New Moon in AquariusFebruary 13, 2010 6:51 pm PST

This month I have managed to discover not one, but two Aquarian jewelers - these gals do love the rocks! Which isn't too strange actually because Aquarius does rule: obsidian, opals, pearls, quarries, stone, sapphires and slate! Surprised?!

Arona Offenberger

Shop: http://flossadornments.etsy.com Blog: http://abitoffloss.blogspot.com I’d never really given any thought as to how my Sun Sign (Aquarius) might influence my jewelry making or any other craft I’ve tried. I only started crafting in the last ten years. I’ve tried decoupage, mosaics and some scrap booking but now that I examine why I started making jewelry and the kinds of pieces I make, the Aquarian influence is completely obvious.

I have a day job but have been on leave since October 2008 after having my second child. Babies do take up a lot of time but after a while, I started needing to do something other than mothering. My motivation for making jewelry was to have some pieces to wear that weren’t mass-produced or bought in a store. I love handmade and I love the concept of one-of-a-kind, and I want to cater for others who feel the same. This trait is so typically Aquarian (if there is such a thing) and that is a desire to be unique, original and different by not following the crowd down the beaten path.

Black, white and grey resin bead necklace

Essentially, all of my jewelry is one-of-a-kind. I don’t ever make more than one of anything except by request and even then, it may not be possible, because when I buy beads, I only buy a few of each so that I can’t make multiples even if I wanted to. I do repeat design ideas but always with different colors and combinations.

I find that some artists and crafters show a preference for a particular medium or material, but I’m quite the eclectic Aquarian in the pieces I produce. I use a wide variety of beads and materials with no preference for one style or another. I also want to create pieces that will appeal to people with a range of different personal tastes and aesthetics and I think I achieve that in my work.

Sometimes I wonder whether other people will understand or even like my aesthetic. It’s very interesting to get feedback from people about which items they like. I’m always surprised by the variety of responses, but to me, it justifies the diverse range of pieces I produce. I suppose I want to have broad-ranging appeal but within the niche of “handmade”.

Long flapper-style necklace in white, red, purple and turquoise

Aquarians are known for seeking out new experiences to avoid boredom. I love trying out new techniques, designs and color combinations or working with new material. If I don’t know how to do something, I’ll “Google” it (Aquarians love technology) and usually find a plethora of instructions and videos to satisfy my need to learn. Some days I tell myself I will try to focus on only a few styles of jewelry but it never happens: I get excited by some new beads I’ve seen that I absolutely must try out or by a new idea my overactive brain has come up with instead of letting me sleep.

At the moment, I’m playing with polymer clay and making my own pendants and beads, but I’m adapting and experimenting with the basic techniques that I’ve learned to suit what I want to achieve. I’m not one for following instructions to the letter, I’m just an unconventional Aquarian doing things her own way.

Necklace with hand stamped quote on sterling silver tag necklace

Personal space and time are other Aquarian necessities I can’t do without. Making jewelry is a great form of therapy for me, especially at the end of a hectic day spent entertaining and running around after two young children. The fiddly aspect of making jewelry, like hand-stringing beads or aligning the ends of jump rings is a perfect way to unwind and switch my brain down into a calmer mode. There are also days where I’m not feeling very inspired but I can spend hours on the computer browsing for supplies, maintaining my online store and working on marketing. I love having this time by myself, I need this time by myself.

In the future, and Aquarians are definitely known for this, I'd love to continue with my hobby and turn it into a day job, but I expect that's a long way off.