Mantra Gems

2011-11-03T12:05:00.000-07:00

Come see me this Saturday at 2hands market. I'll have a bunch of new pieces from my brass collection.

New Fall Designs

2011-07-14T13:27:00.000-07:00

Fresh back from the Whole Foods Mid-Atlantic Holiday Show, I met with buyers to show them new designs in my fall/winter collection. Here's a peek at what they saw.

DIY Bracelet Display

2011-02-20T10:51:00.000-08:00

Hey, not too bad if I say so myself. This is a new bracelet display I made (with lots of help from the husband) to display my bangles at Whole Foods. We used driftwood from the local beach, PVC pipe and fabric. Now I need to spend the rest of my afternoon making bangles to fill it up!

In the Mood for Love

2011-01-13T07:33:00.000-08:00

Valentine's Day is next month. Inspired by all the ways we can express love for one another, I've been designing new pieces with love on the mind. Available through my Etsy shop and Whole Foods in Annapolis.

Constant Love Earrings

Love Me True Necklace

DIY Photo Frame

2010-11-16T07:14:00.000-08:00

Why buy it when you can make it yourself. This project gave me a great excuse to go to an estate sale to find the frame, which I picked up for $40. The best part... the frame was made in 1830. It's super solid and breathes new life into my foyer.

Making molds

2010-11-10T05:40:00.000-08:00

Love the vintage feel of this piece. The silver pieces are replicas of pearl buttons that I made molds of.

Me Time

2010-11-04T15:58:00.000-07:00

What a thrill! Mantra Gems was featured in the November issue of Chesapeake Family in its "Me Time" section! www.chesapeakefamily.com

Media Buzz

2010-11-04T15:54:00.000-07:00

So thrilled to be featured in The Capital's Lifestyle section about 2hands market!

Craft event showcases local talent
Carleen Birnes, Jill Davolio and Ally Tierney are three pretty crafty women. Each has her own unique line of jewelry or accessories, and they've gathered together more like-minded local ladies for a craft fair.

Click here for the full article!

A New Angle

2010-10-27T06:56:00.000-07:00

For my winter collection, I've been exploring geometric shapes. I'm liking the graphic statement. Check out my new collection at 2hands market, coming up Nov. 7th at Holy Grounds Youth Center in Severna Park.

All Mixed Up

2010-09-27T17:52:00.000-07:00

A bit of a departure for me stylistically. I'm groovin' on the mix of metals with a hit of sparkle. More to come in this vein? We'll see.

Crafting a Nation

2010-09-14T09:39:00.000-07:00

Booked tickets to "Crafting a Nation" Conference in DC in Oct. So many great panel discussions!

This one is particularly appealing:

Panel: Do you DIY?
How are young American 'crafters' engaging the educational, economical, and ideological origins of the studio craft movement, and how are they diverging from them? This conversation examines the 'Indiecraft' or Do It Yourself movement as a potential window into the future of craft in America.

Best part...tickets are free!

http://americancraftweek.com/craftinganation

Enlighten Up

2010-09-13T09:14:00.000-07:00

Thanks to EarthMother Mosaics for including my Enlighten Up earrings in an Etsy Treasury today.

In her words, "Each item was chosen for its ability to touch something within me." I couldn't agree more.

Tangled Up in Blue

2010-09-08T07:16:00.000-07:00

The Annapolis Etsy team is gaining steam! Here's a well curated Treasury of us on Etsy.

Treasury of Annapolis Etsy Street Team

Nature Walk

2010-07-14T12:28:00.000-07:00

Exploring the Chesapeake Bay in Kent Narrows.

Sea Gull Necklace

2010-07-14T12:27:00.000-07:00

New sea gull necklace. I can smell the salty air.

Shells & Grout

2010-07-11T19:11:00.000-07:00

On a whim and a prayer, we decided to DIY a stone patio off the front of the house (and my studio). One year later (after a redo of a stone wall) we can almost taste the wine we'll be sipping from the bistro table (that I still need to buy) for the aforementioned patio. Today, as we were grouting the steps, we decided to have the kids stick in little shells and stones that we've collected over our travels.

