New Earring Designs

 Above is a simple design involving acai seeds and macrame string.  The earrings below are made with little white seashells I collected at a place called Praia de Sono, Sleep Beach, in Brazil.  Both designs are very light-weight and I love the sound of the shell ones; they sound like waves rolling over the shore. 

Mar Pacifico

In Cuba, hibiscus flowers are called Mar Pacifico which means Pacific Ocean.  I always liked that because the hibiscus is so symbolic of the islands of the Pacific Ocean; the name makes perfect sense to me.  So here is that symbol on my new summer hats, in a red, green and gold batik-dyed style.  They are one-of-a-kind and there are only two left! (at least until I find that specific fabric again someday)

Roots Earrings 2013

These are the latest coconut earrings I made with "coquinhos"  which I collected on the beach in Brazil and then sawed in half, sanded, and drilled.  I bought the cowries and red seeds but the other pieces of coconut I cut into shapes myself.  The round, tan-colored acai seeds came straight from the land where acai palms grow abundantly.  I was able to polish them using a "rola-rola" tumbler that my dad made from recycled machine parts.  

Newborn Baby Naya

Here is Naya at three or four days old wearing her new hat with her mother Luisa.  So sweet!

Abundance and Beauty

 Above is Marcelo with the harvest from the farm in Brazil: bananas, palm heart, oranges, and acai berries.  I used the fibers from the frond which the berries are on to weave a mat (below). On the mat is a oil pastel I did of the view looking out over the valley with the acai palm and the moon rising and pink clouds at sunset.   

 Below are some beaded earrings I made which were inspired by the pink and blue sunsets at the land.

 I love this sand art!  Tropical sunset colors.