New Beach Bride Jewelry

Just added these to the shop!


Ocean Petals - Beach Bride Necklace
Sweet little freshwater keshi pearls with matching freshwater nugget pearls and a pendant of hand wire wrapped freshwater coin pearls. All are hand knotted on white silk cord.




White Freshwater Coin Pearl Earrings

Lustrous white freshwater baby coin pearls with white freshwater nugget pearls.
Each is hand wire wrapped with sterling silver wire and hang 1" from bottom of sterling silver ear wires.

Please visit Jonara Blu Maui for more information and to see more jewelry inspired by the sea!

Hanalei Moon - a very special song

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NeHZ1ySVWiY

I wanted to share this video clip I took at the baby shower for my new nephew Hanalei...his mommy Charme' is singing and his grandma Val is dancing. Back up band includes his uncle Wayne and some friends that play in a local band here.

This song is really special to Charme as she remembers from a very young age her momma dancing hula to it. Now it's the name of her new born son..my little nephew :)

New Starfish Earrings

Just added these to my shop Beach Wedding Starfish Earrings

Shimmering mother of pearl carved starfish dangle from lustrous white freshwater coin pearls.Earrings are hand wire wrapped with sterling silver wire and hang from sterling silver Bali style ear wires.

Earrings hang 1 1/2" from bottom of ear wires.Starfish measure 20mm

Super Cool Bugs in my Yard

We found some really cool bugs in our yard last week..first this lady bug. I wish I got better pics of it..thought I had the camera set on macro but in fact had turned macro off. Plus she was bookin' it so fast it was hard to capture her. She was orange w/ lots of spots...




And then this guy was amazing. We mostly see the green stink bugs here..and I found a brown one the other day..but this guy was really beautiful. He actually sparkled like he was irridescent w/ a turquoise and green. The turquoise didn't show up in the pics..but you can kinda see the sparkle.



I was so amazed to see the red on this little guy. I never knew they were so colorful. I guess he can come in lots of colors and is actually called a Pentatomidae

New Today - Abalone Starfish Earrings

I just added these to the shop today.
Abalone Starfish Earrings
Colorful abalone paua shell with dangling indicolite Swarovski crystal starfish and olivine Swarovski bicone accents all hand wire wrapped with sterling silver wire.
Earrings hang 1 5/8" from bottom of sterling silver Bali style ear wires.
Available here

All regular priced jewelry is 20% off until the end of December!

Jonara Blu Maui
Jonara Blu Maui Etsy

Jonara Blu Maui 20% off Sale

All regular priced items 20% off through December at Jonara Blu Maui

Published by DIY Wedding Girl!

DIY Wedding Girl wrote such a nice article about my jewelry..I"m so excited! Go check it out and leave a comment if you have a chance! Here is the link to the post:Maui Jewelry

Siena has a really nice blog where she finds all sorts of cool finds and fun ideas for weddings and bridesmaid gifts. I know I have a lot of bridal customers so I suggest you go and check her out if you want to browse for some new ideas. Everyday she's got some new cool find up there from artisans who make things like well priced beautiful invitations, super cool custom wedding map and beautiful personalized retro lunchboxes full of spa goodies for your bridesmaids. So much fun!

Thank you DIY Wedding Girl!

Stuff on the Fridge

I wanted to post this latest masterpiece my little niece Kilynn in Washington made me....she's quite the artist and has made me a number of really great pictures..my fave is one of her and I together especially since we've never met in person.



I feel like we have a special little friendship though..thanks to her mom, my SIL Kim, who is super good at keeping family ties together. The photo above was taken by Kim. She does photography just like my flesh and blood sister and they have the same name too lol! Here is my SIL's blog w/ great pics of her children and other family and friends. Simplicity She's really good at capturing the kiddos!

Here is Kileys brother Lucas..picture taken by their mom of course...great setting for a boy..the skatepark ;-)



and sooo... while I was at the fridge I snapped a few more pics of our pics there. Amazing I still have these up..my son is now 17! I just can't bring myself to take them down.