Adjustable bangles and rings

2010-07-07T12:22:00.000-07:00

I've been playing around with a design for adjustable bangle bracelets and rings. Here's my latest design. I think it's working for me. Now, if my order of gemstones would just arrive... I'm ready to make them in a rainbow of colors.

Get Wired

2010-07-02T19:43:00.000-07:00

Ever wonder how to wire wrap beads into chain? Make this and more at my back-to-back wire classes at Bead Soup in Savage Mill ... Sat., July 10th.

www.bead-soup.com

DIY Jewelry Display

2010-06-29T10:25:00.000-07:00

The makings for a new bangle bracelet display for Whole Foods. Let's hope it will look as good as my sketch.

Peridot Setting gets new lease on life

2010-06-29T10:22:00.000-07:00

Breathing new life into the peridot setting... The sterling bezel was pretty deep so I decided to wrap the PMC around the setting to make it secure. I do love the result.

2010-06-25T12:03:00.000-07:00

One of the gals at Whole Foods asked me to turn the peridot setting on her ring into a pendant. It poses somewhat of a challenge since the stone is already bezel set. Luckily peridot can withstand high firing temps in the kiln, which allows me to create a PMC backing. Can't wait to see what I come up with ;)

New Spring Market

2010-04-16T20:06:00.000-07:00

Spring is here and so is our next 2hands market! Our intrepid partner, Jill, has lined up some incredible live music, while talented local designers will be selling their wares. Time to get off the computer and get back to the jewelry making!

For a complete list of designers and musical talent, click here!

Recalibrate

2010-04-16T19:54:00.000-07:00

I'm shamefully slack when it comes to updating my blog, even while I am diehard about others design blogs. There's a time for everything. My time is dedicated to the making, not the blogging as of now. But! Here's a blissful shot of my daughter running through a fountain at the Smithsonian Castle in DC. Love it and thought it worthy of sharing. Wish each one of us could experience such unabashed joy like this in our grownup lives.

Mark your calendars!

2009-09-21T10:38:00.000-07:00

I am crazy excited about a craft market that I'm organizing along with a few super talented designers. This is our innagural event, which we plan to grow bit by bit each year. The afternoon will be filled with hip wares, all handcrafted by local emerging designers, along with live music, wine (yay) and munchies.

More posts to come on this event. Mark your calendars everyone!!

Goddesses

2009-04-27T17:09:00.000-07:00

I'm delighted to post a picture of a wonderful group of friends, who all received goddess necklaces made by yours truly. Goddess Holly, or Kali as she's know to her friends, commissioned a set of necklaces for each. What an incredible bond they all share! Goddesses from L to R: Pat (Vanessa), Kathleen (Isis), Holly (Kali), and Gilean (Eir).

Here's a close up of the design. On the back of each pendant is a special message that reads "Dum Vivimus Vivamus," which is latin for "Let us live while we live." Amen to that.

2009-04-07T08:37:00.000-07:00

Check out my upcoming jewelry show!

I'm working diligently, cooking up fresh new designs

not shown on my site or etsy.

Come by and say hello!

fingerprints

2009-02-10T09:16:00.001-08:00

My fingers are still a little sore from creating 26 fingerprint leaves. Each of my son's classmates has their fingerprint captured forever in silver. The leaves will dangle off the branches of a copper wire tree, handmade by his teacher's friend. It took a lot of time to sand, initial, fire and polish each print. But completely worth it! The fingerprint tree will be auctioned off at the school's fundraiser later this month. Let's start the bidding!

2008-12-31T09:33:00.000-08:00

In the spirit of giving back this New Year, here's a video that was forwarded to me by Opportunity International, another group I support through sales of Mantra Gems jewelry. Makes one think and think some more.

Reflections on a new year

2008-12-31T08:59:00.000-08:00

It's New Year's Eve and what a humbling experience to sit down at my computer and read this message from Zainab Salbi, the founder of Women for Women, International, which is one of the organizations that Mantra Gems supports.

Instead of writing my own message, I want to post her powerful reflections on gratitude and transformation. Happy New Year.

Dear Carleen,

A long time ago, the staff of Women for Women International decided that we would not do a gift exchange during the holiday season. Rather, we would share something symbolic with each other—a word, a song, or a wish.

