What makes you Happy? Celebrate your femininity with Taurus Artisans, Jen, Cassie & Aly

Taurus Full Moon November 21, 2010 9:27 am pst

Spotlight on Taurus Artist Jennifer Robinson Huntsville, Ontario, Canada Facebook: Liv Jewellery Blog: Liv Jewellery

1. What aspect of creating your art or craft do you find the most enjoyable?

When it comes to making jewellery, designing is the most exciting part for me. I love laying out my gemstones, pearls and findings, and moving things around until I find an arrangement that I’m pleased with. I am a very visual person, and I often need to see a design before it “clicks” and I know that it’s the right one. I actually get a feeling inside when I know it’s right. Second only to the designing is ordering new gems. It’s like Christmas morning when a gem shipment arrives!

2. What originally got you started creating your art or craft?

I have always loved art and studied Interior Design in college, but after trying various art projects and media over the years, nothing seemed quite right. I would get bored easily and moved from craft to craft. Then I found a booklet while browsing through a craft store one day that showed the basics of wire-wrapping. I took home some headpins and beads and I was instantly hooked. Then I discovered the supply shops on etsy and realized that I could buy genuine gemstones, and the obsession with designing jewellery began.

3. Creatively, who has inspired you the most, and why?

My daughter Lauren has been my inspiration. She is a very girly-girl who loves pink, rhinestones and ruffles. I think as we get older we women sometimes lose that desire for femininity, particularly in the way we dress. Lauren reminds me every day how much fun it is to be a girl, and how important it is to accessorize! We women may have our hardships, but at least we get to wear beautiful things.

4. How did you decide what medium to work in?

I knew very quickly that I wanted to work with real gems and pearls, as this is the type of jewellery that I prefer to wear myself. I have always loved colour, and you can’t beat deep, red garnet, lime green peridot or brilliant blue topaz. Real stones sparkle and glitter like glass never will. And there’s something about smooth freshwater pearls – they just glow.

5. How does your zodiac sign influence your creativity?

Being a Taurus, my strengths are patience, loyalty and steadfastness. You have to have a lot of patience working with teeny tiny gemstones and fine gauge wire! My designs are very delicate and lightweight, so I often use the smallest stones I can find. Taureans are also stubborn, and this is sometimes beneficial too – I will work and re-work a piece until it is just right. Taureans appreciate luxury, good quality and comfort, and this equates to luxurious jewellery and good quality gems. We Taurus women treat ourselves to the finer things in life!

6. What do you like best about your sign and least?

The thing I like best about my sign is my ability to be patient. This allows me to be a good wife, mother and friend, and to never sweat the small stuff. However, Taureans are sometimes a little lazy too. Luckily, I have chosen a profession that I am very passionate about. I rarely look forward to the end of the workday – I look forward to getting into my craft room to create! Now laziness is only a factor when it comes to housework.

7. What message, if any, do you want to convey with your art or craft?

The message I would like to convey is that we women deserve beautiful things, and should celebrate our femininity: think like a five year old girl, and don’t hesitate to wear pink!

8. If you had to choose a fruit or vegetable to describe yourself, what would you choose and why?

Probably a peach: sweet. Plus my husband always says I have soft skin.

9. If you had to choose one other medium in which to display your creativity, what would that be and why?

I have always enjoyed working with paper. I love the precise aspect of card making and the wide range of papers available. I often make greeting cards and gift tags for family, and may delve into selling them in the future.

10. What advice do you have for others who are just starting to develop creatively?

My advice would be to try many different art forms before you find one that fits. For me, it took 36 years to figure out what I wanted to be when I grew up. But once that happened, there was no turning back. Jewellery making has become such a joy for me, and I sometimes wake up with new designs in my head. I also just let pieces evolve. I will start out to design a bracelet, and in the end, it ends up as a necklace. It just looked better that way, and I didn’t know it until I saw it in front of me. Creativity will evolve if you let it.

11. Is there anything else you’d like to share?

It’s true what they say – if you do what you love, you never work another day in your life. I never really appreciated the honesty of that statement until I experienced it for myself. I don’t work anymore. I create sparkly, beautiful pieces of jewellery for women like myself. When I see how excited they are to wear them, it makes me truly happy.

