Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Back from Africa!

When I looked at the last date on this blog, I was shocked to see that it was November 30th!  I think that this is the longest I've ever gone without a blog entry.  I'll blame it on the Christmas rush and our trip to Mozambique and South Africa, but now I'm back and everything is in full swing.
Although this is a jewelry blog, I am including some of the photos I took of the wildlife at Kruger in South Africa.  The animals roam free and will walk around you and your car (hopefully you IN your car; it is not recommended to get out).  I saw amazing things, including two hippos crashing into the water to take an evening dip - they swim like dolphins, lifting themselves partially out of the water - and real, live lions within 30 feet of me (5 of them at one time!).  The sights and sounds of Africa have already had an affect on the colours and lampwork beads I am using and I have just begun to translate experiences and sights into jewelry.






Above, the pattern of some fire agate stones reminds me of giraffes (Fire Agate Jewelry) while the Swarovski crystal bracelet below has the colouring of a lion.
 


The chalcedony bracelet, above, features lampwork beads with the giraffe pattern. Below, a chalcedony bracelet is the "zebra bracelet" for obvious reasons.
One of the most amazing things to me is that it can be so very, very hot and humid one place in the world and be so very cold in another, and that we can go from one to another in the span of two days!

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