Here we are on Oahu visiting my BIL and SIL. Cameron was only about 3.



And here Cam is 5... he and I took a kids cooking class at the local healthfood store Down to Earth. I sure miss little things like that being exciting for him.



This one was added to the fridge when I stumbled across it probably a couple of years ago. It's from before Paul and I had Cameron. This is during our 1st year of marriage..we were at Disneyland. We used to live in Huntington Beach and would go to Disneyland quite often. I sure miss that place. Cameron finally got to go when he was 14. It's quite and expense having to fly over there and all.



And these aren't on the fridge but on the wall by Cameron's computer. It's some of the 'Get Well' cards and wishes he's received from thoughtful friends and family. There are more now since I've taken these.



I thought it would be cool to put some of this old stuff up on my blog. Another blog I read This Girl Beads has a lot of good memories of her son growing up throughout her blog..the little pictures and notes he gives her and special moments. What a great memory to look back on. I'm wondering how long our blogs will last into the future? What will happen to them as technology advances? Will we be able to transfer them to whatever new comes out? These are like digital scrapbooks ... something I'd like to have at my fingertips as well as my chilren's and grandchildren's years down the road.

New turquoise necklace and our latest puzzle!

Here is my latest! Stabilized turquoise all in green...the pendant is from the Qi Gu mine. The pendant hangs about 3/4" from base of necklace. Necklace size is adjustable from 16" to 18" Here's the link for more information: Stabilized Green Turquoise and Carved Wood Necklace

And we finished another jigsaw puzzle :o) this one was hard but fun. It's really pretty..called "Dance of the Seasons" by Josephine Wall I liked 'The Spirit of Flight" better..this one was smaller and a little bit blurry and mottled..so it was more challenging even though it didn't take as long. It still was very pretty to watch it come together. She has a few others that I hope Walmart will get in. Thats where we found her other two puzzles.

Morning Glory Ceramic Beaded Earrings

Hand painted ceramic coin shaped beads pink w/ white morning glories....mother of pearl carved plumerias dangle from the bottom and mother of pearl beads accent the top.
Earrings are hand wire wrapped with sterling silver wire and dangle 1 1/2" from the base of sterling silver lever back ear wires.

$49
Available at Jonara Blu Maui

New Tropical Bracelet w/ Hand Painted Ceramic Leaf Beads

This is the latest I've just made w/ my ceramic beads. Some of the ones I saved aside for myself as I've pulled out the last bits of my ceramic stash to sell off. I'm not making them anymore...so I put up a few for sale on Etsy and slashed the price just to give them new homes.

I've got a customer in the UK who has held aside some sets and is looking through my bead box of orphan leftovers..yes I took a picture of it for her :)



So hopefully some more will get some love soon because lots of love goes into making them!

Visitors in my backyard

I can never catch these guys on camera...they take off well before I can get my camera out...but this there must have been a lot of yummy seeds in my not so green grass..as I was not only able to get my camera, I was able to change the lense and sneak around the side of the house to hide behind some plants and pretend I was on a safari taking pictures of wild animals. (I think that would be so fun!)



Are these Cardinals you ask? Yes they are! They look a little different then the usual full red Cardinal..They are called Brazilian Cardinals..aren't they pretty? I don't know if they are in any of the mainland states...I'd never seen them in California before..but we have them all over here. I just love the bright flash of red against thier white feathered breast.



Oh..hello!



And these..I don't know what they are. Some kind of seed pod..but what? I've never seen them before. A few days later we found a couple more in our yard. Some new plant near us because we've lived in this house for 5 years and have never had these strange visitors.



Anyone know what they are?

New Hand Painted Ceramic Tropical Flowers Bracelet

so I used to work w/ an artist here on Maui making these ceramic beads..litterally making them from the raw clay..rolling them as perfectly round as you can get them, letting them dry just a little..then poking a hole in the very center. Then we dry them the rest of the way and bake in a low fire kiln, paint w/ low fire glazes that enabled us to control the design unlike high fire glazes...3 coats of clear glaze over the design, fire in the kiln again and finally you've got yourself some gorgeous beads!



