March 29, 2013

Happy Friday

There is much excitement brewing over here at SoulMakes!

Art

We are now printing postcards to go out with each order and we have some pretty wonderful things on the horizon for our photos/drawings/overlays!

We also made these adorable new shipping labels.. it's the little things in life, right?!
Jewelry

I never thought I'd be running a business or following my dreams, but SoulMakes is really starting to take on a life of it's own. It's moving and growing everyday! One thing I love so much about our brand is that pretty much everything is done in house. Obviously, the jewelry is hand made, by yours truly. Aside from that, all our product shots and look books are done by Trevor, he's also the website builder. All our graphics/logos are hand drawn by me. Everything from our lovely jewels to our business cards and even our shipping labels are all made with love by Trevor and I. We literally built SoulMakes with our bare hands, it is so fulfilling and ever evolving. 

This weekend we're super excited to hit the road and head out to the Ocean to shoot our next book! We could not be more excited for this shoot! We're lucky enough to be featuring one of our favorite designers alongside our latest creations, Girl on a Vine..

Bohemian Style

The designer at Girl on a Vine makes these absolutely gorgeous kimonos. They are soft, luxurious master pieces and we all know that anything velvet instantly makes you feel like a rock star, a perfect collaboration with our jewels!

SoulMakes

Happy Friday!
Hope you all have a beautiful weekend!

Love,
MacK Mars


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March 28, 2013

The Land of a New Rising Sun

Quote
Drawing magically inspired by Pony Gold
(Jimi Hendrix Lyrics, Drawing and Photo by me)

Outfit of the Day

OOTD

Whispering Winds Necklacestack of SoulMakes bracelets mixed with some gorgeous Pearl. Love. Bracelets, Lovely top & skirt by Free People and my favorite cowboy boots by Frye
Crystals

Bohemian Fashion

Trev and I found this little field near our house a few weeks ago. It was such a gorgeous day, so we stopped for some photos. I spun around in the grass, feeling the warm sun kiss my shoulders and the slight hint of a breeze brush past my cheeks. My flowy ensemble fluttered around me and the charms dangling from my neck danced about in the fresh air, thus I named the lovely necklace I had just created after the Whispering Winds of that day..

Whispering Winds

It was the first warm day we had here, the first sign of Spring and although the weather now resembles this little, I can happily feel the transformation upon us.

I'm comin' from the land of a new rising sun.
Then I said, "Hey baby, where ya tryin' to go to?"
Then she says, "I'm gonna spin and spread around Peace of Mind to you and you"

Hey, girl! I'd like to come along!
Yes, I'd like to come along!
"Would you like to come along?"
-Jimi Hendrix (Hey Baby)

Love,
MacK Mars



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March 26, 2013

New Jewels

 We have some gorgeous new pieces in the shop today!

Cosmic Lover





I love these creations so much! I l adore the the simple beauty of the Purple Haze and Cosmic Lover pairs, each are such elegant and light designs. It's been so inspiring working with these lovely new materials. I'm especially fond of the Banded African Amethyst, it's a combination of Amethyst and White Quartz. The mixture can help enhance one's intuition and promotes spiritual healing, deepening your meditative state and allowing Higher Guidance to communicate. I'm so mesmerized by the healing properties of all these alluring gems and I'm so excited to share my latest designs with you!


Hope you're having a wonderful week!
Love,
MacK Mars


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March 25, 2013

Weekend Highlights

(Quote by Paulo Coelho, Photo by Trev, overlay by me)

It is definitely snowing here, but technically it's spring and that's enough to give me hope. I love how perfectly parallel Mother Nature's seasons seem to run with the seasons of our lives, our Creator could not have been more metaphorical. Each bright, budding flower personifies the feeling of renewal that I experience every year at this time, in particular this year. I can't quite explain it in full detail, but SoulMakes is taking us in a direction we never imagined! We're so humbled by these opportunities and so grateful to be following our hearts. In preparation for the big transition we're about to go through, we've been cleaning and rearranging our space!

Organization

Let me tell you, keeping eight million tiny beads organized is no easy feat.

