Divine String Theory

Life after Facebook

2010-03-01T18:21:00.000-08:00

As mentioned in my last post, I gave up Facebook for Lent this year. Anyone who knows me is aware of my propensity to banter and muse at an alarmingly frequent level and I am often told by my friends that they look forward to my posts for a good chuckle if not a split in the side. The good thing about Facebook is that in it's own capacity it keeps me connected with people who are genuinely near and dear to me - cousins, siblings, uncles, old friends, new friends - but what happens is you go on for one thing and it just spirals from there. I guess for me it's kind of like being the compulsive shopper who walks in to a store for one thing and leaves with enough for three people. Anyway, I decided to give it up all together except for Sundays (which are feast days in lent and exempt from your fast), going on only to update the DST fan page. I love the sense of peace that the free time has brought to me. I write in my journal more, read more, seeing friends in person more, and of course beading a whole lot more. My last post mentioned being in a better place to concentrate on my business and I am feeling better about it every day. Over the past two weeks I was lucky enough to have five sales - two of which were custom orders. And, a friend of mine from High School (re-connected for almost two years via...Facebook) has ordered two custom first communion pieces for her son and goddaughter and also passed on my information to a friend who's son is in CCD class with her's. All of this is certainly encouraging and I am looking forward to continuing the momentum. I took some of the money from the recent sales and ordered some great parts from some of my favorite sites, and will be posting some new work soon. For now, here is some work made over the last week or so (I've been busy!).

Anglican rosary - brown/gray mottled jasper with orange painted wood and copper accents

Anglican rosary - black onyx and black/blue blown glass with black stone cross

Catholic one decade pocket rosary - smoky quartz and desert jasper

Catholic one decade pocket rosary - blue/gray labradorite

Anglican rosary - brown mottled jasper with carved animal bone and wood Celtic cross - a personal favorite!

Anglican rosary - wood with red glass

Winter in to Spring

2010-02-18T18:42:00.000-08:00

I'll have to check back and see, but four months between postings might be a new personal worst for me and the DST blog. I suppose it's not without good reason since there has been so much going on around here. We had a great Christmas vacation and New Year and took off to Williamsburg, VA for the week in between the two. The new job is going quite well and I am finally feeling confident and relaxed enough to concentrate on beading again. To further commit to that, I have decided to give up Facebook for Lent, specifically so I can free up creative energy for making prayer beads among other things that I miss out on on account of spending too much time there. On one hand I believe Facebook is a great thing - I have made and re-connected with some very genuine friendships. On the other though, I spend far too much time on there when I could be concentrating on a better balance in my life like spending time beading, being with my partner, reading and learning from a good book - just freeing up creative energy by combating avoidance. I hope and pray that it leads to better habits!

Below are some photos of recent work with a couple of them being tried with new "staging". Also, I have decided to concentrate on Anglican rosaries since I am finding they sell better but more on that later.

Mother of Pearl with Wood Anglican Rosary

Desert Jasper and Faceted Onyx Anglican Rosary

Wood and Copper Anglican Rosary (sold the day after I put it up!)

Red Coral Catholic Christmas Rosary

Quartz and porcelain Saint Theresa Catholic Rosary (sold this one and got a custom order for an identical one decade (: )

Treasury Feature & October Facebook Promotion

2009-10-17T16:07:00.000-07:00

Well, it's been an age and a half since I've last posted on here. A lot has been going on and I've not had much time to design and create. On a positive note, I am starting a new job on the 26th of this month. Since I have this coming week off, I will be preparing the Etsy shop for the holidays with new inventory that I will be working on.

Please take a moment to visit the beautiful Etsy Treasury I have just been featured in compiled by the Esty Rosary Guild, of which I am a proud member. My blue agate Saint Michael the Archangel set is featured among exquisite work from other artisans. It will only be up for 48 hours from 10/17 so please show your support to all us crafters by clicking on all the pictures and maybe leaving a comment.

On a final note for now, get a jump on your holiday shopping and take advantage of our October promotion - 10% off and free shipping in the mainland US when you mention my Facebook Page. Discount is refunded via paypal post check out.

