Lazy Summer Days

Carnelian, Sterling

One of the best things about our summers in the Great White North are the seemingly endless summer nights at the cabin or cottage.  It's always a worthwhile thing to befriend at least one person who has access to an awesome cottage by the lake somewhere out of the city..even better if you have a family cottage you've grown up going to.  We have, as Canadians, have grown somewhat immune to the pesky little bugs that threaten to ruin our lazy, summer weekends..we've all come back into the city for work on Monday mornings a little sunburnt, a little hungover, covered in little dots of mosquito bites (black flies if you're really lucky and the cottage is that much further north..) and the odd injury from those nasty deer and horse flies.  It's all worth it.  We start looking forward to these campfire, s'more making, bug bitten cottage weekends from the time we're forced to close up for the season, generally around Thanksgiving.  We start buying new camp equipment, looking at new fishing rods, planning and booking family get togethers for the summer while we're still digging our cars out of the snow and breaking icicles off the end of our noses on the ski hills.  This is our short lived summer and damn it..we're going to make the best of our few precious months of hot lazy days, floating around on our clean, pristine lakes.

The warmth of this carnelian seems to embody all of that.  A warm summer stone, I love that it brings warmth and sunshine into my life during those dreary winter days and reminds me of what's to come this time of year.  Glowing a gorgeous amber hue, the carnelian is a glowing ember captured from those campfire nights up at the cottage where I first learned to roast the perfect marshmallow without setting it on fire.  Where you leave the cell phones in your car and reconnect with friends and family, where laughter, embraces and story telling is encouraged and welcomed.  Where you can let down your big city guard and rejuvenate your soul to the brim and then some.  This ring is about sitting around the campfire with all your loved ones without a care in the world.  Available now in my shop.

Happy almost long weekend everyone!

xo Blue Gnome

Land of the Rising Sun

I started off my day today with a huge slab of homemade carrot cake, piled high with cream cheese icing and a lovely hot cup of Earl Grey.  Mmmm..there really isn't a better way to start yet another gloomy day, although as I'm writing this the sun's fighting to peek through the clouds.  I'm root'n for it..the world needs a little more sunshine today, it's been a tough week for everyone.

In honor of St. Patrick's Day today, I entertained the idea of tinting the cream cheese green last night..but that only lasted for a second.  It would be ungodly to do such a thing..and as it turns out, the Irishman in my life isn't a fan of carrot cake..isn't that insane?..and my efforts would have gone to waste.  So more cake for me..with creamy white icing on top..mmmm.   This is not a good thing.  I need to hit the gym one of these days soon, my ex-trainer has been emailing me asking where I've been.  I hate that he notices that I've been absent for the past couple of weeks..his wife just had a baby so maybe he'll have something better to focus his energies on than emailing clients.  'Hey Tina..I missed you at the gym all last week, have you fallen off the wagon.?'  Pfffffff...I've been busy..eating carrot cake!  I think I'll take him a big piece when I go this this afternoon..if I go this afternoon...

I've finally finished some new pieces that have been staring at me in the shop for the last few days, half done.  Struggling with one in particular I almost scrapped it..but after a lovely gin to calm myself down, I was able to make it work, late last night.  The design is loosely based on the vintage Tiffany brooches of jewel encrusted insects from the Art Deco days.  Some of the organic designs I come up with are inspired by Tiffany lamps with their beautiful cluster of leaves and vines, flowers that seem to defy the hardness of the metal they're made from.  Beautiful.

The second ring is a traditional Japanese crane flying over the gravity defying high rise buildings of downtown Tokyo.  The proceeds from the sale of this ring will be donated to the Red Cross.  Japan has had a devastating week but they will come together and be alright.  Despite the devastation and loss the country has suffered, Japan is a country of proud, strong willed people and the sun will always rise on their horizon.  It is after all, the land of the rising sun.

Available in my shop this weekend.

xo Blue Gnome

  Firefly Ring - Sterling, Amber Carnelian

Flying Crane - Land of the Rising Sun Ring - Sterling, Baltic Amber