Yoga in Deep Ellum

I recently took a field trip to a unique part of Dallas with lots of history: Deep Ellum. My reason for the trip from the suburbs into the big downtown was to visit with Jessica Jordan, owner of Super Yoga Palace.  I brought some pieces from Moondog Treasures' yoga jewelry collection to show her.

Jessica is a person with a vision similar to mine:  to create a community of yogis in her neighborhood and to provide a space for them to practice yoga that doesn't break the bank.  I like Jessica.  Here are a few photos I took around the street near her studio.  I peeked inside, but didn't take pics because a class was in progress.  Trust me, it's warm and inviting inside.

Caring for the environment is also important to Jessica.  From her web-site:  "Super Yoga Palace is kind to the Earth and encourages those who practice here to be so as well. Green products and recycled materials were used to create the studio space, plants throughout filter the air, and recycled, sanitized yoga mats are available if you are in need."

I'm happy to say that she'll be offering some of the eco-friendly pieces (recycled Indian coins and sari fabric, recycled precious silver) from my yoga collection on her site and in her studio.

Loved this mural.  Go Mavs!!  Winners of NBA championship 2011!

And here are some of the items that Jessica chose to showcase at her studio.

Recycled Indian coins on dyed silk ribbons

Recycled PMC (precious silver)
om and lotus pendants on sterling chain.

I'm the creator behind Moondog Treasures: yoga jewelry for women and men, mala bracelets, Sanskrit mantra necklaces, and wire-wrapped beaded crosses. I use this blog to share what I do and to feature other talented Etsy artists whose work I admire. Contact me at moondogtreasures@live.com.

A Tip for Recycling PMC Silver Clay

PMC (Precious Metal Clay), or silver clay, is a recycled product.  See my posts here and here for details about how it originated.  It is so much fun to play with (I mean work with) this product.  You can imprint just about anything into the clay, put it in a kiln, and it comes out looking like this...

One of my favorite things about PMC is that you can actually recycle and reuse your "mistakes" (pieces that were chipped or just didn't turn out right).  I had been saving those "mistakes" for just such an occasion.  I read countless tips about how to reconstitute unused dried clay - adding distilled water to the clay, wrapping it in cling wrap and waiting for it to magically turn into the expensive clay that I had bought.  It didn't work as I had planned.  I found it difficult to get the right consistency. Using a little rolling pin (pvc pipe) to press out the lumps helped, but the clay was too sticky to work. It kept clinging to my hands, until... 

I discovered a new tool - the toothpick!  I kept working the clay, poking it with the toothpick, exposing it to air to dry it out, then spraying with water for more moisture. Voila!  I came pretty close to re-creating the original product.  Here are a couple of photos of my new discovery and how it worked for me:

I especially loved how once the clay was in ball form, I was able to use the toothpick like a handle and pick up all the loose bits of dried clay that sticks to the cling wrap.

Hope this tip helps those out there who are frustrated with the challenging process of reconstituting pmc.