Etsy Ingredients: Namaste Necklaces

Etsy is full of bead and supply shops for just about any craft you can think of.  Handmade yarn to lampwork beads, rare vintage finds to paper ephemera; the world is your oyster with what's available!  I also like to 'give back' to the Etsy community and try to buy my supplies from my fellow sellers.  As sellers buying from sellers, we know the business transaction is much appreciated.  It's also fun to see what those purchases turn into!  Whenever you see a listing in my shop with 'made with Etsy ingredients' in it's title, you know you're buying something that helps support the artistic community in Etsy!

Let's take our first few 'ingredients':

• Four ethnic medallions I had purchased a little while ago from Susanclare, a jewelry supply shop on Etsy.  One features a mandala, one an image of a brahmin (Hindu priest), and two of what appears to be a seated Buddha. 
• Vintage olive green plastic beads from Way To Bead, full of colourful flower cabochon and vintage surprises!  These beads came in a strand of little geometric shapes with curved edges.  Very versatile and I love the colour!
• Silver-plated curved chain from Tower of Leandros - and the chain selection is excellent!  The riveted detail in this chain adds a great touch!

Ethnic medallions from Susanclare

Vintage olive green plastic beads from Way To Bead

Silver-plated chain from Tower of Leandros

These necklaces turned out quite nicely; I wanted to make these necklaces with inspirations of nature and serenity, using earth tone colours and natural materials.

Namaste necklace, no. 1:  I used black-stained shell chips on eye pins hooked along Tower of Leandro's silver-plated chain and a zebra-striped shell oval pendant as a companion to the Buddha medallion.  A freshwater pearl hangs from the end of the extender chain.

Namaste necklace, no. 2: A repurposed shell pendant hangs with the Buddha medallion.  I like how the tarnish on the medallion matches the opalescent tones in the shell.  The vintage olive green plastic beads from Way To Bead are a great compliment, too, hooked with brass eyepins along dark brass chain.  The word 'love' dangles from the extender chain.

Namaste necklace, no. 3: The recycled shell earring is a great complement pendant for this mandala medallion.  The beige tones in the shell bring out the rosiness in the yellow calcite chips clustered along the silver-plated chain.  Picture jasper stones dangle symmetrically on either side of the pendant, dark flecks reflecting the mandala medallion and beiges from the shell and calcite.

Namaste necklace, no. 4: The red aventurine hearts and turquoise chips are remnants from a purchase made from artfaerie on Etsy.  They are clustered along a gold-plated chain with eye pins, with a gold-plated Buddha medallion with a brahmin on its other side.  An Indian bangle and repurposed brass hoop from a broken Christmas ornament complete the pendant.

The teachings of such mystical prophets and enlightened men have always been so fascinating to me.  I hope to convey that mystery and earthy simplicity through these pieces, that they can serve in a moment of reflection to be grateful for the natural world around us and within us.

I hope to have these listed on my Etsy shop very soon!