More About Jen

I am a woman who loves to create. Whether it’s an apple pie, a photograph or a piece of jewellery, I am happiest when I am creating something beautiful (and homemade pie IS a work of art!) I live in Huntsville, Ontario with my husband Scott, my daughter Lauren, three dogs and a fat cat. It is a very busy household, and I wouldn’t want it any other way.

Spotlight on Taurus Artist, Aly New Britain, Connecticut, USA Etsy Shop: Amaranth Opulent Fashion and lifestyle blog: Her Lumpiness

Eternally awed by the beauty of the world, I live my life through a rose-tinted filter when looking at works of art made by both humans and nature. I have devoted my life thus far to the pursuit of beauty in all forms, and want to use every way I can to share what I've found. My current inspiration is in jewelry crafting, using hand-picked and hand-pressed local or naturalized wildflowers and plants I’ve collected myself from roadsides, gardens, and parks. These are combined with findings purchased whenever possible from local small businesses or independent Etsy sellers to create elegant, eco-friendly jewelry suited to the woodland princess living inside every woman, from students to grandmothers, and everyone in between. My pursuit of the old-worldly and the otherworldly has led me to Lolita Fashion and Lifestyle, devoted to the innocence and purity of a bygone or fairytale life, which I blog about and generally obsess over.

Spotlight on Taurus Artist Cassie Frost Chili, Wisconsin, USA Etsy Shop: Cakes and More

1. What aspect of creating your art or craft do you find the most enjoyable? I absolutely love the creative part of baking. I enjoy the fun of adding different ingredients together and in different ways to create something new. It always amazes me that you can take the same ingredients, yet by mixing them differently, come up with an entirely different result. I also enjoy the decorating end of my craft and seeing my desserts take on a new form.

2. What originally got you started creating your art or craft? I had dabbled in this for many years and about five years ago my partner suggested we try a few 'bigger' cakes. One thing led to another and soon we had friends of friends asking for cakes. We finally decided to make our craft a full time business and remodeled our garage into a licensed kitchen this past summer. Now we can spread the work and our business anywhere!

3. Who has inspired you the most creatively, and why? My daughter has been my biggest inspiration. She is six and still has the simple wonder in her eyes. I love to step back and look at him in the simple terms that she does. She reminds me to relax and enjoy the creative process and reminds me that the rush to the end result isn't worth it.

4. How did you decide what medium to work in? I chose cakes/cookies and edibles because it is the one thing that brings all people together. Everyone eats and everyone can come together over our items. I love being able to supply people with an item that can be both beautiful and delicious.

5. How does your zodiac sign influence your creativity? The wonderful Taurus stubborness has been my shining point throughout this entire endeavor. There are many times that recipes don't turn out well, especially when creating something new. It takes the Taurus in me to turn right back around and throw another batch in the oven.

6. What do you like best about your zodiac sign and least? I think what helps me in my creativity is also both my most and least favorite facet of my astrological sign. I display the true stubborn-ness that goes with being the 'bull'. It has helped me reach all the places that I have been in life. However, at times, it has been a hindrance. It is important for me to take the time to remember that I am not always right, and sometimes take the time to listen to others advice.

7. What message, if any, do you want to convey with your art or craft? I would like to bring fun to food. I want people to enjoy themselves and take time to enjoy the time they have with the friends and family they share the treats with.

8. If you had to choose a fruit or vegetable to describe yourself, what would you choose and why? I think a pineapple... Very unique and multi-faceted on the outside, sometimes prickly, but colorful and sweet on the inside.

9. If you had to choose one other medium in which to display your creativity, what would that be and why? Paint. I love painting. The wonderful ways that colors mix and combine allows to show so many emotions.

10. What advice do you have for others who are just starting to develop creatively? Enjoy yourself and do what it is that makes you happy. There are a lot of people out there that are willing to give you advice, and there is a lot of great advice out there. However, in the end you are the person that has to be proud of your own work. If you don't believe in your craft, no one else is going to either.

