Boboci de primavara

 

Imi doresc de multa vreme sa realizez floarea care alcatuieste centrul acestui colier (model de pe www.beadinfinitum.com), dar nu am avut niciodata cele 5 feluri de margele-picatura cehesti necesare.  In sfarsit, am facut rost de ele, am fost teribil de incantata si... ce urma sa fac cu floarea?! A zacut pe masa mea vreo doua saptamani pana cand intr-un acces de inspiratie intr-o seara am adunat tot ce am gasit roz si verde si alb prin sertare: perle, margele roz tip ochi-de-pisica, scoici de forma neregulata sau in forma de picaturi. Si rezultatul este un colier care pare atins de magia primaverii...

 

I've been wishing for a long time to make the flower in the center of this necklace (from www.beadinfinitum.com), but I never owned the 5 types of czech drop beads necessary for it. Finally I ordered and got them, I was terribly pleased, and... what was I going to do with that flower?! It laid on my table abandoned for about 2 weeks until I had a sudden moment of inspiration and got out everything I could find pink and green and white in my drawers: pearl, pink beads looking like cat-eyes, seashells shaped liked tears or green and irregular. And the result is a necklace kissed by the magic of spring...

All in black

 

 

3 pairs of earrings, a brooch and a bracelet. A custom order that was a real challenge, as I usually don't like black at all! I played with shades, though; from matte black to hematite and very dark brown, and I think the result is really elegant. I like the bracelet in particular; it is double-layered in places, very intricate, and it took a lot of work!

Custom order

 

 

 

 

Si unul mare! :-)

 

Cirese

 

O comanda pe care mi-a facut placere sa o realizez. Un colier cu "flori" rosii ca ciresele, realizate din picaturi de sticla cehesti, si facut sa se asorteze cerceilor in aceeasi culoare.

Garden of wishes

 

Acest colier a fost creat pentru doua concursuri simultan: Visul unei nopti de vara (Clubul Designerilor de bijuterii) si Gradina Secreta (Etsy). 

Gradina in care imi doresc sa fiu este pe malul marii. E tesuta din valuri unduitoare, mai albastre decat visele, marginita de case atat de albe ca par fara varsta, si impodobita cu stele. 
E locul in care imi imaginez fericirea absoluta, care nu poate insemna decat doua lucruri: sa fii iubita, si sa fii inconjurata de Frumos. Si e locul care imi aduce si cea mai mare tristete, pentru ca stiu ca nu pot ajunge acolo decat in imaginatia mea. 
Datorita viselor legate de el, acest colier imi este extrem de drag, si am muncit zeci de ore pentru el. 
E tesut in intregime din margele de nisip Toho, adaugate una cate una, in principal in tehnica right-angle-weave. Pentru a-i da stralucire am adaugat perle de cultura, cristale cehesti, flori alcatuite din picaturi de sticla, margele tip ochi-de-pisica in forma de stelute, si pandantivul dintr-o piatra alb-albastra semitransparenta care recunosc ca nu stiu ce e... desi aduce cu un cuart prin "sparturile" din textura.
 

This necklace was designed for 2 competitions in the same time: A summer's night dream (a romanian competition) and Secret Garden (on Etsy).

The garden where I wish to be is situated on the edge of the sea. It's woven out of gentle waves, bluer than the dreams themselves, edged by houses so white that they seem timeless, and decorated with stars. 

It is the place where I imagine Happiness, that for me can mean just two things: to be loved, and to be surrounded by Beauty. And it is the place that brings me the most sadness, because I know I can only ever reach it in my imagination.

Due to the dreams woven into it, this necklace is extremely dear to me, and I worked a good number of hours for it. It is fully woven out of Toho seed beads, one by one, mostly in  the RAW technique. To give it sparkle, I added pearls, czech crystals, flowers made out of drop glass beads, star-shaped cat-eye beads, and the stone pendant which I admit I don't know what it is... even though it looks like a quartz because of its texture.

