We all know that Spring brings new life and new beginnings.  I’d like to announce to all of my loyal customers and fans that in May, I will be moving to North Carolina! I have enjoyed every minute of my 5 years here in Berkeley, but family, friends and the South are calling me back.  My husband, Aveesh, and I are packing up all of our beads and all of our belongings, and relocating to Charlotte, NC.  We look forward to this new chapter in our lives together.

The decision came about due to a number of reasons.  The East Coast is home for me, and it will be wonderful to be near family again.  Much of our business is on the East Coast, and there are a lot of bead and art shows that are only 1 day’s drive from Charlotte.  California is a wonderful place to live, but an expensive place to operate.  We feel like we are running all of the time to keep up.  I heard a theory recently that the higher the rent is in a location, the faster people move, the more stressed out they are, and the less inner peace they feel.  We are hoping that with our move we will bring about a change of pace, more savings in the bank, and more inner peace.

The next few months will be a bit hairy, but I am doing my best not to get worked up about it, and to take it one day at a time.  I am moving forward with grace.  I was listening to an Eckart Tolle book on cd this weekend, and really found strength in a point he made: stress is nothing more than our opposition towards our present situation.  With that in mind, I will take each step with full intention, attention, and acceptance.

I will miss all of my Bay Area fans and customers, and I look forward to reconnecting with my fans in the Southeast.  For those of you who will now be far away, don’t forget that my website www.divaliglassjewelry.com is always full of delectable delights for your perusal.  And for those of you who will be near me again, I look forward to seeing you soon!

I thank all of you for your support and enthusiasm over years, as Divali has moved from East coast to West, and now travels back East.  This should be an exciting adventure, a wonderful new beginning.

With gratitude and joy,
Carter

I’ve resurfaced, this time in Philadelphia, PA.  I’m here for the Buyers Market of American Craft, representing a new direction for Divali Glass Jewelry.  This resurfacing is reason in part for my absence on my blog.  I’ve been busier than ever before, to the point that I haven’t even had time to check e-mails and blog and other things that I normally consider part of my everyday routine.

So what is this new direction, you ask?  It’s very sparkly and colorful.  Ever since I moved to Berkeley, I have been eyeing the sparkling high-end Precious and Semi-precious bead cases at Bead Trust.  Looking at the sparkling strands of London Blue Topaz, Apatite, Pink Amethyst, Toumaline, and Peridot always made my heart flutter and skip a beat.  I love the look of sparkling gemstones.  But I was scared of the commitment.  Scared that the sparkling natural color palette wouldn’t match the handmade color palette of my glass.  Scared of cutting the strands apart, for whatever reason.  Aveesh kept encouraging me to give it a try.  So one fine day back in the Fall, I decided to take the plunge into the sparkling sea of semi-precious.  It took lots of trial and error, lots of designing and re-designing.  And then I found my groove.  This is a collaboration of two hearts and minds.  One of the reasons Aveesh and I are so compatible is because we share a love of color and sparkle.  These new creations are made with both of our strengths; my love of glass and color, and Aveesh’s love of natural stones. Temple Singh is the name of the new venture.  Please take a look and let me know what you think: www.TempleSingh.com.

Temple Singh is not just about sparkle.  It is about the healing and spiritual powers of the gemstones.  We believe in the powers of the Earth and the knowledge of nature to affect humankind.  Temple Singh Jewels are talismans of beauty and nature.  Each piece will come with a card detailing the spiritual and healing powers of the gemstones that comprise it.

Divali Glass Jewelry will continue to grow in its own direction, and Temple Singh will too.  It will be a fun new adventure, sparkling and bright.  To see the new Temple Singh Collection and Divali Glass Jewelry in person, please visit the Contemporary Crafts Market at Fort Mason, San Francisco, March 13-14.

