The Beach Keeper

While staying at a really cute little hotel in Atlantic Beach, I met the cutest little old man. I've named him "The Beach Keeper" He walks the beach every morning and finds lots of neat finds. My mom & dad stay here all month (November), and my dad says he does this every morning all month. Him and his delightful wife walk the beach every morning, very early. Well this weeks find , after the nor'easter that came through , was a fishing pole slam covered in barnacles, he says it's Captain Neptune's ! He went out and bought a barnacle covered hat to go with his newly found fishing pole, and he has this grand story he tells all that will sit and listen. Last week his grand find was a hinge that had thick rust on it, you could tell it had been in the ocean for a long, long time, he also found a pin that had really thick rust on it, and he says this is the hinge and pin are from Davie Jones locker. He's a bit rusty looking himself, a delightful little man with a weathered face with tons of character, bushy grey hair and beard, looks a little like Captain Neptune himself. One day I saw him putting all the shells back on the beach that him & his wife had found on earlier mornings. Not all in one spot, he was careful enough to space them out along the beach, so that walkers by could find them and think it was a treasure washed upon the shore just for them. Him & his wife also fish, but don't eat fish, so they put all of their caught fish in coolers of fisherman up & down the beach, they all say they have magical coolers, but I know it's the Beach Keeper. Summer time may be every one's favorite time to come the beach, but November is mine for I know The Beach Keeper is here and looking after the beach and all it's visitors!

A Peek Into My Workspace

"They" say creative people are messy...Well here's your proof.
Here's some pictures of my workspace..so much for organization...
MY THEORY, if I can't see it , I can't create with it.
A lot of my ideas come from just beads that land together on my table. So if you were curious....
here's your peek into my messy creative world....here's where your jewelry comes from. I hope that doesn't scare you away ;)

Grateful For Sales

You know I'm trying to understand why an artist would complain, complain,complain, about being busy, and bringing in sales and money. I am following an artist who has such beautiful work, and I love to read blogs, and watch face book pages, and this artist is so negative. The only time there seems to be any happiness is when they get featured in a blog, or on the front page of something, or in general wonderful recognition.

I just don't understand why you wouldn't be so enthusiastic about making sales, and bringing in money that allows you to continue what you "love" to do. After seeing all this negativity about what they are doing it just boggles me as to why they are still doing it. They even complain about having to go to the post office. If you don't want to deal with the things that go along with having your own business, then don't have it.

Maybe I am wrong in feeling this way, but I love being able to be home and do what I love , it hasn't brought me much income yet...but with perseverance I am hoping to have as many orders as this one artist I am talking about. I hope I am so busy I have to recruit some help from family and make a trip to the post office every other day!!!

I am so thankful for the customers I have......and I wish upon myself many customers that I will always appreciate.....because it is you my sweet customers that allow me to do something I love! From deep within my heart I THANK YOU!!!

Sea Shells & Dreams

I finally created a piece of jewelry with the beautiful shell slices I bought last year at the beach! I also made some pendants out of some smaller shells. They are drying now. I love the way the pink coral and pink and white stick pearls came together in this piece! I love the ocean and shells and all the beautiful colors that come out of the ocean. I have been inspired and will creating more unique designs with shells. I know most people think of summer when they see shells, but the sparkliness (my word) of the stick pearls lends a frosty tone to this warm pink necklace...I think it could be just perfect for either that white or pink summer sundress or with a beautiful white or pink fuzzy sweater. What better way to warm up your winter? This piece of jewelry can work for either season! Check out more views at http://www.rwestdesigns.com/.

I think sea shells are gorgeous! All kinds of all shapes and sizes and most importantly all colors and textures. The best shell hunting is after a hurricane, when everything has been stirred up a lot! I also love to photograph them. I feel like each one has story of where it has been, who has lived in it, and where it ended up. One year while eating out at the beach I found a "pearl" in an oyster. I lost that pearl, but I should have kept it and made me a pendant out of it, it wasn't the most beautiful thing, but it was my prize out of an oyster!! When I was young we went sand dollar hunting...that was fun. We had a whole box of sand dollars.....I wonder where they are? I will have to search my mom's house for them. It would be neat to paint some of them and make pendants out of them. Did I mention that one day I want to be a painter? I'd love to be a soap maker, a candy maker, I love to be expressive and artistic, I may not be good at any of it, but I feel the need to try it all.

I need to invest in a better digital camera, I am still using the one my brother gave me for Christmas 4 years ago. It still serves it's purpose , and takes good pictures. Did I mention my other dream is to be a photographer? I just need the equipment.