 

Ceva mic

 

O pereche de cercei pe care imi doaresc de mult sa-i fac, dar abia acum am facut rost de niste picaturi de sticla cehesti adecvate. Creati de Gwen Fisher cu minunatul site Beadinfinitum; doar ca ai ei erau roz si delicati, iar ai mei sunt rosii si... apetisanti! Nu ma asteptam ca schimbarea de culoare sa creeze o atat de mare diferenta.

 

A pair of earrings that I've been wanting for a long time to make, but only now I managed to get the necessary czech teardrops. Created by Gwen Fisher from the wonderful Beadinfinitum site; just that hers were pink and delicate and mine are red and... tasty! I didn't expect that the colour change would cause such a great difference.

Alta bratara violet

...de data aceasta in nuante ceva mai puternice. O comanda care imbina o bucata dintr-o bratara existenta cu o tesatura din margele Toho si cristale de Boemia. Si sunt extrem de multumita ca se potrivesc!

 

Stronger purple shades this time. A custom order that combines a piece of an older bracelet with a network of Toho seed beads and czech crystals. I'm extremely satisfied with the way they fit!

Audrey

 

 

 

O beneficiara extrem de fidela (mi-a cumparat jumatate din magazin!) mi-a cerut sa-i realizez un colier asemanator cu cel al lui Audrey Hepburn din Breakfast la Tifany's (ultima poza)-dar nu atat de pe langa gat. Bineinteles ca nu am putut refuza... dar inca nu ma decid daca imi place sau urasc rezultatul. Si asta dupa foarte multe ore de munca... In orice caz nu este stilul meu obisnuit! Colierul este realizat din aproximativ o tona (ok, poate doar un kilogram) de chipsuri de onix si de perle albe de cultura.

 

Someone who had already bought about half of my shop asked me to do for her a special necklace: something similar with what Audrey Hepburn was wearing in Breakfast at Tiffany's (last photo), but not so tight around the neck. Of course I couldn't refuse her... but I'm still not decided if I like it or simply hate it! And that after a lot of hours of work... It definitely is not my usual style. The necklace is made of about a ton (ok, maybe just a kilo) of onyx chips and white pearls.

MOD style

 

In momentul in care am citit titlul concursului "Stilul MOD" trebuie sa recunosc ca am ramas destul de... gura-casca. Dupa o explorare a internetului (multumesc Cristina pentru ca m-ai provocat sa invat ceva nou!) o imagine mi-a ramas in primul rand in minte. Nu stiu daca va amintiti seria jandarmilor cu Louis de Funnes. Acesta avea o fata... frumusica, subtirica si destul de a naibii... iar fata avea niste rochii extrem de mini si extrem de colorate. Culori puternice, forme geometrice clare, rochii mini... si putin din soarele din Saint Tropez: in acel moment plasez eu stilul MOD.

Din pacate, desi am realizat acest colier pentru acel concurs, nu am apucat sa il termin la timp. Colierul este realizat din patrate si hexagoane tesute din margele de nisip dupa modelul din cartea Dianei Fitzgerald (Shaped Beadwork), si din agate (mov, portocaliu, verde lamaie) de o forma extrem de speciala valurita. Deoarece formele geometrice sunt tesute in doua straturi, ele sunt relativ rigide, isi pastreaza forma fara nici o problema.

 

When I read the title of a bead competition here "MOD style" I was quite flabbergasted. After some net explorations, there was one image that mainly stuck to my mind. I don't know if you remember the gendarmes movies with Louis de Funnes. He had a daughter in them... pretty, thin and always causing troubles. And the daughter had some tiny very colourful dresses. Strong colours, clear shapes, mini dresses... and a little bit of the Saint Tropez sun. That's how I see the MOD style.

Unfortunately, even though I was planning to make this necklace for that competition, I couldn't finish it in time. The necklace is made of squares and hexagons beaded out of seed beads using a pattern from Diane Fitzgerald's book (Shaped Beadwork), and agates (light purple, orange and lemon green) with a nice wavy shape. As the beaded shapes are made in 2 layers, they are quite solid, have no problem in keeping their shape.