Divali is coming up!  This year it’s on Saturday, October 17 (this Saturday).  I am going to do the annual sale a bit differently this year and host the sale in my Etsy store.  For those of you who aren’t familiar with Etsy, it is a fabulous website for handmade objects and objects related to making things.  I find that it’s so easy to get lost in the pages and pages of fabulous things there.  I have long wanted to get an Etsy store going, and have never really put in a concerted effort.  All of that is changing this week.  I have started listing Divali Sali items, and will continue to list them throughout the week.  I’ll keep the sale going until things slow down, or until the sale items are gone.  And then I’ll restock with new items for Fall and Winter!  It’s always fun for me to clean out the jewelry box.  I am a nester and a hoarder, though I fight the hoarding part.  And it feels so good to let go of the stash.  It always makes mental room for new creative endeavors.  Here is the banner I’ve created for this year’s Divali Sale:
Take a peek now, take a peek tomorrow, take a peek later in the week.  The offerings will grow as the days pass, and I think you’ll be pleased with what I’ve got to offer!

I’ve been going in a direction lately that feels a bit strange to my soul, but it’s the right direction.  This I know.  I’m being drawn forward, like a moth towards the flame, to something that I only understand in its periphery.  To say I have scratched the surface is being liberal.  I am making realizations, finding truths, opening doors, and hearing sounds that are ancient and true, and far from what I have ever consciously known.  And I’m fascinated.  I know this all seems very vague, very foreign, not what you usually find at this blog.  But please bear with me, we are going in a good direction.
One of the things that has inspired me today is this video of a Sufi song, from the film Jodhaa Akbar.
I haven’t seen the film yet, but the music will guarantee that I do soon.  It’s about Jalaluddin Mohammad Akbar, the greatest Mogul Emperor, and his journey that was intended to be political and religious, but turns out to be about finding true love in Princess Jodhaa.   Sufiism is a faith that has often intrigued me.  The art and the artistic expressions of Sufi poets and musicians is very alluring and magnetic for me.  It is, after-all, known as the mystical dimension of Islam.  There is something ancient and innate to humankind in this song.  Though I can’t understand the lyrics, I relate to the emotions in my soul.  The gist of it is in reaching out to the Divine in this life, not in waiting for the judgement at the end.  This song is like a soundtrack to my life right now.  I can’t quite explain how, but it’s about moving in a direction that is innate to the soul, in being open to the messages that the world is sending, and in accepting and embracing the truths of those who have come before me.

Shirley Maclaine, in her book The Camino, wrote, “when the journey of the soul is recognized, a restabilization of the emotions takes place.”  That’s what’s happening here.  Stay tuned to see where I go!

The aftermath of the wedding sparkle has been a bit, well, not so sparkly.  I didn’t realize how exhausted I was.  And it didn’t help that I returned to the inevitable mountain of paperwork and past-due orders, with boxes upon boxes that needed unpacking, full of contents that needed re-stashing.  Talk about out of the sunshine, into the clouds.  Things went from happy and cheery to back the grindstone rather abruptly.  But I forged through and have to say that married life has been fantastic thus far.  We are happy and in love, and that’s a beautiful thing.  But it doesn’t give me the re-energizing that I needed.  I’ve been trying to take it slow for the past few weeks, and I am realizing how much I needed to do just that.  I slept for about 14 hours lastnight, and I just don’t do things like that!  So I am trying to be easy with myself.  No forced strenuous workouts, no forced late-night torch sessions, no jewelry making if I’m not in the mood.  Just trying to get the important things done, take some time to read relax with my husband (that word still feels strange), and make time for lots of sleep.  I’m doing a cleanse and taking some homeopathic tonics to support my adrenal system, and I can feel my energy returning to me.  I think some good times are around the bend.

The months ahead hold something very exciting that I can’t quite share yet, but I know that I will need lots of steam to make it up the hill.  I’m like the little engine that could, but I know that I need to conserve my resources.  We have some changes coming that are going to be a challenge, but an exhilarating one.

In the meantime, I’m working on a new line for Fall and Winter.  I’m only scratching the surface of where I want to go with this, but the creative energies are flowing.  It took me a while to get back into the groove of things, after being away from the torch for over a month.  I have a few wholesale orders going out in the next week or two, and at the same time will expand upon these ideas.  Divali is also in a few weeks, on October 17, and I hope to get a sale together to celebrate.  I’ll keep you posted here.  In the meantime, here are a few new pieces to tickle your fancy and tempt your imagination with ideas of things to come.  These pieces are reminiscent of work I have made in the past, very whimsical and vibrant; but there’s more to these than the ones before.  These are the kind of pieces that seem to elicit a response from many people that makes me realize we all need more of this vibrance in our lives.  ”Oh, those are so cute for little girls,” or “Oh, that necklace is perfect for a teacher.”  Bah humbug.  We all have an inner child, and that inner child loves bright colors and whimsical shapes and hearts and flowers.  We are only as old as we feel.  In these tough times, we need things to make us smile, and this jewelry is sure to do just that!

