New Business Name - Yoga Journeys

I have been going through a lot of personal growth and transformation lately.  I felt my business needed to reflect more of who I've become rather than holding onto a name that is at best "tongue in cheek".

LUXE Luther Creations was a creative play on words.  Perhaps it was easy to remember, but I feel the name doesn't reflect how seriously I take my work and the inspiration that drives my designs.

Yoga Journeys is a name that brings the work and inspiration together.  My latest works are inspired by my own journey through yoga in that yoga demands your awareness to how you live your life and to make changes if necessary.  This involves a lot of personal reflection.  I feel my latest works are honest representations of me, not some uninspired piece created simply for the purpose of having inventory(which is something I used to do).

I know that my leather wrap bracelets are Chan Luu design.  However, use of color or a particular pattern make my bracelets unique and different from Chan Luu and are reflective of my thoughts, feelings and experiences in yoga.

My Peacock bracelet is inspired by the story of Krishna, who's animal counterpart is a Peacock.  Peacocks symbolize immortality.

My spiral hoop earrings are called Spiral In-Shine Out.  This creation was inspired by the act of self reflection and practice of meditation.  When we take that journey into ourselves, to really understand ourselves, we uncover so much and then can see with new eyes what is working and what is not and make shifts to live the life we deserve.  I use faceted glass gems to symbolize ourselves.  Every experience we have in our lives shapes us and gives us a new facet.  The more experiences we have, learn and grow from, the more faceted and brilliant we become.

My Adaptations Necklaces are fun.  They can be worn short or long, as mentioned in the last post, but they represent our ability to adapt when shifts occur and life becomes challenging or unpredictable.

I am in the process of creating other pieces such as malas.  I will be making mini-malas with 27 beads for the days when one is only in the mood for a little meditation.   These malas will be strung on elastic cord and can be worn as a bracelet.  I'm still tweaking and testing the design before I offer it in my shop.   If these pieces speak to you, please visit my Etsy shop and take a look at my other offerings.

www.yogajourneys.etsy.com

Namaste!

Kristen

New Designs Are In The Works!!!

2011 has been a year of self discovery. A year where I've had to turn inward and really explore the different facets of myself and what truly resonates with my heart. My newest designs are highly reflective of that journey and what I've been creating is finally an honest representation of who I am. 

My new designs will be launched on my Etsy site between January 1st and January 5th. As usual, I will be incorporating sparkle into my jewelry designs. These pieces are versatile and are elegant, but can also be worn with your favorite jeans. My offerings will be narrowed down to one style of bracelet, two styles of necklaces and two styles of earrings.

The earring wires are shaped by hand.  There are no pre-fab structures at work here.
Here's a few shots of the earrings to come.

The bracelets will be Chan Luu style wrap bracelets with my own sparkly twist on the design.  Bracelet size will range from 1x wrap to 5x wrap. Custom orders are always welcome.  Here's a preview.

Necklaces will be the surprise.  Versatile, fun and beautiful.  I hope you like what's in store.

OH, by the way, I'm having a SLASH & BURN SALE in my Etsy shop to clear out the old designs to make room for the new.  Go to the sale bin in my shop and scoop up great products at unbelievably low prices.
Have a wonderful holiday and a fabulous New Year!!!

Thanks for reading.

Kristen

I'm Baaaaaaaack!!!!

After a VERY long bit of time off, I have returned with some fresh, new, handmade items for sale. While going through my yoga teacher training, I was captivated by a particular style of bracelet that so many people were wearing.......and get this; they were spending upwards of $300 on one of these bracelets!!! The very frugal shopper in me said that was ridiculous and swore that I would learn how to make this type of bracelet or just find it really inexpensively elsewhere.


The type of bracelet I'm talking about are the leather wrap bracelets that essentially weave beads into the design. They are very cool looking and super comfortable to wear......a perfect yoga accessory! Here's an example of what I'm referring to.

I just love the look of these bracelets, but seriously, how much money does it really cost to make one of these to justify a price tag of $300???!!!! Well, I decided to find out.

