the quest for 40" cord + some philosophizing

In the few weeks that I've been making my own silk cord, I've been trying to refine my technique and make longer and longer cord.  With my existing set-up, the longest length I could make was about 28".  You see, there was the length of my work table combined with the length of me - I'm 5'2" and, though I do have long arms for a short person, there's only so much those relatively long arms can manage.  So a few days ago, I got to thinking about what it would take to expand my possibilities.

First, there was the centerpiece of the process, the fixed location of my bench vise at the end of my worktable.  The other crucial tool in the equation was my flex-shaft for twisting the silk, also in a fixed location.  Enter my new favorite tool - a dremel stylus rotary tool with a charging dock.  How cute is this???

It fits my hand perfectly - ergonomic grip and all.  I did spend an extra 10 bucks for a keyless chuck, but am very glad I did.  This afternoon I set about learning how to use my new toy.  There was a bit of a learning curve to figure out the logistics of making 40" cord, but figure it out I did ... and in relatively short order.  The tools of my cord-making adventure ...

And the finished 40" lengths of cord .....

A little side note ...  I have a feeling when Nina reads this, she's going to chuckle.  We had a short visit this past Friday and at some point she mentioned my orderly (not the word she used) approach to things.  I can't help it, I'm very methodical and pretty well organized.  It's an ongoing challenge to keep that over particular part of myself in balance with the creative side.  For most of my adult life, organized and logical had the upper hand.  In 1992, inspired by the tribal looking bracelets Lorraine Bracco wore in Medicine Man (lord I loved that movie - Sean Connery with a ponytail!), I strung together a length of seed beads on quilting thread to wear on my right wrist.  The idea was to wear something creative on my logical and dominant right side - a physical reminder, a creativity talisman.  I wore increasingly long and complex variations of that bracelet 24/7 for the next 16 years.  Here you can see the longest version - 16 feet.  

Through the years, it got to where I wore a lot of jewelry all the time - and I do mean all the time.  A couple of years ago, I was compelled to take it all off.  It was ever so strange, but very transformational.  These days I go back and forth, some days fully decked out, other days nothing.  There are times when I load up and put it all back on - full armor - mostly when I'm heading into challenging situations and need all the good juju I can muster.

Hmmmm, I digress.  I guess the point of the digression is that I believe to my core there is enormous power in how we adorn ourselves.  I believe that what we wear and the intention behind how we make those choices can either uplift and engage our creative spirit or, if the choices don't come from an authentic place, be equally debilitating.  My primary motivation for making jewelry is to share work that always comes from a heart-centered place, that uplifts and empowers the wearer.

There's great power in words, there's also great power in objects.  One of my favorite quotes is from Tabra (remember her?), "choose your magic carefully, and keep it with you always."  I'm with her.

Magical blessings - kvk