How many times have you been told or told yourself to lighten up?
What does it mean to take oneself lightly? Do I take myself lightly?
With those questions percolating, I began to make chain links.
A tourist from Georgia’s handmade chain necklace prompted my design when my eye was drawn to the circles – larger than those I typically used — when she visited Amapola Gallery, the coop gallery to which I belong.
I asked to touch the piece, made by an artist in Gainesville, GA. I marveled at its feel, and complimented her on the choice. Her necklace was lightweight and yet substantial.
Remembering the chance encounter, I smiled as my wire shaped itself around an old spool, its thread long gone. I marked the center of each circle, sawed the sterling silver, soldered each ring, then hammered and shaped it. Next, I connected the links, repeated the process and admired my progress.
Thanks to my repetitious work, I considered the benefits of meditation: relaxation, calmness, and clarity, along with lowered stress. Handmade chain creates each of those while providing a meditation of sorts for me during the process.
A quote from Thich Nhat Hanh, a Vietnamese Buddist monk known as the father of mindfulness, is near my workbench. Meditation is not to escape from society, but to come back to ourselves and see what is going on. Once there is seeing, there must be acting. With mindfulness we know what to do and what not to do to help.
In a relatively short time, my process concluded with a 26-inch handmade chain that made me smile. The smile got broader when I recognized the lightness of being. This chain is a refreshing departure from my usual links. It’s bright, airy and perfect for New Mexico summer. Each trio of bright silver chain links represents bubbles of trust.
It’s been said angels can fly because they take themselves lightly. I’m ready to fly.
My bubbles of trust handmade chain necklace, a frame for another piece of Mary Ellen magic, is sure to lighten you up – or someone special you gift a designer piece to in the coming months.
I invite you to stop by Amapola Gallery, 205 Romero St. NW in Old Town Albuquerque to see my magical creation designs. Feel yourself lighten up each time you don this one-of-a-kind necklace.