Premiu!

Colierul meu cu "pene" de paun a castigat concursul (aici: http://designerdebijuterii.forumup.com/viewtopic.php?t=648&start=60&mforum=designerdebijuterii ) asa ca acum pot sa ma "impaunez" si cu o frumoasa diploma! De designer! Nu arata super?! :-)

 

Ma impaunez!

 

Un set (colier+ cercei) cu o poveste scurta. Imi trebuia ceva cu pene pentru concursul "feather fever" de pe Forumul Cristinei: http://designerdebijuterii.forumup.com/viewtopic.php?t=773&mforum=designerdebijuterii  Va invit sa votati!

Mai am cateva pene prin casa, dar... specialitatea mea sunt margelele de nisip, si trebuia sa o dovedesc! Am folosit 3 tehnici de lucru ("ochi de paun" in brick stitch, care imi place la nebunie in acest moment, os-de-hering, si spirala intr-o parte). Margelele sunt... de toate felurile. De la cele miniaturale de 15/0 in tesatura os-de-hering (si credeti-ma, e ceva de munca sa le fugaresti pe acelea!) si pana la cristale cehesti. Plus perle, margele de nisip de 11/0, 8/0 si 6/0 si mandria mea, o margea mare din sticla de Murano, de care am fost extrem de incantata atunci cand am cumparat-o, pentru originalitatea ei, dupa care am urat-o... pentru aceeasi originalitate (ajunsesem sa cred ca nu voi mai reusi sa o folosesc vreodata).

 

A necklace+earrings set with a very short story. I needed something feathery for a "feather fever" competition. I still have a few feather lost in my drawers, but the challenge for me was to do something without real feathers. I used 3 techniques in it (peacock eyes made with brick stitch, which I absolutely love at the moment, herringbone, and a spiral on the side). There are all kinds of beads in it. From the tiny 15/0 in the herringbone (and I had some troubles chasing those!) and to the czech crystals. Plus pearls, seed beads in the sizes 11/0, 8/0 and 6/0, and my pride and joy, a large Murano bead, which I liked when I bought it, as it's so unique, and I soon hated... for the same uniqueness (I almost believed I could never find a way to use it).

Surprising bracelet

 

As a rule, I don't really do bracelets, because I don't wear them. This one, though, was made as a special order for a cohenite who saw my work because of the Leonard Cohen forum. Obviously, I asked her what style and colours she wanted; and also if she had any "story" in mind for it. And that's where the surprise came. She wanted the bracelet for a gay-meeting event, and she wanted it to contain blue for being straight and pink for being gay, and purple... hmmm, for something in between? I probably got a bit mixed up around here. I didn't confess, but I had a bit of a shock. I don't care about what people do in private; but I am a bit formal myself, and I don't like sex as a public thing too much... and also, I will blame it on this country, where being gay is not such an open thing yet.

Anyway, the blue-purple-pink colour combination was a challenge; I made at least 8 samples, changing the colours of the beads, until I got the exact ones that I wanted. I had to use more subtle bead finishes (silky-looking ones and ab effect too), so that the colours wouldn't clash. The lacy pattern was inspired from www.beadinfinitum.com; it took me a while to figure out how to do it, and I'm really glad I learned something new. The bracelet is right now flying towards its owner, and I hope she'll like it! 

Instelate

 

 

Un colier realizat intr-un week-end (mai lung), cu scopul de a participa la concursul "Sint o diva" de pe forumul http://designerdebijuterii.forumup.com/  Asa ca setul meu se numeste... "Sint o stea"! Ok, ar fi trebuit sa ma straduiesc mai mult, dar n-am avut timp!