Beads

I'm a little obsessed with the spice rack (lower left) that Trev cleaned out for me to use as a bead organizer, it's so perfect! Somehow having a clean house and especially a clean work space can really change my mood. It gives me such a refreshing sensation and it allows the space we need for new experiences and changes to occur, it's much the same with my soul as it is with my home. When I get rid of things that are blocking me off from the Sunlight of the Spirit, I open myself up for new ideas and emotions to surface. I was quite inspired this weekend and I had some time to put together a new collection of Amethyst Jewels..

Purple Haze
Amethyst Jewelry

Thank you to everyone out there who is supporting us on this wonderful journey!
Hope you all had a wonderful weekend!

Oh and Happy Holidays to those who are celebrating (myself included, but obviously not too strictly ;)

חג פסח שמח
Pesach Same'ach


Love,
MacK Mars


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March 21, 2013

Happy Spring!


Finally, it is officially Spring! We're celebrating our favorite season with 20% off for you(through Sunday), so head over to the shop and check out some of our newest designs

It may still be 40 degrees out here, but Spring is definitely in the air! Daffodils are blooming, the Sun is shining longer and birds have started chirping again. I love this time of year! The fresh green foliage and bright budding flowers intoxicate my spirit. I find beauty in each season, but my soul was made to thrive during the sunny months. With the welcoming of spring, I instantly find my hands inspired to make all sorts of new designs. Of course, I can not wait to throw on a tank top and my favorite pair of shorts with these lovely jewels. I've had this Spell Cowry Tee tucked away, waiting for a warm enough day to wear and since it's not quite the right temperature yet, I decided to do a little collage...

Bohemian Jewelry


We've been pretty obsessed with Turquoise lately! We have two new adjustable chokers (upper right and lower left) that can also be worn lower as regular necklaces, coming soon to the shop. I'm very fond of them! We also have some adorable new bracelets(lower right), made with small natural Turquoise nuggets and genuine Amethyst Heishi, so good for stacking!

Happy Spring everyone! Hope your having a beautiful week!

Love,
MacK Mars

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March 20, 2013

My Art History

My Camera is a Time Machine

I was 19 when I bought my first real camera. I had lucked into a job at a camera store, knowing almost nothing about photography, although I'd always bore a certain fascination. I went through the natural progression of owning a simple point and shoot to outgrowing it and purchasing my first SLR, a Nikon D40. It was prefect timing for me, I had recently made some much-needed, big, life-altering changes. I was just getting to know myself and I carried that camera with me everywhere, unknowingly documenting the most heartbreaking, magical, and miraculous year of my life. I had an inspired idea to wake up that weekend at 3 o'clock in the morning and drive 2 hours to the beach, just to see the sun come up and then drive back home (I was broke, so staying over night was out of the question). It was my first time using my first camera and it was the first sunrise I'd ever seen. Although I'm fairly certain the sun has been rising and falling my entire life and that from time to time it must have happened in my view, this was the first one I'd ever truly seen it, with clear vision. Here's a few of the photos I took that morning..



I took a picture of my Birkenstocks in each new place I went that year. It has since become a tradition of mine to drive out to the beach at 3 AM for no other reason then to see the sun rise. There is no more humbling feeling to me than watching a Divine act of Nature take place.


At some point on my photographic journey I switched from digital to film, some would call this regression, but I loved the endless possibilities it offered. It was exactly the creative push I needed at that time. I did all kinds of fun things with my film, I'd put it through the dishwasher before shooting it, I'd cover it with bleach, Sometimes I'd purposefully open the back of my camera for just a millisecond, exposing all the film. The photos below appear red because the film was turned inside out and shot through the "wrong" side of the emulsion, these are from my first roll of 35 mm..


I put my cameras down for a while, but my venture with SoulMakes has brought me back to them. I got a new camera this past weekend, I'm back to digital(but I'll never give up on film).