I have not worked with this artist friend in years and frankly I was very tired of painting these beads. I am trying to sell some of them off for a very good price if you are interested..they are in my etsy shop here. While I was going over them though and reducing the prices..these spoke to me and I decided to give them new life. I'll be putting them up in my shop soon.

Also below are some matching earrings I made for the beach wedding necklace I just posted yesterday.

Simply Sarah's Giveaway!

Simply Sarah's is giving away an adorable pair of earrings....



Visit Sarah's blog Wake Up and Live to find out the details. You can find more adorable jewelry made by Sarah in her Etsy shop Simply Sarah's

New Beach Wedding Baby Coin Pearl Necklace

Baby white freshwater coin pearls measure about 9mm with white button pearls, tiny white semi round pearls and opal aurora borealis Swarovski crystals on white silk. Perfect for the beach bride and beyond! Will be posted in my shop very soon..beach bride pieces go fast so if interested please email me :)




And as a side note...we finished the puzzle! It was sad to take it apart and put it away..and now it's gonna be tough to find one as fun!



Beaded jewelry by:Jonara Blu Maui

Family Time

Recently we've become addicted to jigsaw puzzles...it's an awesome way to spend family time and encourages the family to sit together and talk without the tv turning us all into zombies.

Here is one we finished a couple of weeks ago..we had done it years ago..it was a hand-me-down from my mom..so now it's missing a few pieces. It was still good fun..time to toss it though w/ those missing pieces.



We have been trying so hard to figure out ways to keep our son Cameron away from playing his computer game Freelancer so much. If it were up to him, he'd live in the corner of the living room where we have his computer table set up at and never leave.

Here's Cam in his favorite spot. Over the last few months of watching him go through the symptoms of gastroparesis and eosinophilic gastroenteritus, I'm just happy to see him not laying in misery on the couch.



It's really hard w/ his condition because it makes him feel nauseas 24/7. However, addictions to any one thing is not healthy either..esp w/ your face inches away from a screen all day every day. So we take easy walks around the neighborhood..one after each main meal...we often bring the rc cars w/ us..esp at night w/ flashlights attached to the top of them. At first he was not interested..but little by little his interest is growing...



peeling out in the dirt...



we watch our favorite shows together and try to make it a family event..love the DVR! We read together and sometimes I can coerce him into helping me bake whatever allergy safe goodie I'm trying out for him, but there really isn't a lot he likes to do right now. He used to love board games but as a teenager he's turning up his nose to that everytime we suggest..and scrabble too..that used to be a favorite of his (I suck at it)..he would play with his dad and they were so serious about it. But now he says it requires too much thinking and he can't handle it with the nausea.

A few weeks ago a lightbulb went off in my head as I layed down to sleep..."Hey a jigsaw puzzle!" that one has been a hit. Now we always have a puzzle at the table..we even start to panick when we are almost done...wondering when and where we are gonna get the next puzzle. Not many places to shop here for them. And you know.. to have fun w/ a puzzle it requires some forethought..it's got to have enough color and different things going on.

Here is the latest one we are working on..it's sooo pretty and so much fun! It's about everything that flies, from birds to leaves to flying fish...The colors are amazing. I"ll post a pic when we are done. I"m definitely saving this one and will bring it out again next year.



While we may not be able to have dinners around the table together because it's occupied w/ a puzzle...at least we are doing 'something' together at the dinner table! And really for our situation it works out better because family time at the dinner table isn't centered around food as food seems to be our sons enemy these days.

Now if we could only find more puzzles!

Jonara Blu Maui on Athena Magazine Weblog

My dear friend Marjorie of Marjorie's Cracked Plate Jewelry has been at it again. She writes for Athena Magazine Weblog and submitted her article on me. The post is intitled Indie Jewelry: Jonara Blu Maui ...click the link and check it out...don't forget to leave a comment and don't forget to check out Marjorie's spot on the web too!

Mahalo Marjorie!!

The cutest baby!

Another picture of my new nephew...my sister Kimberlee went to visit them today and took this shot. She says hes such a good baby, very calm. Hopefully I can go this weekend. I can't wait!

