Works in Progress

I am currently taking a break from the studio, a few hours with the pliers and heavy gauge wire have resulted in a hand cramp...After all I do need to save some of my dexterity for this afternoons massage clients!!!

I'm making bezels for some newly acquired stones, shaping hoops and irregularly ovoid links for something that's brewing in the back of my mind...not sure what it will be yet but that's part of the fun!  Over the weekend I cleared out some space in the workshop, did some general re-organizing and cleaning...It feel so nice to walk into the studio now, it's all spruced up and ready for work!  Next up will be transplanting some pots and getting some plants in there to give the space a bit more life!

Ok, off to finish up and get ready for the other "work day"!  Happy Aloha Friday...

Yesterday...

...all my troubles seemed so far away

A short list of reflections on the day:

I stepped outside my comfort zone
Conquered at least two fears
There was a lightness of heart and soul
Bonding with my lovely lady friend
I smiled bigger and with more genuine happiness than usual
Watched the sunset turn the water pink and they sky orange from far off shore
I realized that sometimes I need to leave my brain on the beach and take my soul out for an adventure
I felt strong, safe, adventurous, and beautiful in the light of the sunset

For some time now I have let thoughts of " I can't, I'm scared, I'm too this or that" creep into my head to the point where I have believed these lies I tell myself...LAME!  All it takes on one step to cross the line of fear and self consciousness to make major progress...in this case all it took was a step into the water, paddle board under one arm and paddle in the other.  With love and encouragement from the best friend, soul-sister and partner a woman could ask for, I crossed over into the land of "I did, I will, I can, I RULE!!!!!!!

It may not seem like a very big deal but for me it was...We took our rented paddle boards and headed out past the break for an afternoon paddle.  This was my first attempt to be out in the waves, (or bumps and swells as the case was yesterday) on a stand up paddle board.  We have rented them many times before but I had only taken them in the shallow still protected waters of the lagoon.  I always thought I couldn't do it out in the open water, that I wasn't fit enough, that I was too "big", that I was not strong enough to navigate the current, the waves, the deeper water...well guess what?  That was a big 'ol lie I was telling myself, one that I believed for far too long.  Fueled by self-doubt and self consciousness...I cast OUT these un-truths I've been fueling in my head and realized that not only CAN I, but I'm damn good out there too!  The biggest payoff is seeing my lady on her board next to me, smiling for me and cheering me on!  We rafted up, sat down on the boards and peacefully watched the sunset from out past the swell...SUCH an amazing feeling!

With sore shoulders and tight calves I blissfully await my next adventure out there...my change jar has officially been re-named "SUP savings" and I cannot wait to make this a regular activity!  Why do I do this mind game stuff with myself, it doesn't get me anywhere, it holds me back from doing things I want to try, it makes me feel not quite good enough, and that my friends is not a soul-lightening experience...Going forward I intend to change my patterns.  I CAN do whatever the heck I want, I am strong, beautiful, brave, adventurous, and above all...IT'S ALL IN MY HEAD!!! (which by the way is Jo's favorite thing to tell me when I get all self-doubty and sad)...She was right all along, and now I believe her!

Thanks for listening to my digital diary for today...this one just had to get out of my head and onto the screen.  Not for you or for anyone else, but for ME!!!

The clouds have been extra dreamy around these parts lately...I find myself zoning out and just staring at them, taking in their fluffy shapes against the bluest of skies. 

In keeping with the spirit of these light poofs of white in the sky, I crafted a necklace that is just as light and airy in feeling.  Cool, translucent, ethereal...Prehenite, a new favorite of mine evokes the same feeling as the clouds I've been seeing.  Cool against your heart as it sits around your neck...I set the stone simply on a square base plate to accentuate it's gorgeous circular shape.  There's something quite satisfying in it's simplicity...

I am in love...I need to find more of this gorgeous specimen of earth, I love the colors, the inclusions, the shiny and clear quality of prehenite.  Shopping for stones is after all one of the many things I love about creating jewelry.  Each one is it's own little work of art, created by the earth and then formed by another artists hands before it gets to mine!