New for the Week of July 19th

2009-07-20T20:50:00.000-07:00

It was a pretty busy weekend around here, but I managed to put a few things together. I especially enjoyed making some new Bead for Life pieces - specifically four 24" necklaces that can also be used as triple strand bracelets on the average wrist. The focal points are the recycled paper beads made by the Ugandan women in the Bead for Life program, which I posted about earlier this year. I separated them by color and carefully chose accent pieces that compliment and really let the BFL beads stand out. In keeping with the unique nature of the beads themselves, I broke away from symmetry (tough thing for a Virgo designer, trust me) and strung the beads in an off centered and random fashion. There is no rhyme or reason, just what felt right in each creative moment. As mentioned previously, a portion of the net proceeds are donated back to Bead for Life - in addition to the contribution already made by me purchasing the beads. Until next time, here are some photos - and, please tell everyone you know about Bead for Life!

If your colors were like my dreams - red, gold and green!

Copper, turquoise and tangerine dream

Mellow blues and yellows

Pink and purple haze

New for the week of July 11th

2009-07-13T21:08:00.000-07:00

I've taken to organizing "project bags", which in a nut shell involves laying out designs and formations, then putting the materials I need together in a bag to be made when I have time. I'll end up bagging up 6-8 pieces at a time, and it's a great system because all the materials are there and ready when I am to provide an evening (or two) of projects for me.

Here are some things that I designed and created over last weekend and am posting for sale this week:

New for The Week of July 6th

2009-07-08T04:44:00.000-07:00

I look at these post dates and I can't believe how much time passes between them! You always hear that time flies, and I am experiencing that every time I log on here! Just wanted to take a moment and share pictures of some new pieces made over the July 4th weekend.

One of my favorites is the orange and green Bead for Life necklace that I made for a co-worker of mine who has become one of my best customers :) I have mentioned BFL in a previous post and I have sold several pieces privately, which raises awareness for this beautiful program. I'm happy to say that I also have a custom inquiry for a BFL rosary!

Thanks for stopping by and checking out my work. Links are active for the items I have already listed and will activate the rest when I list them:

Copper Celtic Knot Anglican-Episcopal Rosary

Gray Stone Bracelet w/Nail Cross Charm

Custom Bead for Life Necklace for LG

Custom Bead for Life Necklace for LG

Carnelian Hebrew Chai Charm Bracelet

Wood and Abolone Shell Anglican-Episcopal Rosary

Purple and Gold Glass Anglican-Episcopal Rosary

Jasper and Soapstone Scarab Anglican-Episcopal Rosary

Red Glass and Amazonite Anglican-Episcopal Rosary

Custom Orders

2009-06-08T16:41:00.000-07:00

Since launching the business a few months ago, I've been fortunate enough to have had several custom orders. I had referenced some of these in a past posting (that I managed to somehow delete while editing) and mentioned how much I enjoy working one on one with people, especially on their prayer beads. They deserve a place on line somewhere, since they don't make it in the shop so here are some pictures - and contact me with any custom inquiries for custom rosaries or jewelry in any quantity.

Fifteen Anglican Rosaries (Jasper & Amazonite) for MC in San Diego

St Therese One Decade Pocket Rosary (Rhodonite & Pearl) for CL in Bucks Co., PA

St. Joseph Rosary Bracelet (purple glass) for MB in Brooklyn, NY

Fluorite and Amazonite Anglican Rosary for JH in Philadelphia, PA

Picture Jasper & Amazonite Anglican Rosary for CT in Indiana

Rose Quartz One Decade Pocket Rosary for DT in Boston, MA

SALE!

2009-05-27T19:27:00.001-07:00

I've decided to have a sale through the month of June. With the exception of Bead for Life, and custom work, the entire shop is on sale for 10 - 15% off + free shipping and handling in the US and Canada.

The item below is a sandstone jasper and onyx five decade Risen Christ rosary / necklace that I made the other day. It's on sale too!