I marched myself to the craft store, picked up some leather cord, hemp thread/cord, silk cord, beads and buttons. All of which maybe cost me about $20. I got to work trying to figure out how to marry the components together and make it look like all those fabulous bracelets I'd already seen. My first few attempts were pretty good, but I wasn't satisfied.....the weave wasn't tight enough! As I continued to toy with my latest crafting endeavor I realized the justification for the steep price tag.........these bracelets take FOREVER to make. A bracelet that wraps around twice, can take as long as 3 hours to make! I have made only two bracelets that wrap around 5 times and they took me about 2 days to complete. Next time I'll log exactly how many hours the really long ones take, but it takes a long time! And as we've all been told, time is money.

Here are some examples of my latest creations that you can purchase on Etsy.

Not bad, but I need to figure out how to use the silk cord I picked up instead of the hemp. It lays flatter and doesn't fuzz with wear. I'm sure there is a trick that makes the silk cord easier to use, but I'm not sure what it is yet. I'm sure I'll figure it out......I figured out how to make these bracelets all by myself, didn't I? Yes, I did! In time, the answer will come and maybe one of my fellow Etsian's will clue me in.



Until next time......


Thanks for reading!


Kristen

Hiatus

As I'm sure anyone can tell from my lack of posting that I've pretty much taken some time off to focus my attention on other things. I'm currently getting 200 hour certified in yoga and simply have no time to create much of anything or even update my shop. Sorry.

I did create a bunch of new inventory prior to the start of my training, however between the amount of time it takes to get decent photos, uploading and resizing and then composing something catchy about my products......a whole day is spent. Mind you, it's always time well spent and I look forward to diving back in once I've completed my studies.

For the time being, here are some previews of what I've been working on. They won't be posted to Etsy for a while, but at least you know what's going to be available.


Until next time.....

Thanks for reading!

Kristen

Addicted to Beading

I told myself a LONG time ago that no matter what, I would NEVER become addicted to beading. I thought it was really strange that there were actually people who liked to sit there and bead.....for HOURS.....and they had massive collections of beads and findings and all the things that go along with the hobby of beading.

Nope....it wouldn't be me.....not a chance. I'm not going to be sucked in by a bead or two.

Then it happened. I was in the craft store one day looking for ribbons and charms for my bookmarks and was caught off guard by some silver doughnut beads. I pictured something crystaline suspended in the center of those beads and thought it might look nice. I refused to buy beading wire and crimp tubes, because they require tools. Nope, I went for clear elastic cord and found some clear pink glass cubes to be suspended. I bought my stash and took it home. The rest is history.

I still create the same basic bracelet I started with, just with different beads in the center. It's always been a big hit with those who come across the bracelets. As far as my bead stash, I have two HUGE bead organizers; each with 5 boxes FULL of beads.....and the collection keeps growing.

Ebay and Etsy have been my best friends for supplies. Oh what I wouldn't be able to do without them!!!! And to think that I never pictured myself a beadaholic. Crazy.

Until next time......

Thanks for reading!!!

Kristen

LUXE Luther Creations Fundraiser Catalog

Hi Everyone. It's been a while since I last posted. Apologies. I've been a bit sidetracked with the fundraiser catalog that I've been putting together for an Irish Dance Class that needs to raise money to get themselves to Ireland in 2011.

It is such an honor that to be asked to do this. My neighbor's daughter is in the Irish Dance class and all the girls are super talented. It's amazing to watch them dance! The speed and agility with which they dance is incredible!

I have hand selected some of my favorite pieces from my collection as well as create a few new ones for the catalog. Several of the pieces have an Irish theme as it is for an Irish Dance Class. It was only fitting to include those pieces. I love the Irish culture and the myth and lore that surrounds it as well.

In addition to the catalog, I have created an online shop on Etsy where customers can order the fundraiser items of their choice. Here is the link: http://www.mulkerins.etsy.com/

Here is a preview of some of what you will find in the catalog:

Wow! It's been a while!

