relationships. They pair for years, sometimes male-female unions are sustained for a lifetime. When the swan glides upon the waters of our awareness, it might be a symbol of love, and a reminder of the blessings found in our relationships.

redorbit.com

"In the Celtic mind, swans and geese were observed in the context of movement. Specifically, the keenly observant Celts noted their transitory nature and the swan’s pattern of migration. Consequently, the sign of the swan urged Celtic intuition to considerchanges of mood (water) and heart (love)."

"Swan meaning is also linked to Celtic deities with solar associations, like Belanus and Lugh. As solar animals, the swan represents the rising glory of a new day as well as the farewell of an old day with the setting sun."

"In Celtic art, gold and silver chains are often depicted around the swan's neck. I’ve read where this is symbolic of supernatural appearance of divine energy or the descent of gods to earth. I like to think the chains are symbolic of a harmony between cosmic forces; gold representing the sun, and silver symbolic of the moon. Perhaps the Celts recognized the essence of gods within the guise of the swan, and honored that power in the bird."

"Symbolic swan meaning continues the theme of transformation in the tale of the Ugly Duckling by Hans Christian Anderson.  Who doesn’t love this little fairy tale? It reminds us of our inherent glory, power and beauty (as the duckling was always a graceful swan). At the same time, the tale encourages us to have faith and have a persistent heart while pursuing the gifts that are our birthright."

kewlwallpapers.com

In dreams, the swan asks us to spread our wings and take flight into our waking dreams. She also encourages us to strengthen our relationships, as well as make new, long-lasting bonds with people whom we admire." (http://www.whats-your-sign.com/swan-meaning-and-symbolism.html)

I believe my spirit is guiding me to the right materials at the right time. Through the process of creating the power piece I am exploring the symbolism and meaning behind the materials and the theme I am using.

When I feel drawn to use the swan feathers for the work to me it is a sign from my spirit that I need to explore these themes or some of the themes in my life. Nowadays I noticed Swan appearing everywhere in my life to make me see lessons which still I didn´t understand...or just to remind me that She is with me.

For me, wearing the power amulets could remind me of lessons I did learn and helps me to get into that special experience again. Or they can be a mark of a rite of passage or  a guide which reminds me of a direction I am going to.

Laura Hollick, the Soul artist explains these things quite well and she has a similar approach to this. She just using art for this. Through an amulet we can experience the insight we have about being something...

Also amulet works as a reminder that we are never alone when living our truth and following our hearts. There is the seen world and unseen world guiding us each moment.

With love inspirations,

Laurelina

For cora

Hello Cora <3 !

Hope your year 2013 started with magical moments and lots of love!

You asked me to send you some art inspired by your music! Here it comes, but this will be a a bit different what I expected and long story though, hope you enjoy!

I travelled around India with my husband on our motorcycle from august 2012 to end of january 2013. I did write this message to u when we just came down to Goa from the Himalayas, after being there for 2,5 months. I had mp3 player with me but before I left my country I could only load your album, Victoria  into it. And I had no time to load more. I been reallly enjoying, not getting bored of listening. So all along the roads of Himalaya and down to south I have been listening to your album all over again and again, shouting and singing the words to the air and to the land.

Himalayas are amazing! I had no expect and no previous idea that the mountains have sooo many colors! I could see purple, pink, red, orange, yellow, blue and silver colors on the mountains! Especially Ladakh had first red stripes on the mountain sides and valleys that made me amazed! I had to collect some small stones from there to prove myself that those colors were really there and I was not imagining. ;) Waaw! I definitely recommend to visit Himalayas once in lifetime.

After arriving from Himalaya and the rough landscape to the gorgeus and flourishing beach I felt inspired. Walking on the beautiful beach and watching the ocean rise and fall and collecting the seashells it felt like the experience was complete. Your music is really in tune with the spirit of ocean, and near the ocean I could feel totally the spirit and soul of you music and I have been feeling like a GODDESS!!!Yeah!

So naturally, following my interest and heart I felt like expressing my experience somehow and started to combine things I did gather from the beach.