Spring Fever

2009-05-25T19:11:00.000-07:00

I'm going to blame my lack of blogging on that "illness"! Things are a little crazy on the work front, so my mind has been elsewhere lately. I've been creating new things to help me maintain sanity, but just haven't gotten around to updating anything, so here are some pictures of recent work with links to the shop:

Saint Francis One Decade Pocket Rosary

Lapis Lazuli One Decade Rosary Bracelet

Bead For Life Yellow Jade and Blue Coral Necklace

Smoky Quartz and Swirl Glass Anglican Rosary w/Celtic Cross

Saint Anthony Blue and Amber Glass Rosary Necklace

Pink Rhodonite Saint Peregrine One Decade Rosary Bracelet

San Damiano Red Glass One Decade Auto/Car Rear View Mirror Rosary

Bead for Life!

2009-05-10T17:02:00.000-07:00

A couple of months ago, I was working at my day job when a fairly plainly dressed woman came in to the showroom. If I never mentioned what I do full time, I sell Indian furniture and Tibetan carpets in a NYC design center that caters to interior designers, architects and their clients. Anyway, my boss is a bit of a social entrepreneur advocating against child labor among other causes, and is fairly well known in interior design circles. Okay, so I got side tracked. As I mentioned, this woman walks in one day, and when I asked her if she was familiar with us, she mentioned "oh yes, I am quite familiar with your company, and I myself do work against poverty in Uganda with my organization, Bead for Life". At the time, my beading work was on the back burner - in fact, I hadn't even heard of Etsy at that point, nor had I thought to sell in any serious forum. Also, she was there to shop so we continued our conversation about our carpets, and then parted ways.

Fast forward about two or three months, and I am fully established on Etsy with a few sales under my belt and starting to feel confident about where this whole thing had the potential to go. I come home from work, get in to pj's and plop down in front of the News Hour on PBS
as per my normal routine. One story finishes, and the next one starts about a fair trade beading company that works to empower and lift Ugandan women out of poverty. Of course, now that much of my spare time is occupied with beading, or things related to it, I immediately perk up.
Then, on the screen is one of BFL's co-founders, who I believe was the woman on the right (Torkin Wakefield) who is explaining the entire program. I won't go in to the whole story, because you should spend time seeing it for yourself and then taking action but the gist of it is that the women in BFL are Ugandan, and have risen from dire poverty through this program. Many of them are also widowed, and living with HIV/AIDS. The women start out in the program making paper beads from recycled paper from magazine pages, cereal boxes and other things that would otherwise go to waste. The end result are colorful and unique beads that are as individual as the women who make them. The beads are then assembled in to beautiful necklaces, bracelets and earrings that are exported to the west and marketed for sale by way of the BFL on line jewelry store, as well as through home parties thrown by people, organizations, and faith based and civil groups across the country. They are also sold in loose form so beaders can incorporate them in to their own designs - more on that in a moment. What I love the most about this program is the empowerment strategy that is used - in the sense that it forces the participants to gain other skills to rise above, and stay out of poverty. Women are limited to two years in the program and are taught entrepreneurial and vocational skills in other fields - after all, if everyone in a village makes beads then there is market saturation and a lack of diversity in skills! As you might gather, I am quite excited by this program, and hope you will join me in spreading the word.

So, what am I doing? Well, for starters, I am telling you about it! Seriously though, I went on their website and purchased some loose beads, as well as organza gift bags to distribute with the finished work. Today, I opened the Bead for Life section in my Etsy store. So far there are three pieces for sale, which I created using combinations of BFL beads and my own materials. In addition to my initial contribution investment of materials, I am donating twenty five percent of the net proceeds from the sales of these items back to Bead for Life. Below are photos of the first few items I have made, with more to come soon. I hope that you will take the time to learn more about this brilliant program and spread the word!

20" Necklace: Bead for Life with Lapis Lazuli and Green Aventurine

8" Bracelet - Bead for Life with Wood Coin and Red Coral Beads

Anglican Rosary with Bead for Life, Sandstone Jasper and Black Stone Cross

My First First Communion Rosary

2009-05-03T06:33:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I finished up and photographed a First Communion five decade rosary, along with a few other things. This piece is intended for a boy, and it is meant to be something that can be used in to adulthood. I would love to hear any feedback on this or any other piece:

I am just waiting for a mail order delivery of a cross to finish my first custom Communion piece, which was made for Alma, a friend of Vincent's mother. It was made for a little girl using a color center medallion, and some beautiful iridescent quartz beads. It is accented with blue and purple and I can't wait to show it off to you. For now though, here are a couple of one decade pieces that I made and listed this weekend:

Week in Review

2009-04-26T19:45:00.000-07:00

It has been a relaxing week off, and I managed to get out and about in the neighborhood once the rain stopped. I've gotten in to the habit of taking the camera with me so I can capture random shots and am becoming addicted to taking these and posting them to Flickr.

On the beading front, my recently purchased lap desk has come in handy along with a lawn chair and a cold drink on my stoop. Here are a few things that I made and listed during my time off:

Wood and Lt Blue/Orange Glass Anglican Rosary

Anglican Rosary - Wood, Yellow Jade and Glass

Hamsa Talisman w/ Star of David Charm Bracelet

Cross Charm Bracelet - Yellow Jade, Smoky Quartz and Gold Glass

Anglican Rosary - Black Onyx, Silver/Blue Faceted Glass, Celtic Cross

Rainy Days and Wednesdays

2009-04-22T19:49:00.000-07:00

I'm starting to wonder if the rain will ever end! Day three of vacation, day three of rain. Since I am dedicating my time off to crafting and trying to establish the business, it can rain all week...although it would be nice to be able to sit outside and work on my beading. I did manage to get out for a few hours to a couple of bead shops to pick up some colored glass seeds for accents, and of course ended up getting quite a bit more than what I went out for, including some great new charms that I made some bracelets with this evening (stay tuned!). Anyway, I am happy to report that two of the items in my previous post were sold within 24 hours :) Here are some things I worked on last night and will post to Etsy tomorrow morning:

Rainy Days and Tuesdays

2009-04-21T15:32:00.000-07:00

Some things I made last night and this morning, and managed to post in between laundry loads and cleaning. What else would I do on a vacation at home when it's raining outside?? Thankfully the sun broke through long enough for me to snap a few moderately respectful photos. Would love to hear what you think!

Rainy Days and Mondays

2009-04-21T05:59:00.001-07:00

Just sharing some photos of work done yesterday - my first day of home vacation while it poured rain out:

Publish Post

I bought my website!

2009-04-19T06:49:00.000-07:00

It's official - I am not the proud owner of divinestringtheory.com! For the moment, until it can be developed, it links to the Etsy store front. I kept hearing mixed reactions from people on the pros and cons of an independent website (mostly pros), and decided at $20 a year, I did not have much to lose. Living with a graphic design/web professional also helps the cause! Anyway, it's less expensive than ArtFire.com, which is another online venue I am looking in to selling through. In other news, I am also now listing on MadeitMyself.com and posted several items there yesterday:

If there is one thing I have underestimated on this whole venture, it is the amount of time spent promoting it on line, and the new website marks my SIXTH online presence for Divine String Theory. The next step is to reach the rosary and religious jewelry (and non-religious jewelry) market with all this - wish me luck!

2009-04-16T20:12:00.000-07:00

So, here I am on my first trip in to the blogoshpere - in any capacity. "Divine String Theory", in a sense came in to being about a year and a half ago, after I purchased a beautiful Anglican Rosary in an online auction. Upon receipt, my second thought - after "these are beautiful" - was "I can definitely make these, and it might be fun". Within a couple of weeks, I found myself in one of the countless beading supply shops in Manhattan purchasing tools and supplies to get started and try my hand at it. One night, I was half watching a Nova episode on String Theory (big mistake to try to half watch something like that, btw) sitting in the living room stringing away beads, near my partner Vincent who was actually paying attention to the show. I was just catching random words like "spectrum" "surfaces" "dimensions" "strings" "super-strings" and turned to Vincent and said "if this ever turns in to a business I should call it Divine String Theory". We both laughed it off. Shortly after that I sold several pairs to friends from church, gave some for gifts, sold a few on ebay. I never realized the prices I felt the rosaries deserved on ebay and just put it aside for awhile. Then, a little over a month ago, Vincent's mother told him about the Etsy website. Hmmm...Santa had brought me a slick new camera for Christmas, I had a box full of finished Anglican and Catholic rosaries sitting around in need of good homes and hands and some extra cash couldn't hurt so what the heck. And here we are. And here is some of my work.

Aside from here, Flickr, and Etsy, you can also follow my work on Facebook.