I really need to update this!

Here's the latest......I hosted a LUXE Luther Jewelry party on June 25th and had a pretty good turn out and sold lots of stuff.....many of my newer designs! Here are some pictures from the party!

I decked out the backyard with paper lanterns and arranged seating areas with small tables, candles and even a table lamp.



Foodies included veggies and dip, cheeses and meats along with figs, grapes and yogurt covered pretzels. Oh, and of course LOTS of wine!



Here we have one of two jewelry tables with assorted necklaces and bracelets. I didn't have an earring tree, so I used my fireplace screen as a place to hang earrings. It worked out beautifully!



Here is the second jewelry table with some of my newer designs featured on it. Long link necklaces, twisted strands of pearls and yoga inspired necklaces.


We all had such a great time! The backyard came out exactly as I envisioned it and the weather couldn't have been more PERFECT.......that too was just as I had envisioned it!


Until next time.....


Thanks for reading!


Kristen

Oh Boy.....a trip to the craft store is in the VERY near future!

Uh oh, I have to go to the craft store to pick up some supplies for a birthday party tomorrow where close to 20 tweens will be making charm bracelets under my supervision. I've never done this before, so it should be a unique experience.

In any case.....the craft sore.....I might as well call it a candy store, because that's what it's like for me. I get nuts looking at all the beads and findings and and and EVERYTHING! The last time I went to the craft sore I dropped WAY too much money there.....like $130 on BEADS!!!! Okay, so the Swarovski crystals certainly tipped the scales, but it still would've been about $100 without them....EASILY!

Well the store opens in about 30 minutes and I still need to get dressed and get myself and my daughter fed before we go. Trying to get an early start to our day. I'll post teaser pics of what I picked up as I usually get hit with divine inspiration at the store to create something wonderful.

Until next time....

Thanks for reading!

Kristen

New Treasures In My Shop

I posted six new bracelets in my Etsy shop yesterday. It feels so good to be creating pretty little things again. My favorite is this one.....

I'm hoping others feel as good about my jewelry as I do. I spend so much time getting the design just right so that the piece not only looks good, but will also fit the wearer perfectly.....this is especially important when I'm working with elastic cord. This bracelet and the other five I made incorporate elastic cord for ease of wearing, so I need to keep all potential customers in mind when I create these. Too small....and someone with a larger wrist won't buy it for fear it will cut off circulation. Too big.....and someone with a dainty wrist won't be able to keep it on. Finding the happy medium is tricky, but I believe that when making these, 7" around is perfect....not too big, not too small.....and they stretch, so that's PERFECT.

However, it does happen that I inadvertently create some of these types of bracelets that are only meant for a tiny wrist. Here are two from this bunch that are currently meant for smaller wrists, but could be sized up if needed.

I also did a remake of a bracelet I sold a while ago. This time I made it a bit bigger. It's a very simple, open design that goes with anything. I call it ELEGANT.

For more treasures, go to http://www.luxeluther.etsy.com/. That's all for now.

Until next time.....

Thanks for reading!

Kristen

Another Treasury! YAY!

I was featured in another treasury today on Etsy. I was amazed to see so many other artists have the same design style when it comes to these kind of bracelets. Perhaps that's a sign that I need to branch out and create something truly unique. Take a look.....

Nevertheless, I'm truly grateful to Sunyata for including me in her treasury. She too has wonderful things in her shop. Go for a visit.... www.sunyata.etsy.com. Here are a few things from her shop that caught my eye.

Well, that's all for now.

Until next time......

Thanks for reading!

Kristen

Giving Props To My Fave Etsy Shops

When I discovered Etsy, I was amazed by all the fabulous handmade treasures that were to be found there. I just want to take this moment to give props to the shops I go back to time and again for supplies, unique gifts or to just see what unique treasure has been created lately.

