Friday Finds

27 Jan 2012 23 Comments

by esscentualalchemy in Natural Perfume Tags: fine metal, friday finds, gemstones, goddess garden, jewelry, jordan river valley, metal garden art, metal garden sculpture, photography, sacred sparks

Huzzah it’s Friday, and that means Friday Finds! 

Today my guests are Jerry and Linda Beers Aydlott of Sacred Sparks

Welcome!

DRAGONFLY Brooch by Sacred Sparks

Tell me a little bit about yourself/the history of your store.

Sacred Sparks is home to Jordan Valley Studio, where Jerry and Linda Beers Aydlott, design and create their art together. They have been earning their entire living from their art for 38 years. They live in a rural setting in the Jordan River Valley, where they heat their home and studio with wood… Grow herbs, veggies raise chickens, and offer their back yard to their visitors to enjoy as well. The grounds of Sacred Sparks offers a Labyrinth, Goddess Garden and Faerie Pathway for their customers to enjoy. They also host a Beltane event in early May.

Jewelry created by Linda and Photography and steel Garden Sculpture created by Jerry are the main focus.
Linda studied art at Michigan State University and The Detroit Society of Arts and Crafts in the 60′s, now known as the Detroit College of Arts and Crafts. She met Jerry at an art show on Beltane, May 1st 1971. They were married on Mabon, September 23rd, 1972. Since that memorable day on the Autumnal Equinox the couple has earned their living from traveling to art shows east of the Mississippi. They sold their work on a wholesale level in the late 1980’s, and were represented in 130 galleries and boutiques around the country. In 1994 they open their shop “Sacred Sparks” to a local public and now offer their creations to a wider market online.

Jerry was pulled into photography by taking slides of Linda’s jewelry for juried shows. His self-taught abilities to capture the best image of an object has evolved. Jewelry was the biggest challenge with highly reflective surfaces. Jerry’s photographic path lead him to discover a great way to capture his love of nature and wild birds. Jerry’s other passion is creating metal garden sculptures. He worked with sculptor, Jim Millar, learning the craft of brazing, bending and hammering bronze. Later, Jerry studied welding at Northern Michigan University. Known as the ‘Bird’ man, Jerry is often called on to share his photos and lead Bird Walks.

Linda’s passion is for jewelry making. Working small has always been a compulsion for her. She fabricates all of her pieces, working directly with the materials of her choice. She loves to work with Sterling Silver, 14K Gold Filled, Copper, Brass, Titanium, Precious Metal Clay, precious, semi-precious stones, beads, crystals and other materials that are suitable in the moment. Her designs are inspired by her spiritual path an eclectic blend of all religions, but nature takes precedent. The Living Goddess smiles back through her work, the Celestial Magick of a starry night will enchant you, the Realm of Faerie can capture your heart. Linda loves to cook, get her bare feet muddy and hang with the froggies down at the mossy-banked creek.

East Wind Angel by Sacred Sparks

Tell me what makes your store UNIQUE from all the other stores that sell a product similar to yours.

Our store ( brick & mortar or on line shops) is a place we try to connect with people from the place of Spirit. Not religious, far from that dogmatic, human created system, but from a place that is pure Light, pure Love and all the wonderful aspects that follow behind and within it. We humans have so much potential, so much to offer to this beautiful world, yet so many are lost in the mundane of life, where color, creative approaches and passionate expression of joy are lost, to trends, political correctness, time lines, dead lines, appearances we put forth to impress others and affect what they think of us. Our effort here is to link people with their higher selves, their child within, their TRUE Self. We hope we can encourage folks to reconnect with imagination, and self expression, to live with PEACE and LOVE for all things good. Our efforts to support our desires are through our art, our offerings in our store, and the experiential walk through the fieldstone Labyrinth we built, or the Faerie Paths we have nurtured along the brook that sings by the ancient Black Willows. Wandering the paths will lead you to a bench where you can sit quietly and hear the little brook singing, and chortling it’s stories to anyone who will listen. Those stories are filled with a Soul calming essence that will tug at heart strings and fantastical imaginings.

I facilitate a Women’s MoonMeet each year to bring women back to that base element of Mother Earth and Goddess. I used to do several in one warm season here, but that got to be too much, and I found that one per year was effective and Healing for the Feminine Essence.

We also hold a Beltane or May Day Celebration here as close to May 1st as possible and a benefit for the Women’s Resource Center near by. That day is full of Spiritual meaning, great music, incredible fun, and offers blessings to a community organization that is constantly needing support on all levels. How many can say they have woven the ribbons around a May Pole? It is a ritual that symbolizes honoring and beckoning the growing season to be fruitful and prosperous.

Maidens Rite of Passage, necklace for your daughter, by Sacred Sparks

Do you do custom orders, designs, etc. If you do, what kinds of services do you offer for custom orders, what are your policies regarding custom orders?

Yes, I do custom orders, but I retain all rights to my artistic license… meaning if what the person is asking, does not fit into my creative way of thinking, I simply request the right to make the piece, as I see it in my minds eye, and use the materials that coincide with my design idea, using the requested item/idea as a springboard. I guess what I am saying, is my mind has a path of it’s own and I won’t interfere with that, nor allow someone I don’t know to interfere with that.
I have tried to create special orders in the past that just didn’t fit into my way of designing. A block is thus created, I struggle, get frustrated, procrastinate as a result and nothing happens, or something is not a representation of my work. I have found, if I push something that just does not fit with my designs or thoughts, I end up with something I am completely unhappy with. Even if the customer is happy, I feel like I have prostituted myself. That is not a positive result for either person involved.

The Relm of the Goddess by Sacred Sparks

Your links:

Store:  www.sacredsparks.com

www.etsy.com/shop/sacredsparks
Blog:  www.sacredsparks.blogspot.com
FaceBook:  www.facebook.com/Sacred.Sparks
Twitter:  twitter.com/#!/sacred_sparks

Faerie Orbs in the Night by Sacred Sparks

Thanks to you both for being here!

Advertisement