Bracelet Repair for a Friend

I recently received a request from a friend to fix her husbands magnetic hematite bracelet..the clasp, also magnetic, was rusted beyond recognition..yucky!



It's hard to see in the picture...but in between each bead was old crusted on dirt and maybe rust..I'm not sure. I don't really understand what magnetic hematite beads are made out of as I never use them. I'm wondering if they are actually hematite that has been made magnetic or if they are a magnet with a coating that looks like hematite. These beads were worn dull on all the outer parts that would rub against things as well near the holes. And on the dull part the dirt..some rust colored was stuck really hard..so that made me think they are made of something else with a coating and that the something else was rusting a little.



It was a LOT of work to get the very much stuck on crud off in between each bead, I don't even think soaking them in water would have worked. I didn't try it though because I looked up caring for magnetic hematite jewelry and it said to not get it wet..and if you did to dry it off. Well it's hard to dry off the inside of the holes..so I didn't want to take a chance of any left over moisture with this already rusty bracelet. I used a 400 grit polishing paper on parts that would not come off at all..all near the holes..it worked pretty good. Then I polished up with a polishing cloth. Not sure it was the best choice..the bracelet was already in sad shape.




I did not want to redo it with an magnetic clasp because in my research I found out that this rust problem can happen in places where it's more humid...well we are in Hawaii..so it's definitely humid here. I opted for a slider clasp..but did not think that bright silver would help it to keep it's 'manly' appearance..so I tried my hand at blackening the silver. Sadly my liver of sulpher is about 6 years old..I've never ever used it..and I guess it looses it's potency after time because this did not work like it was supposed to. It took hours rather then seconds and did not color the silver evenly.



Previously it was strung with some kind of monofilament..very thick and held its shape. I have no idea what it was...it worked well though to keep the magnetic beads all behaving. I used Soft Flex brand Soft Touch...21 strand micro stainless steel strands with a nylon coating. The strands stay pretty good..the bracelet lays nicer when it's on the wrist. Before it looked like it was a cuff...like a hard wired bracelet...now it's a little more floppy..but not a whole lot.

My New Nephew is Here!

His name is Hanalei Hayden and he was 7lbs 10oz

The proud parents (my brother Jason and sister in law Charme) and the big brother Kila are very happy and relieved that everything went well. Baby is perfect!







These pictures of course were taken by my very talented photographer sister Kimberlee of Aihara Visuals..she litterally JUST got off the plane coming home from shooting a wedding on Oahu when she got the message on her phone that Charme was in the hospital..so she had her hubby drop her off at the hospital and she made it not long before the little guy was born.

If you'd like to see more pictures of the baby and family you can check out her blog post called Hanalei Hayden

Some Garden and Craft Favorites

These are my favorite plants in my yard..they keep having babies too. I have no idea what they are called but the person I got them from called them "Ear Plants"...I"m sure that's not the real name. I don't know why I like them so much..I suppose its the pink color on the tops and the fact that they are just so different.



I know I enjoy succulents though because they are so interesting and many of them will grow from just a stolen leaf off of a momma plant.



This one is planted in a pot that I did the mosaics on. I used to go out to this old dump area that has all been over grown and cows now roam on it and find old pottery shards and glass. There were many other colors too but for some reason there is a heck of a lot of the blue and white china and cobalt glass there. I've recently made friends with Marjorie from Marjories Cracked Plate Jewelry and it just kills me that I threw out a whole box of saved pieces. She would have had a blast with them. I really never did all I wanted with them and I had so many favorite pieces. I used to think it was strange how I would get so attached to a broken piece of potter that I found..I had a little stash of favorites. But I bet Marjorie understands lol!



And then there is this little ground cover..I have no idea what it is either..but one day when my husband and I were out walking we saw some on the ground near the road..it wasstarting to crawl up the rock wall there too..so we plucked off about 3 little pieces and planted them. They took off immediately and now it's just growing and growing. It's gonna grow over this little bird house my husband and son built years ago.