Rock Hunting on the Little Naches

We went rock hunting yesterday in the Little Naches River about 40 miles from Yakima up the Chinook Pass.  This winter and spring had brought a ton of flooding to our area.  For rock hunters,  flooding can actually have a positive outcome:  new material to search through!!  I had high hopes that we would find some beautiful agates,  perhaps some jasper,  definitely some gorgeous green stones.

Oh,  boy!  The water was COLD!  My sandy beach was obliterated by torrents of water that tore through new channels cut through the immense gravel bar!  In order to find stones,  we had to make our ways knee deep in frigid run off to the dry gravel bed in the middle of the river.  It's difficult to look for agates in dry gravel.  Agates (at least these agates) have a naturally milky appearance that looks icy blue underwater,  but are difficult to see amongst other white and grey stones on dry ground.  At least that's what I thought until Tony came to me with a gorgeous palm-sized agate,  replete with a couple of well-placed veins.  It was the most extraordinary find of the day!!!  This was Tony's first real rock hunting trip with me - it seems as though the beginners have all the luck!!!

I found a nice piece of agatized would though,  a couple piddly little agates compared to Tony's.  I promise to get back into the river later on this summer.  It was just too cold and too deep!!!!  I know there are hundreds of beautiful stones under that ice cold water!!!

All was not lost.  We came back to town with several gorgeous slabs of shale,  a newfound calmness that I haven't felt since my last spelunking expedition...and some beautiful pictures of the Nile Valley.  I maintain,  there is nothing like the natural beauty of Washington state.  I sure do love it here.

Spicing Up the Container Candles

One of my very favorite things to do is to go yardselling or antique shop hopping for interesting and unusual containers for my soy wax candles!!!!

There are so many deliciously fragranced candles out there these days.  I needed a way to set mine apart from all the others.  The most obvious way is by tailoring their appearance!






Anything heat safe will do.  I use goblets,  wine glasses,  champage flutes,  interestingly etched glasses,  finger bowls,  dessert bowls,  sugar and creamers,  shot glasses,  candy dishes,  vintage tea cups with matching saucers,  even deep saucers themselves!!!


 There's really nothing more elegant than a soft pink candle smelling of delicious fresh cut sweet peas set into a lovely cream-colored dessert bowl shaped like a flower,  is there?

Amazing Amazon.com Webstore Finally!!

 I am totally excited!!!  I finally launched my Amazon.com webstore!!!  It looks pretty good.  Still have a lot of stuff to add.  Gotta take care of packaging and then taking some pictures,  then I wil post,  post,  post!!!!
Check it out?

http://cinnamon-lotus-originals.hostedbyamazon.com

Designing my Amazon.com Webstore

Holy Mackerel!!!  It started out quite simply,  not I have photos that are "unavailable"!  I wanted to launch my Amazon.com webstore today,  but until I have a few issues fixed,  I just don't want to.

It's like this for me with every site design.  I don't know whether I am not keen enough to figure out what it is they are asking for,  or I'm just impatient.  Doesn't really matter,  because it all ends up the same way...with me frustrated.

But I am excited!!!  We chose Amazon over Etsy and Ebay,  and may end up letting go of my Artfire account if this all pans out.  I am hoping that with the millions of shoppers Amazon has annually,  I might be able to tap into some of their business.  At least on Amazon,  I think I will have the best chance of getting some interest.  I can't wait to see what happens!!!!!

Okay,  back to the drawing board...I've got to go deal with tweaking and trimming my site.  Wish me luck!!!!  And in a day or two,  perhaps you can visit me at Cinnamon Lotus' Amazon.com webstore!!!!!!

Gardening "Grounds" Me!

I've been working in my yard ever since the first semi-wam day of spring.  Even before the warmth from the sun could really be felt,  I yearned to get outside and put my hands into the ground.  I looked forward to pulling spring's first dandelions and bindweed sprouts,  normally a boring chore.  I could not wait until I could put my design ideas into play.  This is our first spring in our home.

But,  it's always been that way for me.  Something about the earth calls to me on a spiritual level.  Not just beautiful views of my surroundings,  but actually working the ground,  paying homage to it by growing something beautiful or useful or necessary.  To weed and to sow are acts of celebration.

I think I first noticed the appeal back in 1996 when I first got sober.  I was fortunate enough to have been enrolled in a treatment facility in Newport Beach,  California that was positioned right on the beach.  During beach meetings and free time,  I found myself incessantly,  manically digging into the sand searching for nature's little treasures.  I picked up every shell I could find while sifting my fingers through the sun-kissed sand.  It was amazingly soothing and grounding.  And it became something of a ritual to me.

Later on,  I found rock hunting to have the same soothing,  stress-relieving affect as shell seeking.  Sometimes simply walking and looking,  othertimes digging in hard soil or pounding and crushing hard stone.  I couldn't get enough of it.

Lately,  it's all about planting though.  Same action in some ways,  maintaining a physical connection with this earth.  It's not just something I enjoy doing,  it's more like a calling,  a drive,  a devotion.

I figure that the term "grounding" comes from that feeling I get when I garden (go searching for sea shells,  go mining,  rock hunting).  I feel centerred and peaceful and "at one with the earth".  Suddenly,  it makes perfect sense to me.

Summertime Shiny Things!

Summertime is all about color and sparkle for me.  The word 'summer' conjures up images of gloriously colored flower gardens and green, leafy foliage!  I think about the wildflowers in the meadows,  wild irises on creekbanks,  brightly colored rocks that I find during my rockhunting adventures,  the earthy hues of the sands and dunes in the desert that surrounds our rural community.  And I think of the myriad blues and greens which define the mountain lakes,  glacial ponds,  and melt-fed streams.

And these days,  I think about JEWELRY!!!  Especially charm-style bracelets.  I love the bright,  shiny kaleidoscope of colors and the dangly little charms that make such a delightful sound whenever I move my write.

The materials thrill me!  Glass beads of all sizes, shapes, and colors.  Gemstone beads,  faceted crystal pieces,  crackle glass - shiny with the bubbles inside them.  There are metal beads and even "stardust" beads!!!!  And the metalwork...ah,  yes,  wire wrap.

The twists and swirls,  wire-wrapped charms remind me of gloriously green vines of the clematis, ivy, and wisteria.  Sometimes I throw in little polymer clay beads that I've made and use their palettes to guide my inspiration.

Othertimes,  I am inspired by a combination of stone and wire.  Moonglow,  to the left,  was borne out of moonstone and gold.  Moonstone chips,  rounds,  and tiny faceted rondelles with glass and freshwater pearls coupled with bright gold-plated wire look so beautiful and elegant together!

Do you like the little heart charms?  I LOVE them!!!!

Glittery fireworks,  ripe cherries,  apples on the tree,  red is a gorgeous color,  especially when combined with delicate silver and curly wire work.  I call this one 'Cherry Fizz'.  It's one of my favorites.

'Punk Rock Love' is a necklace I designed for a friend of mine.  Super chunky,  colorful,  and a little edgy.  I really wanted to wrap the heart pendant with barbed wire.  I'm going to have to learn how to make some...

I haven't been doing this for very long...nor have I made much money at it yet (yet,  lol),  but I have had some pieces comissioned,  which is a huge confidence booster!  Jewelry making has become my passion.  Some days I am just so full of inspiration that I make piece after piece,  all day long!!!

The biggest bummer is when I get low on materials!!!!!

One last piece,  for the road.  I call it Kobalt with a K...as in Kristina,   with a K!!!!  LOL.  I love this blue!!!!

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