As I list more items in my shop, you’ll surely see a few “Malas”. In case you don’t know what these are, let me share this wonderful concept with you.
Many cultures utilize this concept, especially within spiritual and/or religious context. Malas, specifically, originate in Buddhism as meditation & prayer beads. Typically, a mala is made of 108 beads, with an additional “guru bead” & a tassel. The beads are used as an abacus, to keep count of breaths or mantras. In other cultures, similar concepts are used such as with the Christian Rosary, & Pagan Prayer Beads.
I made one & began using them in my meditation practice as soon as I came across the idea. Personally, I usually use them to count my breaths, or to focus on a particular “vibe”. I’ve made different sizes, for different uses – My longer sets are stored on my meditation altar at home, while I wear smaller sets as bracelets for quick meditation sessions throughout the day, or just as a “reminder to be mindful”. Some are made of special beads for special purposes.
Mala beads can be a useful tool during mindfulness practice & meditation
If you practice meditation at all, I insist that it’s certainly worth having a set of Mala beads, if not several. I always welcome something new & refreshing to aid my focus, and my mala beads have been improving my practice for several years now. Make your own, or check out the ones available at my Etsy shop : Zen Blitz ❤
In the midst of my devastation, I turned to some family members, who inadvertently introduced me to a friend of theirs. He & I fell for each other instantly, despite my hesitation considering my recent heartbreak. We’d actually met a few years back, at a store I’d worked at for a long time; he stood out to me a lot for some reason, like our souls were meant to know each other (as corny as that sounds!), yet I’d never seen him before & hadn’t seen him again for years. He says I’m like an angel dropped out of the sky into his life; and he’s turned out to be my sweet angel too hehe *gushes* We’ve been together 8 months now!
Not a great picture of a neat looking Steampunk inspired necklace featuring a length of leather, stone skull beads, a centerpiece made of gears, all backed by gold chain, & a dangling handmade key charm. It looks way better in person, but I wasn’t too worried about it because of its flaws. I was having a little trouble with the beaded section at first, and so the wire on one side is a bit kinked. Also, the 3 gears didn’t turn out quite as I’d hoped, and it’s a bit longer than I intended. Again, this first series was all experimental, so I know I shouldn’t be hard on myself. I’m not sure if I should scrap it & create a new one, or if I’m just exaggerating.
I do like this piece as well, & I’ll likely put it up for sale, but I just don’t know. It’s quite long, overwrapped in macrame, & the closure isn’t quite ideal. The rock should be showcased more, as it’s hand pulled from the family creek & glossed; but I do think it all goes together well. It turned out quite well considering my lack of appropriate clasps, & having been my first attempt at macrame wrapping an item. Perhaps this will be a redo, or a discounted item.
I’ve made these wire rings in the past, & worn them regularly. To my surprise, they’re actually pretty durable & never stained my fingers, so I guess I did a good job! LOL! The one on the left is a bit wonky. And I just wouldn’t know how much to sell these for… Although I see something similar on Etsy selling for $21; same material, slightly thicker wire, slightly more complicated design. And people have bought them. So I guess I have some thinking & practice to do! 
I tried to make a similar bracelet, but it turned out a bit wonky too. Not bad for a first try I suppose, but not good enough to sell. I know that much, lol!
…after he made a gift for my teenage cousin. I was having a lot of trouble coming up with an idea for her; I know she likes peace signs, so he suggested he make a copy of the giant peace sign wreath he has hanging way up out front of the barn. So, he stripped all the lights off of several branches & wove the branches together to make a decoration I hope she enjoys for years to come. Maybe even throughout the year! Watching him make it was quite incredible; this man truly has the patience of a saint!
And he really loves to create. He browses the internet for all kinds of fun things to try. At work, he cut a few slices of wood to make a wall hanging, & blackboard notepad.
here were more that went around, including this cute fake tealight holder. (When the lights are off, it casts forest-like shadows on the walls!) I’d always wanted to make gifts, because I think it’s the right way to celebrate the holiday. Plus, I’m poor & trying to start a craft shop 😉 I’m really happy with everything, & I hope you enjoyed all these random ideas. Stay tuned, I’ll hopefully be opening up shop soon…!
zen BLITZ 