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...

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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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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The Most Beautiful Woman in the World

Today is my Mom's birthday.

In her 20's

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

A few years ago..

If you've been following My Art History (here, here, here 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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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.

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.

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..

Don't forget to stop by the shop and check out our new designs!

Hope you all had an amazing and wonderful weekend!

Love,

MacK Mars

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The Soul Makes Beautiful Things

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

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

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