Amethyst and Addiction

Amethyst is my birthstone and I have always thought of it as a love talisman, but I recently discovered a completely different myth associated with the beautiful purple stone.

Apparently, amethyst  is connected to the deities Bacchus and Dionysus (gods of wine and libation). It is believed to help overcome alcoholism and other addictions. 

The name of amethyst comes from the Greek word “amethostos” meaning “not drunken”. According to Greek myth a nymph named Amethyst rejected the wine god Dionysus. To protect her, the goddess Artemis turned her into a quartz. Feeling remorse, Dionysus pourend a cup of wine on the quartz turning it into purple amethyst.

The Romans have a different myth. The wine-growing god Bacchus became angry with people who were disrespectful and vowed that the first person he saw would be killed. The nymph Amethyst came across him first, on her way to the goddess Diana’s temple. Diana rescued her by turning her into a quartz crystal. Feeling bad, Bacchus started to pour wine over her, claiming that ‘wine revives anything.’ But, he was wrong and the stone only turned purple. Thus, the belief that amethyst preserves the wearer from hard drinking.

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Charmed Is Featured as Fox Small Business of the Day!

Great news! Today I am featured as the Fox Small Business of the Day! You can see the feature here: http://smallbusiness.foxbusiness.com/entrepreneurs/2012/02/15/business-leads-to-charmed-life/

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Japanese Chirimen Fabric

I have recently fallen in love with Japanese chirimen fabrics and have created several bracelets using different patterns.

Japanese Chirimen Wrap Bracelet

Japanese chirimen cloth is known for kimonos, but is now used in all sorts of clothing and crafts. It is a crepe cloth that is  made of silk or rayon and is created in beautiful, colorful  nature-inspired patterns.

Chirimen is a traditional weaving technique that was developed in the late sixteenth century in Japan. The cloth or silk fabric that is made from this technique is also called "chirimen." The cloth has the unique feature of soft wrinkles which are created by alternating two types of silk thread, twisted in different directions and then washed  and rubbed in hot water.

See more of my chirimen designs HERE.

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The Road to the MTV Movie Awards

In June, our bracelets will be included in the GBK Productions Luxury Gift Lounge for the MTV Movie Awards!

Now, by the beginning of May, I have to find the time to create 100 extra bracelets. The good news is that the design has been decided upon, what do you think?

 This silk wrap bracelet features a double-sided charm. One side says ‘believe’ and the other side says ’inspire.’ Hanging with the round charm will be three Swarovski crystals, in amethyst, purple, and dark blue…..That’s 300 crystals! Each ribbon is hand dyed in a gorgeous mix of purples, blues, and browns.

The supplies have all been ordered and now I have to work on the packaging.  I am thinking of using metal tins with a charmed design logo sticker on top. …Any great ideas out there, I’m open to suggestions?!

Check out this bracelet on my website HERE.

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Screen Actors Guild Awards Gift Bag Reveal!

Sunday night was the 18th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards and today we get to tell you who received our inspired designs in their gift bag at the Four Seasons Hotel. Ready? This is quite a list: 

Steve Buscemi Josh Charles, Ben Kingsley, Jessica Lange, Glenn Close, Jane Krakowski, Tina Fey, Christine Baranski, Katrina Bowden, Alan Cumming, Drew Barrymore, Giancarlo Esposito, Craig Robinson, Dean Norris, Jean Dujardin, Juliana Margulies, Morgan Freeman, Ryan Seacrest, Channing Tatum, and Rachel McAdams.

And we were so grateful to get a thank you tweet from Mr Josh Charles, of The Good Wife. What a gentleman!

Next up, the MTV Movie Awards in June....But how could it beat this list??

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Screen Actors Guild Awards Gift Bag

Here is a picture of the gift bag that includes our silk wrap bracelet that will be gifted to Screen Actors Guild Awards nominees and presenters at the Four Seasons Hotel. We are so excited and can’t wait to share with you the list of celebrities who receive our bracelets…to be revealed after the event!

You can see our silk wrap bracelets HERE.

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We Love Our MTV!

We are so proud to announce that charmed design will be participating in the GBK Productions Gift Lounge at the MTV Movie Awards! We are already lucky enough to be included in the SAG Awards, January 29th, and this is just icing on the cake. More details to come...

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Charmed is Going Hollywood!

I am so proud to announce that our silk wrap bracelets will be included in the gift bags presented to celebrities staying at the Beverly Hills Four Seasons Hotel for the 2012 Screen Actor’s Guild Awards. The gift bags are produced by Hollywood Baskets who provide gift bags at all the major award shows.

I have to admit that I was blown away when I learned charmed would be included in this event. How exciting!

Here is an example of the bracelets that will be included. You can check it out here:

 Stay tuned to see who exactly receives our bracelets, to be revealed after the awards….

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