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Hi Everyone!


Bill and I just returned from a fabulous voyage through the magical American Southwest! We spent six sun filled days with three fabulous QVC production crew members. Not only are they talented, but quite entertaining as well. It is obvious that Tim, Scott, and Sean love what they do and it shows in their work, if you can call it “work”. We had so much fun getting to know them, it actually felt like a great family vacation, and in the end, as we parted ways in Laughlin Nevada, I felt tears welling up in my eyes. Then, in true Tim Neely (producer)style, my tears turned to joy when he quoted a famous line from the Wizard of Oz, “I'll miss you most scarecrow”.



Our trip began in Globe Arizona, home of the famous Sleeping Beauty Turquoise Mine. We spent the day with Monty, the owner of the operation, who took us through the intense process required to discover the vibrant blue magic that Mother Nature creates here. There is no other turquoise available with the color and clarity of Sleeping Beauty. Chipping away at the bright blue vein in the mountainside was a very special experience. I can't wait to share this incredible place with you, along with the legend behind its name.


The next day, we went for a hike at Pinacle Peak, where we captured some amazing photos of the beautiful landscape around Phoenix and Scottsdale, before heading north toward Sedona. Along the way, the crew strapped a camera onto our van so that we wouldn't miss a moment of our trip, and you won't either! I am always intrigued be the saguaro cacti in Arizona, since we don't have this particular type in New Mexico, They always make me smile; maybe it has something to do with reminding me of one of my beloved childhood toys, Gumby.



What can I say about Sedona? It is one of the most breathtaking places on the planet! The red rock canyons appear to be on fire in the glow of the sun, contrasted by the lush shore line of Oak Creek. In order to capture the glory of this landscape, we felt we needed to get off the beaten path so to speak. So the next day, at 4:45am, we joined Blair, with Northern Light Balloon Expeditions for a guided tour of the Sedona area from the sky! All I can say is “wow”! At one point we were at 7,000 feet, which was 3.000 feet above the landscape below. It will be wonderful to share these sights with you!



All that fresh air made us hungry, so our next stop was the famous Cowboy Club for
some deep fried rattlesnake and prickly pear cactus fries. Obviously I was completely wrapped up in the moment for me to eat food like that! Still in the adventurous mood, we joined Shane with Pink Jeep Tours for another must-do experience when in Arizona. He took us where only a pink jeep could venture, deep into, and high up onto incredible red rock formations. We'll share some amazing sights with you, like Chicken Peak, and Submarine Rock. The audio should be interesting as well, as Shane took great pleasure in driving the jeep at what seemed to be completely vertical angles! We re-lived the wonderful day over dinner at the Javelina Cantina.


We left Sedona early the next morning for Kingman Arizona, where we spent the day with Marty, the owner of the Kingman Turquoise mining operation. Marty is the third generation of miners here. His son is now following in his footsteps. The stories Marty shared about his grandfather's discoveries at the mine in the early 1960's are fascinating, but I'd rather you tune in to hear it straight from Marty. Equally intriguing is the presence of so many different layers and colors of earth, or “host rock” at the mine, and how those particular minerals affect the color and personality of this famous, highly collected turquoise. I came away with some wonderful examples of each color that Jane will be able to share with you during her shows. In fact, our jewelry designs will feature all of the beautiful shades of Kingman Turquoise throughout the shows.


It was certainly our great pleasure to take this journey through two of the most important turquoise mines in the country, as well as some of the most beautiful landscape. I am so excited about sharing our adventure with you during QVoyager Arizona Turquoise, live from Scottsdale with Jane Treacy on Saturday, July 18th from 10:00am- 1:00pm, and 8:00pm- 10:00pm.


Every piece was designed and created in our facility in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Through QVoyager Arizona, our company and QVC were passionate about capturing the finest American mined turquoise in true, American made jewelry!!! I think you are going to love the jewelry in this show, every design is brand new, and created to really showcase the beauty of turquoise. You'll find contemporary pieces in sterling silver, 14K gold, and two-tone, and some with classic southwestern elements! I can't wait to hear what you think!


Sincerely,
Carolyn