The first shop is Jenn Gee (http://www.jenngee.etsy.com/) and she makes the these awesome coffee corsets. Yeah, I know, "What's so great about coffee corsets?" Well, hers look like corsets. They are laced up with ribbon and have a cute button on top and a perfect little bow on the bottom. She makes them with all sorts of fabric and could probably make one custom for you if you had a particular fabric in mind. I've given these coffee corsets as gifts to friends and family and I of course have one too and LOVE it! Here are some pics of her corsets. They are so sweet! These are only 2 of her stock of 127! Take a look if you like what you see. The next shop I frequent is called Sliding Along (http://www.slidingalong.etsy.com/) and this is where I find many of my unique slides for making jewelry. I go back to this shop because her selection is so varied and STUNNING! The service is great too and she ships lightening FAST! Lots of sparkly stuff here that's fun to work with and her prices are very reasonable! Here are some of the nearly 260 items from her shop!
Another shop I will check in on from time to time simply for some great laughs is called Maybe You Should Die (http://www.maybeyoushoulddie.etsy.com/). The name says it all. It's an Etsy shop that puts a mean (yet very funny) twist on the everyday. Instead of bean bags, they have things called MEAN bags which they embroider obscenities onto. I had one made for my husband for Valentine's Day one year as a joke and had it say DUMBASS. It's pink fabric with brown embroidery floss. LOL! We still get a kick out of it. Their cards are hysterical. You must check them out! I can't post them though.....they are a little racy and tend to used profanity....and I don't want to offend anyone reading my blog, but if that kind of thing doesn't bother you, check out this shop.

For my gemstone bead fix, I tend to visit an Etsy shop called Stoned (http://www.stoned.ety.com/). She has a great assortment of gemstone beads both large and small with a great color palette to choose from as well. If you need something unique, here's where you can find it!

The final shop I will give props to today is Ling Glass (http://www.lingglass.etsy.com/). I have one of her pieces and it's beautiful! She crafts stunning stained glass jewelry. Her use of color is exquisite and her prices are incredibly reasonable considering the amount of work that must go into making one piece of jewelry. Here are some of my faves:
Well, that's it for this week. I'll give more props to more Etsy shops next Friday. Have a great weekend and happy browsing!

Until next time...

Thanks for reading!
Kristen

TREASURY FEATURE

Take a look, I was featured in an Etsy Treasury today! Yay!

It's so exciting when things like this happen! Nothing like some free advertising!!! Thank you RozPetalzStudio for spreading the good word!

My bracelets really are a perfect summer accessory. I make it a point to never leave home without wearing one. I wear them not only because I love them, but it's also free advertising.

As my thanks to RozpetalzStudio, here are some of my faves from her shop! Check her out at http://www.rozpetalzstudio.etsy.com/

Until next time.......

Thanks for reading!

Kristen

A Promising Day

Yesterday was the tag sale at my daughter's school. People were invited to come in a sell their goods, be it crap they have from home that they want to get rid of or honest to goodness handmade crafts, like mine.

Set up began at 7:30am and I arrived at about 7:50am.....not knowing of course whether or not I would have any competition. It turned out that I had no competition and that was fine with me although I neglected to acknowledge that most everyone who would be at this tag sale was looking to pay next to nothing for what they wanted. I stood my ground on all but one of my pieces that I sold. It was one of my favorite necklaces, sterling silver with green amethyst. I had it marked at $100 and the woman asked if I was open to negotiate, so I sold it to her for $75. I wouldn't normally do something like that, but I was just as happy to make $75 as I was to make $100. It was a profitable day so I can't complain one bit.

Everyone who bought an item from me left very happy that they stumbled into my little shop. I was also asked if I might create a jewelry set for the school's silent auction in May. Granted I won't make a dime off of it, but my name will get out there and hopefully there will be some interest in my products from the school community. We'll see. Here are a few shots of what I sold at the tag sale.

So, am I back in business yet? Perhaps. It was a promising day a the tag sale that turned out to be much more profitable than I had first envisioned. So maybe that itch to start selling my products again will be too much to ignore.....we'll see.

Until next time......

Thanks for reading!

Kristen