11. Is there anything else you’d like to share? Life is short- Enjoy every moment.

About Cassie

My name is Cassie and my partner and I opened 'Cakes and More' this past July. We have a beautiful six year old who always reminds us to take life lightly and enjoy every minute. We consider our baking time our fun time and spend a great deal of time as a family looking for new recipes and tweaking old ones.

Irish Dreamer Aquarian Ellen & The Spiral Goddess

Full Moon in Aquarius July 25, 2010 6:36 pm PDT

Spotlight on Irish Artist, Ellen Roche Shop: www.spiralgodess.etsy.com

I am an Aquarian and Jewelry maker. I live in Ireland in the heart of the country with my partner and children. Born in Dublin City into a strict Catholic family that knelt twice daily for prayer there was little talk of star signs or astrology. Although he didn’t speak of it in front of my Mother too often, my father who was also an Aquarian would drop little snippets of fascinating information to us as children. While out walking in the woods or by rivers he would have us searching for fairy folk as he told us of the ancient Irish legends. The first time I ever heard the word Pagan was from my Father. After I learned the story of St. Patrick in school, I was retelling it at the supper table and my father answered, “ Yes, he saved us from the lovely Pagans we were”. I had never heard it said that way; we were always sinners not “lovely Pagans”. That stayed with me and I suppose started my questions at a very early age.

Excerpt from the Irish Fairy tale, The Children of Lir

Finnuala looked down, her long dark hair no longer swirled around her, white feathers grew over her skin and in place of her arms were two white wings. Too frightened to scream she looked to her brothers just in time to see their rosy cheeks disappear into smooth white feathers. Finnuala and her brothers had been turned into Swans...

As I grew I questioned everything about our religion and instead of being home for prayer I would be in the woods or by the river with my feet in it even in the pouring rain, sometimes building dams between stepping-stones to see how the water flowed. I was the ever-inquiring Aquarian water bearer and I refused to conform in my teenage years and stopped going to mass, praying, everything but continued my own spiritual path by being with nature.

One day in my twenties I picked up a book called “The Wiccan Mysteries” and there was my whole life laid out in print! I could not believe it. I read and reread every page, checked every reference. I was so excited at last I had a name for all I believed in. It had always been inside me calling to me and I read book after book. I cried when I read The Descent of the Goddess. I started to meditate and keep a dream diary as my dreams had always been so vivid but I didn’t know why. I went to a Tarot reader who told me one day I would read the Tarot myself and that I wasn’t just dreaming but astral traveling. She pointed me in the right direction and showed me how to control my dreams if I wished. I felt elated and things just seemed to take on a life of their own. At work one day a man came in, a complete stranger and we somehow got to talking about Tarot reading and he told me he was a reader and said that I would one day be a reader, I dismissed the comment but the very next day he came back with the most beautiful deck of Tarot cards along with a book of explanation and a beautiful cloth to keep them in. I couldn’t believe it!  “For when you're ready” he said… I didn’t open them for five years.

In Irish the label reads A Gra Mo Chroi The Love of my Heart

But when I did a whole new world of visions, dreaming and messages opened up. I would read for friends and friends of friends and before I knew it I had regular clients. I continued with my spiritual path and at one stage contacted a coven (very hard to find in Ireland believe me) and while it was lovely to talk with others who held the same beliefs (my Aquarian mind would not be held to rules or regulations) but I also loved to be alone. So, one night, I drove to my favourite spot and in the moonlight, dedicated myself to the Goddess and Universe. I continue to practice as a solitary Pagan.

I dreamt about my partner before I met him and spotted him in a bar and knew it was he. We now live in the country and everything I love most; my family and nature surround me. It’s not easy being a Pagan in Ireland; there is still a lot of suspicion and folklore that surrounds us. Even in this day and age country folk are very strict Catholics and some still believe that Pagan’s worship the Devil, so I don’t broadcast my beliefs, but if anyone is interested I gladly answer questions. While it is not all love and light on any path my beliefs help me cope with every situation.

The name for my shop, The Spiral Goddess came at my darkest hour. About ten years ago, after a personal traumatic situation I meditated and The Spiral Goddess came to me and I came out of the meditation bathed in golden light, full of love and sobbing with relief. It was the most amazing experience so I have called my shop after the Goddess for she inspires me every day.

I love the path I have chosen and writing this is such an affirmation. I wish you many Blessings in love in light..

Capricorn Celeste ~ Compassion & Whimsy

Full Moon in Capricorn

June 26, 2010

4:30 am pdt

Partial Lunar Eclipse 4:38 am pdt

Capricorn Moon teaches us how to accomplish and understand compassionate leadership. We may need to learn to respect other rhythms and to love ourselves for ourselves and not just for what we do. Capricorn Moon offers us constructive determination and practical support. Time for planning magic as shape ideas with form and hope allowing the wise woman within to bring a sense of ritual, organization and tradition into our lives. ~ Excerpted from the We'Moon Datebook

Spotlight on Capricorn Artist ~ Celeste Bocchicchio-Chaudhri

Boston, Massachussetts, USA

Shop: Elephunks Trunk

Blog: Elephunks Trunk

For my day job I teach preschool children about things like opposites. The picture for "push" and "pull" shows a girl trying to get a goat out of a barn, but the goat knows where it wants to be and how to get there. Capricorns are like that - we can be stubborn and willful, but we are also surefooted and confident. When people ask me how I got where I am in life, sometimes I just answer "I'm a Capricorn and I get what I want" no matter how long it might take me.

Some people think "Capricorn artist" is an oxymoron - we are usually driven more by the practical than the whimsical. But with Aries as my rising sign I am also full of creative energy and my hats and hair accessories reflect that. The practical Capricorn wants me to channel my creativity in an ordered and rational manner - to focus on making the same kind of hat in various sizes and colors for example. My rising Aries wants me to learn new  millinery techniques and glue feathers to everything I can get my hands on. Usually my rising sign wins.

Unlike most Capricorns, I am driven more by the whimsical in art than by the practicality of money and finances. That being said, making a business out of my creativity inspires me to sit down and make the things that I love. It is often said that Capricorns are self-conscious and uncomfortable putting their work out there for the world to see and critique and this is true, but I find that it is the same self-consciousness that spurs my goat-like perfectionism and encourages me to be the very best milliner I can be.

Full Moon Horse of Emotion

Hop on the horse of emotion alongside inspirational American adventurer, philosopher and jeweler, Claudia LaGuardia on her quest for higher learning, Sag-style!

Full Moon in Sagittarius May 27, 2010 4:07 pm PDT

Spotlight on Sagittarian Artist, Adventurer ~ Claudia LaGuardia Shop: Crafty Earthling Blog: To Bablyon and Back

Throughout my life I have always been the adventurous type who would go for a walk in the forest by herself or save up every extra penny in college while eating beans and rice for months on end in order to make it to Europe for a month during the summer. People always ask how I had the courage to do these things, and whether or not I'm scared of what might happen on my adventures and I tell them that I'm lucky. The truth is that I work hard for things to work out the way I'd like, and I always have a long list of goals to accomplish on my “list of things to do before I die,” from skydiving to eating chocolate covered grasshoppers at a fancy restaurant. I am always working on achieving something and things usually manifest because of this strong, focused intent.

Right now my boyfriend Gregor and I are hitchhiking across the country. He is the photographer and navigator and I have dubbed myself the jeweler, explorer, and philosopher. We sell our wares on street corners and trail heads in order to continue on this epic journey. Today we are in Cortez, Colorado at a The Spruce Tree Coffeehouse where he is nose deep in a book about Ayurveda and I am finishing up my homework for the two online courses I am taking.

