Experience Mantra 2016: Silver jewelry making in Bali
In 2015 I decided to start setting mantras instead of resolutions for the new year. Usually by February those resolutions are nowhere to be found. It suited me better to come up with “a statement or slogan repeated frequently” throughout the year that would lead my choices and experiences. 2015 was the year of No Fear where I purposely set out to tackle things that scared the sh*t out of me. When I dug deep to find the mantra for 2016, New Experiences came to me.
These are my stories.
Experience Mantra #6: Silver Jewelry Making Class
Now we jump back to April when I was in Bali leading my first yoga retreat of the year. That retreat was all about self-expression and self-care. When choosing activities for the retreat I wanted guests to do some kind of art class. I let them choose from a list of silver jewelry making, mask carving, painting, and batik. The consensus was jewelry making and this excited me the most since I had seen it the last time I was in Bali but wasn’t able to participate.
I chose WS Studio for it’s good reviews and best prices. They included pick up at the hotel and off we went! Our group was 5 people and there was three people there with us working on jewelry pieces. Only two staff artists were available to help us so it took a lot longer for the class than ideal. It would have been nice to have two dedicated people just for our group because we were waiting around quite a bit. But it was a beautiful day and everyone had fun.
I was too busy taking video and working on my piece that I forget to take photos! Thankfully Donna, above, had a few photos of our jewerly class. She made some really awesome rectangle earrings with a diamond cut out and cool trim. Nicolette made a dolphin ring because that’s her spirit animal. Other ladies made a bracelet and I made a pendant.
I don’t consider myself an artist at all so I flipped through photographs of pieces created by other students. There was so many cool designs but many seemed way too advanced for me. The lotus flower really speaks to me so I decided to make a lotus pendant and give it to my mom for Mother’s Day. We were given paper and pencils to draw out our design first. I looked at some drawings of lotus flowers and was able to design something that wouldn’t be too difficult to cut out of sheet metal. After getting the 3 petals cut out I decided to add extra pedals with silver wire to create a more dimensional look.
The artists running the class really helped me a lot so I don’t feel like I truly made it myself. I did draw it out and create the design, cut the pieces of silver, they sodered the pieces together, flamed, scrubbed and polished it. I really happy with the way it came out! If I had the time and resources I would totally try my hand at making more jewelry. I give this experience 4 stars!
I’ve got so many experiences still left on my list to tell you about! I think I’ll be combining some of these into a few blog posts to not clog up my feed. If you’ve enjoyed reading about my experiences this year please do leave a comment! If there’s something you’ve always wanted to experience but haven’t been able to share with me in the comments. I need a few more ideas to wrap up the year!
Experience Mantra 2106
Quick Reference
AcroYoga
Muay thai kickboxing
Teaching yoga & learning to surf
Learning Spanish in Costa Rica
Silver Jewelry Making in Bali
Aerial Yoga & Archery
Adult Coloring Party
Breitenbush Hot Springs & Hot Springs Arkansas
Learning Craps in Vegas
SUP Yoga and first all-inclusive hotel
