Sun Sets on the Day...

The day comes to a close, the sun sets, the sweet light reflects off the lake and now the gift is, the beauty of the night.

Woven Sterling Pendant with Pearl and Topaz

The foundation of the weave is a larger gauge of sterling wire.  I've used two additional gauges of sterling wire for the main construction.

This can be considered a quatrefoil, clover, cross or floral shape.  The woven look is very organic and I like to imagine the fresh water pearl is the center of a flower with little stamen tips swirling around.  That's what I was trying to accomplish with the weave around the center.

I've made these with or without dangles or stones.  For this pendant, I've added a sky blue topaz brio.  I favor labradorite, amethyst and peridot, but this blue is sweet.

Photographed on my favorite little stack of well worn cement steps somewhere out there.

What in the World is in the Works...?

Copper, leaves and clovers for the wrist.  Cuffs and components in the works and you'll see them finished soon!

Sterling Leaf and Labradorite Earrings

I'm always thinking I need to make more earrings.  These have tiny leaves milled on the silver and I've added a nice patina.  I carefully wrapped the smooth pear shaped labradorite stones and also wrapped some wire at the tops of these as well.  I hand shaped the ear wires and even coiled the accent wire at the base.  These would look fantastic dressed up or paired with a favorite t-shirt and denim jacket.

Out in Nature Photography

I guess there's nature photography where you're clicking away at all the amazing things you see out there and then there is taking photos out in nature.  What's the difference?  The out in nature photography is where I actually take the items I make "out in nature" and click away.

I saw some pretty cool things along the way like little Alvin, a big bald eagle way up in a tree, the perfect boulder for my copper rattlesnake skin paracord bracelet and more scenery.  I love the copper color of the boulder and it enhanced the center piece on the bracelet.  I was lucky to have some dry time between rain showers when I took these photos.  There are unexpected sprinkles throughout the afternoon and evening this time of the year in rim country.

I continued hiking around and found a beautiful view through some trees looking way far away.  The alligator juniper adds to the natural framing of this photo.  Really pretty!

Journey Notes Copper and Paracord Bracelets

I've been making some bracelets with a travel theme and they are like little journey notes.  I've got the letters in the middle and the year Arizona became a state.  There are so many places to visit in Arizona such as Havasupai Falls which is located at the bottom of the Grand Canyon, the Grand Canyon itself, Sedona and so many other wonderful places.

For example, I can customize these for a group of campers going on a special trip with dates, locations, names, etc.  I've made pieces in the past to commemorate a groups summit to Uhuru Peak on Mt. Kilimanjaro.  I could add trail names, GPS markers or camper names just to mention a few ideas.  I custom cut and make these, so I have some flexibility on size and how many characters of text can be put on them.

These are a perfect pairing with paracord bracelets for the adventure traveler at heart!  This is a great way to remember a favorite place you've visited, hiked, climbed, pitched a tent or even motored by.  It's the perfect utility art to wear because you could use the cord in a survival situation.  However, it may take you a while to figure out how to unknot it!

Arrowhead with Wolf Print Paracord Bracelet

Someone had seen photos of polymer clay beads I had made with an arrowhead and we got to talking about doing something in metal.  They liked the wolf prints as well and I told them I would think about it.  This thinking lead me to some sketching, then sawing and you know the rest of the story.

I have some impressed leaves on the background and you will see that I hammered some detail on the arrowhead, the paw prints were cut out and the piece was sweat soldered down.  I even got some little claw marks in the mix.  This bracelet is now somewhere out there in the Valley.

I have some other various themes I'm working through for more story bracelets.

A Pleasant View

I'm not sure the sky today could have been prettier!