Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day to all the Moms today!

 

 

 

Whether you're a mom that is still here, or one that has left us,

 

Whether you're a mom who's children are all alive or if you've had to say 'good-bye' to one of your angels, 

 

Whether you're a mom of two-legged little ones or a mom of  'four-legged' little ones,

 

Know you are loved and appreciated. 

 

Our lives are forever changed because you cared!

 

Peace, Love and Celebrating the 'Mom' in all of us!

 

Until Next Time,

Cheers,

~Shel~

 

Focus on Life - Week 19: HOPE

Our prompt for week 19 of the 

Focusing on Life: 52 Photos Challenge is:
 

 

HOPE
 

 

This week my mind kept turning to today.

 

 Today's an anniversary. Not the good kind.

 

Tears were there many times before I could stop them; so they just fell. 
 

 

 

 

 

 

You're thought of every day sweetie,....by more people than you could probably ever imagine. 
 

 

Wade - Thanksgiving 2009 - Hindman Cabin, Nutrioso, AZ.

 

 

Your selfless actions and those of your fellow Marines are appreciated beyond what many of us can express.
 

 

Today's a reminder that because of the actions of others I have HOPE in my life for a Peaceful tomorrow.
 

 

Until Next Time,

Peace, Love and HOPE

 

~Shel~
 

 

Wade's actions one year ago today earned him a Purple Heart and he posthumously received
the Silver Star, the Nation's third highest honor for combat valor.
 You may read about Wade and many other Marines here,
In the Marine Corps Times.
 

Mother's Day Etsy Sale

I'm having a Mother's Day sale over in my MiShel Designs Etsy shop this week.

 

 

 

 

Upon check out, enter coupon code: MOM20 and save 20% OFF your total order!

 

 

 

 

 

Enjoy!!

 

 

 

 

Until Next Time,

Peace, Love and Fun Savings!

 

 

 

 

 

Cheers,

~Shel~

 

 

 

*Please Note:  Depending on when you order, your items may or may not arrive by Mother's Day, Sunday, May 12th, 2013.   All items will be mailed out with in 24 to 48 hours from the date of your paid in full order.  Thanks!!*

Focus on Life: Week 18 - Abstract

This week's prompt from Sally over at

the Studio Sublime for Week 18 of

Focusing on Life: 52 Photos was:

 

ABSTRACT

 

 

 

"Abstract: the use of a visual language of form, color and line to create a composition which may exist with a degree of independence from visual references in the world.

All things have form, color, and lines; we just need to step back and step away from the literal image you see through the lens. Take into account the lines, color or form and look for a more figurative composition.  

 

Take this week and step out of reality and change your view of things!"

 

 

I adore these weekly challenges because they really get inside my head.

 

I realized this week that I might be slightly obsessed smitten with abstract.

 

I love looking at abstract photography - it's some serious business, let me tell you!

 

I came to realize that I 'see' things in abstract form most of the time.

 

I see lines, colors, forms, shapes, images within images and things of this nature with out even trying.

 

This is just the 'norm' for me.

 

Case in point.

In Rome last fall with my sister, while other people were snapping 'normal' pics of the Colosseum, I was capturing these: 

 

 

 

 

Lines, Textures, Form, Shapes, Angles, Colors, Light Play, Images within Images.

 

 

 

 

"Designs", if you will.

 

 

 

 

I love how this line meets that line or how the blue of the sky is shaped in a particular way because of the outline of the stone walls.

 

 

 

 

 

How the clouds have 'soft' lines while the stones have 'hard' lines. 

 

 

 

Or how it seems you're looking through a "key hole", viewing an ancient secret.

 

 

 

 

And even with my flowers,....I love capturing the abstract of my roses.

 

 

 

 

There always seems to be some super cool and interesting shape to photograph.

 

 

 Black dirt from by boys' gold panning trip last weekend. The sand is
surrounding a round magnet and it's making the dirt all wonky!
Cool, eh?!

 

And then, the other morning, as I was ready to get out of the shower, I saw these:

 

 

Can you see what looks almost like 'butterfly wings' in the water droplets?

 

I grabbed my camera and captured what I thought were some totally awesome ABSTRACT water droplets.

 

See how there's shapes within the shapes?

 Lines, forms, colors!

It's a whole other world in there!

 

 

Special Effects with Pixlr - Too Much Abstract Fun!!

 

 

Then, some voice inside my head said:

 

"Sometimes, I worry about you!"

 

I looked up to catch a glimpse of myself in the bathroom mirror.

 

There I was, in all my glory, naked in the shower, sopping wet, with my camera in hand, snapping pictures of water droplets as they rolled down the shower window!

 

"OMG!!!"

