Queen Boudicca – OOAK Cuff

Remember the Queen Boudicca Necklace I posted a few weeks ago? I wrote at the end how I wished I had another same-shaped cab from Lisa Peters Art so I could make myself a similar necklace? Well… shortly after I posted my blog, Carol Dean from SandFibers contacted me, telling me she had 2 similar cabs (also from Lisa Peters Art) and that she would send them to me the next day!!! How generous is that?!?!?

A week later I got them in the mail and eagerly started making myself the necklace (of course I forgot to take photos, but it’s similar to the original except for instead of hanging from a beadwoven necklace it hangs from a 3-strand leather choker, mainly because I was too lazy to beadweave a whole necklace just for me & because I was running out of black matte seed beads)… I love my new necklace!!!!!!!!!!!!! but Carol Dean sent me 2 cabs… hmmm what to do with the second one??? :-)

I started beading…. and the next thing I know… it developed into this cuff:

Queen Boudicca – OOAK Cuff

My only regret is that I can’t show you this piece in real life… it is so amazing…. powerful…. I just love it!!!

and as I have Carol Dean to thank for her generosity which led to my new necklace and this new cuff… I wanted to show some of SandFibers gorgeous beadwork that is for sale!

Click on the pictures to be taken to the listings for these cuffs and don’t forget to browse her shop for a huge selection of beadwork!!! SandFibers also offers lots of patterns for sale!!!

Thank you so much Carol Dean for those cabs, they really made my day and now I’m the proud owner of a incredibly gorgeous necklace! :-)

Bollywood Nights

My palette tends to be quite monochromatic… although I love using colour, I usually try and stick to one or two colours within one piece and tend to play more with textures and shades or variation of a colour… but next month’s EtsyBeadWeavers’ Bollywood challenge allowed me to expand my usual colour use and create something using contrasting bright colours. As I mentioned, the challenge is Bollywood and when I think of Bollywood, or anything Indian for that matter, I think of bright colours, bright gold, sparkly gemstones, richness, excess… and armed with these adjectives I set out to create something for the challenge… I started off with the idea of making a necklace… but that’s still on my beading table… and whilst I was beading component for it, I veered off and made some earrings…

I do like these… but something about them is not 100% right! for a start, you can’t see in this photo but take my word for it, the top component shows too much beadbacking … so I've decided to remake these… maybe using smaller crystals… maybe doing away with the top component altogether… am not sure yet… will have to sleep on it… but what I did finish and am so happy with is a new cuff:

Bollywood Nights – Cuff

I really love using all these bright colours!!! I now just have to think of what to do with the component I made for the necklace….
I’m trying to work out what type of strap/chain/base to make for it… sometimes it comes easily…. sometimes it doesn’t :-)

So unless I come up with something spectacular for the necklace… which I don’t think I will… the cuff will be my entry for the September EtsyBeadWeavers Bollywood challenge!

Voting will start on the 9th September and run through till the 15th… don’t forget to go to the EBW blog during those dates and vote for your favourite piece!!! http://etsy-beadweavers.blogspot.com/

The Next Generation + BAO Item of the Week

I spent the last 2 months together with Ethan! We’ve had a ball!!! We spent most of our time at my parent’s pool which overlooks the sea… it’s a hard life! ;-)

Ethan has mastered his front crawl… and I’m so proud of him!!! I love swimming and the fact that we can now swim together, rather than me following around the pool having mini heart attacks every time he goes underwater, has been an incredible pleasure!!!

He started showing an interest in photography… another of my hobbies…. so I gave him my old digital camera and he takes it with him everywhere!!! The pool, walking the dogs, the supermarket…. everywhere!!!

