Stuff….

First of all… I’m so excited my A Hazy Shade of Winter – OOAK Beaded Wrist Bag won the December Simon & Garfunkel EtsyBeadWeavers' Challenge!!!!!

Thank you to all who voted for this bag!!!! All the entries were amazing and I’m really chuffed I won!!! :-)

My other bag, Arearea – Joyousness is currently in the Bead Art Originals (BAO) Team’s December challenge!

The challenge was to pick a famous work of art and to create something inspired by that piece. Go and check out the BAO team blog, http://beadartoriginals.blogspot.com/2010/12/december-challenge-art-inspiring-bead.html between now and 26th of December, chose your favourite creation and leave your vote by commenting on that post, and enter your chance to win a fabulous prize (TBA)!!!!!

As for me…. I’ve been on another cuff-creating frenzy… so far nine!!!! must stop and take some pictures in the next few days!!!

Till then…. :-) happy beading!!! :-)

EBW Simon & Garfunkel December Challenge

Check out the incredible entries from the EtsyBeadWeavers for this month’s Simon & Garfunkel “Songs of Inspirations”.

In case you missed it… my entry for this challenge is:

A Hazy Shade of Winter – OOAK Beaded Wrist Bag

Voting has started and will continue till 15th December, so don’t put it off!!! Go and vote for your favourite piece!!! http://etsy-beadweavers.blogspot.com/

Wishing everyone a fantastic evening!!! :-)

Arearea - Joyousness

I finally finished my new bead embroidered bag Arearea – Joyousness. I honestly never thought it would get finished!!! :-) but each and every single stitch and bead was put there with so much love and enthusiasm, because I absolutely LOVE this bag and LOVE how it turned out!!!!

I created this bag for the Bead Art Originals (BAO) Team’s December challenge. The challenge was to create a piece inspired by one of our favourite famous works of art; a famous painting, sculpture, photograph, etc...

The painting I chose is Paul Gauguin’s Arearea – Joyousness (1892)

This is one of my all-time favourite paintings and I have a postcard of it (that I purchase in some museum about 15-18 years ago) pinned to my note board next to my computer.

I love this painting for so many reasons, the composition, the exotic feel to it and the colours. Both the exoticism and the colours are what inspired me to create this bag.

The bag is made entirely by hand (hand stitched) in chocolate brown genuine suede, and is lined in bright purple Ultrasuede, beadembroidered around three gorgeous MAKUstudio One-of-a-Kind ceramic cabochons (1 heart and 2 discs), beautiful Swarovski crystals in Montana Sapphire, burn orange and Golden Shadow, Swarovski Crystal Copper elongated bicones and loads of multicoloured fresh-water pearls all beadembroidered with Japanese seed beads in light bronze, dark copper, Swarovski Montana Sapphire crystals and Czech copper bugles.

The strap is a gorgeous and sturdy beadwoven spiral rope encrusted with the Swarovski Montana Sapphire crystals and the multicoloured fresh-water pearls.

I have fallen heads over heel in love with this bag!!!! I must make a similar one for myself, as soon as I can find the time!!! :-)

Let me know what you think & wishing all who celebrate it a very happy Hanukkah!!!

Please visit the BAO team blog, http://www.beadartoriginals.blogspot.com between the 16th and 20th of December and vote for your favourite entry by leaving a comment on the blog post.

A Hazy Shade of Winter – Wrist Bag

I’ve been incredibly sporadic with my postings for the last year…. sometimes it’s because I’m beading…. sometimes it’s because I just don’t feel like writing… well I’m happy to say that the reason I’ve been silent lately is because I’ve been busy beading! :-)

A Hazy Shade of Winter is my entry for the EtsyBeadWeavers’ December Challenge “Simon & Garfunkel – The Songs of Inspiration”. I love that song and its title inspired the colours for this new bag, the first in a new line of beadembroidered bags I will be creating for my shop.

A Hazy Shade of Winter – OOAK Wrist Bag

I’m so pleased with how this bag turned out!!!!! I love everything about it!!!! from the beadembroidery to the crocheted rope!!!

The bag was designed around one of Lisa Peters Art’s gorgeous handmade ceramic cabochons, grey Swarovski crystals, smokey grey Czech glass cabs, antique silver, antique gold/bronze, metallic black iris and ivory Japanese seed beads. The strap was crocheted with metallic black iris Japanese cubes.

I’m 3/4 of the way through a second bag… but it’s taking me longer than I expected… so I might not finish it before next week, but as soon as I do, I’ll post the photos!

Please visit the EBW blog, http://www.etsy-beadweavers.blogspot.com between the 9th and 15th of December and vote for your favourite entry.

And to all who celebrate it…. Happy Thanksgiving!!!! :-)