Celebrating 100 Online Sales!

Hello Gemstone Lovers!

Lunar Blue Designs had its 100th online sale on Etsy March 21!  While our total sales passed 100 quite some time ago, this is specifically a celebration of our online sales, and reaching our first goal of 100.  Thank you to everyone who has supported our business and growth - customers, fellow jewelry artists, local crafters, our financial supporters, blog/twitter/facebook followers and so many others!

We will continue to present our pieces at craft and art shows, and have plans to appear as vendors at conventions and develop workshops, as well.  We also hope to have more personal events, like our home jewelry galas.  These have been a source of a lot of fun and success for us, and those who attend really appreciate the personal service (as well as the free refreshments and informative presentations).  Still, our online store remains the cornerstone of our business, and to have our 100th sale there brings us great joy!

If you would like to support us, but can't make a purchase at this time, remember we LOVE to have followers for our social sites, like this blog, twitter, facebook, and more.  We also have a newsletter (see bar at right) that you can sign up to receive for free, that contains interesting tidbits of gemstone information as well as coupons and discounts.

Thanks again!

The Beauty of Carved Stone

There is so much natural beauty in stone - I enjoy seeing it used to the full extent of its potential.  Going through a museum like the Orsay in Paris provides the opportunity to see stone used a variety of ways.  The floor of the museum is populated with neo-classical sculpture, most of which is pure, opaque, featureless white stone.  The emphasis is on the form of the sculptures, not the color or the material.  But apparently the idea that classical sculpture was colorless is an accident of history.

There is a great deal of evidence suggesting that most ancient Greek and Roman sculptures were painted, gilt, or inlaid with colored stone.  Color was important in the art of that era in a way that is no longer obvious to us.  By the time these ancient sculptures were unearthed in Italy during the Renaissance, much of the color of the statues had been worn away, and any embellishing gemstones had been removed.

Barrias 1899 sculpture "Nature Unveiling Herself to Science" is an example of a "neo-classical" form with polychromy - colors.  This statue is composed largely of marble and onyx.  The onyx forms the off-white folds of Nature's veil, and sweeping red and cream marble forms the drapes of her gown.  The sculpted stone of the gown is skillfully completed to allow the color and pattern of the red marble to look very much like fabric.  The clasp of the gown is a scarab of malachite mounted on a blue belt of lapis lazuli.  The original also apparently had red coral lips and lapis eyes as well.

It can be so easy to take the idea of stone sculpture for granted, given how often such pieces are of a single color.  Using colored stone, and playing on those colors to enhance the piece, makes the art seem so much more real, accessible, and very hard to ignore.

Art Friday - Here We Come

As a child, I loved going to craft fairs.  I was enthralled by the colors, textures, sounds, and reflected lights from fabric, paper, glass, and metal.  There could be nothing better, I thought, than being the person selling wonderful treasures at a craft fair.  It must be a great feeling, making something beautiful, something unique, and then having someone take it home to enrich their life.  Wow.

So it's a little dream come true - Lunar Blue Designs will be a vendor at Downtown Boston's Art Friday this very Friday, June 3, from 11am to 6pm.  It is located right smack in the middle of all the action in Downtown Crossing, right next to the orange line stop, and only a block from the Park Street green line stop.  Amy and I have gone to browse several times.  There are all kinds of vendors selling jewelry, sculptures, paintings, purses, scarves, belts, and even organic honey.  Not to mention that the area always has great street carts with yummy food, and local music talent plying their trade.

And it is supposed to be a gorgeous day!  I just checked the weather - high of 74 degrees, sunny, and no chance of rain.

If you are looking for a Father's Day gift, we'll have gemstone key rings available for both men and women, as well as bolo ties for people who like a little southwestern flair in their fashion.  Our malas make great gifts for meditators of any gender.  And of course we'll have a selection of earrings, bracelets and necklaces.  Amy will be taking custom orders for malas, both 108 bead malas and smaller wrist malas.  So if you don't see what you like, or if you want to create something special, you can work directly with her.

Looking forward to Friday!

One Little Artist

Etsy is fun for so many reasons, but mainly for the community of artists and crafters you meet. There are people from all over the world putting a little of themselves into the internet ethos, selling their art, making a little beer money, making ends meet, or making a good living. It's both enjoyable and inspiring to be a part of such and energetic and creative community.

In case you think we're all grownups here, let me add that there are also youngsters on Etsy who take their work quite seriously. One such little artist owns the shop "AnArtistNamedKatie," which features her paintings. Why sell her work on Etsy? According to her profile, it's to raise money for a new school building (and perhaps for that new horse she has always dreamed about)!

Check out her shop and you'll see why I've featured her. This is a kid's work, but there is a hint of her future artistic eye in it. Look at those faces in "Girl," "Mouse," and "A Pig in Theory." There's a poignancy in their expressions. This, coupled with genuinely interesting shading and color choices, makes her work rather captivating. Katie adds her own unique expression to the diverse, complicated, and fascinating world of arts and crafts.

Haiku and Jewelry - A Poetic Fit

To start this post - a quick reminder that everything green ships for free from our Etsy store through St. Patrick's Day!

Over on RioGrande's blog, The Studio, they are running a little contest that combines haiku and jewelry.  I couldn't resist the opportunity to try my hand - the act of designing and creating jewelry seems rather poetic as it is.  And you already know how I feel about the stories in the stones - there are tales to be told by the gemstones and jewels in our lives.

So here are my two little haiku offerings ...

gemstone bead demands
the company of sterling
wisdom bows and nods

these stones are silent
yet there are stories inside
design is language

That last line "design is language" really resonates for me.  Design is how we interpret the stories in the gemstones, and give those stories voice.  Might be corny, I know, and yet I still believe it.  :)

Image:  Gorgeous triple strands of peridot, crystal, and glass mingle with sterling silver in a celtic celebration. Available on our Etsy site.

Lunar Blue Designs Featured on Ivy Road

Lapis lazuli--the Stone of Friendship

Designed and Crafted by Jennifer at Lunar Blue Designs

Hello Gemstone Fans,

Stefanie from Ivy Road has been kind enough to feature our Etsy shop on her blog! Check it out here. It includes an introduction to your Lunar Blue hostesses and a little about our passion for what we do.

Stefanie is a craft lady who dreams dreams of lovely houses, pink bathtubs, and chandeliers. In this picture-filled post, she imagines the perfect closet.

Right now in her Etsy shop, she's offering darling handmade girl's shoes covered with rinestones! Adorable. I know a certain niece who would love them....

Have a beautiful day,

Amy