7.27.2011

I woke up to the sounds of rain...and thank god!!!! Yesterday was HUMID, HOT, and SWEATY...summer in Hawaii gets very still sometimes and I often end up going to bed with an ice pack on my head to keep cool while I fall asleep.  I love it when it pours...that it can be raining so hard, the grey sky thick with clouds, and still be 85 degrees outside.  Maybe it's all those years I lived in Seattle, I still find myself felling extra cozy and wanting to stay home all day and do any of the ten thousand projects I've got going on at any time.  Then I seem to realize, "oh, it's really not cold outside...I don't have to hide in the house"!   Yesterday it was so hot and sticky in the afternoon...it finally starting dumping rain and Jo and I ran outside and played like kids in the yard, we took it as a great opportunity to wash the car, play with the hose, and generally forget we are mid-thirties and act like kids in the sprinkler...and DAMN, it felt good!


 This morning I received a lovely note from a customer who was thrilled with her recent earring purchase...I could see her smiling through the words in her email and it made me so grateful!!!!!  Grateful that I can have a connection to all you lovely ladies and gents out there in the universe, grateful that the work of my hands can make someone smile, and most of all grateful that I am lucky enough to be able practice this craft that I love so much.  I'll be riding high on this correspondence for the rest of the day as I bang away in the studio...






I hope your Wednesday stays cool and comfortable, and if you get too hot might I suggest some ice cold water with a heavy squirt of lime juice...

Aloha!

7.26.2011

Crafty Time

I think the last time I touched a sewing machine was in high school...I have always wanted to be crafty with textile projects but never really took the time to investigate and actually sit down at the machine.  I have memories of the dreaded "threading of the bobbin" that have stayed with me for years and I guess laziness and fear that it would take forever to figure out how to use the machine kept me from trying.  Well not anymore!!!!!






...While it was a minor project technically speaking (just a few curtains), i feel accomplished!!!  The bobbin was threaded with no problem, my stitching was straight and even and best of all I can say that I FINALLY got back on the sewing horse!!!  I see many a pillow making project in my future...it was so fun and really took a lot less time than I had expected!  Now I have even more reason to collect random bits of fabric and bring them home...We have a drawer full of fabric that has been collected over the years!  


...(one more awesome thing about this is that I have even more excuses to go shopping while I'm in Seattle for vacation later this summer.  The fabric selection here in Hawaii definitely leaves something to be desired...I can't wait to hit up the craft markets and fabric stores on my trip!!!!)

Happy Tuesday evening!

7.22.2011

Breakfast straight from the tree!!!!!

Freshly picked...





It doesn't get much better than that!  We have a few varieties of Papaya growing here at the commune...this one is the most successful tree so far.  The fruits are HUGE and have no seeds inside, well actually the first one we picked had seeds and the rest of them have been totally naked inside...we are hoping we get more seeds to we can keep this "family line" going!

Here in Hawaii the reality is that we import much of our food supply, this is a dangerous thing for such an isolated place...I could go on and on about the environmental and societal aspects of this issue, but others have said it better and in more depth than I ever could.  The bottom line is that here in Hawaii we are blessed to have almost year round opportunity to grow some of the best, most flavorful and amazing fruits!!!!  Having these trees in the yard and being able to nourish ourselves with these local treats is one way that we can connect to the land and the history of backyard farming that has been a long tradition in Hawaii.

I was reading a great article the other day about encouraging people to grow fruit in their yards, to enjoy the bounty of local produce and to remember how important it is to have the connection between the plants and the food they produce.  I wanted to share a few segments of the article that really highlight these ideas, especially here in Hawaii.

"Food comes from the land, not from the store...a home without a fruit tree is like a body without a soul"

"old timers shake their heads in disbelief that people actually think they have to pay for fruit"...this in particular is so true of life here...there are tons of fruit trees all over the island, pouring over peoples fences, on city streets and in parks yet we still go to the store and buy mangoes and papayas from the other side of the world...Back in the day people used to eat from their trees regularly, and share their bounty with neighbors, friends, and strangers.  It is not that uncommon to find signs posted in peoples yards next to their overflowing fruit trees that read "help yourself".  Now that's some Aloha spirit!

