Welcome, I’m so glad you’re here! I cannot believe we’re on this publications 9th newsletter, and to make matters even more celebratory, tonights newsletter falls on the night of the ‘Blood Moon’. The ‘Blood Moon’ is a total lunar eclipse, occurring when Earth’s shadow blocks the usual illumination of the moon. During this phenomena, the moon appears to us as blood red.

In Spanish, “Blood Moon” translates to “Luna De Sangre.”

In a metaphysical context, the ‘Blood Moon’ is a symbol of transformation and growth, pairing this alongside the upcoming spring season (also a symbol of transformation and growth), tonight is truly the perfect time to take a moment to go outside, turn your gaze up to the blood moon and make a wish for your future, it may just come true.

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I have much to share with you tonight, I’ll be showing you a sneak peek at my newest collection, pictures from my recent trip to Virginia, a painter I discovered recently and absolutely adore & much more but first, I’d like to begin by sharing a short poem by Mary Oliver, one to welcome in the beginning of Spring.

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‘Worm Moon’ by Mary Oliver

My New Collection:

The ‘Siliqua’ Pearl Drop Necklace 𝜗𝜚 ⊹ ࣪ ˖

I am so incredibly proud to introduce the ‘Siliqua’ Pearl Drop Necklace, one of the newest additions to my Luna De Sangre Jewelry Collection. I named this piece ‘Siliqua’ after the silver ‘siliqua’ coin of Ancient Rome.

I began the design process for this necklace during the early weeks of February but sadly, I did not see this design through to completion until mid March. I’ve abandoned many designs in the past, due to self-doubt or being completely overun with other tasks but eventually the best designs really do beg to be finished.

After sharing pictures of the final necklace over on social media, the positive feedback I received from you all was overwhelming, I am so incredibly thankful to everyone who left me a kind word about this piece. Receiving words of affirmation from you guys genuinely does encourage me ~so so much~ to continue to do what I love, it also allows me to see what styles of jewelry pieces you guys are most drawn to so that I can continue to produce similar pieces in the future, ones that I can be confident you will love, so thank you.

The ‘Siliqua’ Pearl Drop Necklace is a statement necklace featuring assorted sizes of ivory glass pearls, an ornately etched bronze bail focal point, an intricately woven hook clasp & bronze iron hardware. This piece will be available on the shop during the 3rd week of March, somewhere between the dates of (3/18 - 3/24). I will announce the exact date and time of release on all of my social media platforms this upcoming Sunday (3/17) @lunadesangre but please be aware that once this neckace is available on the shop, there will only be inventory for (29) necklaces. The ornate bronze bail (the charm in the middle of the necklace) featured in this piece is vintage and is sadly, no longer in production. Luckily, I managed to get my hands on a total of twenty nine of them but once all twenty nine are sold out, they will remain so.

I am so very excited to make and ship out all twenty nine of these pearl necklaces off to their new homes, I truly believe they will be well cherished and adored by all who choose to claim them ⊹ ࣪ ˖

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The ‘Odalisque’ Pearl Drop Earrings ⊹ ࣪ ˖

The ‘Odalisque’ Pearl Drop Earrings are a pair of earrings I designed to compliment the ‘Siliqua’ Pearl Drop Necklace. I named this piece after the (1867) painting, ‘Odalisque’ by Franceso Hayez.

Although this earring set can most certainly be worn on its own, personally I created this piece to wear alongside the ‘Siliqua’ necklace in an upcoming photoshoot. I was just so in love with how these chandelier-esque earrings turned out that I knew I had to include them in my upcoming collection. This earring set features my signature chain drapery along with ivory glass pearls and bronze iron hardware and will be available the same day the ‘Siliqua’ necklace is.

Coming Soon…

I have yet to announce the creation of, or even share a single photograph of this piece over on social media, so you guys will be the very first to see this! A few months ago I decided that the ‘Constanze Rosary Anklet’ needed a sister, and here she is…

This bronze rosary anklet features charms sourced from vintage Italian rosaries. Unfortunately, I only have stock for (6) anklets at the moment but I am desperately searching for more before the release day. When creating this anklet, I decided to pair the bronze hardware with blood red garnet stones and I just love how old this pairing appears, almost out of antiquity. This is truly one of the main reasons why I adore working with bronze, the overall effect this metal can portay is just so enchanting.

I have hopes to name, photograph, and finally release this piece during the last week of March, but of course if you’re interested in purchasing this anklet, please stay tuned for the exact drop day announcement as stock will be limited.

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A Look Inside My Art Studio…

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Last weekend I took a hard look at my art studio and knew it was time for a refresh, spring cleaning came early indeed. After a full weekend of re-organizing, dusting, and replacing old or out of commision items in my space, I was so eager to walk into my freshly cleaned studio come Monday morning.

