for the LOVE of art (thanks artists)+ Cirque du Soleil

It really is a spectacular show! 2 hours of pure amazement. I am so in awe of the ability of the human body and the concentration, dedication and drive it would take to be able to do what they do!! Check out their website: Cirque du Soleil

Between ooo's and aahh's and oh no's. I kept thinking, this is live, this is real, we are here and people are doing this. The music is live the performance is live and how rare it is these days for us to have the opportunity or make the time to see live events. Especially events of human body wonders.. The circus...

It's a shame art is valued so little in our society. As an artist and as an artist who makes my living selling my art, I find, these days in the world of computers and short attention spans, I spend more time marketing my jewelry than actually designing and making it. Of course that is the never-ending battle of the professional artist, but as I sat last night and watched in wonder, I thanked all the artists hard work, and I thanked all the artists out there in the world who continue doing what they believe in despite all the obstacles and up hill battles of society not understanding why anyone would do that when they can 'make' money doing something else...

So to all you artists out there.. Thank you!! Thank you for making the world a more beautiful, interesting, unique and wonderous place... THANK YOU SO MUCH!!

journey to wine country + parents visit!

My parents are visiting this week. So, we've been busy running around and having a nice time. We spent the weekend in the Yakima Valley, exploring some of Washington wine country. It's beautiful! The sky was blue and the air was warm. Mount Adams peeked through the golden hills and the valley was full of ripe fruit trees and there were acres and acres of grape vines. I love going to new places and feeling the energy. We took the scenic route home through the mountains and visited Mt. Rainier (but the clouds were dense and we could not see her).

Last night we made a wonderful meal of homemade pasta, with sundried tomato and olive tapenade, greens from our neighbors garden and a wonderful 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon from Wineglass cellars in Yakima. Tonight we will go and see Cirque du Soleil and I am so excited.

Only one more Lakshmi

I have only one Lakshmi Pendant left. Click here to shop for her..

Lakshmi: Goddess of prosperity.

Lakshmi helps us achieve prosperity in our lives, not only material prosperity, also spiritual prosperity. She is our guide to internal and external wealth.

Wearing Lakshmi can help you reach your goals and keep your motivations in balance as you move forward in your life.


20k gold pendant, adjustable oxidized silver chain. $285

passion

I've been a bit slow this week, disheveled and unorganized.. As I look at my life and see all the things going on, it makes sense I can't keep it all straight.

The Edmonds Art Festival was a lot of fun. I met several new people and saw many old friends, thanks so much for stopping by.

I hadn't done a 3 day show in a long long time, I think 4 years. And oh how I forgot how absolutely exhausting they are. Wow!! Standing, out in the elements 10-12 hours a day. I don't know, that you will be seeing me at a 3 day show anytime soon.

Right now I am shipping off a new order of jewels to Atticus in Madison, Wi. Check out their website. They have a great online store.

And I am getting ready to go to France and Spain for a month.. An exciting new adventure! I'll keep you updated as I find out more, but right now, what I do know is it involves shooting a movie in S. France.

I have been thinking a lot about passion lately.. Passion in the sense of excitement for something. As I observe my passions and have seen them shift over the years, I realize, passion is what makes me flow. It motivates me, it keeps me going and excited about life.

I think about the limited time in life, and how much I have wasted on worrying about the mundane. I think we all have opportunities and choices and I think if we open our hearts and minds and let those opportunities arise and make choices that lead us to the unknown, our lives can be full of passion and excitement... What are your passions?

magic of the sun + Edmonds art festival

I have been welcomed back to Seattle with a little rain and a little sun followed by an amazing rainbow (at 9pm)... Wow!! The sky was lit from the magic of the sun, the sky was glowing in a surreal way and my heart jumped as I looked up to see the rainbow with it's massive stripes arching over my home... Oh the beauty of mother nature.. The picture does not do it justice, but I tried!.

For those of you in the Seattle area this weekend, come on out to the Edmonds Art Festival. I will be in the plaza area above the library look for P20

Friday June 18 11-9
Saturday June 19 10-8
Sunday June 20 10-6

And for those of you not in the Seattle area.. Check out Etsy, my online store.

HOME; a sense of place

my morning walk... made me think of place... of experience... of how I feel when I am in a new place or a place away from my home or in this case the place that is my 'home'

I am visiting Wisconsin right now, the place I was born. My parents still live in the same house I grew up in, in the countryside, outside of a small community.

When I am back here, I am, somehow, amazed at the complete beauty of this place I do call 'home'. The lush green rolling hills, the bur oak trees standing tall and proud amongst the bean and corn fields. The humid air filled with the songs of the birds make my heart long for my home, as I was walking through it, in it, feeling nostalgic, as I do, in most places, but this place... my birth place, the place that is most familiar to me full of such life gives me a strong feeling of plac. of home. of love...

A sandhill crane flew up from the knee high corn and whooped its way, low in the sky to find a new landing spot on the other side of the sparsely traveled country road. A group of yellow finches landed on the tall grass growing in the ditch. The frogs croaked and the cows grazed. I walked and I felt the warm moist air on my skin and walked surrounded by the trees the green green beauty of the Wisconsin countryside. Oh how I love my home...

It is wonderful to be here..

journey east...

getting ready for my journey east... to wisconsin.. it's where i'm from and i'm really excited about going back and seeing family and friends. i grew up in a small town outside of madison along the wisconsin river. it's a beautiful place and it is summer there. the kind of summer where you wake up and can put on a tank top early in the morning and still feel warm. where the sky is blue and the birds greet you with a cheerful hello. oh, i am excited!!

early summer trunk show
ancient healing
june 10
4-6
809 phillips blvd
sauk city, wi

congrats to our winners...

Congrats. to the winners of the earrings... Thanks to those of you who signed up on our email list!!

Hope you had a wonderful weekend.

I'm busily making some jewels and getting ready for my trip to Wisconsin tomorrow night.

Those of you in the Sauk City area...

Early summer trunk show
Ancient Healing
June 10
4-6pm
809 Phillips Blvd

I will have lots of new jewelry and goodies..


xoxo...

diamonds + rubies + gold... oh my

India.. Dreaming on the motherland today.. So I thought I would post some of the jewelry from my work/study trips there.

The first set of jewelry is all designed by me and made by myself, my longtime teacher Kumar and a few of his friends. We make all of these pieces completely by hand and by eye. The traditional Indian way. It is one of my dreams in life to help keep the dying art of Indian goldsmithing alive. The goldsmiths in India are in high demand, but they are looked at as skilled laborers and are paid a small wage for their work. I work and study with two independent goldsmiths, one in the palms groves of Kerala and one in Mysore, a city in the South of India. We work together to make these beautiful pieces and the with the purchase of one of these pieces, you help support these two very hard working, but very underpaid families in India...

Beautiful handmade star ruby ring set in 20k gold and hand engraved on the back. SOLD







simple hammered bands and simple hammered bands with rough cut diamonds sizes 5-8  contact me (info in the right side bar) if you are interested in purchasing or would like more information on these rings.



working with Balan in the coconut groves of Kerala, is my favorite part of the year each year. We sit on his veranda and painstakingly make gold chains from scratch using a fire with a blow pipe torch and rudimentary tools. Our beautiful handmade chains are for sale

In this photo you can see the handmade chain, each 1X1.5mm link is soldered using a blowpipe torch. in order to do this the goldsmith must know how to circular breath.

 for more information and more photos please email me. ps.. the pendant is already sold...

karazi design featured in expat + HAREM

I have just been informed that one of my blog posts (a day in the life of two Turkish goldsmith's) has been featured in the summer edition of expat + HAREM. Scroll down and Check it out!! Yay, I love Turkey..


Sign up for my e-newsletter *here* for a chance to win these beautiful handmade silver wire earrings. $40 value, one entry per person, US addresses only. #9 and #27 win. free earrings... you can give them as a gift or keep them for yourself...

sign up on our email list and receive free earrings!!

Be the 9th, or the 27th (because I like those numbers) people to sign up on our email list *here* and receive these beautiful handmade silver earrings... only US addresses and one entry per person!

energy tug!!

Whew!! I feel like a whirlwind... So many things have happened in the last two weeks. It's hard to get motivated today.... I've been wondering how to get it all done. How will all the projects, ideas and inspiration culminate into solid objects? How will I write my blog, write my newsletter, update my etsy store? How will I remodel my kitchen? How did I take care of 7 house guests in two weeks? Why did I start a new workout program? How will I make and deliver new jewelry? How will I get it all done? How will I have enough product to sell at my upcoming shows? How will I grieve the death of my aunty? Oh, I am feeling overwhelmed today. I know this is impermanent, this feeling of exhaustion, this feeling of it's too much. I know it will pass, but now I am feeling it and am struggling. to. move. forward.....

I did manage to post a few new items to my etsy store... very cool and wildly popular from the new Byzantine Collection.. Now you can buy some of the pieces on line. Check it out here