New Treasures

Much needed studio time tonight. Three copper metal clay pieces drying on my work bench. Loving the large Isis.

Metal Clay - Scarab

New creation from the kiln tonight.  Ancient Egyptian Scarab  - Pearl Steel Metal Clay

Ankh of Joy

Lovely malachite chips withe pewter beads are a double strand delight 

framing this wonderfully large pewter ankh.

Malachite is a spiritually deep green stone that has been used for thousands of years. Malachite was the preeminent stone of Ancient Egypt used by royalty in their crowns.

Malachite is the perfect magical stone for protection, joy, love!!!  I love to use this stone with the Egyptian Goddess Hathor – the Goddess of Joy, Love, Dancing.  I also love to associate Malachite with Khepra – “to come into being” scarab sun deity of Ancient Egypt – deity of birth, renewal, and resurrection – the personification of transformation

And the stunning focal of this double strand necklace, the Ancient Egyptian Pewter Ankh with Sandstone Scarab at its heart.  The Ankh that symbolizes sacred life.

Such a wonderful combination in this fantastically spiritual necklace.  The Ankh of sacred life coupled with the Sun God Khepra who ‘is coming into being’ combined with Malachite for a powerful combination to bring ourselves joyfully into being.

Ankh for a King

Ankh for a King

African Horn beads, obsidian, citrine and banded yellow calcite. Made for my husband.  He adores the citrine and ankh - love this necklace and so full of energy!!  Truly a royal necklace fit for my king.

Web: http://thedreamsofisis.com/

Etsy: http://www.etsy.com/shop/TheDreamsofIsis

Through FIRE to SERENITY

I have loved Ancient Egypt since a child of 9 and my love of stones and handmade jewelry started at the same time. And I love being able to combine the two for myself and others.  When starting a new project I envision what a woman from Ancient Egypt might wear whether she be common, princess or priestess.

New beauties have been dreamed into being, both of these necklaces I beyond adore.  Take a look below at the two new polar opposites yet complimentary creations that spilled forth from Ancient Egypt into my studio recently.

FIRE of ISIS and the ANKH of SERENITY.  

The Fire of Isis is woven from earth brewed Lava, sun born Tiger Eye, and furnace fired Bronze framing a wondrous silver Winged Isis holding the Sun made from Amber.  The Fire of Isis is bubbling with high energy, joy, fiery direction and solar feel goodness; straight from the Sun God, bestowing sunshiny benevolence.

The Ankh of Serenity, a stunning double strand necklace made from one of my favorites; calming, meditative Magnesite dyed a wonderful soul reaching black.  The chunkier strand is made from exquisite Chinese Turquoise, a lush heart enveloping green; interspersed throughout with Pewter beads. This double strand of exquisite stones sets off to perfection a large Egyptian Pewter Ankh with a Sandstone Scarab at its heart.  Talk about a necklace seemingly to flow straight from the Nile to touch the heart weaving love and serenity.

Come check me out on Facebook or my Etsy Store.  I accept custom orders so please feel free to contact me via one of my links below or through the pics above and let me create something magically divine and completely unique whispering of Ancient Egypt for you.

Website:  http://thedreamsofisis.com/

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/thedreamsofisis

Etsy:  https://www.etsy.com/shop/TheDreamsofIsis

Email:  apryl@thedreamsofisis.com

EXOTICNESS for an ANCIENT QUEEN

Kambaba Jasper and pewter beads frame a large pewter pendant of Queen Nefertiti.  I love the large chunky feeling of this breathtaking stone and exotic Queen from history.  Jasper is found worldwide and has been revered by the Ancient Egyptians and Israelites as well as the modern peoples of Asia and indigenous tribes of North America.

I found working with this stone to be transporting,  Kambaba Jasper is actually fossilized algae mined in South Africa.  Blue-Green Algae once living over 3 billion years ago. Grounding, humbling and keeping me so in touch with the soul of Mother Earth.

This lovely double strand necklace was made to honor the Great Goddess Nephthys.  She whose name means Lady of the House (sky) is the necessary Goddess of transformation the useful Goddess that through liminal corridors bring us to our real lives.

The Great Goddess Nephthys who is so much more than just the twin sister of Isis.  She is the great Goddess who governs decay and the death that is not eternal.  She is the Goddess who birthed the Opener of the Way – Anubis.  She who mourns those who have died yet shows the door to Osiris, the Lord of Resurrection.  She is the bringer of night and the guide to our subconscious that we may find ourselves.

The Eye of Horus – Udjat – the focal for my necklace represents the God Horus – the Falcon headed God of the Sky (house). The Uraeus (viper) and Nekhbet (vulture) patron goddesses of Lower and Upper Egypt.  Unakite is a lovely pistachio green mixed with pale peachy pinks. A wonderful stone  - very soothing and harmonizing, leading us inescapably to our true selves.

