#baluva

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Sand rosaries on the beach 😍 Beads made from Wildwood sand!

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Devereux Sand!

Gorgeous sand at #Devereux beach in #Marblehead!

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Go Monadnock!

Just created a necklace inspired by my high school in honor of this year’s graduates! Coordinating with the school’s colors, the necklace chain is gold-filled and the beads cobalt.

The feature bead is made with sand from the location of your choice.

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Go Monadnock!

So excited for the Go Monadnock virtual pop-up market this weekend! 

Welcome to Baluva! My name is Cara and I create beads out of sand. They are then incorporated into pieces such as jewelry, prayer beads, rosaries, ornaments, worry stones, and other gift items that remind people of the places they hold dear.

There are pieces for sale at my Etsy shop: https://www.etsy.com/shop/Baluva

I also take requests and make custom designs! And stay tuned for a ConVal-theme necklace design coming shortly.

If you want to learn more:

- A while back, I wrote about Baluva’s beginnings

- And Baluva’s name.

- I really enjoy traveling. And blogging about it.

And as for the Go Monadnock event, I am a ConVal graduate.

Proof - a picture of me and Holly (of Grey Cricket Studios) 💛:

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Today’s Memories: Olympic Peninsula Fun

Today, I’m remembering beaches and rainforests and starfish... behold memories of the Olympic Peninsula!

One of my other favorite vacations I took was during spring break when I was in grad school at the University of Washington in Seattle. My friend and I headed over to the Olympic Penninsula to have some fun.

We took the ferry over to Kingston. We kept pulling over for pictures because the scenery was so beautiful. In some parts, the trees were blanketed in fog and the contrast of green moss with white clouds was breathtaking. 

Then we stopped because the trees we were passing seemed to reach on forever, their branches covered in moss so thick that there was barely any room for the brown bark to show through.

And then we stopped because this was 2009 and my friend’s digital camera ran out of space. We had to buy her a new memory card.

One of the biggest surprises for me was the beaches. I grew up with sand dunes and wide open stretches only broken up by a jetty. I was surprised to see driftwood logs on the beaches. It just wasn’t something I’d expected, but they were great to lean against when I was dumping water out of my boots!

I really loved looking into the tide pools. I’d never seen starfish or sea urchins other than ones in aquariums, so when I some all clustered together, I was enchanted.

We also drove to the Hoh Rainforest to check out the Hall of Mosses.

All I remember was silence. My friend and I were too stunned to speak, so the only sound we could hear was our footsteps and the stream of the babbling brook. There were so many shades of green that it was overwhelming. My photos show olive and evergreen and hunter and jade and artichoke and even some chartreuse.

That break was so fun! It was amazing exploring the stunning scenery, poking around the beach, and gazing at starfish. I went back a few more times to explore other areas. I’d love to go back someday. Until then, I’ll smile at the pictures!

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I haven’t done much in terms of jewelry during this COVID-19 crisis. But one thing I’m looking forward to is storytelling - keep checking back for more stories!

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Photo shoot with the Blanket of Stars earrings - inspired by the night sky at Joshua Tree, the bottom beads are crafted with sand from the famous and much-beloved Pappy and Harriet’s Pioneertown Palace!

Find them here: Blanket of Stars earrings

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SALE!! Inspired by the starry desert sky, this Southwest rosary is made with red sand from New Mexico and paired with sparkly goldstone pater beads.

Find it here: Southwest Rosary