Culture and We Aren't Talking Yoghurt!

Hello all,

I've got an exciting post planned for you!   There's more box lid jewels.  And lots of random stuff to show you, cuz you know you want to see it.....
this might be a bit like making you look at vacation pictures, everyone's favorite thing, I know.   I thought you might like to see the highlights.  Some as it turns out, are historic.....

The Festival Of Lights

or The Lantern Festival

or something like that.

Anyway, it was very pretty.

Where did we see something like that In the middle of Texas, you wonder...
At the Texas state fair of course!

Fabric over wire armatures.  Amazing.

 

 



Swan boats!

 

 



Texas Livestock on the march.  Blogger doesn't want to let me center my text.  Ok with me.
Oh btw, these pictures were taken on my phone.  Explains it, doesn't it?

Dinosaurs did roam these parts once upon a time.  I hope to find a fossil dino bone, all gemmy and ready to cab.  And why do I think that's even a remote possibility?  Stay tuned to find out.......

No, not here.  You'll see why a bit later.

Couldn't get a good shot of this.  Cuz of it being my phone.  Cuz you know, I always get good shots.  We've discussed that before.  Hence your helpful suggestions on how to take better pictures.  But I digress...For those of you who read my blog that are more interested in football than jewelry, critters or vacation pictures, (and there must be just dozens of you,right?)  this one is for you.  The cotton bowl game was scheduled for the next day.  Woohoo.  You didn't know you could see a game and dinos all at once didya? 

Butter.  All butter.  You've read about carved butter exhibitions, right?  Well I can now say I've seen one with my very own eyes.  And this picture is proof for those of you doubters who think I make this stuff up.  I mean who would make up a thing like people carved out of butter?!
Yes, I edited it.  Inserted the picture, removed it cuz it was sideways, re-edited it, re-inserted it, still sideways.  Said forget it and hope you don't mind tilting a bit.  Some of you are pretty tilted anyways, aren't you?  hmmm?


Then there were lots of arts and crafts entries....while I took many pictures, I'll show you just one,
my favorite, which needs no explanation.......

Notice the award ribbon.

 

 

And this next one, I didn't even bother to enlarge.  For obvious reasons.  Dinner on a stick.  Looks gross, actually pretty yummy if you like spicy sausage on a stick.

If you're gagging over the thought of our gourmet eats, this is a sampling of the other choices....

No, I don't know how they fry beer, but as you can see, it's a real thing.

Don't want to know.

Yup, if it's fried, you can get it here!  Sausage on a stick is sounding pretty good to you at this point, isn't it?  Fried gator is actually yummy but the line was way too long.  Oh yeah, there was also fried butter and fried cheescake.   We passed.


I wish these next few pictures had cooperated.  This was the first thing I saw when we walked through the gate.  Took a picture for unknown reasons.  Or maybe my reason was,  "sure glad I'm not up there"

Little did I know that a week later, this exact ride would malfunction and people would be stuck up there for hours.  Yikes!  I'd rather eat fried butter and fried beer.


Then there's this which made national news.......

BIG TEX

The symbol of the TEXAS state fair...

A week after I took these pictures, BIG TEX burnt to the ground.  The same weekend as the ride malfunction.  That was not a good weekend at the state fair.


As if that's not enough excitement, there's even more to do in this here big state....just driving along and there's this......

I guess it means "just around the bend there might be a cow on the loose or cow on a walk about or cow jogging along roadway"
I don't know what it means.  "Alien cows landing".....Surely not "cow crossing" on the road we're driving on?!


We also went to see the dinosaur tracks.....

Yes, those are footprints.......

See?  And you thought I knew that just because I'm brilliant about all things dinosaur, eh?  hahahahahaha as if.


wanna see the foot of the first, second and possibly third most interesting man in the world?

He agreed to be a foot model for me so you all could see the relative size of the dino track.  Ack!  Looks like he tangled with something with sharp claws to scratch his leg up like that, eh?

This one was up under a ledge so it hasn't eroded like the others.  Lookit those crisp claw prints.

Here's the sign that explains it.  Cuz it's a state park.  That's why there's signs.  I've learned that Texas is very helpful that way.  And they have cool stuff like BIG TEX and fried cavier and dino tracks.

 

 

 

 

 

 

as far as someone else's vaca pics, those aren't too boring, right? 

The polite answer is "of course not.  Not bored at all (much)"

what's that you mumbled under your breath?

 

 

Since you're all geared up and utterly enjoying ancient type things,

here let me show you the box lid jewels.

no, I don't have dino earrings for you, but I do have some made with fossils...

that we got at a local fossil show!

Yes, they have actual fossil shows here!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

or one a year at any rate. Enough for me. 

So here's one pair of fossil earrings.

Enough for you, no doubt.

 

 

 

 

How cool are these fossils?  Love that beautiful ochre color.

And that texture?  Swoon.

 

 

 

 

 

Mother of pearl, Kuchi stampings, gorgeous blue crystals and glass beads

 

 

 

 

 

Carved Mother of Pearl game counters paired with

Peruvian opals in the most delicious venetian blue hue,

accented with teeny tiny faceted stones, that I don't remember what they are.

They were pricy so I know they are nice stones. 

 You can pretend they are anything you want them to be, I guess.

Faceted bits of meteorites, fossilized dinosaur tears,

treasures from an expedition to the center of the earth,

whatever you want.

 

 

 

 

 

Another view.

 

 

 

 

The Ice Queen

 

Another pair with the vintage Mother of Pearl game counters, but this time paired with

scrumptious white druzy and faceted labradorite with blue flashes.

Cool and icy.

 

 

 

 

Keyhole Assemblage Earrings

featured in the

Autumn 2012 issue of

Belle Armoire Jewelry.

The one with pipnmolly on the cover.

 

 

I'll also be listing some of the Tribal Shield earrings that were featured in that same issue....

 

 

 

 

 

These have a wonderful, rich patina that developed naturally

as this metal weathered for years outdoors. 

This is the depth and color I try to duplicate with my applied patinas.

I've found that nothing mimics this patina like the real thing.

If you ever get a chance to acquire naturally patinated copper, go for it!

It's great stuff.

With sterling earwires and dimples.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kingman turquoise, coral and

texture galore!

 

 

 

 

 

These have jasper, yes, I should remember the name of this jasper but my head cold is pushing all of my actual thoughts out of it with every sneeze, so anyway... the pretty jasper is wired onto

the raw silk and hammer textured copper shields.

 

 

 

 

 

Rustic texture, shaping and sterling earwires.

 

 

And finally these........

 

 

 

 

 

These earrings accompanied the necklaces in

"The Wave Assemblages"

article in that previously mentioned issue of Belle Armoire Jewelry. 

 

The plan is to get these all listed this week.

You know what they say about best laid plans.

While preparing a house to move into, with a cold.

We'll see.

 

 

So that's all folks!

Hoping you are all having a lovely autumn.

 

For those of you who may be dealing with the

aftermath of hurricane Sandy,

you have my most heartfelt sympathies.

I hope as quick a recovery as possible for you and yours.

 

 

 

 

 

Swimming with manatees.

 

 

Wot maber

("go well" in Acholi, spoken in Uganda and the Sudan)