What's Your Name Sailor - hemp necklace

I am a Sagittarius and it is kind of funny how well I fit into that category; always looking for new adventures and hungry for the wisdom contained within the tree of life. I am very open minded and am willing to listen to anyone despite our differences. Although I may not agree with someone's opinions I love learning about why they think the way they do and what life experiences may have led them to those conclusions. I am a student of human thought and behavior and try to look at challenges to my way and view of life as reasons to question my own motives. Recently I was introduced to Dr. David Hawkin's “Map of Consciousness” and as it was explained to me, all of us have the ability to rise past our current state on this map and even achieve enlightenment in this lifetime. We can find where we fall on this map by using a pendulum or simply by asking ourselves how we feel about life most of the time and making an estimate of where we fall on the map. One idea which struck me recently was that although it is great to try to climb as high as we can on the ladder of consciousness through meditation, mindfulness, and movement (eg. Yoga or Tai chi) not only for our own benefit, but also for the benefit of the people who may encounter us, it is also important to notice what triggers us to feel shame, desire, apathy, guilt, fear, anger, grief, pride, and any of the other emotions below the 200 level. All of us experience these feelings at some point or another during our lifetimes and it is important to objectively observe what it is that causes us to feel these emotions in order to ride the horse of emotion instead of getting dragged along the ground as it runs away with us trailing behind.

As a jeweler I find that I like using bright colors and making jewelry out of found or bartered items. Throughout our travels I have bartered jewelry, beads, stones, patches and clothing for pieces to make jewelry with. I am often just given things such as old pieces of jewelry that people no longer want or I find treasures like pieces of jade or rocks with holes made by ocean water while walking down the coast. I love taking old pieces and giving them a new life through my jewelry. For instance, while in Morro Bay I was given a necklace made of pieces of abalone shell. The necklace would have been perfect for a mermaid, but was a bit gaudy for my friend so I took it apart and used some of the shells to make a pair of earrings, incorporating pearls to go with the sea-like feel. Each piece of jewelry has a story behind its creation, from the gold findings I received in trade for a strand of amethyst chips at the “Spirit Garden” in Big Sur to the hematite necklace I was given by a friend in Tempe, Arizona, which was promptly taken apart and reconstructed as a pair of earrings and a choker.

Hitchhiking around the country throughout the past eight months has been an incredible experience that has led me to learn more about myself. I am blessed to be able to have this experience. One of the things I have learned throughout this journey is the power of intent and how important it is to have a positive outlook on life. I really believe that if you are in a positive mood you will attract like-minded people and if you are in a bad mood you will likewise attract people with the same mindset. No one wants to pick up an angry hitchhiker, nor should they, and no hitchhiker wants to be picked up by an angry driver. Another thing that I've learned is the power of a smile. Even if someone doesn't pick you up hitchhiking, a smile can do wonders for their day and make them rethink their judgments or even just infect them with love and cause them to smile at the next person they see, restarting the cycle.

Adventures in Aventurine

As far as jewelry goes I'm going to continue making bright, eccentric pieces along with up-cycled treasures. Yesterday I bought some turquoise beads from a shop in Colorado. It excites me how inexpensive turquoise is here as compared to my home back in Maine where we have more amethyst and quartz. I love finding the local stones in each state and passing along those deals to my customers on the other side of the country. I hope to be able to continue to travel for decades to come and collect small treasures to pass on to others throughout my journeys.

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Full Moon in Taurus

Full Moon in TaurusNovember 2, 2009 11:14 am PST

The full moon rises at sunset and sets at sunrise. Astrologically, the sun and moon are in opposition (eg. opposite each other in the sky and in opposite signs of the zodiac). She is visible all night long from moonrise to moonset.

The Taurus Moon asks us to discover what nurtures us and how we can grow deeper roots. We can almost feel the mud oozing between our toes, awakening our senses and sensuality, and growing our stubborness. It's time to cultivate our material resources, our homes and our body. (Excerpted from the We'Moon Datebook).

This months featured full moon artists are Bonnie, Sunny and Lacy - doesn't that have a nice ring to it?!

Bonnie Kanavins Hot Pink Chick Temple, PA

My name is Bonnie Kanavins and I am the owner/designer of Hot Pink Chick, where I design and create unique handmade jewelry for everyday wear.

Born April 29th, I am a Taurus through and through. While some (who will remain nameless….DAD) will tell you that my stubborn persistence can be a curse, I’ve always found it to be more of a blessing. When others would give up, I’ve been able to persevere. Slow and steady wins the race.

At work, my Taurean nature takes over. My office and workshop are neat, organized and every item is labeled and in its place. I have a schedule to manage all areas of my life and try not to stray from it so as not to upset the balance. I like to keep a calm, peaceful, laughter-filled environment in my home and scheduling helps to achieve that.