Timelessness - Black and White

Time in the studio this weekend has not only been very productive but satisfying from a creative  - spiritual place as well.  I simply adore working with Howlite. The stark white with the pale grey veins draws me into a very creative place. I find I reflect on many things in a calm way, new ideas for my writing always seem to pop up when I work with stones and even more so when I am working with Howlite.

I have coupled my favorite Howlite with another versatile and favorite stone of mine - Magnesite.  I have used black dyed Magnesite in this creation.  Magnesite for me just seems to love being woven into many of my pieces.  Since it can be dyed any color I use it a lot.  Magnesite is calming as well as stimulating for my imagination. What an awesome combination when paired with Howlite.

Peace, calmness and creativity seem to reign in my studio when these two stones make their appearance.  I wove these two stones with pewter beads into a lovely 18" necklace.

The stunning pewter Egyptian cartouche sets off the energy of the Howlite and  Magnesite perfectly.  The Sun God Khepra  - the God of becoming - birth and rebirth.  Khepra is encircled by the lotus flowers and protected by the two Cobra Uraeus Goddesses.  Timeless beauty and energy - each day is new, each new day we are reborn to the possibilities it holds.

Jet - The Black Amber

I have been working with several dark stones of late and one The Dreams of Isis custom order in particular has Jet, The Black Amber, as a major component.  I had not worked with it for several years and I was surprised I did not remember how lusterless Jet can be prior to polishing - yet how enjoyable the energies are - in the manner of amber and petrified wood.  Different from stones such as regular igneous, metamorphic or sedimentary rock Jet is not a true mineral but fossilized wood formed from wood that has been immersed in water for millions of years and subjected to compression,. hard jet is from carbon compression and salt water while soft jet comes form fresh water.  

Jet is called the Black Amber even though it  is not Amber it does emit an electrical charge like amber when rubbed and like amber it is fossilized organic material.  I found the energy of Jet to be a wonderful stimulater of thoughts - making me more alert with solutions to tricky issues coming to mind easily. Jet is wonderful for absorbing negative energy, warding off psychic attack and allows us to uncover past negative issues - dealing with these past life.karmic issues.  Jet is said to not only help with controlling demons but in controlling them as well.

As a wonderful absorber if negative energy Jet is said to be the stone of sympathy helping us deal with pain and suffering giving us the needed support to work though these physical and karmic pains.  "According to legend, jet worn continuously on the body, is thought to absorb the wearer's soul. While this is true of many stones, jet was thought to be especially powerful, and such stones were carefully guarded, for in the wrong hands they could be used to manipulate their original wearer." (Shimmerlings 2012).  I look forward to working with this wondrous "stone" more in custom orders  and personal workings.  I find this fossilized organic material opened new doors in my creative soul and gave me new understandings of the human hearts.

Special Pieces - Special Gifts

Creating special pieces and amulet gifts  have consumed most of my spare time, when I am not working at my regular day job.  My custom pieces have been in the form of metal clay work.  I simply love working with the metal clays – bronze and silver.  Molding the clay then firing the dried pieces has been very therapeutic for me - kiln watching allows me to write.  At least 9 custom pieces I have worked with the metal clay in the past couple of months – all Ancient Egyptian symbols.  Then on to weaving them into lovely bracelets, necklaces and one soon to be anklet with magical gemstones. 

The amulet gifts have not only been my way of helping and giving back but selfishly allows me to work with more gemstones.  I personally feel they all have individual personalities and meeting new stones – rocks – crystals is an honor.  It seems lately friends, friends of friends or fellow followers of the Goddess have need of the assistance that comes from Geb (Ancient Egyptian Earth God) so easily, so powerfully and so abundantly. 

Seems most amulet gifts lately are dealing with protection from unsavory people who know just enough energy working to willfully work icky “magic” on others.  Unfortunately they seem to know enough to be dangerous and possess enough hubris to not care about karma.  However some lovely amulets were woven together – made to be attached to a key-ring, belt loop, zipper pull or necklace.  A few were created for a healthy approach to food with an emphasis on staying positive and having good energy.

I have 2 more customer order to finish this weekend and one new order to start.  Sometimes I wish I could do this full time - but seems my creativity lags when I am home all day to just create – with stones or my writing.  A few more amulets to make too.  And a special request to turn a set of meditation beads into a bracelet that can be worn when it can't be carried in a pocket.  

Serene Highness - Lapis Lazuli

Lapis Lazuli the exquisite gemstone from earliest times  - it stirs our ancient memories conjuring images  of ancient Egyptian temples, lingering incense and the flowing Nile   Lapis Lazuli  - the very name sounds exotic, revealing from our collective memories  beauteous deities, hallowed royalty and monuments that defy time and the elements.  Lapis Lazuli mined for over 6000 years and used extensively in Ancient Egypt and Sumer.  Ancient Egyptian civilization used Lapis in amulets, funerary preparations, decorating deity statues and to adorn the jewelry of royalty.