Also fresh off the bench...A double spinner ring.  Wide band, heavily textured, slightly flared and with two hammer textured spinners.  I've been fidgeting with mine ever since I put it on my finger...It makes the most delightful little tinkling noises as I go about my business, it's like a mini tambourine banging out the beat while I'm driving along and rockin' out to my favorite tunes in the car! 

 

Both of these creations will be making their way to the la tienda (the shop) hopefully by the end of the evening!

Ok, now on to those clouds I was speaking of earlier!

We're off to a swanky hotel to meet some out-of towners for overpriced but totally worth it delicious cocktails...I love it when people come to visit and we get to splurge!

Happy Tuesday!

Vintage chartreuse faceted matte glass beads

Vintage chartreuse faceted matte glass beads and faceted salmon pink Jade

Vintage coral branches

Lemony limey Jade in the most fabulous shiny shades of summer

Earrings a-plenty...and one necklace!

Hoops, dangles, and my favorite beads...The coral branches are antique, at least 60 years old and given to me by my friend Chris...They belonged to his grandmother who passed away last year at the age of 101!!! They had been in her collection so long that nobody remembers how long she'd had them, I've been hoarding them and am slowly starting to use them in my designs, though mindfully and methodically...They are so special to me because of their history and family connection, I want to treasure them as long as I can. 

The other favorites are the chartreuse faceted glass beads, these are vintage as well and have a fabulous smooth and matte finish!  I cannot get enough of this color, ( I even painted our dresser a similar shade). 

These babies are all making their way to the SHOP this evening! 

It's been raining on and off here all day, with the rains comes a sweeping out of humid, stagnant energy and the breezing in of refreshment and clean, crisp energy...Which by the way is just what I need!  Time to focus on clearing out of old patterns and stale thoughts, and a move toward clarity, open minded focus on the NOW and appreciation for change...We could learn a lot from the shifts in weather, how they can mirror our own internal temperatures and give us a reminder to go with the flow.  So flow on sisters...let it rain down, let it wash over you, let it blow you in a new direction!

Aloha...

Today's offering is a necklace featuring a gorgeous cut of Stone Canyon Jasper...she's even got a little pocket of sparkly druzy goodness in the corner!  I'm loving the mustard yellow and plum/raspberry color combo...

A few pairs of earrings...

Heavily textured discs with Chrysoprase dangles...They've got some mossy looking inclusions and great color!

Lemon Jade and Antique coral branches...the corals were given to me by a dear friend and came from his grandmothers collection.  She was 101 when she passed last year and these were in her collection for so long nobody remembers when she got them!  Such a treasure...I've been going through them very slowly, savoring each bead!

 

I'm just back from the beach and some treasured time with my nose in a book and my butt in the sand...Oh Sunday, I really do love you! 

Happy Saturday! 

So far we have lounged in bed, made coffee (that I brought back from Seattle...thank goodness), fried a few eggs, sliced tomatoes and garnished them with fresh pepper and hawaiian salt, drank the entire pot of the aforementioned coffee, chatted on the front porch with neighbors, and listened to my new favorite station on Pandora~Louie Armstrong Radio...

And you know what's the best part?  There are no plans...I've got my lady, cloudy skies, and a great excuse to stay in and nest, ALL. DAY. LONG.

I finished up listing a few items that I finished before I left for Seattle...Then I went crazy editing and playing with the photos...

In the first photo is a necklace that I just finished up...Something about the shape of the setting in the necklace reminds me of a rocket ship...the pointy corners and galactic silvery details echoing the shapes of the flames coming out from the base of the ship as it propels to outer space...
I LOVE this stone,  a beautiful Lace Agate in amazing milky whites and greys with little orbs of perfection in the corner.  I can't seem to get enough of these stones with the banding and stripey details!~

All of these beauties are in the Shop now...


Signing off, headed to the front porch for some horizontal time on the futon...Sending you dreamy, lazy, lounging, relaxation vibes.

Aloha!

Meet Ms. Oly....