Pandantivul este cu dubla fata, dupa cum se poate vedea. Totul este realizat din margele Toho japoneze; dar daca la colier ele sunt marimile 11/0 si 8/0, la cercei sunt 15/0 si 11/0, si asa rezulta diferenta de dimensiune. Colierul acesta imi dovedeste din nou ca materialele fac diferenta; ca sa iti permiti sa fii "simplu", trebuie sa ai cele mai bune materiale.

Va rog sa-mi remarcati inchizatoarea! Este prima data cand fac o inchizatoare din margele si sunt foarte incantata de ea.

Multe multumiri lui RuxyPixy (http://ruxypixy.blogspot.com/) pentru modelul stelei (pe care l-am mai adaptat eu putintel).

 

A necklace that I made in just a weekend (a longer one) to take part in the contest on http://designerdebijuterii.forumup.com/  The contest was called "I'm a diva", so my necklace is named... "I'm a star"! (pretty obvious, I know)  I wish I had made something more complicated, but the deadline was closing in...

Multumesc pentru premii!

Pentru fetele care m-au premiat pe blogurile lor; va multumesc foarte mult, si va datorez si niste scuze pentru ca nu am pus premiile aici.

In primul rand, sunt cam incepatoare in ale blogguitului si mi-a luat o vreme sa ma lamuresc despre ce este vorba (si inca mai lucrez la aranjat lucrurile pe aici; nu stiu cum, niciodata nu am timp de asta). In al doilea rand, eu am creat acest blog din doua motive. Unul, pentru a-mi fi un fel de "jurnal de margele", in care pot scrie si povesti ce nu s-ar potrivi in magazin; si al doilea, ca un fel de "portofoliu" si reclama, putand pastra pe el si imagini ale produselor deja vandute. Pentru ambele scopuri, imi doresc un blog care sa arate extrem de simplu si usor-accesibil; de aceea prefer sa nu adaug prea multe.

Asta nu inseamna ca nu urmaresc ceea ce faceti si nu imi bucur sufletul cu creatiile voastre. Pur si simplu, eu sint mai putin "pupacioasa", atat in realitate cat si pe net.

Si alti cercei!

 

Am terminat in cele din urma si cerceii asortati pentru colierul "Prima dimineata" (mi s-a spus ca nu prea fac seturi, doar coliere). Sunt foarte incantata de ei pentru ca e prima data cand am folosit Delicas!

Cercei, cercei...

 

 

 

 

 

 

In ultimele doua saptamani am avut parte de o comanda fenomenala de la o doamna din Bucuresti. In afara de faptul ca a cumparat 5 coliere, si-a dorit si cercei asortati (si mie imi plac seturile, dar de obicei pana termin un colier ma pocneste alta idee si nu mai apuc sa-i fac si cerceii). Asa ca... am facut cercei, cercei, si iar cercei! Abia am apucat sa-i si pozez, cat de cat!

Light as a breeze

 

"Light as a breeze" este titlul unui cantec al lui Leonard Cohen. Atunci cand am avut norocul sa castig concursul de pe Etsy Beadweavers acum doua luni, am ales aceasta ca tema a concursului pentru luna aprilie, pentru ca tot ce este important pentru mine trebuie sa aiba si un pic de Cohen. ;-)  Dar pentru ca acesta este un cantec misterios si dificil, contradictoriu si seducator, nu am indraznit sa fac nici o referinta la versurile propriu-zise, si am dat acestei fraze doar intelesul primei adieri blande de primavara.

Asa ca mi-am dorit ca acesta sa fie un colier delicat si floral. Am avut insa surpriza sa descopar in timp ce il realizam ca incepe sa semene cu un colier de mireasa-descoperire care, intr-un fel, m-a nelinistit. Ca femei, suntem educate de mici sa visam la ziua nuntii si la rochia de printesa. Poate de aceea (desi imi plac rochiile), nu sunt chiar o mare amatoare de nunti. Sunt un moment asteptat cu mult prea mult. Prefer sa imi imaginez momentul unei dimineti in care deschizi ochii alaturi de cel pe care il iubesti, intr-o lumina perfecta, coplesitoare care dizolva conturul fiecarui obiect intr-un inceput de vis, si esti pentru prima data sigura ca acolo vrei intr-adevar sa fii. De aceea am denumit acest colier "Prima dimineata".

