A new friend made

Whilst finally figuring out how to use Flickr I met a lovely Italian gal... and somehow we've connected and a friendship of sorts has started.... for those of you who don't know me yet, I was born in Italy and lived there till I was 12... and I hold a special place deep in my heart for both the country and the people!! and here is one of those beautiful people... Alessandra from Turin.... please go and check out her blog.... she features different artists every day... and today is... yours truly!!! :-) v. honoured!!! http://ixela-thoughts.blogspot.com/2008/01/un-artista-al-giorno-toglie-il-medico_16.html
She also makes really lovely jewelry and sells it on etsy her shop name is ixela
So far I've met some really lovely people on etsy and on flickr, so I've decided to add a list of links to my faves... and will do so later... that's all for now.... :-)

Mayan Treasure

I just couldn't wait to post this necklace.... I finished it today, just in time to be able to still take photos outside.... I'm so, so, so pleased with how it turned out and with my photos!!! I absolutely LOVE this colour combination... bronze and grey.... the crocheted necklace is nice and chunky and I just love it to bits!!!! I actually started making it the day after I finished Ancient Bronze Treasure... but between work, my son, the Etsy BeadWeavers Red Challenge, where I've entered 3 pieces, Judy's birthday necklace and a few other prior commitments, I only just managed to get back to it yesterday.... I thought I loved the other one, but now I look at both and there is no competition.... this new one is definitely the winner in my eyes!!! but then again I seem to feel that way about each new piece that is completed... at least the ones posted on here... the ones I'm not happy with don't make it for public viewing :-) If I don't like something because of some element of the piece doesn't (in my opinion) work, I usually put it in my "see-what-can-be done-with-that" box (if I think the original idea behind it has potential but needs to be re-calculated) or it gets cut up (when the piece has no potential)... In the case of this necklace, I got stuck half-way through, hung it in front of me so that I would see it every time I sat at the beading table.... and I'm so glad I didn't scrap it!!!!... I guess inspiration hit.. I started thinking of Aztec and Mayan images... which I'm fond of (I even have an Aztec-inspired armband tattooed on my upper left arm) and the piece started speaking to me...

Above: Back view

For more info on this piece, please go and visit my Etsy shop


Mayan Treasure

ALSO.... PLEASE DON'T FORGET!!! VOTING IS IN PROCESS AT THE ETSY BEADWEAVERS' BLOG..... THE CHALLENGE FOR THIS MONTH IS RED.... THERE ARE 42 ENTRIES.... I HAVE 3 ENTRIES IN THE CHALLENGE.... YOU ARE NOT TOO LATE !!! AND YOU DON'T HAVE TO VOTE FOR ME!!! JUST PLEASE.....

Go vote for your favourite piece! http://etsy-beadweavers.blogspot.com/

EBW RED Challenge

Look at this fabulous collection of beadwork!!!!!


Will be tough for anyone to pick their favourite....



My entries:

Beating Heart necklace # 7 in the list

Magic Red Carpet bracelet # 17 in the list

Royal Flash bangle # 24 in the list

Voting starts on the 7th January US time

Go vote for your favourite piece! http://etsy-beadweavers.blogspot.com/

Treasury EBW Red Challenge

Woke up this morning and found my EBW Red Challenge Beating Heart necklace in one of the treasuries created by Totally Twisted on Etsy... which is very nice.... but look at how lovely all the red pieces look together these are only some of the pieces.... Tomorrow, 7th January, please go to the Etsy Beadweavers' Blog to see these and the other amazing entries and vote for your favourite....






and thank you Jean Hutter (Totally Twisted) for including me in your lovely list.... go and check her out.... amazing beadwork!!! http://www.totallytwisted.etsy.com/











and!!!!!!!!.... I almost forgot.... all this red challenge excitement! :-) but yesterday I found 2 of my pieces in 1 treasury created by myfairladyvt4, who also makes beautiful beadwork.... go and check her out! http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5344180






Thank you Ann Burke for including my Pearl and Gunmetal Jellyfish and my Elizabethan Cuff in your treasury.... I feel very honoured!

Red.... amongst so much grey....

What a miserable day it turned out to be..... grey, rainy, cold, miserable.... thankfully it started off beautifully, with blue, clear, sunny skies, and was therefore able to take some decent shots of my 3rd and last piece for the Etsy Beadweavers Red Challenge (Go and vote! :-D)

I finished it late last night.... this challenge has really inspired me.... and although this bangle was inspired by a previous bangle I made ("Funky Lifesaver") it is quite different both in design and in execution, yet it is based on the same principle of tubular RAW (Right Angle Weave) and embellishment. They take a bit of concentrating, but I love making these bangles.... very meditative and therapeutical.... you constantly have to think of which way to turn, but at the same time it has its own momentum.... it's not my first stitch of choice when I make a piece, because I know I need to be 100 % mentally there... no distractions, no interruptions... but once I start a project, I get really into it and love doing it!!!...

and here it is:

Royal Flash Bangle

This tubular Right Angle Weave (RAW) bangle is warm, luxurious, rich, elegant and flash, it reminds me of the Queen’s jewels. Stitched using "antique-gold", garnet red and frosted red Czech seed beads, embellished with tiny pearl seed beads and purple, green and blue Swarovsky crystals. Looks amazing with a black evening dress and just as great with jeans.... Funky chic!

I don't think the picture does the actual bangle justice... it's so much more... hmmm... delicious, in real life.... much deeper colours, especially the reds.... but it's the best I could do.... but I am definitely improving! :-)

Photography by Patrizia Tager

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Don't forget, the voting starts soon!!! :-)

Please visit http://etsy-beadweavers.blogspot.com/ from the 7th January and view all the wonderful entries at the EBW’s blog and vote for your favourite piece from a selection of very talented bead weavers.

Magic Red Carpet - EBW Red Challenge

Photography by Patrizia Tager

I'm seeing red everywhere.... particularly around my nose.... I've got a stinking cold.... the sort that makes you dread every sneeze.... :-)

And speaking of red.... here is my 2nd entry for the Etsy Beadweavers Red Challenge.... love this herringbone-stitched bracelet!.... I love the texture and the deep red and purple together with the matte antique-gold.... it feels very rich and luxurious.... and..... I'm so pleased with the photos, which I took myself..... thank you Avia for letting me in on the ins and outs of jewelry photography.... not as good as Avia's, but seeing that I had to take them with my crappy digital camera, and I literally had 5 mins of batteries..... I'm very pleased with the overall result... yeah!!! :-)

Again, let me remind you that on the 7th January voting starts at the Etsy Beadweavers Blog. So please, please, please :-) go and vote!

Better get back to nursing my runny nose.... and back to my beading.... a few projects on the go.... soon to be revealed ;-)

Happy new year!

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Please visit http://etsy-beadweavers.blogspot.com/ from the 7th January and view all the wonderful entries at the EBW’s blog and vote for your favourite piece from a selection of very talented bead weavers.