From My Bench ~ Modelling Photo Shoot and then some ice cream...

 

Yesterday we had a perfect first of summer, school's out afternoon.  My niece and her best friend were hanging out at the lake, mostly at my house :), and they are both beautiful so I asked if they wanted to do some modelling for me.  They agreed - yippee! We wandered around the yard snapping pics of them wearing most of my latest creations. It was a lot of fun and resulted in some great shots!

Thanks ladies!

 

Naturally, little miss Ethel had to make an appearance!

 and then we went for ice cream!!!

(click on any of the photos to see all the stone bracelets available in the shop :)

From My Bench - Summer Fresh Stacking Bracelet

I've been on a stone, glass and silver stretch bracelet marathon these past weeks!

This is one of my favorites - fresh blue and white are a

summery nautical delight! 

Blue Sodalite stones are veined with crisp white. White Jade stones

complement and bring out the white in the blue stones!

A Karen Hill Tribe sterling silver heart is this bracelet's pretty focal point.

It is textured with a raised pattern of daisies- so lovely!
Wear it alone or stack it with your favorite

 silver bracelets - a great piece for a blue jeans, white T shirt,

 Saturday morning trip to the

Farmer's Market or shopping!

 

My Garden Path ~ June

The early summer garden is so fresh! After a long harsh winter in our area, the garden is late and sprinting to catch up - so much changes in just a couple of weeks! Here are some glimpses down my June garden path.

Enjoy and watch for ladybugs!

Our old hose froze and cracked so I replaced it with this fabulous
bright green one - LOVE!!

 

Climbing hydrangea bloomed for the first time last year after about 3 years
from planting.  It's really established itself and is twining around the railing on
the front deck steps, creating a cosy little nook.

Lovely wild ferns I transplanted from the woods, a snow white visitor and
a shady retreat on a hot summer day.

Some views of my garden shed (see last summer's redecorating project here http://wildwomanjewelry.blogspot.ca/2014/08/garden-shed-project-redecorate-reveal.html )
and the garden beside our garage.

Sweet lilacs, charming bleeding heart and finally, a clump of delicate Solomon's Seal.

Virginia Creeper climbs over a trellis made by hubs, blooming rhubarb and pretty
peach daisies in a flower box!

Blue iris about to POP and chives that literally bloomed overnight.

On My Bookshelf ~ Summer Reading List

My summer reading used to include a much anticipated trip to the bookstore  

where I would emerge with BAGS of new books, excited and

 ready to settle in on the porch or the beach and enjoy.  I would bring them home and stack them on my bedside table, loving the pile of them there, ready and waiting, offering worlds to visit without leaving home.

While I still love the feel of reading an actual book and miss that beautiful stack,
my Kindle is

much easier to carry, travel with and I use it ALOT!
I downloaded my 'library' today (8 new books!) and

here is my list for Summer 2015!

 

 

 

It's a rainy morning, perfect for a cup of tea and curling up

for an hour or two of reading - enjoy!

Music Box ~ My New Ukulele

I'm excited! After a year of learning and having SO much fun with my first little ukulele, I knew that even if I'll never be an expert, I really wanted continue playing...and get a 'real' ukulele.  And, here it is! One evening, while we were in Maui this winter, we wandered into a close-by shopping center. A new ukulele shop had recently opened! The owner was working and encouraged me to try any and all I wanted - there were some amazing instruments and a huge selection made right on Maui! I loved the sound, gorgeous woods and metal G string of this lovely!

The front is made with Koa wood that is native to Hawaii.  The body is mahogany,
with this gorgeous inlay which is a mix of both.

And, since I knew I would want to travel with it back to Canada, I got the
hard case to protect it.  I feel very professional! :)

 

Now, back to practicing!

 

happy weekend, all!

xo

From My Bench ~ SAVE 50% at Wild Woman's June Clearance Sale!

Making room for new pieces, we've increased your savings to 50%!

June 12th through 26th

SHOP NOW!

From My Bench - Photo Shoot Today

A peek into one of my photo shoots!

 

The light is great today - bright but overcast.  My little 'set' includes the windowsill (if the sun comes out, I can just pull down the blind), my NikonD80 SLR, a piece of cardboard I covered in tinfoil to reflect back the light, a piece of chicken wire that I've folded in half to support several sheets of white cardstock that I tape together and slope slightly to eliminate seams and shadows in the background. 

 

My 'go to' props are this little tin candleholder which I use ALL the time, a penny and ruler for scale, and sometimes a small ivory china dish. 

 

I have about 35 new pieces ready to photograph which means several hours and probably about 500 images - it's a ton of work and 80% will be too dark, blurry, too light or just plain bad! The other 20% will likely contain enough decent shots that I can edit them and use them for my listings in the shop. Some may have to be redone again- I'm on the third time for a pair of sterling silver hammered hoops that I just can't get the light right...maybe today's the day!

 

Here's the set up - pretty simple, eh?

ok. I'm off.  You know where I'll be :)

xo

Life at the Lake ~ June Nights

It was a beautiful evening last night! I wandered our yard and took a few photos - I couldn't resist the soft light of magical early summer.

 

Make a Wish

My favorites!

 

Fresh chives

 

Watching four deer in the field...

Sunset behind our field

 

From My Bench ~ Eye Candy!

 In yesterday's mail - my fingers are actually tingling!

 Prepare for some new bracelets and necklaces!!

From My Bench ~ A Bit of Boho

I've been keen to play with copper lately - saw it, hammer it, shape it, oxidize it, enamel it - and set up at my bench yesterday to explore.  Turns out I'm going to make a few pieces (bracelets for sure!) with words, flowers and some natural stones, and some whimsical enameled heart earrings too. 

 

I'll keep you up to date!

xo