Then one day… out of the blue… after I received my loom in the mail… he said: “mummy I want to learn how to bead too! I want to make bracelets and then you can sell them on the intranet (internet ;-D) for me and give me the money so I can buy lots of toys!” :-) my heart melted… the next day we went out looking for a kiddie bead loom… it took me a few days to find it… but we eventually did!

here he is, hard at work making his first bracelet which will be a birthday present for his cousin Shani who just turned 4! :-)

How precious is that!!!!! I couldn’t be prouder!!!! :-)

As for me… I’m busy making the next EBW Challenge “Bollywood”….

and last, but not least… here is my BAO Item of the Week:

Cleopatra – Necklace

Purchase and pay for this necklace between now and the 26th August and receive 5% off + free worldwide shipping!

Visit the BAO blog to see all the specials our talented member are offering this week: http://beadartoriginals.blogspot.com/

Wishing everyone a wonderful weekend!!! :-)

Queen Boudicca

“…So the Queen Boadicea, standing loftily charioted,
Brandishing in her hand a dart and rolling glances lioness-like,
Yell'd and shriek'd between her daughters in her fierce volubility….”

From “Boadicea” by Alfred Lord Tennyson

Boudicca (also known as Boadicea) was the warrior Queen of the Celtic Iceni tribe; a patriotic Briton, a heroine, a woman and a leader who stood her ground against foreign invasion.

This necklace was created for the next Bead Art Originals Colour Inspiration – Black, dark green & copper with Boudicca as inspiration for the beginning of September. The necklace was created around a fellow Bead Art Original member’s (Lisa Peters Art) cabochon.

Queen Boudicca – OOAK Necklace

I’m so in love with this necklace!!! and I’m so reluctant to part with it!!! it looks soooo good on me!!! and it’s just so me!!! I wish I had another same shape cab from Lisa Peters Art and I would make myself another one in a heartbeat… but alas, Lisa’s work is OOAK (I have to ask her if she has any similar cabs in the same shape)….

Revisiting Old Friends

If you knew me really well…. you would know that I consider a little trinket hanging over a piece of string or leather, my most prized possession!!! Apart from when I get dressed up and actually go out…. which is so (soooooo) rare lately, I love wearing really simple jewellery…. the same sort of jewellery I wore when I was 16!!! :-) OK… so I’m immature and refuse to grow up + I’m a rebel at heart! :-)

About 2 years ago, I made this pendant which was so perfect for me! So I decided to keep it!!! If you have been following my blog you may have seen it… and in case you are new or have simply forgotten here are my posts from 2 years ago:
http://triz-beadingmania.blogspot.com/2008/07/not-sure-where-this-is-going.html
http://triz-beadingmania.blogspot.com/2008/07/keeping-it.html

One of my favourite pieces of jewellery I own!!!

I wear this all the time…. and I mean all the time! I go swimming with it (something I would definitely not advise anyone to do, especially with beadwoven jewellery), shopping with it, walk the dogs in it… basically anytime I want to wear something turquoise and I don’t want to ruin some of my other prised possessions… I wear it! :-)
Whilst wearing it…. during the last 2 years… I’ve been complemented on it… by people who usually wouldn’t even look at jewellery… but in the last month, people actually asked me to make them some… so of course I obliged :-) I made a smaller version for a lovely lady I met at my gyno!!! :-) and 2 more for a mother and daughter who come to Israel on holiday every year and we became friends last year at the pool…. so I thought… why not make a few more of these to sell in my Etsy shop… and I did! :-)

Zebra Jasper Donut - Pendant

Turquoise Mosaic donut - Pendant

Larvikite Donut - Pendant

I really enjoy making these!!! so as soon as I can find some more donuts that I’m happy with (I’m really, REALLY fussy) I will probably make more!!! :-)

I know these are very simple… but I love their simplicity and design…. having said that, come back tomorrow and check out a gorgeous, GORGEOUS new bead embroidered piece I made for this month’s Bead Art Original colour challenge!!! the challenge is: Black, dark green, copper and bronze (optional). I’m debating whether I should part with it… that’s how much I LOVE it!!!

EtsyBeadWeavers Challenge – Time to vote!

The August EtsyBeadWeavers challenge is currently open for votes!

My entry is Golden Galaxy (entry # 25)

Please visit the EBW blog from now till the 15th August and vote for your favourite piece! http://etsy-beadweavers.blogspot.com/