Monday, November 5, 2012

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)
 
 
 
 
 
 

26 comments:

  1. Well I guess it's true, everything is bigger in Texas including the state fair! Those are fabulous photos. And I'm thrilled to see the shots of the dino tracks. We took our kids to that river years ago and had a blast.

    Your earrings are just wonderful..of course! I'm a sucker for fossils, and infact went hunting for some this weekend in a dry creekbed. I'm amazed that you were able to get two fossils that matched so well in color and size. Love 'em!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Who knew that Texas had a dino state park, eh? Very cool. Did you find anything on your fossil hunt? Hope you did.
      The twisty ones I used in the earrings, were purchased rather than found. Even so, a great thing to find two that similar! Once we get settled and I can start drilling and shaping rocks again, you'll see some of our finds. Thanks so much for visiting and taking the time to comment. Appreciate it! :)

      Delete
  2. Thanks for the touristic tour of Texas Janet! lol, all this fried food, just amazing!
    Love the earrings fossils and your copper patinas are just awesome! Natural patina, that is an idea, to burry some pieces of brass and copper in the soil of the garden and let the time makes its work, the problem will be not to look as idiot as a squirrel who forgot were to dig, haha!!!! But worth a try! So you found a home!!! Congrats!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. hahahahah that's a great mental image. You digging in your beautiful garden looking for your buried treasure! Thank you thank you! We do the actual move in this next week. yay and ugh. :/

      Delete
  3. Perhaps Big Tex burnt down because they were trying to fry him.Never mind we fry weird crap in this country too, battered mars bar anyone! Those poor gators. Fern would go completely nuts over all the Dino stuff, she loves them. Earring yeah!!!! Gorgeous, loving the patinas, especially love the opal and game counter earrings

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. yup, maybe so. LOL. apparently they'll try to fry anything they can get in a fry pit! Do you and Fern ever get to go look for ammonites? Not exactly dinos but still ancient treasures. That may be so far from you that it's not even a remote possibility. Geography, not my best subject. :)
      Thank you for the kind words.

      Delete
  4. The light show looks fabulous! We have a Festival of Lights up here in my town, but our displays are crap compared to those! Maybe I should them to your blog so they can see them and get feeling all jealous and get to work on cooler ones for next year? lol ;)

    I have no wish to discover the taste or reality of fried beer, or caviar >.< I spent a week in Texas with friends a while back, and made several trips through (despite the fact we barely stopped moving, each 'passing through' took about two days >.< ), and I never saw a menu featuring anything 'strange' like those. Then again, fairs bring out the weird food kiosks... Btw, chocolate covered bacon isn't all that >.<

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I don't even want to know what Texas caviar is. Scares me. hahahahha
      I don't think anyone will get jealous looking at my blog with all the sideways, out of focus pictures. maybe only show them those first two, eh? :)

      Delete
  5. Beautiful inspiring earrings all. Agog and a gasp over the fossil pair with the white glass and twisty bits.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. thank you much, Pipn! Those fossils are cool things, aren't they? Wish they'd had a big enough one for a bracelet!

      Delete
  6. Hi Janet! Lovely treasures; fossils rock, hahaha, get it!!!! Very pretty. Said hi to Ning and Gail for ya. Ning said she was wondering how you were doing. Picked up a few things at our favorite stores jewelry sale last weekend. Been making some wine glass charms, my niece says she wants to get sets for many of her relatives so I am cranking those out. They are all big wine drinkers and her husband is the youngest of nine kids!

    Fried beer...................that just ain't right. Beer is supposed to be cold and liquid.

    Obviously you have a house now, congrats on that. Hope the move goes smooth and a studio space is set up quickly for you. Although you seem to be doing well with a box lid! Take care.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hey coffee-notafreek. I can say that cuz I know you personally and know you're not a freak. Thanks so much for relaying my message. You have no idea how much I'm missing digging through that place and seeing all of you lovely ladies. So please just keep digging for me and reveling in your found treasures. nothing like that here, that I've found yet. Hey, did you ever get to check out Three Toads Funky Junk?
      Pictures! Please!
      Yes, guess I'll be doing some digging myself these next few weeks, who am I kidding, months, maybe years. Lotsa lotsa boxes. :)
      Thanks so much for stopping in to say hi.

      Delete
    2. This comment has been removed by the author.

      Delete
    3. ok blogger is really messing with me... three replies completely disappeared so I started over and then poof, you get them both! I dunno what's up with that. well, so now you get three......