 

I am so lucky my hubby didn't walk in to see that sight because it would have given him just the right amount of ammo to have me committed to the 'Looney Bin" for sure!!

 

LOL!!

 

Someone please, PLEASE, tell me that you've gone to such crazy lengths to capture a photo with out even realizing it?!

 

 

 

Colorful Abstract!

 

 

Be sure to pop on over to the Studio Sublime and see what

perspective everyone else has this week on ABSTRACT!

 

Until Next Time,

Peace, Love and Over the Moon for Abstract!

Cheers,

~Shel~

 

Soup's On! (Bead Soup, that is!)

If you're looking for Week 17 of the
Focus on Life: 52 Photos Challenge - Click HERE!

 

And now,...It's time for the 3rd Reveal in

Lori Anderson's 7th Bead Soup Blog Party!

 

 

 

First, a super hearty thank you to our hostess, Lori Anderson who puts together the best "Soup Parties" on the planet!  Lori's knack for bringing people together from all over the world is just phenomenal and with this, the 7th Bead Soup Blog Party, there are 541 participants in 28 countries on 4 continents having fun creating fabulous designs of all kinds with heaps of 'beads soups' that were traded out between partners. With three 'Reveals' over the last few weeks in order to accommodate everyone who wanted to play along, my hat's off to Lori (and her hubby!) for all the hard work and coordinating efforts this huge bead party takes to make it such a success!!

And so now, with out further ado,...

Lori paired me with the uber-talented 

(and super sweet!) Francesca Watson.

 

My Bead Soup Partner, Francesca Watson

 

 

Francesca and I shared our 'Bead Soups' we sent each other in our posts, here and here.  

 

I'll say it again - she's super sweet - and the Bead Soup Francesca sent me was just over the top, filled to the brim of my bowl with yummy bead-goodness! 

 

 

Bead Soup I received from Francesca!

 

 

Remember?!!

 

 

 

Bead Soup is meant to get you to step out of your comfort zone and try new things.  Try as I might to step out of my comfort zone, my lack of skills kept me from accomplishing the things that were inside of my head (which looked really cool in my brain, by the way!) and so my pieces were assembled, taken apart, re-assembled,....  

However, I was having lots of fun playing around with all the beads Francesca had sent and was truly enjoying all their wonderful colors and shapes.

 

 

Click Photos To Enlarge ;-)

 

The first necklace I finished has the beautiful stone pendant that Francesca sent along with several of the gemstone beads she sent as well. I love the colors and texture and how this necklace feels when it's on (it feels fabulous!!).

I really wanted to somehow make a brass backing/bezel for it in order to highlight it a bit more, but I need to get some thinner gauge metal sheet to do this.  The sheet I have is so thick I can't cut it w/anything but a jewelry saw and (luckily) I'm out of saw blades (because my sawing skills are horrible. That's a compliment, trust me!).   My hubby says this one has my sister written all over it - color and texture wise - and I think he's right!
 

 

 

Here's the earrings I created to go with the necklace.
 

 

 

 

I REALLY like these!

 

Next, I took the amazing copper enameled (2nd) focal pendant that Francesca sent me and played around with it. I actually thought that most of the beads she sent would look fabulous all knotted in waxed linen in a multi-strand necklace with this focal. They did look fabulous all knotted, but again, the design just wasn't doing it for me, so that's another one of the designs that got scrapped.

 

Click Photos to Enlarge! :-)

 

I ended up creating these tube-shaped paper beads from a magazine add that had a picture of the Grand Canyon it - the colors match perfectly and really (my opinion here) let the focal pendant take center stage. I also used the third focal that Francesca sent me - the carved, dyed horn bead - as one of the beads in the necklace - I just LOVE this bead!  It was hard not to make that bead the focal of a hand-knotted/beaded type of wrap bracelet, let me tell you, but I was trying to steer away from my 'usual' here,....at least a tiny bit anyway!
 

 

 

I'm so in love with this necklace!
These colors,...totally my colors!!
I could wear this every day of the week!!

And then this bracelet is where I used the super fabulous clasp that Francesca made herself and sent me.  These aren't colors I usually work with or wear, but I'm finding them fun and they were much easier to work with than I thought they would be. (Green really does go w/everything!)  

 

 

 

 

I decided after all the 're-dos' I had w/the necklaces, that I deserved a nice, simple (design-wise) new bracelet all my own! I strung the bracelet on waxed linen and it feels so good on. I'm wearing this one right now, along with the earrings, too. (well, as I write this post I have it on!)

 

 

I've got a ton (yes a TON) of beads left over from the wonderful bead soup that Francesca sent me and I've got a couple of bracelets and earrings in the works using them, but nothing to show off as of yet.

I want to thank Francesca for sending such a lovely soup recipe to me and for allowing me to step out of my box a bit and try some shapes and colors of beads that I don't normally try and also for the wonderful focal pendants and clasp she sent me - I couldn't have asked for components that were more beautiful or fun!

Please stop by Francesca's Blog and see what she has cooked up with the beads I sent her - I know it will be wonderful - her designs always are!

Click HERE to go to
Lori Anderson's Blog, Pretty Things,

and see the 3rd Reveal Participants with their links so you can hop around the 'world' (literally) and drool over all the amazing soups that everyone else has simmering!

Have fun!

Thanks again to Lori Anderson for another successful and super fun Bead Soup Blog Party!

Until Next Time,

Peace, Love and Bead Soup Fun!

Cheers,
~Shel~
 

Focus on Life: 52 Photos - COLOR!

For the Bead Soup Blog Party 3rd Reveal Post
Click HERE!
_________

 

For Week 17 of the photo challenge,

Focusing on Life: 52 Photos,

our host, Sally with The Studio Sublime,

gave us this prompt:

 

Color / Colour

 

 

 

"Did you ever notice the way color can effect our mood and perception of the environment around us?

Colors can elevate our mood or change our perception of an object.  Whether photographing a full shot of amazing colors or small pops of color against a muted background, this week break out your camera and capture some color. Think about how the colors of the shot effect your mood, feelings, perception of your surroundings! Focus on how the colors impact your decision to take a particular shot."

 

Each week these challenges capture my attention and make me think about and focus upon something that I normally take for granted or am in too much of a hurry with 'life' to slow down and appreciate on a daily basis the way I should.

 

So this week's prompt of "Color" allowed me to actually

'Feel' the colors and how they affect my moods; how they excite, how they mellow, how they make me smile!

 

Just take a look at the colors in these beads.

 

 

 

 

Rather rustic and muted in appearance, yet vibrant compared to the black and white photo of the same beads below.
 

 

 

 

Think of how different our world would be with out all the amazing colors we have around us!

 

Pretty heavy thought there, isn't it?!

I love that we have COLOR in our lives!!

 

Oh, and here's some pink and green.

 

 

 

These colors just make me happy!!

 

Now, go check out what colors everyone else over at

The Studio Sublime is capturing today!

 

Until Next Time,

Peace, Love and Colors, Baby!!

Cheers,

~Shel~

Focus on Life: 52 Photos - Take a Walk

 

It's week 16 over at the Studio Sublime's

Focus On Life: 52 Photos Weekly Photography Challenge

and Sally's prompt for this week was:

 

Take a Walk!

 

"Grab your camera, open the door and step outside into the fresh air. Take a walk! Whether you walk to your favorite chair on the porch, walk a few miles down a rural road or a busy city street;  take a moment to be aware of the beauty of the world and let its grandeur energize your soul, inspire your mind and jump start your creativity. Step back and look at the wide world around you and capture a shot of the landscape in front of you!"

 

Greenbelt area with some pretty trees near my home where I walk.
Sure doesn't look like the middle of the desert, does it?! ;-)  

 It was the perfect weather this week for walks here, too - temperature wise.

 

 

Lakes in my neighborhood along my walking 'path' (sidewalk!)

 

It was a bit windy for several days with gusts from 40-60 miles per hour one day and on Wednesday we had a micro-burst come through the neighborhood sending the trash bins rolling down the street - but other than that it was perfect spring weather in the desert. 

 

 

 Here's what I snapped on a couple of walks around the neighborhood. 

We have some green belts in our neighborhood and a few lakes (duck poo ponds, as we call them!) and some really pretty trees too, so it makes for some lovely walks.
 

 

 

 

So, get up, and go for a walk over at the Studio Sublime today and see where everyone else's walk will take you!!

 

 

Evening Walk with the Sunset Over the Lake
One thing's certain; Arizona truly has some gorgeous sunsets!

 

 

**Thanks to you all who have been leaving such wonderful comments each week on here - your posts and comments always make me so happy - Thank you!!  Last week I was trying to 'reply' to all of them, but when I hit the reply button on blogger here in the comments section it just 'spun' and spun,....loading,...loading,...and never loaded. Not sure what the deal was but I wanted you all to know that I wasn't trying to be rude - it just wasn't letting me 'play nicely'  last/this week. I haven't been able to comment for several days and although I think it's okay now, I talked w/a few of my other blogger friends and a couple of them had the same problem for a day or two, so I don't feel like such an idiot!! LOL!!   So, please accept my apologies for not responding to your replies here in the comments section this last time, hopefully this week I'll be able to read them and respond.**

 

Everyone have a great week!

 

Until Next Time,

Peace, Love and Lovely Walks!!

 

Cheers,

~Shel~