I found a sandstone from a beach called "OM" which has pink or coral red colors to it...

 

The beach OM in Gokarna

Later I found a seashell which really spoke to my soul...It has a hard and rough grey brown cover(maybe could be seen as ugly but to me it is so beautiful) but inside there is the pearl surface, shiny and beautiful. I just could not take my eyes out of it. It has so much symbolic meaning...

By chance I started to fit these two together,the coral stone and the shell and noticed that they fit...so I started to weave a cotton thread around. And to me it looked beautiful. Then I noticed I could make a necklace out of it and I made a macrame thread to hang the seashell/stone from it.

Macrame is old old way of making knots to create clothes, bags, jewellery. When I was weaving the knots I started to say aloud to each knot a positive affirmation about love, respect, enjoyment..etc. So almost each knot has a positive charge to it. :)

And one another thing. Actually I haven´t been making any macrame since I was 14 years old! This process awakened my gifts and since then I have been remembering all the techniques I knew before and I´ve been learning some new. Totallly love this!

I had no plans about the finished work...all of it evolved naturally and the process itself showed me what to do. Then when I looked at the finished work I felt it belongs to you...I had no plans about the piece when i made it but When I look at it it reminds me of you and your music. I am not sure if you agree or not since we all have our own perceptions. But i feel that I been guided to make this piece since making it unfolded so magically and in tune with the ocean and nature around me.

  From The Creative mp3 player Your Ocean coming out, weaving the magic on my tiny worktable

I named the necklace as  Afrodite's heart, since it has a heart shape...or the stone itself underneath the shell has that shape aswell. I could imagine a mermaid wearing it...hih :) I set the length of it so that it should hang on heart level.

To me the necklace has a lot of meaning and symbolism which might interest you as well. Well I told you about the seashell and sandstone already. The macrame knotting reminds me of a spiral, a DNA strand or more better, the waves of ocean...like the up and downs of life...or the breath.

I put a lotus seed bead to enclose the necklace. Lotus seed is a holy seed for hindus and buddists. A flower which grows in a dirty, muddy water and flourishes without getting effect from the water...A flower of enlightment! This bead I got from Dharamsala, the home city of Dalai Lama. ;)

I put small golden beads in the necklace as well, but unfortunately they loose their colors if they get wet or with time. In the process I didn't notice to replace better beads and when it was ready it was too late. Sorry for that. :(

Also I had an idea to add some essential oils to the necklace to add the macigal essence of the piece. :) I am not sure if you like that and thats why I had to ask before I do it. I was thinking something like ylang ylang? I found some good quality oils from a shop here which have excellent scent to them.

In addition I asked indian tailor to make a small  pouch to keep the necklace inside when you don't use it and protect it from dirt and other things...

At the end of the process I did bless the necklace in the ocean and asked all the spirits and elementals to put their special energy into it to support u in what ever u do! When I set the necklace on the stones for blessing the waves almost stole it! :D So I think it really belongs to the Ocean or to somebody from the Ocean! ;)

I have been feeling like a witch weaving this piece! hih! I had no idea this kind of gifts were somewhere in me.

Before u announced in the net that u are making new album the piece was already finished. I was hoping it to arrive to u so that u could maybe wear it when making the new album perhaps... If u would have felt inspired to do so. But I quess I am a bit late. I didnt send post to u earlier because I didnt trust the indian post enough to give it to their hands...nobody never knows the indian post. ;) ;) So I just arrived back to my country, Finland, one week ago and now I am able to send the necklace to u. 

So now this one was something special and Universe´s gift for you. Would you like to accept it? I will send it by post to you as soon as I can. For this I need an address from u where u would like to receive it.

I am not asking anything for return.  I feel I received some much from you. I Love ur music and the person u are. This is humble expression of my gratitude and also I am expressing gratitude for those who cannot do it for themselves. Only would be amazing to see a pic where you wear the necklace. But that's just your choice if you feel happy to do it, I am happy with anything.

Hope this was not too overwhelming ! ;)

Love you cora! Thank you, thank you, thank you!

<3 <3 <3

Lots of divine white light,

Laura