Thanks to the very talented Mr Curtis James at Lit Fuse Tattoo in Olympia Wa. I am now the bearer of this gorgeous little lady, (well actually not so little)...She was a long time coming, as I had envisioned her a year or so back.  I am over the moon with her and am so pleased with the amazing vision and detail that the artist brought to this creation!!!

Same as with my other tattoos, I really didn't have a solid vision of what it would look like, just a few ideas, colors, shapes and a whole lot of trust in this amazingly talented artist!  It takes a lot of trust to walk through that door, have a conversation, and then wait while your vision makes its way on to a piece of tracing paper.  The beauty of the whole process is that I completely trusted in him, and KNEW that whatever he dreamed up would be amazing!  Im still at the point where I'll forget she's there and catch a glimpse in the mirror out of the corner of my eye...then I stop short and smile, "Oh, hello you...I forgot you were there!"

I was informed by a very close friend who happens to be quite knowledgeable about totem/spirit animals and lore of all kinds relating to earth centered spiritual beliefs, that Elephants are considered to be related to Earth elements, grounding, stability, and motherhood...Quite a conicidence considering I've been noticing that I may need to make some efforts to connect to that very same Earth energy.  I'm a thinker, a dreamer, a planner, and while I always considered myself "grounded", I may have been just convincing my self of that.   I never set out to get a tattoo that was a representation of anything spiritual, really I just thought the idea was beautiful...and it is, but I think that having her with me will end up being some sort of reminder to keep in the present, be mindful of how I think (and over-think as the case may be) about things, and that bit about motherhood or mother energy...well that still scares me a bit, but let's just say that this has been a topic around these parts too!

Ok, that was kind of detailed...I feel like maybe I'm writing all of this more for myself than for anyone who may read it...Like a digital diary.  I'm not the type to write my thoughts out on paper and lately this space has felt like a way for me to document all the words and emotions swirling around in my over active brain! So thanks for being here, thanks for listening...It feels good to get it all out there, out of my brain and out into the universe....

It's good to be back home...Yesterday I did my favorite "day off" things.  I slept in, met my friend at our favorite coffe/breakfast joint and chatted the morning away over fried rice with eggs.  I went to the beach and had a nice long swim!  I can't tell you how great the ocean felt after being away for almost three weeks!!!  I lounged in the shade, did some people watching, some day dreaming, and let the sun warm my skin.  I had one of those oh so clear moments of gratitude, happiness, and appreciation for this amazing place I call home...I've set a goal for myself, though it's vague in essence the basic premise is "take nothing for granted".  It's so easy to get comfortable with routines, work, friends and home...I LOVE it here so much and I never want to loose that excitement and appreciation for this place.  So with open eyes I will embrace every morning as a blessing, every ray of sunshine on my skin as a warming of my heart and soul as I try to remain in the moment, and be grateful for this island, this ocean, these people, this home, this life...

Oh, I forgot that I had ordered this gorgeous bag from Bookhou before I left town...when I arrived home it was waiting for me!!!  Sometimes a package in the mail is all I need to make my day.  If you haven't checked out this shop on ETSY I recommend getting your browsing fingers on your keyboard and enjoy the view.  I've been toting it around for a few days now and I LOVE it!!!

Things around the commune are quiet these days, of the four houses here, two households are on vacation and Jo and I are down one roommate...he went on vacation too!   The energy is slow and mellow around here and the humidity and stillness in the air are adding to that feeling.  We did get some much needed rain last night...A great excuse to cozy in, make an indulgent meal of chicken marsala, and snuggle on the couch while catching up on one of our favorite shows.  The great thing about not having T.V. is that it doesn't matter when you want to watch something, you just look it up on the 'ol interwebs and you can tune in anytime you like!!!!   Though it's still hot outside there is something so wonderful about the rain pouring down from the mountain behind out home.  It refreshes the air and leaves that wonderful smell of tropical wetness...The sound of the rain drops striking hard against the leaves of the banana tree sound like rainstorms of my childhood during summer camping trips, the rain against the tarp making that smack/ping sound. 

Yes...It's good to be home