And the Snowflake Giveaway Winner Is.....

The winner of these awesome earrings:

is:
#4


Which corresponds to RONI!!!!  Congrats and thanks to all who entered.  I will be contacting Roni via email shortly.

Winter Enchantment Earring Giveaway

I am an Artbeads.com Design Partner.  Periodically, I get to choose products based on a theme and then get to create beautiful jewelry using the materials I pick. The current theme is Winter Enchantment and I was asked to create something that represents what I find beautiful or inspirational about the winter season. Whether it's the beauty of a snowflake, a winter landscape, a sport you love, the coziness of a blazing fire, fun indoor activities shared with family and friends, a vacation to a warmer place, a favorite winter themed story or poem...I had to use my imagination to come up with something that evokes winter.

When I think I winter, I think of the color blue so I decided to create some snowflake earrings with different shades of blue represented. I started off with some beautiful sterling silver snowflake charms. Then I decided on some aquamarine chessboard Swarovski elements and some sterling silver earring wires with faceted blue Swiss Blue Topaz stones. Finally I chose some really fabulous Blue Sky Quartz Cubes to add to the mix.

So, this is the design I came up with:





I then decided that I wanted to give these earrings away.  Yep, that's right...you could win these earrings ($30 value). This is how you can enter to win:

1) "Like" Hammi Jammi Jewelry on Facebook (1 entry).
2) "Like" Artbead.com on Facebook (1 entry).
3) Blog about this giveaway.  Be sure to leave an address in the comments section so I can check it out (1 entry).
4) Send an invitation to your Facebook friends to "like" Hammi Jammi Jewelry (2 entries).

The contest will end on Friday, January 28, 2011 at noon EST. Make sure you leave a comment for each entry and to leave me your email address so I can contact you if you are the winner!

I hope you're a winner!!!!

Disclosure: I participate in Blogging for Beaders with Artbeads.com and have received the products free of charge from them. I am honestly reviewing the products and have not been paid for my endorsement as it pertains to the products received.

Yoga Mat Purse GIVEAWAY!

This awesome yoga blog is sponsoring a really awesome giveaway for their one year blogiversary! So go to the blog and follow the instructions to win a great prize:

It's simple to win.  Receive one entry for every action you do:
1.  post a comment giving me (honest) feedback about what you like or what you would like to see or anything else you want to say about Live.Love.Yoga.  You should know that you can enter even if you don't blog or have a website.  Just be sure to enter your email when you post a comment (your email will never be published or spammed).
2.  Sign up to subscribe.  (Don't worry, if you're already subscribed, you'll get that extra entry with any other action)
3.  Like Yoga Mat Made on facebook (be sure to mention it with your comment)
4.  Share this post via any of the methods below (facebook, email, blog repost, tweet) and tell me in your comments

Eat, Pray, Love Inspired Creations

I just finished reading Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert.  This book really touched me and now happens to be on my top ten books of all times list.  I've talked to some people who didn't like this book or who couldn't relate to it.  I think that if you are in the right time of your life and all the stars align; are open-minded; and spiritually focused I don't know how you would not like this book.  Liz's journey in the pursuit of pleasure, spirituality, and a balance between the two after a nasty divorce is full of insight.  She really learned to pay great attention to the things that really matter.


In honor of the New Year and all the resolutions that follow,  I thought I would start off on the right foot.  I decided to create more spiritually focused jewelry items.  I created a lovely family birthstone rosary for my mother for Christmas.  I even had it blessed by a local priest to make it even more special for her.  It includes all the birthstones of those in my immediate family.

Next, I decided to create a few malas (Liz Gilbert focused Eat Pray Love around the premise of the mala).  Quoting from the book, "the traditional japa mala is strung with 108 beads.  Amid the more esoteric circles of Eastern philosophers, the number 108 is held to be the most auspicious, a perfect three-digit multiple of three, it's components adding up to nine, which is three threes.  And three, of course, is the number representing supreme balance, as anyone who has studied the Holy Trinity or a simple barstool can plainly see."


A Japa mala is a set of beads commonly use by Hindus and Buddhists, usually made from 108 beads, though other numbers, usually divisible by nine, are also used.  Malas are used for keeping count while reciting, chanting, or mentally repeating a mantra.  This practice is known in Sanskrit as japa.  Malas are typically made with 19, 21, 27, 54, or 108 beads.

I decided to make some mala necklaces that could be used for meditation, fashion, or both.  These necklaces are both half malas (containing 54 beads total; 27 on each side).

This mala is made using carved Bayong wooden rounds and Green Adventurine.  Green Adventurine is the stone of luck and chance. It is said to increase

 perception and creative insight. It is a heart chakra stone.

This mala also using carved Bayong wooden rounds along with Tiger's Eye.  Tiger's Eye is a grounding stone and helps wearers remain patient and focused with deliberate actions.  If you need to make changes in your life, this stone is for you.  A resin Buddha is also attached as a pendant.

My wish for you in the New Year is that you find much pleasure, peace and balance and you are fulfilled in all aspects of your life.

Namaste'

Blog Carnival: What are your favorite color combinations?

What are your favorite color combinations and what do you create with these colors?

I would love to hear of your color inspirations, but for me I tend to do a lot with greens and blues. I also really like how amazonite and red coral looks together. I really love the ocean and the sand. I love the warm weather, especially now that it's like -2000 degrees here. I also am partial to purple for some unknown reason. I like amethyst and dyed purple jade.

Here are a few examples of my favorite color combinations in the jewelry that I've created:

This bracelet was created as a Christmas present

for my son's preschool aid.  There is a little

charm that says "inspire" at the clasp.

This necklace was created using Amazonite and 

a red Cinnabar heart.  I envisioned a bridesmaid

wearing this piece at her friend's wedding.

So, what colors inspire your creative side.  Inquiring minds want to know!!!

Featured EtsyBlogger: Pruitt Handcrafts!

Wow, Linda is a crafty grandmother of 24.  She has three separate etsy shops and does some amazing work as well as, supports the etysybloggers street team.  Congrats for being December's Featured Etsyblogger.

Pruitt Designs, Pruitthandcrafts, and Pruitt Supply are the 3 shops that she maintains on etsy.  Here are a sampling of a few of my favorite things from Linda's shops:



Congrats and keep up the amazing work!

Support Local and USA Artisans!

I had a great experience at the Phoenixville Farmers' Market last Saturday and I will be there again this Saturday selling my jewelry. It was refreshing to see so many people brave the cold weather to support the local community.  There were farmers selling produce; Amish selling baked and canned goods; butchers selling bison, fresh poultry, and pork; a fisherwoman who was selling salmon she actually caught with her husband in Alaska; and various artisans selling items they create with their own hands.

This holiday season, I encourage you all to support your local communities and artisans.  You can find so many unique gifts for those people on  your lists.  Additionally, you should feel good about helping out people in our country and supporting their hard work.  You may pay a little more, but it's worth it to know you are doing a good deed.  Don't forget to get the fixins' for your holiday meals from local growers, as well.

Here are a few ideas of places to go if you are in Eastern PA area:

*Give the gift of health:  get a massage gift certificate for a one-of-a-kind location- EXHALE RETREAT.
*Give the gift of a priceless memory: portraits by Priceless Moments by Melia.
*Give the gift of serenity and balance: give a yoga class package from High Street Yoga and Wellness.
*Shop for unique gifts for everyone on your lists- Patsy's Potpourri of Gifts and Kaliedoscope Angels.