 

"Light as a breeze" is the title of a Leonard Cohen song. When I was lucky enough to win the monthly Etsy challenge two months ago, I chose this as the theme of the April competition, because everything that is important for me must have a little bit of Cohen in it. ;-) But since this is a mysterious and difficult song, seductive as well as contradictory, I didn't dare to make any reference to its real words and I prefered to interpret the title just as a reference to spring and the first warm gentle breeze.

As a consequence, I wanted this to be a delicate and floral necklace. But I had to surprise to find out while I was making it that it starts to look like a bridal necklace; a slightly unsettling discovery. As women, we are educated since childhood to dream about the wedding day and the princess gown. Maybe that's why (even though I love the dresses) I'm not exactly a fan of weddings. They are a moment that is just expected and planned for way too much. I prefer to imagine the moment when you open your eyes one morning next to the loved one, under a perfect, overwhelming light that dissolves the contours of every object into a dream, and you are for the first time absolutely certain that is the place where you have to be. This is why I called this necklace "First morning". 

 

If you want to see more entrances for this challenge, go to ww.etsy.com and type in "ebwc" (that will only work this month, obviously!) And, much to my surprise, there is actually someone who guessed my hidden intentions and made a necklace using Cohen's song. Check this out: http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=43917790

Nu e cum se pregateste...

Cand am aflat ca tema lunii martie pe Etsy Beadweavers este "Basme", am fost foarte decisa: Frumoasa adormita (pentru ca in ultimele saptamani am ascultat de 25 de ori-conform ipodului meu-acest cantec: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0yXJGsOTvpE ) si Alphonse Mucha.

Curentul Art Nouveau este una din pasiunile mele, fiind extrem de decorativ; iar in cadrul acestuia, cehul Mucha a excelat prin reprezentarea de femei frumoase... si, oarecum, ireale. Ideale pentru o printesa adormita! Din pacate, cum sa o reprezint? Am petrecut 3 din cele 4 saptamani ale concursului incercand sa descopar asta; am pictat pe lemn, pe discuri de scoica (cercei reciclati), pe o piatra de aventurin; am prelucrat si am printat imaginea; am pictat peste print... am cumparat nenumarate vopsele, pensule, pixuri si cercei pe care as fi putut picta. Nici nu vreau sa stiu cat am cheltuit! Si nimic nu mi-a iesit. Prima imagine reprezinta ultima varianta la care am ajuns; aproape reusita, dar pur si simplu nu mergea cu margele!

Asa ca, in disperare de cauza, la inceputul saptamanii am luat un foarte frumos (si mare: 4,5 cm) cabochon de ametist si am inceput sa margelesc... o "flaming rose" care-si imprastie focul si pe latura stanga a colierului, si "mii de flori" inviind... sau cel putin atatea cat am avut timp sa fac. Si asa a rezultat colierul din cea de-a doua poza. Terminat in 5 zile, e probabil cel mai rapid colier pe care l-am facut vreodata; dar am muncit la el intr-o disperare. Imi place, dar mi-as fi dorit sa nu fie chiar asa...

 

When I found out that the Etsy Beadweavers challenge for March is "Fairy Tales", I knew very soon what I wanted to do: the Sleeping Beauty (because of this song-which I listened for 25 times in the last weeks, according to my ipod: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0yXJGsOTvpE ) and Alphonse Mucha.

The Art Nouveau style is one of my passions, as it's extremely decorative; and representing Art Nouveau, the czech Mucha had designed countless images of beautiful women... and somehow unreal. Ideal for a sleeping princess! Unfortunately, I didn't know how to create it... I spent 3 out of the 4 weeks of the contest trying to figure this out; I painted on wood, on seashell discs (recycled earrings) and even on an aventurine stone. I photoshopped and printed the image; I painted over the print... I bought countless paints, paintbrushes, pencils, and earrings on which I could paint. I don't even want to know how much I spent during this time! And nothing came out. The first image is the last "princess" I painted; almost good, but it simply didn't work with beads.

