Now with a new name and new blog!!! Check it: Enter The Sun at www.TravelingsUnderTheSun.blogspot.com

Updating!

Expect a new layout, new posts, new sections and new photos very soon!

xox

New York, New York

A couple weeks ago my sister and mom came up for a visit and we took a quick trip up to NYC. 

Check out the date on this... amazing. The artwork is so beautiful 

Faience beads (made from powdered quartz and metallic glazes), from Egypt, 2000 B.C
- Museum of Natural History 

Village Egypt (Nile Delta)

First day there, doing New York things, views of NYC from the Rockafeller Center (possibly some future entries on things they've funded and the results of that coming soon... it just so happens one of my anthro courses has been mentioning them), Museum of Natural History (definitely more pictures and writings coming soon of there! I took about a bajillion pictures in there, and lots of some amazing jewelry, as well as tools and musical instruments).

It's a quick entry tonight folks, I've been busy traveling and moving and packing and the whole deal. But I thought I'd put a few pics up since it's been awhile! 

In these pictures:

Bohemian Dance earrings, Deep Blue earrings // Free Spirit necklace // Simply Lovely necklace, One Love earrings

Oh, and the GIVEAWAY ends tomorrow! Get your last minute entries in! :)

x, Janelle

Giveaway

Welcome to the first C'est Elle giveaway! To kick things off, I thought I'd give away a C'est Elle necklace that sold out almost immediately when it first hit the shelves (or the internet I should say). The symbolic Sparrow's Call necklace, perfect for laying or simply wearing it on it's own.

TO ENTER:

Like C'est Elle on Facebook HERE

Leave a comment saying what your favorite C'est Elle piece is HERE

For an extra entry, Follow C'est Elle on Bloglovin' [which I just got!] HERE

All names will be entered in a draw. Winner will be contacted through Facebook in 2 weeks, September 3rd.

Good luck!

Priscilla Telmon Inspired

I remember the first time I read about Priscilla Telmon... I was fresh out of high school and traveling Europe with my then-boyfriend now-good friend. I was working and living in the French Alps for the winter season as a chalet host. A long time lover of National Geographic, I picked up a copy of the French version, National Geographic France.

Flipping through the magazine, I came upon a page with a women hunched over a campfire with a little tent in the background... I was enraptured by the story. 

I went to her website, and loved reading about her adventures... she had crossed central Asia on horseback... a feat that I had always wanted to do across Canada!

In short, I find her inspiring. AND she has such a sweet hat. I have been searching a lifetime for a hat like that! Oh Indiana Jones, how you've influenced me...

Here are some of her beautiful photos, "Tibet Interdit"

What an amazing, strong woman. And what an aweseome hat. Check out her website, priscillatelmon.com (all in French).


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Workspace?

After some debate about what to post, I have decided to showcase my fabulous workspace where things are created on the road. Don't worry, I'm sure I'll be posting about things I'm studying soon! (Seriously, ethnobiology and anthropology is AWESOME). 

Well ladies and gents... THIS is it:

Yes, that's right. It's a giant, bright red and white van. It's also very loud. Not the most stealth vehicle in the world, but it's quite fantastic. 

Why? Well aside from it's obvious flair, it also runs on used veggie oil, has enough room to sleep in, I can play sweet sweet music in it, and, well... even though it doesn't have air conditioning it has side windows that open on a diagonal for a breeze, which is pretty cool. 

Side window that keeps me cool... somewhat

Radio area full of treasures 

Now, most of the making of jewelry is done from a home base, but sometimes I like to come up with things on the road.

Work, study, play

I love having a business that can move with me!

And what of this veggie oil system, you ask?

Veggie tank, with lines and pump

Brendan and his brother have rigged up quite the sophisticated system, I must say. Instead of having to scope out the spent oil from restaurants, there's a detachable fuel pump that sucks it up, brings it through a series of filters and tanks, and then gets deposited in the engine to use as fuel. 

So there you have it, a brief look at my on-the-road office/study area. Right now I'm on the road, about a 5 minutes walk from the beach... so that's where I'm a-headin! Peace out.

Me sitting on our sweet ride... about to go to the beach!

Oh, I haven't seen the movie, but the preview is beautiful:

Call of the Wild - Behind the Scenes

This post is going to be full of inspired photos and links! 