Nature Earrings

Like a true Taurus, I have carefully laid out my plans and goals for the future of my business and will continue striving to reach them, never losing focus, with the dogged determination of the Bull.

Sunny Sunny Day Vintage Chicago, Illinois

I’m very much a Taurus: stubborn and intensely loyal to those I love – and I’m all about the creature comforts. Maybe that’s why I’ve always been involved in creative fields – to feather my nest and a lot of other people’s too. The warmth and comfort and personal style of “home” is what balances the life we lead away from it.

Over the years, a gifted friend has done readings for my husband and me, and our readings aligned very closely to major milestones we experienced. I’ve also had a growing recognition of my intuitive strengths, and I work on being open to that. A few years ago, when I was at a crossroads, I had a very special reading where I learned that my archangel is one of creativity and truth – and his color is yellow. Well, of course it’s yellow! As a kid, I was called Sunny. I feed off the sun, although I’m an earth sign; go figure!

No matter what style your interiors are, adding something old and soulful or mid-century cool always fits right in.

Moon and star salt and pepper

The happy faces on these two make me laugh.

This is the sort of thing I like to hide my secrets in:

Green mini-chest

The Great Dream Book

This book found me at a sale out in the country. People like us probably kept books like this in our bedside tables, back in the day. Oh, and if you dream of gazing at the sun, it mean happiness lies ahead!

Virgo note cards

Whenever I see anything astrological, planetary or sunny, I’m drawn to it. Especially old stationary – maybe because my small but close set of peeps is so important to me. And look at the long mermaid hair on Miss Virgo!

Lacy Campbell

Bowence Meroni

Chicago, Illinois

Come on in! Kick off your shoes! Have a seat! Here - have something to eat, and more importantly, what can I get you to drink?

We Taureans love our homes, good food and good drink and we REALLY love to share them with others! It only makes sense to me that I found my niche in handmade housewares that are both practical (another Taurus buzzword) and lovely. If there's anything I love more than a good bottle of wine shared with loved ones gathering in my home, it's another bottle!

Loving dinner parties, nights in, and BYOB restaurants (Taurus, thrifty as always!) made it a natural fit for me to imagine something I loved that I hadn't yet found on the market: Cute, reusable (and earth friendly) wine bags, perfect for toting a bottle to a picnic or giving as a thoughtful, unique host gift when visiting a well-loved friend.

Pinkie Wine Bag/Cozy

I feel my Taurus traits come out in strategy and in art. If I'm in it, I'm in it for the long haul: I'm focused on building my shop slowly, steadily, and relying on the rewards of work that is both well done and patiently developed. Some of my happiest nights are sitting quietly at home, looking at a pile of plain wine bags and dreaming up ways to detail and accentuate them. Practicality keeps dreams in check: I started off with minimal investment by getting my yarn from thrift stores and keeping myself to a strict budget. I'll only let myself expand and buy more materials when I sell what I have (this makes it tough when building an initial inventory, though!). True to my earth sign, I work in mostly earth tones and struggle to make anything vaguely flashier - even when I know they'll sell! Charcoals, browns, and deep reds just resonate with me the strongest!

My work tends to be chunky and sturdy rather than gossamer and delicate - the heavy earth presence in my sign leads me to value things that will last. I also notice a definite trend towards the simple and elegant, another Taurus hallmark.

Although I love the company of others, I can be blissfully happy when lost in my own world - and a crochet needle and ball of yarn can be all it takes to occupy my hands while my mind drifts off. I always keep a project in my purse for when I'm on the train, waiting for appointments, or watching a good football game. It's a perfect match for me - my Taurus work ethic makes it hard to let my hands just sit there!

I can be absolutely bull-headed when a piece just is. not. working. I can't give it up! Unravel. Try again. Unravel. Change yarn color. Try again. Unravel. (repeat ad infinitum) Times like this I'm lucky enough to have a good consultant in my husband - also a Taurus. Since he's fresh to it, his sense of the aesthetic makes it easy for him to cut right to the problem. "It's too boring. You need something right here." Boom. Fixed. (Forgive me for mentioning my husband - I know this piece is about me and my work, but after all, I *am* ruled by Venus!)

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