Worm Tube Exoskeletons and a Mexican Vacay

                         

A family getaway and a road trip to the Sea of Cortez yielded some exciting goodies.

It took me quite a bit of google magic to find out what these things are.

Marine worm tube exoskeletons! Nicely bleached and so inviting with the requisite hole from end to end for beading and designing.

Maybe great for the year of the snake don't you think?

If you order from me in the next few weeks I'll include a couple in your order if you wish.

An experimental piece for the year of the snake

I just got some vladthebatsattic goodness in a trade which I think  nicely paired up with a rustic horseshoe component from the desert museum on our other trip to New Mexico.

Our view of  the island of Alcatraz at Bahia Kino on the Sea of Cortez

So nice to be able to spend some good times with my son.

The sons came up with some good beach pyrotechnics by burning steel wool attached to a metal cable

Some great sunset lighting to illuminate the plethora of shells on the beach.

El Cactuse

The guys were coerced into buying some fresh fish on the beach even though our kitchen was limited.

We happened to have some nice big shells handy!

They went mad for collecting shells...what an amazing beach for shelling.

I kept my collection to a minimum since it tends to get out of hand.

They artfully arranged their haul on the patio

We went for a drive and spotted this interesting altar

On our way there we stopped at Rancho Penasco  at Magdalena de Kino

 that I mentioned in this blog post.

Those of you that have followed my blog for awhile may or may not have noticed that I'm not a huge animal or pet person but every once in awhile there's an animal that tugs at my heart strings.

I noticed this little baby goat at the ranch amongst all of the others that was standing alone in the most peculiar pose and not moving for long periods of time. It looked so frail and odd in its stance.

I remarked to the owner and he said she had been rejected by the mother and was obviously not getting enough nourishment. I ended up carrying that little goat around for the rest of the day. ( I didn't realize till the next morning when I was told it was actually a kind of hairless sheep.)

We ended up bottle feeding it which is quite an undertaking for a busy rancher round the clock.

We brought it in for the night and put it next to the heater in the hostel. It probably wouldn't have survived the cold night with the others.

This dog adopted her as well and licked her all over especially when it had some fresh milk on its muzzle.

The next morning when the sun had warmed the pen we released her back to the throng. She perked right up and sprinted off excitedly to be with the others. We had to leave shortly after and I don't know if she ended up surviving but we were certainly hopeful.

I am now alone for the first time in over a month of road trips and visitors...feel kind of funny!

Getting Grounded into the New Year...Hopefully!

Hatch chiles and me in New Mexico

Merry Ristras!

You know me and my utility covers!

I needed a warning that I might run my ass off during the holidays.

What a whirl it's been.

I got to meet some cool artist types that I admire.

Check out Elizabeth Frank's amazing painted carvings/assemblage pieces with a distinctly southwest flair.

She has an Etsy shop too.

We're looking forward to some play time together one day.

And I got to meet this lovely lady too at her home in Santa Fe.

Yes, chiles were involved as we were treated to a wonderful meal including Bloody Mary's at my request.

You may already know her as Darlicious Rejuvenations  or Darlene of DarliciousHouse on Etsy

I have a heck of a time keeping up with this partner and I'm a little tuckered out with the running and playing we've been doing.

(I've got my son visiting with his new camera and he was trying out some action shots)

I thought this one was wonderfully ridiculous and I'm not jumping very high...notice the hot pack around my neck...kind of lame, literally.

Then we tried some with my camera, that's the most action I could manage but at least I don't look quite so stressed from concentration in this one.

No, this isn't Alaska... this is effin' southern Arizona!

...and it still hasn't totally melted yet.

That there is supposed to be out view of Mexico.

I instagramed it to make it look like someone's nostalgic childhood memory.

Now for the good stuff... I have been utilizing the wonderful Petra's ceramic bits as I have somehow managed to carve out a few hours of time between the visiting and the visitors and too much funnedness of the holidays or else I may go cray-cray.

Those are her elephant skin beads peaking out from under my  torch fired enamel bits.

You prob can't tell but those are some itty bitty headpinny bits of mine. 

lemme know if they are up your alley and I can make some more sets.

So these got me excited... I was actually trying to make them into orbby blobbly lucious fruit-hanging bits  butthe glass started to get away from me and I smashed it down and now they are smashed sideways all button like and I must say I rather like them and they have a multicolored sheen from the Bella Donna frits I've been experimenting with.

Oh, and swoon on this new color for me appropriately called "ghee" with some extra frit sheen

This glass is called peaches and cream and with a little raku frit They serve up quite nicely.

Petra's dangles and coral and acoupla transparent beadcaps.

All they need is some earwires now.

I got the coral in my stocking. See not coal, coRal.

We went to this great hot springs before Christmas because I thought it apropros to have our end of the world celebration in a place called Truth or Consequences. 

what a great soak and stay we had at La Paloma Hot Springs and Spa

I would recommend it highly.

Oh, I kind of wandered there. I saw the coral beads in a little shop in that town and requested them as a stocking stuffer.

These still need some wires as you can see

Dichro sparklies

Bella Donna sheen action

We're staring off shiny this year as you can see.

High-grading my own supplies again. 

NKP beads and some vintage bits

More Petra-iffic components

ScorchedEarthOnEtsy

More NKP beads with my criffles

I finished this one earring, one more to go.

After this we have more visitors (family) and a few days trip to Mexico and then to Maine after that so if I don't get much posted send me calming, peaceful grounded thought and wishes.

My super fun retired life is about to wear me out and I could use a few of those solitary summer days in Alaska again.

I almost forgot to share my new resolution to do more journaling and I collaged 4 pages already.

I think this reflects how busy I've been feeling.

I chose the word "seed" as a journal prompt for the year.

This was a two page spread in silver and gold

Happy New Year to you all!

XOXO, Kim