jewelry for anxious people. (insert trademark here)

it's funny how you can connect with people over the internet - for a unabomber like me, it gets me my quotient of socialization without having to struggle with the nuances of going out.  and this example just rocks my world.  anne-marie, the fantastic bloggess making that amazing traveling red dress (check out her blog about anxiety, depression and conception here) had ordered some stacking rings from me last year and via the power of the twitter-verse, email, etsy and instagram (damn you, why is there not an instagram for BlackBerry???) we've slowly built a connection. 

i love anne-marie's blog because it is frank and honest and admittedly, she is pretty darn funny.  and now, she is the owner of one of my spinnerette rings - check out the gorgeous pictures above!  she has written the loveliest blog post connecting my ring with cognitive-behavioural techniques (CBT for short) and her own struggles to deal with panic attacks.  not only is it totally relevant, but it resonates with the art therapist/mental health worker in me.  THIS is why i make things.  THIS is why i melt metal.  take THAT, thesis advisor!!!! 

i sense an entire new line of anxious people jewelry. rings, bangles, earrings, necklaces.  because we rock like that, right, anne-marie???

Read more...

the traveling red dress.

the lovely anne-marie from donotfaint twittered me yesterday and asked about my feedback on a project that she is starting.  and of course, i love what she wants to do.  in the spirit of "the sisterhood of the traveling pants", she is embarking on a journey to make a traveling red dress.  the art therapist in me is thrilled, because i know how therapeutic the creative process is and i think that the idea of sharing such a dress is fantastic.  because she describes what she wants to do so eloquently, i am going to quote her here:

"There is a magic dress. A magic dress that is usually red and travels to women who are struggling with illness (including mental illness), weight, low self-image in general. When a woman receives a traveling red dress, she puts it on and the magic helps her remember who she really is, the woman who has not and will not truly be defeated, the woman capable of love, the woman who deserves to feel beautiful and to do something that helps her feel beautiful. The Red Dress need not be red, but it must be stunning, impractical, eye-catching–a ball gown, literally or metaphorically. Then, someone take beautiful photographs of her in her stunning gown, so that she can always remember the magic of self-care."

anne-marie is hoping to raise $300.00 so that she can make this dress and then be able to send it's magic to other people who need it.  you can check out her blog post (and her link to WePay) here. 

Read more...