The colorful jewelry, silk scarves and bags available on this site from Hermit Studios are the creative and artistic results of Jeff Paquette and Dye Devereux of Ontario, Canada, a.k.a.: The Hermits.

The silks are hand-painted by Dye, the scarves to be worn and/or displayed, and the bags were originally designed to hold tarot, but will also fit CDs and even a Kindle or equivalent-sized tablet, or jewelry, or crystals.

 

With the unique jewelry Jeff and Dye create the original artwork, then reproduce it and mount it on reclaimed brass (special alloy that will not turn you green) that has been polished and sealed and then is protected with a high, durable coat of resin. The resin also works as a magnifier, allowing the details of the art to shine through.

The pendants are mounted on a satin cord and the earrings have hypo-allergenic posts. The jewelry is light and comfortable to wear, with special symbolism that speaks to many.

The Hermits considered their items “handcrafted art created with right intention” products that empower, uplift and inspire.

Centered around the concepts of personal balance and wellness in all aspects of body, mind and spirit, the Hermits create their products with the belief that the journey of self-discovery is one to be celebrated and nurtured and is not meant to be a completed task, but an evolving adventure of participation in color and light, laughter, sincerity and love.

See Hermit Studios merchandise at:  earthtraditions.com

Saint Patrick, the Pagans: his day and the symbolism surrounding them.

                                

St. Patrick is enjoyed as the central icon in many stories and legends in the Irish Oral Tradition, starting with St. Patrick bringing Christianity to Ireland,  evolving as the Irish icon of Christianity, and to some, synonymous with everything Irish.

One of these Irish Oral Traditions (dating to approximately 1726) tells of St. Patrick using the three-leafed Shamrock, common in Ireland, to teach the pagans of Ireland about the Holy Trinity:  Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, rendering the Shamrock as the premier symbol of St. Patrick's Day, held on  March 17th, believed to be the day of his death and also known as "The Feast of St. Patrick".

The Shamrock was also sacred to the pagans, with it's green color representing rebirth, and the three leaves representing their sacred Goddesses:  Brigid, E'riu and the Morrigan.


The "Cross Patte'e", known by the Friendly Brothers of St. Patrick as "Saint Patrick's Cross" is depicted with four arms of the same length and narrowing at the center.  St. Patrick was the founding Bishop of the Church of Ireland, and is often depicted with this cross on his robes and bishop's mitre.  Pre-Christian renderings of this cross are often drawn with Celtic knots, triskele, and Trinity knots (another symbol of the pagans' sacred Goddesses) representing the eternal life of the soul.

                                        visit:

www.earthtraditions.com

for all of your Irish/Celtic/St. Patrick's Day needs!

Lisette M. Thierry: Goldsmith and Jewelry Designer

Lisette Thierry has been a Designer/Jeweler for over 30 years. She studied design, jewelry and metalsmithing at California College of Arts and Crafts, and received her Bachelor of Fine Arts from California State University at Long Beach.

Her attention to detail and the timeless simplicity of design evident in each of her pieces can be attributed to her additional studies in architecture.

Lisette creates and produces jewelry lines for galleries and retail stores as well as commissioned, one-of-a-kind items. She currently resides in Idaho, but travels the country selling her jewelry and buying the stones she uses and sandblasts for her work.

See and purchase Lisette's work at:  www.earthtraditions.com

Barbara “B.J.” Erickson, a goldsmith and jewelry artisan from Columbus, Ohio has been designing and creating sterling silver and gold jewelry for over 35 years. She uses both hand-fabrication and the lost wax casting processes, sometimes combining her designs with unusual and beautiful gemstones which she enjoys collecting.

Believe it or not, B.J. learned her craft from Russell Colley, the engineer who designed the space suits worn by the astronauts on the first manned space flight to the moon.  (scroll down to see more!)

B.J. also does custom work. Her artistic talent has been   admired, appreciated and even owned by such celebrities as well-known Author Tom Clancy and legendary former English Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher.  All of her items are hand-crafted, high-quality, and artistically designed.

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See B.J.'s work at www.earthtraditions.com

Enchanted Boxes available at Earth Traditions

Enchanted Wood Boxes

These colorful and fun boxes come from a mysterious region of the Tatra Mountains (Polish Alps).  They are constructed from the Lindenwood Tree (distant cousin to the Myrtlewood), also known as the “Holy Lime” in Poland and is the national emblem of the Slovakia, Slovenia, the Czech Republic and the Sorbs. The tongue-in-groove construction, feather joins, and “rised” edge, guarantee strength and quality making these boxes heirlooms that can be enjoyed for generations.
The company: Enchanted World of Boxes, was started by two Bohemians who were dreaming about how they could make the world a better place.  Teresa Witkowska was a painter and Chris Kowalski was a PhD student at the Department of Anthropology at Harvard in 1989 when the company was founded.  Cambridge, MA is home to Enchanted World of Boxes. In 1994, Leszek and Bogdan Gibek became Polish partners to EWB.  In 1996 Tony Cortez, a talented young man from Venezuela, joined the U.S. operations.  Chris Bertelli is responsible for the website and IT operations.

Chris Kowalski passed away on August 1, 2011 after an incredible 3 year fight with brain cancer.  We continue to keep him in our thoughts and prayers. Without the thousands of people who represent, resell and buy these boxes, Enchanted World of Boxes would still be a fantasy of two Polish Bohemians lost in the global village.

*some of the info here was reprinted from the Enchanted World of Boxes website & other provided materials