A little something about Hellena
Originally from: Washington, DC
Birthstone: Topaz (Stone of Love & Good fortune)
Sign: Sagittarius
A little known secret about me: I was an extra in movies back in the day. My 15 seconds of glory include: Romantic/adventure Love Among Thieves with Robert Wagner and Audrey Hepburn. Sci-Fi Horror flick They Live. I almost did Total Recall with Schwarzenegger but I got offered a job paying steady money.
My favorite piece of jewelry: 14K GF & Lapis Earrings! I love them because Lapis stimulates my creative expression and mental clarity.
Favorite Movie: Now Voyager with Bette Davis. I love her strength.
Favorite Gemstone: Lapis. I love the deep blue against my skin. It also just makes me happy and that's enough for me.
Favorite seafood: Chesapeake Bay Blue Crabs!
Favorite Quote: "It's a funny thing about life; if you refuse to accept anything but the best, you very often get it" - W. Somerset Maugham
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My Creative Path
Officially started when I was studying to become a certified life coach with the Co-Active Training Institute in 2006. I say officially because it was there that I was able to let go of perfection and just play. One of the things I learned as a coach is that it doesn't have to be perfect, it just has to be. Embracing this philosophy gave me a freedom I hadn't experienced before.
What lit my creative flame was a RUDE sales person at a DIY jewelry store having a bad day. After being berated for not knowing how to handle a jewelry finding, I drove myself to Michaels and bought several how-to books for jewelry and began playing. As my interest grew from simple beading, I turned to Youtube University. When I wanted and needed more guidance, I took classes for soldering, casting and stone cutting. In 2015, I joined The Culver City Rock & Mineral Club to learn about stones and fine tune my lapidary techniques. Once I had the basics down, I started creating my own designs.
My creative curiosity stumbled into the world of Alcohol Inks (AI), which opened a new creative outlet for me. I started with jewelry and as my technique grew so did my desire to design on a bigger playground, moving me to small bowls, coaster/trivets and serving trays.
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Why I do what I do
That's easy - because I LOVE it. When I create, I connect with you.
I'm always excited to see who will be drawn to my creations and why. With jewelry it could be because it's pretty or that they like the design. Many times it's because the stones speak to what they want more of in life. My home decor, like my jewelry, is created to match your spirit and style. My abstract designs go from minimalist to bold splashes of color. “I create art that allows people to see through their imagination.”
CONNECT + COLLABORATE = CREATIVE PARTNERS!
Bringing people into the process of design creates a special relationship. For me, it's an opportunity to experience someone else's creative thinking and align it with my own. For the client, it's an opportunity for their creative ideas to manifest. Sometimes we're working with and idea and other times it's a piece of jewelry in need of a make-over. Whatever the reason, it's an opportunity for me to create with you!