It had me feeling nostalgic, so I pulled out those old sunrise photos. I'm a sentimentalist. My camera is a time machine, the moments I capture with my camera are unbound by space, they become endless, without limitation, infinite. I can revisit them at any point. It's incredible to look back and recall the feelings and emotions captured in each one, to see how far I've come on this wonderful journey. I'm totally blown away the path I'm on and how things seem to unfold so perfectly when I get out of the way. SoulMakes is taking my life in a direction I never imagined possible. I'm excited, scared, overwhelmed and completely amazed! It seems only fitting that I would find myself with a brand new camera in my hands, to document this beautiful new adventure.

Hope you all are having a wonderful week!

Love,
MacK Mars


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March 19, 2013

The Most Beautiful Woman in the World


Today is my Mom's birthday.

Hippie Mama
In her 20's

Happy Birthday
My older brother, my mom and me in her belly :)

Happy Birthday
A few years ago..

If you've been following My Art History (hereherehere and more), then you know that my Mom is the creative whirlwind who taught me everything I know about art and making things. She is, perhaps, the biggest inspiration behind SoulMakes and all my whimsical designs..


My mom is such an amazing, strong, wonderful woman. She carries with her a certain, inexplicable light, like sunshine and I believe she is the most beautiful woman in the history of everything. In honor of her special day, here's a somewhat apropos Bob Dylan Jam..


Thanks Mom, for teaching me to love and live with great passion and to follow the flowers, wherever they may take me. We've seen some miracles in our lifetime. 
Happy Birthday! 

Hope you all are having a fantastic week!
Love,
MacK Mars

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March 18, 2013

Weekend Highlights

I'm constantly amazed by SoulMakes growth and evolution! It seems like we're always on a new adventure, from trying new jewelry making techniques to collaborating with new artist friends. Recently, we've been given the opportunity to get our hands on some brilliant new supplies..


Kingman Turquoise
For many thousands of years turquoise has been considered a very powerful stone. It has the ability to dispel negative energy, stabilize mood changes, instill inner calmness and it is known as a master healing stone. It can also be used in meditation to help clear and open the mind. Native Americans believed the strong vibrations of turquoise could build a spiritual bridge between worlds, the Tibetans before them and the Ancient Egyptians before them were all enchanted by this mesmerizing gem. Turquoise is a timeless love.

Turquoise Jewelry

These beautiful, rough nuggets come from the Kingman Mine in Northwestern Arizona. It is one of the biggest and oldest mines in America,  predating Arizona's statehood, it was founded in the late 1800's and was first discovered and mined by ancient Native American civilizations, long before Europeans discovered the New World. There are many different shades and variations of turquoise that have been produced by the Kingman Mine, these lustrous stones can be found in jewelry all across the world. We're so excited to introduce our very own collection featuring these amazing stones from a place so rich with artisan history.

Also, we were so happy to receive this amazing bikini from Mandalynn Swim over the weekend! We're so excited to feature it alongside our latest creations in our next look book.

Summer time

Check out this pic from Mandalynn featuring our Amethyst Garden Necklace, it's a perfect match!


Last, but not least, I traded in my Nikon for a Canon over the weekend. You can't even believe how unbelievable a thing this is for a longtime Nikon head to do. I am pretty excited to play with my new toy and now Trevy and I can share photo gear, since he shoots with a Canon 5D Mark II(it only took him 4 years to convert me). More on that later..

Hope you all had an amazing and wonderful weekend!

Love,
MacK Mars


  

March 15, 2013

The Soul Makes Beautiful Things

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We have some more lovely new designs in the shop today!

Turquoise Necklace

Wrap Bracelet

Cowry Shell Jewelry

Bohemian Bracelet

These new creations are some of my most precious designs! I'm so moved by the changing seasons and a new, clean color pallet. Thoughts of a warm, beach side day and that refreshing feeling the bright sun brings me inspired this latest collection. Particularly, the Sea Goddess Necklace (top photo), with it's ethereal and divine beauty it's fit only for a cherised bohemian queen. A lot of love went into the making of these treasures. Letting my creative energy flow is one way I choose to honor the goddess within me and when I wear these gorgeous jewels I can feel my light shining. Let yourself radiate and be the goddess you were meant to be..

Stop by the shop and check out these alluring new creations 

Which one is your favorite?

Have a beautiful weekend!
Love,
MacK Mars