Lapis Lazuli, showcasing the hallmark blue of sodalite shot through with the gold sheen of  pyrite combines with lazurite, hauyne and calcite making this one of the most beautifully recognizable stones from antiquity.  Lapis is the very epitome of serene highness, expanding our spiritual and physical selves, allowing us to rise to meet its holy vibration.  In that sacred space/time Lapis  imparts ancient wisdom and knowledge, assisting us to shed the past with clarity, objectivity and peace while protecting us from negativity and psychic attack.



Lapis the most beautiful sacred of gemstones, just handling and wearing these exotic stones brings out my ancient goddess.

Spirit of Ancient Egypt

Working four custom orders for Ancient Egyptian Jewelry over the weekend.  Three Ancient Egyptian Eye of Horus bracelets made with the bronze metal clay - hand-cast and fired in my kiln.  Two of these Eyes of Horus are to be made into bracelets for a stunning Egyptian Priestess.  The gemstones for the first bracelet is made with Green Jasper - deep green like the primitive jungles where our spirits first communed with nature.  The other bracelet is  Brown and Red Tiger Eye so reminiscent of the desert where the sun of Ancient Egypt feeds our KA with celestial energy.

The third Eye of Horus pendant is to be made into an anklet  made with Lapis.  Lapis the gemstones of the Gods, gifting us ancient knowledge and awareness.  My first anklet and I am so looking forward to making it.  The last custom piece is a beautiful bronze Ancient Egyptian Khepra Cartouche.  This beautiful cartouche will be made into a gorgeous necklace  - the client and I have not decided on the gemstones.  Still basking in the beauty of this new custom cartouche - it came out perfect the first time.

Dark Khepra - Ancient Egyptian Cartouche of Transformation

My custom order over the weekend was creating a necklace that combined the glory of the sun,  the joy of spiritual revolution with the very real boundaries of attaining transformation through staying connected and protected while remaining calm during this  highly visual direct process of change.  Dark Khepra  the Ancient Egyptian Cartouche of Transformation was birthed.

Khepra the Ancient Egyptian Sun God of rebirth and transformation  whose name means "He who is Coming into Being" is symbolized by the scarab. Khepra also represents the dawning sun when in conjunction with RA.  The dawning sun heralds a new day-every day; thus a new beginning and fresh opportunity for transformation.  The imagery alone associated just with the fresh born morning  sun is enough to inspire this artist to realize every day has unlimited potential for change.  The Ancient Egyptians truly saw the scarab  as a symbol of change, life from death as as the young scarabs emerge from the dead or from dung balls.  This further impresses on us the fact that even in death their is hope, change and opportunity and from that which we think is unusable as in dung can come forth life - life that takes flight to live a new day in the sun.

I chose the name Dark Khepra for many reasons, the sun shines forth always even at night and in our darkest moments before light strikes us.  The chick pecks the shells seeking emergence into the light as does the butterfly struggling to cast off the funerary wrappings of its former life to take wing into the solar bliss of its new life.  As the old saying goes its always darkest before thee storm - darkest before the storm of change that lets the light come streaming through.

I used several dark gemstones too for this necklace.  Dark colors always embody the hidden, the subconscious and what lies beneath us all.  Darkness and black is so representative of the blank slate we all are waiting to written on with the light chalk of change.Black Magnestite, Black Tourmaline, Hematite and Lava came together naturally.  Such vibrancy for deep dark colored stones - to me all of these stones stir below the surface - feeding change and propelling transformation.

Solar Divinity the Tiger Eye

I recently received several orders for metal clay Eyes of Horus/Ra with Tiger Eye.  I made my first one for a very wonderful Egyptian Priestess.  I so fell in love with this piece myself it was like tearing out my heart to send to her. So beautiful, uplifting and positive feeling - definite energies of RA or Horus.

Such a lovely piece using bronze metal clay, bronze beads and the positive, solar Tiger Eye.  A definite stone of courage and warmth.  It is fantastic for increasing your will power.  I find this wonderful stone promotes my personal power, definitely boosts my confidence and gives me a shield against negativity and dark magic. Ancient Roman soldiers wore pieces of Tiger Eye engraved for luck in battle.


This is such a powerful bracelet along with the Bronze beads the Bronze focal - The Eye of Ra/Horus radiates such positive power.  So many descriptions, ideas, feelings come to mind that evoke the very feeling this wonderful Eye and awesome gemstone energy encompasses being  - RA, Horus, the Sun, solar energies, divinity, royalty, Kemet {Ancient Egypt} hawk, falcon, warrior, destruction, salvation, shield, protection, benevolence, masculine energy, reason and math. I could go on and on but you get the picture.