"People today are resigned to the idea that they have to buy fruit, but for a really good quality of life that reflects this special experience of living in Hawaii, grow your own fruit.  Then you can exchange your mangoes with your neighbor's lychee, and we'll have a beautiful world"

...Isn't that perfect?


7.20.2011

Quickie Preview of Today's Creations

I've been sitting here at the computer for hours...editing photos, posting new items in  La Tienda, and catching up on email correspondence.  I'm starting to get a knot in my shoulder so I'm going to keep this brief, forgive me...

I finally used a beautiful Chrysoprase cab that I got on my trip to L.A. in  April...I absolutely love the color, it reminds me of the color of the ocean at my favorite beach on the island.







Ok, these earrings have a lot going on...I know, but I'm kind of in love with them.  I just couldn't stop myself, I kept adding those twisty dangles...Their colors are totally inspired by the vibrant green tropical foliage and blue ocean water.






I've got another necklace waiting to get the final treatment tomorrow morning...a gorgeous Botswana Agate.  I hope to have it finished and in the shop with a few more pairs of earrings by the weekend!

Signing off, headed to the kitchen to fix up some dinner, and put some ice on my shoulder!!!

Aloha!

7.18.2011

The weekend round up

This weekend we went to the North Shore town of Hale'iwa for the annual arts festival...I feel I must preface this with some thoughts on craft markets and local events.  One of my favorite things in the universe is to get lost browsing at a craft fair, to take in all the colors and textures of the many different kinds of things that people create by hand. 

When I lived in Seattle I was lucky enough to be surrounded by these events year-round...even in the midst of a grey, wet Seattle winter there are weekly events going on that showcase hand made goods and locally produced specialty foods, and in my case these moments of "enjoying the view" would often take me away from the fact that I hadn't see the sun in months!!!  

Since moving to Hawaii this is one of the things I miss the most...so I get it when I can. This past weekend's event was more about being a part of the community of arts and crafts appreciators rather than actual shopping!  I had such a good time just walking around, taking in all the different creations, and generally enjoying the scenery.  I dream of creating a weekly event like the ones that pop up all over my home town every week, a place for artisans of all kinds to gather and share their creations with the world, to have a diverse group of lovely things to peruse while sipping your Sunday coffee under the sunshine that we are so blessed with here.  Anyhoo...It was a glorious sunny day, there was kettle corn and Hibiscus mint tea, and a new addition to the market was a wood fire pizza oven like the one I used to frequent at the Fremont market back in Seattle...YUM!!!!






































...Another beautiful day in paradise!!!

In Jewelry related news, I had a really fun time working with a customer on a custom pair of earrings.  These turned out super fabulous and I made another pair similar for myself... there are many more of these on their way to the shop this week.  I'm thinking of doing a few different color variations and many different lengths, from shoulder dusters to shorter versions for those that like their ear decor a bit more humble.






Happy Monday!

7.14.2011

I got a few pieces back from a gallery...they had been there for quite some time and I decided I wanted to get them back, give them some love, and offer them up for sale in the shop.  The colors are really perfect for this time of year, they seem to embody the spirit of summer...fun, colorful, easy, and sure to brighten your day~













Green seems to be the theme...I can't get enough of it, in any shade, in any shape...
I've got a handful of more items to photograph and list in the next day or so. 

In other workshop related news, I'm having a blast working with some very special stones I got at Studio Delucca in Long Beach when I was there in April for a workshop...on the bench now is a lovely tall oval Chrysoprase, an oddly shaped and beautifully veined turquoise, and also finally an amazing Botswana agate.  I am having a burst of creativity when it comes to setting these stones, and finally I've got the proper skills to be successful at making bezels...THANK GAWD!!!!! 