So, out of despair, at the end of the week I totally changed my approach, I got a large (4.5cm) and beautiful amethyst cabochon and I started beading around it... a "flaming rose" that spreads it's fire up on the rope on the left side of the necklace and "a million flowers" coming alive on the right side... or at least as many as I had the time to make! And this is how the necklace in the second photo was created. Finished in 5 days, it's probably the fastest necklace I ever made; but they were 5 days of crazy work. I like it, but it's not exactly how I wanted it...

Reciclare :-)

 

Acest colier este reciclat din doua puncte de vedere. In primul rand, si-a inceput viata precum colierul din prima imagine. Nu am fost multumita de el (prea simplu pentru gusturile mele!), l-am desfacut, a zacut vreo 3 ani prin sertarele mele... si in cele din urma ieri a reinviat in forma de "Carnaval", colierul din cea de-a doua imagine. Nu e prima data cand mi se intampla (din pacate, si sertarele cu bijuterii "decedate" sau macar in asteptare sunt pline).

In al doilea rand, e reciclat in privinta materialelor. Ghiciti de unde provin inelele de lemn? Dintr-un magazin homecenter... erau candva niste (frumoase) inele de perdele. Singura exceptie e inelul mai mare din centru; acela a fost un cercel. Am mai adaugat si materiale ceva mai pretioase (margele de Murano si margele de nisip japoneze), si ceva mai obisnuite (margele de plastic), dar cred ca pana la urma... se potrivesc.

 

This necklace is double-recycled. In the first place, it started life as the necklace in the first image. I didn't like it (too simple for me!), I undid it, it layed for about 3 years untouched in my drawers... and finally yesterday it came back to life in the shape of the second necklace (called "Carnival"). It's not the first time when this recycling process happens to me (unfortunately, more than redone necklaces I have "killed" ones that are still waiting for me).

In the second place, it is recycled regarding the materials. Guess where the wooden rings come from? Well, they were once some (beautiful) curtain rings from a homecenter shop. The larger wooden ring in the center used to be an earring. I also added more precious materials, as Murano glass beads and japanese seed beads, but also ordinary ones (various plastic beads). Finally, I think they match.

Concurs

Ca multumire pentru ajutorul dat in castigarea concursului de pe Etsy, m-am gandit sa organizez si eu un mic concurs.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Detalii aici: http://designerdebijuterii.forumup.com/viewtopic.php?t=420&start=0&mforum=designerdebijuterii

 

Imi plac ideile pe care le-am primit pana acum, dar ma asteptam la mai multe. E usor! (nici macar nu trebuie insirata vreo margea!) Pentru incurajare, acesta e premiul... (imi place foarte tare modelul acesta de cercei si ma gandesc sa-i mai fac in cateva culori; sa nu-mi laud singura marfa, dar cred ca arata foarte elegant la urechi)

 

 

Si gata!

 

Dupa cum spuneam, acesta este colierul meu pentru concursul lunar de pe Etsy cu tema "Oceanul". Nu este un concurs foarte mare si nu castig nimic din el; dar tinand seama de minunatiile care intra in competitie de fiecare data, cred ca evoluez chiar si prin incercarea de a ma intrece cu ele.

 

Am avut doua mari probleme cu colierul acesta: prima, ocean la -18 grade si in miez de iarna?! Oooof! Asta a necesitat ceva imaginatie!

