Sunday, February 12, 2012

Still On the Road - Challenge 2012

Amigo watching Terry
from across the ravine
Rainy cold Sunday in Lajitas and across much of Texas.  We stayed close to the house, venturing out for a walk or to throw discs across the ravine.  I updated the website which took forrrrrrrrrever because of the weak wifi signal from the resort but i got it done and that was huge.

Yesterday was a drive past Presidio to the ghost town at Shafter which was a bit of a disappointment.  Couldn't walk thru the ruins of the town but we took a few photos and drove back through Presidio where we stopped and had a meal at El Patio again.  Tres leches cake, anyone?  Oh my.

Wound our route back home stopping to look at canyons and hoodoos and balancing rocks along the way.  Looked like rain was moving in so we just kept moving on.

Today the weather kept us in.  I made earrings.  Kelly picked the colors - amber  and turquoise - and we played with beads a bit.  Kelly quilts and her current project is a Fibonacci design (think the crosscut of a chamber nautilus).  Her perspective is different from mine, much less rigid and freer with color.  I'm uptight; what can i say?

But the earrings swing!  And the colors look fabulous together and, all in all, we made such a pretty pair!

Supplies:
(4) amber beads, drilled on the diagonal
(4) 4mm Swarovski rondelles in crystal copper
(2) 4mm turquoise glass rondelles
22gauge non-tarnish brass copper core wire

Using bailing pliers so i'd get consistently sized loops, i made the components for the earrings and then attached them together, opening the simple loops like jump rings. Then because i didn't have any ready made ear wires in a suitable finish, i made some real simple interchangeable ear wires from the same 22gauge wire.  Really should start carrying a file to take the edge of those ear wires!

Our days here are dwindling fast and there is still so much to do. Tomorrow it's Study Butte for the post office and hardware store and Mexican food at Rosie's.  Tuesday we start our drive towards home.  Bright spot:  Pappys in Monahan Texas.  Best brisket EVER.  Another pair of earrings?  Nah.  I'll play catch up when i get home.  Maybe.

Earring count:  36 earrings/ 40 days