I’m off to tick some things off that to-do list.  Back again soon, feeling rejuvenated and renewed-
Carter

We’re making our way back home and have been stopping at lots of fun places along the way.  We went a good bit out of the way to go through South Dakota, somewhere I have always wanted to go.  I have some obsession with the wild wild west; cowboys, buffalo, prairie lands, and crazy rock formations that seem to leap out of the ground.  Since we know how hectic life is, we decided to take this chance to head north and take a route we’d never take otherwise.  Yes, we were supposed to be back in the office last week.  But I guess one of the benefits of being the boss is that you can do as you please.  So we’re taking our merry time, and we’ll get there when we get there.

Yesterday we stopped in the Badlands National Park and at Mount Rushmore, and I was as impressed as I thought I would be.  I have long had an obsession with Mount Rushmore, and it was so exciting to see it in person.  I can’t really put my finger on where the obsession came from; I think it has something to do with the grand scale of this monument, and the fact that it’s so out in the middle of nowhere.  I can’t imagine what it must have been like in the 1920’s when the carving was done.  Here are some pictures of our journey.  And the journey continues …

I’ve been busy as a bee doing lots of things besides making jewelry.  I had one of those Once In A Lifetime events to take care of: my wedding!  It was a beautiful occasion, colorful and festive, joyous, full of love.  What an amazing thing to be surrounded by so many people who love us.  It was quite a feat to pull it off, but I am very happy with the way it turned out.  We had family and friends come from all over the world and descend upon Asheville, NC.  Our wedding took place at Hidden River, a small, family-owned farm.  It is a beautiful spot, quite serene and natural.

We are still glowing in after-wedding bliss.  We’re making our way back across the country now in the truck, with fun stops along the way.  We’re in Cincinnati now, staying with Saki and Liz from Saki Silver.  We’re heading out in just a bit, on our way to Bad Lands National Park and Mount Rushmore.  These are two spots that I’ve always wanted to see, and the time is right and we’re going right by, so we’re going to stop and take in the beauty.  And we’ll be back in California later this week.

Here are a few pictures from our wedding.  It was such a special time.

The torch fires have been blazing this week.  I’m working through my wholesale orders and getting them out the door.  Productivity is one of my favorite things in the world.  I love waking up to a kiln full of beads and looking through the goodies I’ve created.  I’m not working on anything new this weekend, but I am finding great satisfaction in perfecting some of my standby designs, as I fill the orders on my list.  Sometimes I’m in the mood to create new, and resist production work.  But this weekend I am enjoying honing my skills, perfecting my dots and stripes.  I have some new ideas that I’m working on mentally, and I find that the repetitive motion of production work lets my mind wander and explore new designs.  Maybe tomorrow afternoon I’ll play with some new design ideas.

In my “other” jewelry world, I have not one but two exciting announcements.  I have necklaces on the cover of 2 beading magazines right now!  Theseare pieces that I made to promote Bead Trust.  I have a lot of fun making my “other jewelry.”  One of these pieces has a lot of my lampwork beads, and I love it.  I have a nice selection of my beads for sale now on Bead Trust, including the ones that are in this cover necklace of Bead Unique Magazine.

Another one of my pieces is also on the cover of Creative Jewelry 2009, published by Interweave Press.  I have a total of 5 jewelry projects in the yearly publication, including the piece on the cover.

It’s very exciting to go into a book store and see something you’ve created on the cover.  I have to say, even after having quite a few of my pieces published, I still get such a happy feeling inside when I see these magazines in the bookstore.  It really is fun!  So if you’re into beading and are looking for some new ideas to freshen up your jewelry stash, go grab a copy of these magazines, hot off the press.  They are filled with fun, summery ideas!