Cea de-a doua problema a fost ca mi-am dorit foarte mult sa fac ceva aparent mai simplu. Am doi prieteni care m-au provocat putin; unul care mi-a spus ca fac bijuterii pentru femei mai in varsta, pentru ca sunt prea complicate, si altul pe care il admir foarte mult pentru ca este extrem de minimalist in mod natural. Pentru mine, "simplu" e lucrul cel mai complicat! Eu scriu mult, vorbesc mult, fac bijuterii foarte impodobite... Asa ca am insirat pagini intregi de schite cu coliere numai din cateva spirale... foarte frumoase, dar cand le insiram in realitate nu vroiau sa iasa! (inca mai am masa plina de incercari nereusite pe care trebuie sa le desfac) Singurul lucru care a ramas din aceste idei sunt intr-adevar spiralele... pe care am tinut sa le folosesc pentru ca imi amintesc de valtoarea valurilor. Asta e, poate mai simplu data viitoare...

Si sa nu uit... elementul esential in colierul acesta e cabochonul, care are un nume foarte interesant: rubin in zoisit. Rubinul este adica partea roz, si zoisitul cea verde. Arata ca un tablou impresionist! (informatii mai practice, in magazinul meu de pe Etsy)

 

As I was saying, this is my necklace for the monthly challenge on Etsy with the theme "The Ocean". It's not a very big contest and I'm not actually winning anything in it; but considering all the beautiful pieces that take part in it each time, I think I'm evolving simply by trying to compete with them.

 

I had two great problems with this necklace. The first: ocean at -18 degrees?! Oh dear, this has required some imagination!

The second problem was that I wanted very much to make something apparently simpler. I have a couple of friends who provoked me somehow. One of them told me I make jewelries only "for older women" (as they are so complicated); the other one is someone I admire very much because he's a minimalist by nature, and that's so hard for me. I talk much, I write a lot, I make very ornate jewelries... So I filled up full pages of sketches trying to make a necklace out of just a few curves... very beautiful, but when I tried to make them for real, they never came out (my table is still full of tries I should undo).  The only thing that came out of these tries are the curves, which I wanted to keep as they make me think of the twisting of the waves. Well, maybe I'll be simpler next time...

And not to forget: the essential element for this necklace is the cabochon, which is a stone with a very interesting name: ruby in zoisite. Rubies are the little pink patches, while the zoisite is the greener surface. It looks like an impressionistic painting! (for more practical informations about this necklace, see my Etsy shop)

In lucru

 

M-am gandit sa va arat ce m-a obsedat in ultimele doua saptamani... Acest colier ar trebui sa fie raspunsul meu pentru un concurs (lunar) pe Etsy cu tema (in aceasta luna): Oceanul. M-a chinuit teribil, pentru ca am vrut de data aceasta sa fac ceva care nu imi e specific, ceva simplu. Am incercat vreo 10 variante, si pana la urma... mda, se vede cam cat de "simplu" mi-a iesit!

Nu mai am foarte mult de lucru la el, asa ca sper sa-l postez in curand in forma finala (mai ales ca termenul limita e vineri!) Intrebarea e, cine o sa reuseasca sa poarte asa ceva... (e destul de mare! aproape cat palma mea)

Sheherezada

 

Am fost multa vreme o cititoare pasionata de basme, din toate partile lumii. Cred ca unul din cele mai exotice este "1001 de nopti"; povesti impletite la nesfirsit intr-un amestec de culori, mister, magie... totul intamplandu-se sub coloanele zvelte ale unui palat arab (arhitectura araba este una din cele mai delicat si bogat impodobite pe care o stiu). De aceea am numit acest colier Sheherezada, pentru ca la fel ca in "1001 de nopti", nu mi-am pus nici o opreliste  imaginatiei si l-am decorat cu cele mai bogate pietre si margele: un cabochon din aventurin invaluit intr-o ceata de culori, de la beige si auriu pana la rosu, margele de nisip japoneze rosu-cireasa, terracota, maro metalic si aurii, perle Swarovski in culoarea "burgundy", cristale cehesti rosu-granat, margele rotunde tip ochi-de-pisica.

Exceptand piatra, care este prinsa intr-o tesatura de margele in peyote, tot colierul este realizat in diverse variatii ale tehnicii os-de-hering, una din tehnicile mele preferate, pentru versatilitatea sa.