Cleaning and reorganizing your space really has a way of reinvigorating you, it helps bring out new ideas and newfound energy that you can then use to complete others tasks or obligations you may have. If you’ve been putting off organizing a space in your home, whether that be your desk, your bedroom, or even a messy cupboard, take this as your sign to start that project! Commiting just a few hours of your day to refreshing your space is a kindness your future self will thank you for, I know I did.

My Trip to Luray, Virginia ✽

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The morning of Valentine’s Day (one of my favorite holidays) my partner and I took a train to Baltimore, Maryland to celebrate our friends 30th birthday. The plan was to meet up with our friends at their home so that the very next day we could all pile up together in their car and take a road trip down to Luray, Virginia. I had the best time! It was my very first time riding in an Amtrak train which I enjoyed 1000x more than traveling by plane. We were also able to bring our precious little chiweenie dog Lily along with us, being able to bring her with us instead of leaving her at home with a sitter made the whole trip so much more enjoyable!

After we arrived at the Airbnb in Luray, we filled our nights with hot pot and our days with trips to the antique store, a chance encounter with adorable farm animals, a trip to the Luray Caverns and many dips in the airbnb hosts hot tub. I also brought a camcorder along with me that I permitted everyone to use at least once! I now have so many videos from that trip that I can’t wait to look through and edit into one video that captures a moment in time, one well spent with amazing friends, that I can cherish forever.

The Luray Caverns

If you ever get a chance to make your way over to Luray, Virginia here in the states, the ‘Caverns of Luray’ are a must see. Discovered in 1878, the cavern features some of the most beautiful natural stone formations I have ever had the privilege to walk through.

“It is safe to say that there is probably no other cave in the world more completely and profusely decorated with stalactite and stalagmite ornamentation than that of Luray.”

- The Smithsonian Institution

My Current Read 𓇢𓆸

Although I am still very much in the process of finishing this novel, I cannot recommend it enough. I have learned so much from this book, from the reinvention of the Moleskin journal, to the artist Cimabue who is accredited as the first artist to ever keep a sketchbook.

Ultimately, Allen discusses the creation of paper and how it eventually led to the widespread and accesible use of journals and sketchbooks. Reading about the history of paper and how modern journaling came to be has not only made me appreciate the beautifully crafted journals I collect but even the mundane little pads of sticky notes I keep at my desk. We are so much more fortunate than we know to have the ability to write down any and all ideas that come to us but so far Allen has done a great job at making me rememeber this.

Synopsis of ‘The Notebook, A History of Reading on Paper’ by Roland Allen:

"The Notebook has shaped the world for eight hundred years. In medieval Italy, the blank ledger transformed international trade, and enabled the intellectual artistic advances of the Renaissance. At sea, the invention of the logbook expanded horizons on the journeys of Magellan and fellow discoverers. Artists from Leonardo da Vinci to Pablo Picasso, thinkers from Isaac Newton to Albert Einstein, writers from Chaucer to Henry all created work forged in their notebooks. In The A History of Thinking on Paper, Roland Allen follows a trail of ideas, revealing how the notebook came to be our most durable tool for thinking. He tells the stories of its development through table-books and diaries, common-placing and journaling, and the lives of those who relied upon from Darwin hatching the idea of evolution to Clara Nguyen creating a restaurant business from family recipe books. Along the way we meet sailors and fishermen, musicians and engineers, travellers and politicians. We hear how Bruce Chatwin inspired Maria Segrebondi to create the Moleskine, how Agatha Christie plotted a hundred murders and Bob Dylan drafted Blood on the Tracks, how bullet-journaling can combat ADHD and patient diaries ease the traumas of reawakening from a coma. There is a bigger issue, too. In this age of AI and digital overload, a blank notebook and the act of moving a pen across paper can change the way we think.”

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If you have any book recommendations for me, please leave me a comment below, I’d love to hear from you. (The comment section is only available on the official website, if you’re reading this newsletter in your email, please click here to leave your comment.)

A Painter I Recently Discovered & Adore…

Francesco Hayez Pensiero

Hayez was an italian painter born in Venice, Italy in 1791. He was the son of a French fisherman and was later introduced to painting by his uncle Francesco Binasco, an antique art dealer. In 1809, Hayez traveled to Rome on scholarship to study antique art and the works of Raphael.

By 1823, he was working in Milan and quickly became one of the leading artists of Romanticism.

“Romanticism is precisely situated neither in choice of subject nor in exact truth, but in a way of feeling.”

- Charles Baudelaire

Hayez’s Art Work

Before I Say Goodbye…

I would like to quickly share with you the definition of a word I learned recently. The word is ‘apricity’, it’s an archaic word, no longer common in the English language, but its meaning is so sweet.

Apricity means, ‘the warmth of the sun in the winter'.

“Although it was a windy winter morning, I stood outside to bask in the apricity of the sun.”

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