The Hands of Time

The hubby finds the best things,....or maybe they find him!

As he was ready to throw the trash bags on the top of the heap at the mountain dump yesterday, he almost threw them on this old clock. 

Luckily he stopped, picked it up, and then tossed the bags over the side.

Pretty cool, eh?! 

Look at the patina on the wheels.

And the old craftsmanship - from 1878!!

I love getting shots of old antiques.

Especially before they've been cleaned up.

Just makes my day!!

I'm linking up with I Heart Macro over at

Studio Waterstone today.

Won't you join me?

Until Next Time,

Peace, Love and Old Hands of Time!

Cheers,

~Shel~

Hanging Out

So, it's finally Summer! 

Hindman Cabin - Nutrioso, Arizona

We've been hanging out at my sis's cabin in the cool mountains of Arizona this week and it's been so wonderful!

The Famous Tree House that Mike built.
This is where we have "Happy Hour" in the Mountains!

It's also the reason I'm not blogging regularly at the moment or commenting on every one's blogs, or spending much time on Facebook, or posting to Twitter and all those other social network things that I normally do - or at least try to do!

The back deck of the Tree House - complete with new steps!

I know I've missed out on so much that's going on with all my friends on Facebook and their blogs, etc., but honestly, it's been very relaxing and refreshing to 'un-plug' just a bit!

My make-shift studio at my sis's cabin.
(See the overflowing toy box in the corner with all the toys for the kiddos?!)

I haven't even really created anything jewelry wise, either. (gasp!!) 

The view from my 'studio' at my sis's cabin.
See all the photos my sis has along the walls?
They tell the story of all our lives from the time
the cabin started being built until now,...and it continues!

I have filled several earring wire orders and I continue to answer our RespirCare phones and run our environmental business from up here.

It's nice to have mobile businesses, that's for sure! 

Other than that, I've just been spending time taking in the sights, sounds and smells of the mountains! 

I'm heading back down to the Valley in a few more days as I'm scheduled to teach a jewelry class over in Carefree at Creative U on Saturday the 29th of June. 

You should come join in the fun if you're in the area - it's gonna be a blast! 

I'll post some more pics and give details of this class here in a few days, okay?

 

So tell me, what are you doing this summer to un-plug? 

Are you taking in any fun adventures with your family or friends? Are you relaxing, working, playing?

How about your creative side?  Are you feeding the 'child' within and nurturing your soul? I hope so.

Ya know, Barbie's at home waiting patiently for me to return and share with her some of the awesome inspirations I've encountered once again in the beautiful White Mountains of Arizona!!

The White Mountains of Arizona - Near Nutrioso.
(Prior to the 2011 Wallow Fire)

Whatever it is you're up to, I hope you'll take the time to share some of your wonderful adventures and plans with me here.

Until Next Time,

Peace, Love and Listening to the Wind in the Pines!

Summer Home Away From Home! :-)

Cheers,

~Shel~

Happy Father's Day!

Happy Father's Day to all the

Fathers out there!!

Treehouse my hubby built. Sitting under it w/our son!

Celebrating with one of the 'Cool Dads' today!

Logan and Mike surfing in San Clemente, CA

Missing this one,....

Me and my Dad on his 60th Birthday!

Happy Father's Day!

Until Next Time,

Peace, Love and Celebrating Dads!!

Cheers,

~Shel~

Happy MiStakes

So, as I was working on some things this week, I sort of had a little mishap with these shapes here,...

They just didn't come out the way I wanted them to. 

But they're silver.  Silver's not cheap. 

Less expensive than it was about 8 to 10 months ago maybe, but it's still a pretty penny.

And, I didn't feel like setting them aside until a later time either.

Nope, for some reason, my hands just kept going and the ideas flowed and here's what they became.

Rugged, mishappen pieces of silver,....like that of an old spur perhaps, or a bridle.

So, these became "Horseshoe Pass".

Living here in the 'Wild West' can really spur your imagination.

No pun intended!  

What happy mistakes have you made recently? 

Or, what's your best-ever happy mistake?

Please share it with us!

Until Next Time,

Peace, Love and Letting It Flow!

Cheers,

~Shel~

P.S. - Did any of you happen to catch my little 'MiStake' in the blog title today? 

Or is it a mistake,...it's kinda like the name of my company.  ;-)

Housing Authority

This little fella decided to make camp in the hubby's grapevine.  

I was surprised at how large he was.

And, he could eat at a rate of speed like I've never seen before. Within 5 minutes of finding him and going back in the house to grab my camera he'd devoured about 3 leaves the size of my hand.

Poor Little Grapevine!

So, after the nice photo opp he gave me, I called in the Housing Authority (aka - the hubby) and had his happy little butt relocated to a tree in the common area of our subdivision! 