The Egyptian Eye of Ra  - Ra is the Great Hawk and creator of all, he is associated with the sun at its many phases. The Eye of Ra symbolizes the sun's fiery destructive power.  In various mythologies Ra sends his Eye to destroy humans who had fallen into wickedness. 

As the Eye of Horus; the Eye symbolizes all seeing, all nourishing and protection.  Horus is the celestial falcon who has flown to the ends of the universe, he is associated with the Pharaoh and seat of power on earth, called Horus of the Two Horizons - again with solar inference.  The Eye of Horus also represented when broken into pieces the idea of fractions - it served not only a finite purpose but a symbolic one of being deconstructed to form a whole.  A powerful amulet used by Ancient Egyptians and by many today for its protection and healing properties.

Looking forward to making several more of these in the bronze clay medium with different gemstones - especially the different gemstones that resonate with Ancient Egypt.  Of course I love all gemstones and truly they all have such amazing energies which  I call their focus - the abilities they bring to the table that can assist us with our personal workings.  Along with having wonderful individual personalities it is truly a blessing to work with gemstones and weave them into beautiful creations that assists others to achieve their dreams.

Ancient Egyptian Ankh - Obsidian Night

Oh Obsidian Night and Ancient Egypt.  Another custom piece with black and rainbow obsidian.  The Ancient Egyptian Silver Ankh is hand-cast from silver metal clay.  Loved working with this medium, not to mention the wonderful energies of obsidian.  It was completely wonderful to be grounded and centered while working with this lovely gemstone.  Along with removing the negativity I was so at peace while working with the obsidian - from picking it out -  to weaving the bracelet.  I kept the stones around me while I worked on the lovely Ancient Egyptian Ankh, which meant working with the metal clay.. 

 

The silver clay once fired is 99.9% silver and quite easy to work with, once you get the knack.  I have two more custom orders for this wonderful metal clay.  Now if I can just find the time to make myself something.

My love of stones . . . my love of ancient Egypt, while adding the wonders of metal clay creating beautiful Ancient Egyptian symbols into precious metal, indeed I am blessed to combine these two loves to make into realization the lovely dreams that Isis she gifts me with bringing into reality. 

Jeweled Personalities

I LOVE gemstones, you name it I love them.  I could say especially Amethyst - because today it is my favorite, I wore tons of it to work.  I love Amethyst's higher vibration and feeling of divinity and elevated spirituality BUT yesterday it was Citrine.  I worked extensively with it and love the good clean will it radiates

Tonight as I sit basking in the glow of Rose Quartz and Rhodonite feeling pure spiritual love I honestly have a strong desire to reach for my Howlite.  Howlite seems to not just bring calmness but to stimulate my creativity.  Aside from Amethyst I come back to this stone again and again.  Such jeweled personalities all these gems from the earth possess.

Learning of gemstones from my mother who collected rocks, knew the trees and reveled in the wild countryside I developed a love of earth's stunning treasures early on.  Spurred by Native American teachings that began with the pet quartz rock given me by my grandfather as a child of 5 I naturally gravitated to Scott Cunningham. when I got older.  As every beginner down the pagan path knows we all seem to start with Cunningham.  He is easy to read and obviously had a love of the earth especially its gems and herbs.  He translated and guided nicely for the beginner who was fascinated with the magical energies from nature.

Gemstones - precious and semi-precious radiate with such distinguishable energies, it is no different than the multitude of personalities we encounter with humans, dogs, horses etc... everyday.  I find some slumber until woken, some chatter like magpies, other soothe with lullabies of ancient rock and water before life began, and even other ring of epic deeds invigorating our very blood.  Back to Amethyst, each stones I see, touch, come in contact with has its own story.  even depending on where in the earth it has been harvested can give me a glimpse of its character - its own personal accent.

Such jeweled personalities all stones possess.  Some you must tease to tell their story, others need to be kept close, still others enjoy being a lookout in spacious places surveying all they see.  But like our human and animal children, these luscious children of the mineral kingdom radiate the best energies when noticed, cared for and loved.

The Dreams of Isis
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Weaving New Dreams

Working tonight with beautiful gemstones, weaving new dreams with presents from Geb.  New Ancient Egyptian jewelry designs laid out ready for the new year.  Such lovely energies to to with, I had so many different stones it was hard to begin some where.  Grounding and balancing - with some unconditional love and reflection was a start.  Wonderful experience of meditating while creating, makes me feel whole and in sync with the universe.

Working with the black tourmaline and hematite first was refreshing and as I moved forward - grounding and centering allowed me focus with the energy I needed.  So creativity flowed and my creations came together wonderfully. Weaving awesome stones with such fantastic energy together creating powerful mediation beads, Isis was so very present as incense burned on the altar next to my workspace.  I cant wait to have these up in my Artfire studio with new pics on my website and Facebook fan page coming asap.