Long weekends are awesome

Especially, when you add in another day! Last week was July 1st and Canada's birthday, but because July 1st fell on a Tuesday it wasn't actually going to be a long weekend....that is unless you and your beloved take off the Monday in between. Four blissful days of rest and relaxation. We packed a lot into our 4 day weekend, a most enjoyable drive in the country allowing me to hone my photographic skills, we took in a movie and thoroughly enjoyed it, we spent time with family, and time with friends, we shopped along old Whyte Avenue and enjoyed a coffee at our favourite bistro, I sewed a couple of new outfits, and I beaded....and that is just a sample of what we did. I love long long weekends! Moving forward to this weekend it was time to catch up on all we had put off...yard work, house work, etc. etc.

Country Roads Barn

Country Roads Horses

Country Roads Old Barn

 A wonderful friend of mine recently returned from Thailand and blessed me with not only one but many Shiva Eye Shells. He knows I love making jewellery and thought I could create something beautifully wonderful. This is the first piece I made, with more to come. I am working on putting one in a silver bezel and will have to pull out my smithing tools....hmm can't wait! I do love this one and the lamp work beads go so well, it was like they were made for each other. It hangs on a delicate sterling silver chain and the bezel is sterling silver seed beads. Thank you to my friend!

      "On one side of the Shiva eye shell is a beautiful spiral. The exact shape of the spiral is unique from one shell to the next. The color varies from beige to deep green, depending on the sea snail's diet, while the background always remains a milky white.      

The swirl symbolizes an energy force of power and strength. On the reverse side of the spiral is a mesh of colors that resembles an eye, which is where the shell's alternate name derives from.       

The Eye of Shiva  is thought to have the ability to look beyond the obvious. It symbolizes the creation, preservation and destruction of everything, the flow of life, the constant change of the universe, spiritual knowledge and creative visualization"     

Shiva Eye