I've just returned from a week of getting my teacher training certification with the Children of the Earth Foundation (COTEF). This was a great week with great folks. There I learned some tools and techniques to teach children and youth how to make things like shelter and fire in the wilderness, and ways to guide them towards a deeper connection with the Earth. Led by Simon Harrison of Wild Earth's Children (Simon's own non-profit primitive skills school in Boulder, CO) we covered some different aspects of Coyote Teaching, which is "a way of supporting children that creates lifelong learners and lovers of life. It treats each child as an individual, and supports them in finding and embracing their own passions. Coyote Teaching takes a long term view of development and aims to enhance the body, mind and soul of each individual" - Simon Harrison. 

If at this point you are fully confused and have no idea what I'm talking about - fear not, I'm going to explain much more!

So, how did I end up at a teaching cert COTEF program? Well, here's the short version.Drawn to the wilderness at a young age, the natural world was a strong influence guiding my life. As an adult, I was introduced to the books by Tom Brown Jr. on survival and philosophy, and from there decided I would travel to New Jersey to take a course at the Tracker School to learn more. This was a life changing experience for me, in more ways than one.

A more recent photo at Tracker

Fast forward three years to now - a path presented itself where I would learn tools and techniques to pass on the teachings of Tom and grandfather Stalking Wolf to children. It would allow me to run COTEF programs, in places other than New York or New Jersey. I felt that the programs that I would be able to run after taking this course are much needed, both for individuals and for society. In an age where everything is fast-paced and children (as well as adults!) are exposed to more television and media than ever before, we have lost connection to the place from where we came, the place the sustains, the Earth. 

“Teaching a child to become a child of the Earth, where they can survive, where they can look at the mysteries of the Earth through the tracks... this is what we are trying to achieve. To awaken that excitement, that spirit in children.” - Tom Brown Jr.

That's what these programs hope to accomplish... the first steps back, "not only allowing the Earth back into your life but also to finding true peace and purpose" - Simon Harrison. Look out Nova Scotia, they're coming to you soon!

SO. All of this has inspired me to team up with Brendan from Envision Shirts (who actually donates a portion of ALL purchases to some really fantastic non-profits) to create a line called "Call of the Wild". We care deeply about the preservation of our natural environment, and by raising people's awareness of ancient skills and ensuring the longevity of this wisdom for future generations, we aim to create a more balanced society, a deeper value for our natural world and a positive future. Because of this, fifty percent of every purchase from The Call of the Wild items will go to COTEF.  

Call of the Wild line

And without further ado, here are some shots and behind the scenes thingys from the shoot!

Brendan getting the bow ready

The beautiful bow and arrow used in these photos are handmade by Brendan. The bow is made from Osage Orange and the arrowhead is made from bamboo with a (handmade by Brendan!) obsidian arrowhead, fletched with Blue Heron feathers and all lashed and sealed with sinew and pine pitch.

Close up of the Blue Heron feathers

Close up of obsidian arrowhead and rings for sale (except the one on my middle finger... that one's mine! I've been wearing my antler ring every day for over a year now, I love it.)

Full shot of bow and arrow

We really wanted to showcase some of the skills taught at Tracker and COTEF, which is why we chose the bow and arrow and fire (below).

Brendan making the coal using a cedar bowdrill kit I made, except the bow

As I stood by like a diva so I didn't get all sweaty for the shoot (haha), Brendan made a coal using a bowdrill kit... a skill that is taught at both Tracker and COTEF. 

Holding the coal that Brendan made in a tinder bundle

Once the coal is made, it goes into a little nest of a home called a tinder bundle, where it can smoulder for a surprisingly long time if you let it. 

I never cease to be enraptured by this!

The feeling of bringing fire to life with your own two hands is a truely amazing feeling.

Blowing on the coal

When it's getting ready to burst into flames, you'll see loads of smoke billowing out from the tinder bundle and...

The tinder bundle goes up in flames!

Fire!

And just incase any of you inquisitive minds were wondering, the kit that is shown in the close-up photos of the rings and earrings is actually a hand-drill kit, which is slightly different.

Photo of the antler rings for sale, with arrowheads made by Brendan and a hand-drill he made.

To check out the listings for the rings and earrings, head on out to my Etsy site. 

For some great videos on bowdrill and hand-drill, check out Wild Earth's Children.  

For some interesting worth-the-while blogs on these sorts of subjects, check out Brendan's Blog at Envision and Simon Harrison's blog "Creating Change for Children"

And I'll leave you with just one inspiring and powerful question that was brought up throughout the week in my course:

You can only be truely powerful when you're living your own truth, not someone else's.

What is your truth?