There was the year where we sang songs to each other, the year when we made dishes for each other, and the year in which we gave the gift of words to each other. I remember a colleague wishing me not only good health so I can keep on going, deep love so my heart may be filled, but also enough challenges to keep me humble and enough pain to remind me of my blessings. I thought this was the most beautiful gift I had ever gotten and, God knows, the prayer did come true.

This year, around a simple pizza gathering, we shared what we are most grateful for. (Perhaps not the most ideal holiday party, but we are a nonprofit and there is a financial crisis going on out there. We need to squeeze everything we can out of each penny.)

And, I think, this year was the most profound sharing of gifts I’ve ever had.

The night before, my father had called me from Baghdad and was complaining about how tough life is in Iraq—how there is only limited electricity each day, how water pressure is so weak one barely gets enough water (let alone clean water), how there was a bomb that exploded in neighborhoods all around him. And, as I was trying to calm him down, I was also thankful that he is alive, that my loved ones are alive and though he and other family members have endured so much, they are still there in my life. For my father's love, I am very grateful.

The week before, an Afghan colleague was sharing her worries about her children's safety and while she will do anything to keep working for the women we serve, she just wants to make sure that her son’s life is safe. For her courage, determination, and love I am deeply grateful.

And just the month before, I had the privilege of spending time with Honorata, a woman whom I first met as a participant receiving Women for Women International services in DR Congo and just recently, I met her as a colleague, a hero, and a great teacher in this life. On her first visit to the United States, Honorata stood in front of more than 800 people and gave her testimony about what she endured during her sexual enslavement in DR Congo, "I was married and was wearing a wedding ring on my finger. They sawed off the ring and, because of that, my finger can no longer function properly. They said I was nobody's wife and, at the same time, I was the wife of everyone. They called me ‘a meal’. Everybody who was hungry for sex could take me as their meal. After raping me, they would pick up any rag, put it on the end of their rifle, and insert it into me, saying that they were wiping me clean”. These were just some of the things she shared in telling her story. Later on, and in a private conversation with me, she talked about how important it was for her to have the power not to look back, not to have her past paralyze her life, to be able to love more, and speak more, and share more. Her resilience shows an amazing part of humanity's strength, courage, and beauty and for her I am incredibly grateful.

I have always known that the women we serve and the colleagues we work with in our overseas offices will always be a source of inspiration for me. But, as many of us do, I have often traveled the world and looked ahead for what I will be grateful for and often forgotten to pay attention to what is around me every day, to show my gratitude to those who sometimes, because of their closeness, I do not always give them the time needed to communicate my love and admiration for them. This is what Sibongile taught me in our holiday party.

As we went around the room in our headquarters office in Washington D.C., my colleagues expressed all kinds of gratitude. There were those who were grateful to have found love in their lives, those who were grateful for doing the work they do, and those who were grateful for good health. And then there was Sibongile, a newer staff member. She took a deep breath and talked about how she was grateful for the ability to communicate with one another, how she was grateful to live in a peaceful country, how she was grateful to have the basics in life. “Don't worry about the financial crisis", she said as she tried to put into perspective one's life, the gift of communication, the gift of sharing, and the gift of showing what is most valuable in our lives: love, kindness and generosity of spirit.

Sibongile grew up in South Africa under the apartheid regime and witnessed the disappearance and death of loved ones in her life, days without much food or basic amenities, and days of fighting and instability in her life. Sibongile and I have only met once before in her 9 months with Women for Women International, but I am deeply grateful to her for teaching me to see the blessings and wisdom that has been so close to me all year long, yet, I didn't spend much time to appreciate it. For the beauty of her words and her spirit, I am very grateful.

As we all embark on a new year—hopefully a good year, a peaceful year, and, yes, maybe a tough year, but never for too long—remember to notice the blessings that are close to you and far away from you, remember to take the time to share a sweet word with someone, and hopefully, with a woman in a war torn region. Write a letter to your sponsored sister. Share with her some of your blessings, some of your love, and some of your wisdom. And remember Rumi's words when he said:

Dance, when you're broken open
Dance, if you've torn the bandage off
Dance, in the middle of the fighting Dance, in your blood
Dance, when you're perfectly free

May it be a very happy 2009.
With deep gratitude for all of your support,

Zainab Salbi

http://www.womenforwomen.org/