Signing off...have a lovely Thursday whatever you do, and if you need a bit more sunshine in your life, we've got plenty around here, I'll gladly send you some to put some rosy on your cheeks!

7.12.2011

A few thoughts...

We spent the day with our friends two teenage daughters and one of their friends, we took them to the beach, ate ice cream, and came back to the house for a bit of girlie time, aka we painted out toes!  It was full on lady-time at the casa, three teen-agers, Jo and I, and one of our commune neighbors got in on the action as well...The youngest, Ashley is quite a talented artist and her talents extend to the arts of toenail beautification, she did quite a lovely job on Jo's toes!  That fish even has a mohawk!!!


I decided to go with a nice rich blue...I never paint my nails, it never lasts that long since I'm in and out of the studio all the time, but I'm really loving having "fancy" fingers, so I think its time to bring back the nail polish!


The clouds were a sight to behold, big poufs, little poufs, floating high above the water and clumping together slowly in the soft breeze...it was one of those days where I found myself just staring up and watching them change shape against the amazingly blue sky.  Jo likes to play "hey look at that, it's a...____________".  You know, that game where someone calls out what they see in a cloud formation and when you look up to see what they are talking about you can't tell what they're talking about...maybe they saw a teapot, and in your eyes it's obviously not, it's a turtle!!!!!  It's hard enough to do this on a calm day but with the wind sweeping the cloud shapes away so quickly it pretty hard to agree on anything we saw...teapot or turtle, it was still beautiful!






One final musing...today I opened up my email to find not only did a friend purchase a pair of earrings from my shop on ETSY, but I had TWO convos in my inbox...one from a returning customer wanting to get a piece for her mom and another from a lovely soul who was asking if I could reserve something for her.   This is a really big deal in my world!!!!!!!!!!  I am so grateful for the ETSY community, and for these lovely, beautiful ladies whom I have never met!  This is my first time having someone want to reserve an item, and also a first in having a customer return to order another of the same item...her mom had borrowed her earrings and wanted a pair of her own!  I'm riding high on customer appreciation, and cannot believe how awesome it is that these women see the beauty in my creations and want to support my work!  I am literally getting teary eyed sitting here writing about it!  I want to shout out a HUGE thank you to the universe for bringing all these women into my life, for bringing YOU into my life and for the opportunity to create from my heart and share it with the world...it just feels so damn good!  Thanks lovely ladies of the interwebs, for reading my thoughts, for supporting the work of my heart, and for being my newest friends!!!!


I hope your Tuesday offers you as lovely a surprise as mine has...Aloha!

7.09.2011

Happy Saturday!!! We are headed out for some beach time and I wanted to share a quick preview of my newest creations, in the Shop soonish!  These babies were a labor of love, and when I say "love", I mean LOVE!!!!!!!  I'm really happy with the finished product and am so excited to offer these necklaces up to the universe...So here you go!


Ocean Jasper goodness in amazing mustard yellow and mossy green





My take on the "evil eye" talisman...to protect, safeguard, and adorn







I hope your weekend brings you sunshine, relaxation and good times...Aloha!

7.08.2011

Better late than never!

I'm a bit behind schedule here on the blog...I wanted to share some shots from our beach going adventures last weekend.  We drove out to our favorite secluded spot on the North Shore, and enjoyed a lazy day...







Jo found me a perfect little wana (hawaiian sea urchin) specemin!









There was a family of four Honu playing in the waves in front of us for over an hour...




They were riding the waves body-surfing style!!! They don't need a board, they've got one built in!




The water was the most amazing blue that day...well ok, it's almost always like that!  It never ceases to amaze me, every time I see it it's like the first time and I get all excited, like "WOW do you see how blue that is"!!!!  Anyhoo, it was a glorious day...Once we got back home I had to snap a few photos of the most amazing sunset sky, these are from our back porch!






Sending Aloha and wishing you a happy Friday...I've got a duo of necklaces just finished up this morning, not it's time for photo editing!  Im really happy with how these turned out and can't wait to share them with you!