Hey - you should catch all the cool photos over at

Studio Waterstone today for I Heart Macro.

They're pretty amazing!

Until Next Time,

Peace, Love and Bugs!

Cheers,

~Shel~

I Call It,...??

My "Moonlit Owl" Bangle Trio

Remember back here, when I showed you the funky bangles I'd created after getting the fun Tribal Gypsy Bangle Tutorial from Fanciful Devices over on Etsy?

My version of "Tribal"

Well, I posted on Facebook how I was creating some with a sort of 'Goth' look and feel to them. I mentioned they were kind of "Dark Shadows meets the Adam's Family" and some people asked me to post them once they were finished and photographed - so here they are.

I still haven't used my Renaissance wax on the fiber portions yet to control all the 'fuzziness' and that's because,...well, I'm kinda likin' the soft fuzzy feeling and the way they look.  I also haven't taken any photos with my metal 'filler-bangles' put into the mix yet either.

I'm not quite sure what 'style' to call these or how to label them as I put some in my Etsy shop. Any suggestions?

These are completely different than the bangles in Fanciful's tutorial and they have my own 'signature' (if you can even call it that) style woven into them.

Not tribal and not really Gypsy, either.

They have a sort of 'Gothic' look and feel to them - or maybe that's just what I see.

I really like playing around with the darkened metals,...whether it be the annealed steel or my blackened silver and copper. 

It's just cool looking and I've always loved blackened metals.

I haven't always created designs using dark metals - but I love the look. Case in point - my love for Todd Reed's dark metals and raw diamonds, Emanuela Duca's blackened metals (her designs are what I see in my dreams!!) and of course Sarah Graham's signature designs.   These designers embody such a raw elegance. Their designs are full of mystery and intrigue. Not to mention they're just plain gorgeous and super cool.

Emanuela Duca - Magma Ring

So, tell me what you think - how should I label these and what should I call them?   I've seen things such as 'Post Apocalyptic', Goth, Rocker, Grunge, Organic, Urban,.....??

 

They're definitely eclectic.

What are you playing around with this weekend?  

Are you creating anything special? 

What types of styles and designs are you interested in at the moment?  Please share with us!

Until Next Time,

Peace, Love and Funky Styles!

Cheers,

~Shel~

Memorial Day

Thinking of all the brave men and women who serve our country this

Memorial Day weekend

and remembering those who have 

paid the ultimate sacrifice.

Marine Sgt. Wade D. Wilson Memorial
Photo Credit - Portraits by Karen

Thank you for keeping me safe and

allowing me to live the life I do.

Marine Sgt. Wade D. Wilson Memorial

Photo Credit - Portraits by Karen

I honor you.

BTW,...

There's a few things on my bead table this Wednesday.

Easy Beading - Volume 8

Kalmbach's Easy Beading Volume 8 arrived on my beading table this week. I've got a pair of Keshi Pearl Dangle Earrings on pages 236-237.  I was very excited to learn this!!

Keshi Pearl Dangle Earrings
by Michelle Buettner

You should see all the very cool projects in this book - oh my!  It's eye-candy central and the various designs are just delish!

Fanciful Devices - Etsy - Tutorial

Then, this past weekend, I got the opportunity to play with the tutorial I ordered from Fanciful Devices over on Etsy. Her Tribal Gypsy Bangle Tutorial.  Wow - how fun are these?!!

My attempt at 'Tribal'

Trust me when I tell you they're addicting to create - seriously!!

My White Pearls Bangles with a little Hootie!

On another note, tomorrow's the last day of school for our son.  Summer will officially be here and I'm so grateful for that.  I'd prefer it not be 114 degrees for the next 4 months, but the rest of the year really rocks when it comes to weather, so I'm not going to complain.  I will tell you that I'm extremely grateful for air-conditioning that works though!!

Arizona Desert

What are your plans for the summer - got anything special going on? Are you traveling, seeing family and friends, hanging out, having BBQ's and enjoying the season? 

Family BBQ at the Cabin

How about your creative side?  Are you crafting, beading, smacking some metal around and playing with fun stuff this summer? 

Painting at Creative U!!

I'm hoping to be teaching a couple of classes over the summer when I'm here in the Valley. 

Words on the Wall at Creative U.
So True,....So True!!

I also want to play with some new materials and create a few fun, new designs.

Front Porch of the Cabin

I'm also going to be visiting with my sister in the mountains at her cabin.

Moon over the Cabin

 I love it up there!  It's so beautiful.

There's inspiration everywhere you look!

Wild Flowers in the Meadow

I hope you're planning on having a wonderful summer, full of creativity, family, friends and all the things you love!

Linking up today with Bead Table Wednesday
over on Flickr - won't you join in the fun?!

Until Next Time,

Peace, Love and Let the Summer Fun Begin!

Cheers,

~Shel~