Alright, back to the torch for me.  I have a lot of orders ahead of me, and I’m hoping to get them all out next week.  We are heading down to LA in a week and a half for the Pasadena Bead and Design Show.  I hope to have some jewelry samples made up for the show as well.  So I’ve got to get these beading fingers in gear!

Have a great weekend-
Carter

Blogging has been on my “To Do List” all week.  And here we are, one more week down, and I am just now sitting down to blog on Friday night.  As they say, “better late than never.”  I feel like four people, with the number of things that I’ve been juggling lately.  I must say, though, I am quite proud of my accomplishments.  I’ve created some new jewelry, I’ve shipped out lots of big wholesale orders, I’m on top of the books in the office, and the wedding plans are about 90% complete.  Whew, it’s been a wild ride, but a fun one!

I am doing the Association of Clay and Glass Artists’ show this weekend at the Palo Alto Art Center.   The ACGA is a juried group of clay and glass artists from all over California.  The jurying process was pretty rigorous, and I am honored to be a part of such a talented group.  I have heard wonderful things about the show, so I’m excited to see how the weekend goes.  I set my booth up today and the show starts tomorrow morning at 10:00.  I have a few necklaces to string still, and then I hope to crawl into bed early tonight to rest up.  I’m looking forward to displaying my new pieces, meeting new customers, and seeing what the other artists have.  I always come home from an art show with a new addition to my collection of handmade things, and I really look forward to perusing the other booths.  And aside from all of the art, I’m really looking forward to some time in the sun!  This is the first outdoor show I’ve done in a long time.  And it’s the first time I will have had 2 whole days outside in a long time.  I can’t wait to catch some sun; it makes me happy to my soul to feel the warm sun.  It’s been cold here in Berkeley lately, so Palo Alto will be a nice change in temperatures.

I have a few new pieces to share, finally!  I have had so little torch time during the past few months, that I’ve only had time to fill orders.  It’s left me feeling a bit dry, creatively.  So I set some time aside and had play time at the torch, and I love the new pieces that I made.  I plan to make some more in these styles.  I’ve got lots more ideas bouncing around upstairs, and I hope to have more torch time next week to bring them to being.  So here are 3 new ones.  Let me know what you think!

Wish me luck at the show this weekend.  I hope to have some time to blog next week and let you all know how it goes!  Enjoy your weekend!

Carter

Did you miss me?  I know this blog has been left a little high and dry of late.  And I apologize once again.  There are times in life when things have to take the back burner.  I’ve been as busy as the busiest worker bee, and getting a lot of things done.  And I have to admit that I have become a big fan of Facebook and the status updates.  It’s so much easier than logging in to the blog, typing a whole post, adding the pictures, and posting.    So if you are in need of more frequent Carter commentary, come find me over there.  More brief comments, but more up to date.  But I do have good intentions of blogging more often.  At least the intention is there!

So what have I been up to, you ask?  Well, in a nutshell: paperwork, filling orders, paperwork, wedding planning, paperwork, adding Summer designs to the website, paperwork, going home for my cousin’s wedding, paperwork, getting ready for the ACRE wholesale show, paperwork, getting Bead Trust ready for Bead & Button, paperwork.  Get the idea?  Oh, and a bit of sleeping and eating and exercise.  And I have taken a little time for a visit to a friend’s vineyard in the wine country, a few dinners with pals, and the like.  We can’t deny ourselves of all leisurely activities!  It’s been a whirlwind of a start to the summer.  But I’ve been having fun, and that’s important.  

I’m at the ACRE wholesale show right now in Las Vegas.  It started today, and there’s a pretty good feel so far.  It is significantly smaller (in terms of number of vendors) but I hear that the buyer count is up.  And there’s a good energy here, so that helps a lot.  There’s nothing worse than a slow show where everyone is sitting around moping and feeling sorry for themselves.  It just brings the whole mood down.  So I’m so thankful that the mood is up here.  

From here I go straight to Bead & Button where I’ll be working the Bead Trust booth with Aveesh.  I look forward to B&B.  It’s a fun show, and we get to catch up with all of our friends.  So I’m looking forward to it.  Though the traveling does get a bit exhausting, it’s worth it.

I’ll try to be back sooner rather than later.  If you’re at ACRE or B&B, come by and say hi!