as for me…. I’m calling it a day and am going to hide under my duvet!!!
Tuesday 18 December 2012
Tribal Dance… gone wrong!
as for me…. I’m calling it a day and am going to hide under my duvet!!!
Tuesday 27 November 2012
Soutache Fever
After years of not knowing what to do with the soutache braid that laid unused in one of my many boxes containing bits and pieces that I may, or may not use one day… I finally broke down and bought a soutache tutorial! :-)
Here is one of my favourite souache pieces that Miriam designed:
It’s not perfect…. but I love it and it’s the perfect winter pendant for me and I’ve been wearing it non-stop! :-)
As I said… I caught the bug… so I started making more pieces… these are my first (well made) earrings:
Can’t wait to make some more pieces!!!! so stay tuned!
Wednesday 7 November 2012
Indian Summer
Indian Summer OOAK Cuff
I really love how this cuff turned out! I love using the metallic silver leather!!! and I love the edging, it came out so pretty and the cuff looks amazing on!!!
More silver leather cuffs to follow as soon as I get around to working on the photos!
Till then… happy beading!
Wednesday 31 October 2012
Peacocks… my version :-)
Friday 26 October 2012
Belt Buckles
Monday 7 May 2012
Fiery Warrior
The photos really don’t do these pieces justice…. but after 3 previous failed attempts due to massive sand storms which blocked out the sun for about a week (on and off)… this is the best I could do….
Wednesday 25 April 2012
Metalwork and Diamond & Pearls Ribbed Bracelet
Lately…. I want to spend less and less time on the computer (hence my sporadic blogging) and more and more time in my studio… I’ve become addicted to metalwork!!! and LOVE spending the day in my studio sawing, soldering and filing!!! who would have thought?!?!?
I showed you my first pieces in my last post… but I’m happy to see improvement since then! :-)
Here is one of my favourites I made that I’m keeping for myself and LOVE to death!!!!
I’m so proud of this piece and wear it almost every day!!! :-)
So I started making loads of pendants… some didn’t come out so well but went to good use anyway… some have found new homes… and some are waiting to be photographed….
Here are some that aren’t quite right… the bezel was too high for the stone… I now worked out the right sizes :-)
These didn’t go to waste, I wear the left one and my friend the right one :-)
This is a piece that went to my lovely neighbour Ella who looks after my doggies when I go away overnight :-)
I really love how these pendants are turning out… I love filing them into shape… and love how the sharp metal turns into soft curves… I’m really enjoying this medium… a big step away from beadwork but I have actually made two pieces incorporating both metal sheet and beadwork… unfortunately my camera’s batteries died just as I was about to take the photos this morning… so will have to take them tomorrow… and post them at a later time :-) I’m really happy with how these turned out so make sure you come back and check them out in a few days….
I’ve done very little beadwork this year… partly because I felt uninspired and partly because my metalwork is occupying most of my time…. but I did make this bracelet a few months ago… I just forgot to post it :-)
Diamond & Pearl – Ribbed Bracelet
This bracelet is bead-woven into a rib texture. Made with over 350 Swarovski pearls, the bracelet was designed around a gorgeous gold-plated clasp that I got from The Beadsmith and the bracelet ended up in one of their adverts!!!!
Hopefully, I’ll take more photos tomorrow and then show you some more pieces… till then… happy beading! :-)
Thursday 15 March 2012
Silence….
A long time… a long time indeed… since I last posted… what can I say… I’ve been in a really funny mood… winter? life? I don’t know… I just didn’t feel like talking… or writing… I can’t say I was depressed… I just needed to have silence in my life.
Very little beading happened during this quiet time… I couldn’t find myself…. so I occupied my mind (and my creative craving) by redoing my son’s bedroom… painted it, bought some new furniture… (a desk, a cupboard, some cool wall stickers)… updated it and reorganized it to fit his age…
I’m really proud of myself because I managed to do everything on a really tight budget!!! The paint was about 300 NIS (c. $80), I found the cupboard on sale for 400 NIS (c. $108), the desk, also on sale for 200 NIS (c. $54), of course I had to build them, which I did all by myself!!! :-) The rest of the furniture I already had, I just reorganized it and gave away a ton of toys that he had grown out of… bought some wall stickers, that he chose himself … and voila’ :-) I’m so glad he finally has a proper cupboard to keep all his clothes in and places for most of his toys… plus, most importantly, a desk!!!! to do his homework on, draw, do whatever he wants (instead of on my dining room table) :-) I wanted to paint the old wooden furniture white, but Ethan didn’t want me to… so I left it…
My lovely (and talented) cousin Bettina made him this gorgeous ceramic Mezuza cover for his new room and even made me 2 more for my bedroom and my workroom. Aren’t they gorgeous!!!
So once the room was done you would think I would get some beading done, right? well… no! still waiting for my muse to return from her extended hiatus!!!! So…. I started doing some origami… and started checking out things one could do with origami… came across this amazing artist (who happens to be in Israel too) Ilan Garibi…. you have to check out his amazing origami lamps!!!!
Design by Ofir Zucker and Albi Serfaty in collaboration Ilan Garibi.
Photo by Albi Serfaty.
Then after a bit of origami…. some crochet!!! :-) I started making a blanket for Ethan's new room… some angry bird hats… anything to avoid the frustration of sitting in front of my beads and having nothing to say…. my beads are silent….
Then, the other day, a friend came round to show me how to start on my metalwork… I’ve had the equipment for almost a year and all I made was a pair of earrings which I posted a while back:
I simply had this fear of the torch and the unknown… so my friend Penny came over and kindly spent the morning showing me how she makes her lovely hammered copper bangles – see below her lovely work and check out her etsy shop - PenelopeStern!!!
And here is what I made!!!!
Couldn’t have done it without Penny’s help!!!! I made one with her, then spent the next day making 2 more 1/2 round ones and 2 flat hammered ones! and I LOVE them!!! I’ve been wearing them ever since!!!! :-)
Armed with this new knowledge, and having got rid off some of the fear of using the torch, I thought I would use one of my books and try and make one of the projects, a ring… here is the result… not perfect but not bad for my first attempt and good enough for me to wear! :-)
It feels really good to be making again!!!! and I look forward to playing more with my torches… so stay tuned and see what I come up with! :-)