      Delete
  7. The festival of lights looks completely amazing....
    And what's the deal with the sideways pics? Am I the only one seeing some sideways pics? Wacko blogger!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, lela, you're the only one.......... :)

      hahahaha you hit the nail on the head. Wacko blogger strikes again! Really, They were edited and right side up in my computer.

      It really was a cool display. My pictures obviously didn't do it justice.

      Delete
  8. Blimey crikey - they do know how to throw a good fair down there! Cremated Tex and people stuck in the sky though? Gives me the willies - I would almost prefer fried beer and butter to that!
    That frying is just bizarre.
    Gorgeous box top jewels as ever. I love the fossils, and those eggy looking beads are perfect with them. The squared off shields are fabulous, and I love the earwires on the Peruvian Opal numbers too. Unmistakeable Anvil style - love it.
    All good luck with getting this last bit of your marathon move out of the way, and I hope you have fun settling yourself into your new studio.
    Lots of hugs,
    xoxoxoxoxoxooxoxoxoxox :O)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Blogger ate your reply. Hungry hungry blogger.
      Yes, they do throw a good festival, if you consider putting the mascot in the bonfire a good thing. hahahahaha. Kidding, of course they didn't mean to do it.........?????
      Thank you for your kind words about my box top jewels. Much appreciated! Setting up the new studio will be fun. For the first, oh, 15 seconds at least, right? I am so looking forward to hammering something. But I think my hammering muscles have all withered away......

      Delete
  9. Fossil ones are total winners! I might have to get me some of these! So great to see you getting some culture, that festival of lights is pretty spectacular. I saw some lotus "khratongs" like that in a pond in Mae Hong Song for their festival of lights "Loy Khratong"
    Hope you're settling in nicely. Sorry I've been kind of quiet, not sure why... maybe making more comfort food than jewelry with this winter well under way here.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you much, Kim.
      The real thing (festival) must have been spectacular! The sights you've seen!
      Nope, the settling in doesn't even start till next week. The-longest-move-in-history-ugh!
      You've been missed. But if I had a moose mama and baby napping in my front yard like you do, I'd be looking out my window too and not in the studio or on the computer. Fantastic post on your recent blog. It's like traveling without going anywhere. thank you for that!

      Delete
  10. Man it's so great to catch up with you in another of your long, super fun posts chock full of humor and beauty. You rock.

    ReplyDelete
  11. WoW!!! Talk about earring envy!!! I always LoVe them all...if I had to choose...the fossils were my fav, closely followed by the wave assemblages which I swooned over in the magazine and the ice queen.

    Glad to hear you found a new abode and we all want to see photos of the new studio!

    Was your manatee photo from Crystal River or just random? I want you to know when the lines slow down at Gatorland and they do the resident special I will go there just for you. We have gators in the neighborhood here but it'll be interesting to learn more about them...more than just how to outrun them!!! ;)

    Your photos from the fair were cool! Especially getting a pic of Tex before he fried. All that fried stuff though...fried beer and gator....ich!

    Good Luck with the unpacking!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Bond Girl. Hey there's that new Bond movie coming out, Are you putting in a cameo appearance? :)

      That fab picture was from Pinterest. Sorry, I don't know where it was taken but you can track it back to the original source from my boards. We used to go see the manatees at Blue Springs on 17-92 outside of DeBary, Deland. They were literally right there a few feet from you. And yes, I have wonderful pictures that I've taken somewhere.....in storage like everything else I own! Thank you Pinterest for making it so easy to share!
      You sweety! Thank you! Ok, but if you're going to Gatorland just for me, you have to go up to the top level of the tower to feed the gators. then have chills up your spine (like I always do) when you see how many of them come out of nowhere. Ack and the sound of their jaws snapping shut! I never went swimming in gator infested waters after going to Gatorland. Yikes! Just got a chill now. Hope you have an absolute blast! Please do tell all about it after you go. :)

      Delete
  12. LOVE that ones with Peruvian Opal and...maybe Hematites?
    The lanterns are really gorgeous..

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello Tribalis!
      Thank you for stopping by and for the lovely comment.
      They do look like hematites (thank you for the suggestion) but as I remember it, they aren't. They were labeled as something more exotic. Of course, I still don't remember what they are, only what they aren't. I always think I'll remember what I purchase at shows and of course, never do. And then the same stones often have numerous names.......so it's hopeless. Or maybe I could take the time to write it down when I'm buying it........hahahaha

      Delete

I love to hear what you have to say. Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment.