Ode to Miriam

A few weeks ago, during the Passover holiday, I did something I don’t usually do…. I ventured out of my flat…. with my son and a box of beads… took the train and travelled down south to visit my dear friend Miriam of Cielo Design! My son was so excited to go on the train…. I was so excited to go and bead with Miriam!!!! :-)

Miriam met us at the train station near her village and drove us back to her house. As soon as we got there, Ethan went off with her son ( who he had not met before) and I proceeded to follow Miriam around her bead world! Once I was able to pick my jaw up off the floor… I cannot put into words how absolutely incredible her beadwork is!!!…. she handed me a bead mat and we sat opposite each other at her dining table where we began to bead!!!! Miriam was working on her Bead Dreams entry (and it is absolutely spectacular) and whilst beading she taught me a couple of techniques I had seen her use that I absolutely LOVE!!!

Here is the first piece I made using one of those techniques, a flat spiral weave chain which complemented one of my beadembroidered centrepieces perfectly!!!… and of course I had to appropriately title it:

Ode to Miriam

This is such a beautiful and elegant chain and so quick and easy to stitch!!! Thank you so much Miriam for teaching it to me!!!

Sadly I was only there for 4 hours, although it felt like 20 minutes! I had so much fun, Ethan had so much fun! Miriam had to go to work, and we had to get home :-( As soon as we can manage it again I will have to take another trip down south!

Here is one of my favourite pieces Miriam made using that technique:

Celestial Ocean Necklace by Cielo Design

Visit her shop and her blog to see some truly STUNNING beadwork!!!!

Cleopatra - Cuff

Well I’ve been hiding away in my bedroom for the last 3 days…. beading, of course!…. I love it when I get so inspired that I cannot bare any interruptions whatsoever!!! and this weekend was one of those times!…. it all started off with my dear friend Miriam from Cielo Design who sent me these beautiful Swarovski Chatons and some metal settings…. I’ve been looking for these for absolute ages, and nowhere could I find them, not on the net, not in any shop…. it was driving me mad… and Miriam came to the rescue! thank you Miriam!!!

So armed with my new little treasures… and a set of phone instructions from Miriam on how to use them…. I set off on a marathon beading session… I made one cuff, a necklace and a piece of bead-embroidery which I believe will eventually become part of a necklace…. this last one has been giving me a little bit of trouble in terms of design… I think I’m on my 4th or 5th attempt at making a necklace for it… I’m taking a break from it to see if fresh eyes will produce clearer design directions… we’ll see! :-)

Here is my first piece… the necklace still needs to be photographed… if the weather permits, I should be taking photos tomorrow… lets hope!

Cleopatra – Cuff

I cannot emphasize enough how pleased I am with how this cuff turned out! I really, really, really LOVE it!!! It’s cool, it’s funky, it’s elegant…. as I said, I love it!

The cuff was created around one of the Swarovski chatons I received from Miriam…. beadembroidered using, Swarovski crystals and pearls in dark purple and light bronze Japanese seed beads and cubes.

Did I say I love it??? :-) and I cannot emphasize how much more delicious it looks in real-life!!! it’s just gorgeous!!!

Come back in a few days and check out my new necklace, and who knows… maybe till then I will have finished the 3rd piece too! :-)

Happy Hanukah! :-)

EBW September winners

The winner of the EtsyBeadWeavers Indian Summer Challenge is:

Indian Summer Sunset by Lorraine of Trinity Designer Jewellery

Second place is my dear friend Miriam from Cielo Design (who has to listen to me bitch and moan on a daily basis! and for that she deserves a medal!) :-) with her Parvati's Grace Necklace

and 3rd place… yours truly with my Indian Summer Nights

Thank you to all of you who voted for me, I really appreciate it!!!

To see the rest of the runners up + all the gorgeous entries, please visit the EBW blog.

Congratulations Cielo Design

The EtsyBeadWeavers Hollywood Red Carpet Creations May Challenge winner is Cielo Design with her Suprastellar Red Carpet Necklace

!!!! Am so happy for her!!!! Not only is her design stunning, but she is one of the nicest people I have ever met in the cyber world! :-)   And I cannot get by without my daily conversation with her :-) Congratulations Miriam!!!!!!

This piece is absolutely stunning, but then again so are all her pieces.

Here are some of my favourites pieces by Cielo Design:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

These are just a few samples of her absolutely stunning beadwork – please visit her links below to see more and I promise you will not be disappointed!!!

Shop: http://www.CieloDesign.etsy.com
Blog: http://www.cielodesign.blogspot.com
Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/cielodesign

Sensitive/controversial subject and three more treasuries! :-)

I cannot even begin to convey what a crappy time I'm having lately... I won't bore anyone with the details, also because I don't feel like writing for the next 4 hours, but basically I'm  trying to sell my flat and I'm stuck in a legal vortex that is sucking the life out of me which may eventually lead me to have to take one of my neighbours to court... which would then probably delay my sale for about 2-4 years!!! yes! how much fun can I be to be around at the moment!?!? :-) why am telling you this? well, mainly so you can understand how grateful I am to have been featured in all these treasuries and front page!!! It's really lifted my spirit and has inspired me to want to bead, and as soon as I have a day not filled with tracing lawyers and officials and yes, even the police today.... we found workmen, who are working in the building site next to my building, on my property (I live on the 3rd floor) moving plants about and using the balcony as their platform to build an illegal wall on my property!!!! that, compounded with the fact that when we called the police the reply from them was... it's not our problem!!!! funny I thought trespassing was illegal... I am truly worried about sleeping here. tonight... I've locked all my windows, shutters, door... my son is sleeping in my bedroom with me tonight, as well as my dog... I have a very big wooden stick under my bed... and 10 years of karate training!!! and yet I still don't feel so safe!!!  ok, so I'm rambling, and I may sound totally hysterical... but with the background of what is happening lately.... I'm sure some of you heard of the bulldozer attack in Jerusalem last week, and I believe there was one today too (16 injured)...  I am truly fearful of the idea that these men could actually, with little effort enter my home.... am I being paranoid???? well last week we saw the release of one of the most horrific murderers released in exchange for 2 of our poor kidnapped soldiers,  whose fate we were not informed of  until the very last  moment... like it was a reality show or something.... I mean imagine these poor guy's families finding out the status of their loved one on tv!!!! and then bringing back this "animal" and making him into some sort of hero.... Lebanese people do you actually know what you are celebrating???? this man went into a family's home, the mother hid with the 2 year old, who she eventually smothered, in fear that these animals would find her and her child for her child's cries.... then these animals took the father and the 3 1/2 year old precious child... killed the father in front of this precious child, so it would be the last thing this child saw before having her brains bashed in!!!!! this is your hero!!!!!!! a F***ing ( and please excuse my french!)  coward, a child killer!!!! yes that is your hero... and if that is who you think you should celebrate....  then that makes you as morally culpable as this monster!!!! Shame on you!!!!

ok, so this was not my intention.... I usually write about beading... and I apologize if I have offended anyone with this rather sensitive and oh so very political post... but really, if you have a problem, don't read it!!! yes I'm angry!!! and scared... and I'm slowly loosing faith in humanity... and these treasuries that I've been featured  in really pale in importance to the bigger picture, but I am really truly honoured that people who I have not physically met, would actually take the time to include my work in their selection...

ok, so a very strange, and probably too depressing for most, way to extend my gratitude to the following people for including me:

Thanks so much TotallyTwisted, a fellow beadweaver, see below one of of her wonderful  pieces:

Have a Heart - Netted Cuff Bracelet

This treasury expires on Friday 25th July: http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list_west.php?room_id=17199

 

 

this beauty is by Smadar's Treasure see below one of her wonderful pieces:

Saraguro Hojas Bracelet with Swarovski Crystals

This treasury expires on Friday 25th July:
http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list_west.php?room_id=17130

and last but not least....

CieloDesign put this green beauty together... check out some of her wonderful work:

On the Meadows Necklace

This treasury expires on Friday 25th July: http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list_west.php?room_id=17122

Thank you all for bringing a ray of sunshine to my pretty dreadful day!!! :-)

p.s.  my comments are moderated by me... don't bother leaving any anti-Semitic, anti-Zionist, anti-Israel, anti US comments, they will not be approved and neither will they be read by me.... I'm not going to waste my time!