Cea de-a doua poza arata si schita cu care am inceput lucrul. Nu stiu daca va puteti da seama... dar cred ca seamana destul de mult cu ce mi-am imaginat!

Daca nu era evident... sunt extrem de incantata de acest colier (am o scuza: abia l-am terminat!)

 

I used to be an avid reader of fairy tales, from all over the world. I believe that one of the most exotic tales is the one of "1001 nights"; stories endlessly flowing from each other in a mixture of colours, mystery, magic... everything happening under the elegant columns of an arab palace (the arab architecture is one of the most delicate and intricately decorated architecture that I know). This is why I called this necklace Sheherezade, because, just like in "1001 nights", I let my imagination flow freely, and I decorated it with the richest beads and stones: an aventurine cabochon in misty shades of beige, gold, and red, Toho seed beads in cherry-red, terracota, metalic brown, and gold, burgundy Swarovski pearls, garnet czech crystals, cat-eye beads.

Excepting the stone, which is held by a network of beads made in peyote style, all the necklace is made with different variations of the herringbone stitching technique, which is one of my favourite techniques, for its amazing versatility.

The second photo also shows the sketch I did before starting the necklace. I don't know if you can see it... but I think it looks very much like what I had imagined.

If it isn't yet obvious... yes, I'm extremely pleased with this necklace (I do have an excuse: I just finished it!)

Si alt fel de flori

 

Inca incerc sa inteleg de ce cele mai minunate insiratoare de margele de pe Etsy sunt din Israel (si care in general fac chestia asta ca mijloc de existenta, aaaaargh...). Oricum, preferata si modelul meu este Miriam cu magazinul CieloDesign (verificati-i opera aici: http://www.flickr.com/photos/cielodesign/  daca vreti sa va doara sufletul)  si cu acesti trandafiri de la ea m-am inspirat. Stilul meu este insa ceva mai asimetric decat al ei.

Trandafirii sunt realizati in principal din margele roz cehesti, cu un pandantiv de piatra si o margea din sticla de Murano in nuante de maro aproape identice (din pacate nu stiu ce piatra este aceea).

Planuiesc sa mai incerc niste trandafiri in curand... imi plac foarte tare.

 

I'm still trying to understand why the most wonderful beaders on Etsy are mostly from Israel (and they do that for living, aaargh...). My favourite and my model is Miriam from the CieloDesign shop (you can check her work here, if you want to get a heartache: http://www.flickr.com/photos/cielodesign/). These roses are inspired from hers, but style is a bit more aymmetric.

The roses are mostly made of pink silver-lined czech seed beads, with a stone pendant and a Murano glass bead in matching brown colour (unfortunately, I don't know what the stone is).

I'm planning to try a few more roses soon... I like them very much.

Margele matematice: flori (2)

 

 

Tin la acest colier, din doua motive. Primul, pentru ca pandantivul este o margea margelita care imi apartine (ok, inspirata din cele de pe Beadinfinitum). Iar al doilea, pentru ca reprezinta un foarte bun exemplu al procesului de "desfacere si regenerare" prin care trec margelele mele. Si, din fericire, a supravietuit pana la momentul regenerarii ;-)  (am sertare cu margele care inca mai asteapta).  Prima poza reprezinta colierul asa cum era acum cativa ani, cea de-a doua asa cum e acum, reinsirat de pe ata pe nylon si cu pandantivul agatat de o panglica tesuta in stitch St. Petersburg.

 

I care about this necklace for 2 reasons. The first is that the pendant is a beaded bead of my own creation (ok, it is inspired by the designs from Beadinfinitum, but it's mine). And the second is that it makes a very good example of the process of "destroy and regenerate" that my beads are suffering. And because, fortunately, it got to the moment of regeneration ;-) (I have full drawers of beads that are still waiting for that). The first picture is the necklace as it used to be a few years ago, the second the way it is now, transfered from cotton thread to nylon and hanging from a beaded ribbon in St. Petersburg stitch.