Hello people, how are you all this week? September is halfway done and it will soon be autumn - just now the sun is shining and it's still warm enough to go out without a wrap. Pumpkin chai latte is apparently the drink of the season - although I imagine it's just an evocative title - bringing a waft of cinnamon, log fires, wood smoke and damp leaves to our imaginations - pumpkins actually taste of nothing - at least nothing especially nice. I found an extremely pretty lucky charm on one of my vendors websites and thought it was too sweet to pass up and this week I put it into a simple necklace. The pendant is so busy that I felt the necklace warranted a certain degree of simplicity. Inlaid with malachite, turquoise and abalone and a number of tiny micro-pave set stones, it has protection against the evil eye at its centre and is liberally sprinkled with a sun, moon, stars, a horseshoe, Hamsa, a dove of peace, four-leaf clover, and a Kawai kitty, among others - by the law of averages, one of them should be at work at any given time and serve the wearer well. There is now a palpable, gut wrenching need to try to inch back towards the way we were - to wear nice clothes, jewellery, go out to dinner, the theatre, anywhere where there are groups of people and have some fun, to feel alive. With this in mind, I made a pair of earrings that signify fun and nights out. They are made with antiqued silver wire and tiny faceted ruby beads with a teardrop of lapis lazuli dangling from a pair of blue studs set in silver. I made them so that the dangle can be slipped off and hung on any other pair of studs. I would say that they looked like holly berries except they are the wrong shade of red - however, they are very pretty, though I say so myself - and I hope you'll agree. Here's a look at the final flowers in my garden - I threw a couple of packets of seeds into the flower bed and got these poppies and Love in a Mist to cheer us up while the rest of the garden yellows and moves towards autumn. There are loads of buds, so the flowers should bloom for a while yet. That's me for now folks, have a wonderful week and I'll catch you next Friday, same time, same place.
Until then xx
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Hello people, how have you been this week? We've had a mini heat wave and it has been quite difficult to function - we are simply not used to it in this country and homes and hospitals are insulated for warmth. Still, even though it's sweltering in the heat of the sun, it has been the most enjoyable week. We haven't been able to travel abroad, but Mike and I have found the quaintest little café where we can sit under the shade of an awning and watch the world go by. People-watching is one of our favorite activities when we are on holiday and Europe has such a wonderful café culture - and now we have it at home, in the UK. Hot Summer NightI remembered a long ago trip to Marrakesh (time to go back), the colours were so vivid I can recall them as if it was only days ago, rather than twenty years. The Djema El Fnaa, the tiles, the gardens - oh, they took my breath away. I often pick up Moroccan pendants, charms and beads from a belly dancer who travels there regularly. Although she hasn't been back since the pandemic started, I had a pendant, vividly enameled in the cobalt blues and reds typical of Morocco that I picked up from her earlier on. There were even a couple of beads in my collection that matched. Teamed with slab nuggets of pale green dyed howlite, I achieved a very satisfactory result. I can imagine wearing this necklace on a hot summer night, sitting by a body of water sipping on a tall, cold drink in a floaty white dress. I do declare that my core temperature went down a couple of degrees as my imagination ran riot. When the name came to me, I remembered a song I first heard in the late 70's from a rock opera by Meat Loaf. I loved the song then but when I hunted down the video, couldn't bear to put it on these pages - Meat Loaf is as Meat Loaf does, I'm afraid - he's not the most handsome of men (and that's being kind)! I went for a version with the lyrics written in gothic script instead. I'm very excited as this week, we're going to have our regular annual barbeque after a break of a year for the pandemic. This year is going to be bigger and better than before and I will spend all week prepping for it. I make copious lists - of invitees, of the food, shopping lists, tasks and their delegation - you name it and I have a list for it. Making lists is half the fun of throwing a party, in my opinion. It's also the best way to tackle a mammoth task without forgetting anything, one step at a time! That's me for this week, folks. I'll try and get a little post out next Friday, but if I can't, do keep your fingers crossed that the weather gods are kind to us. This year I've even plumped for a little marquee in case of rain, but am hoping that it will just be a precaution, not a necessity. Catch you soon, Until then xx Folks in the ether reading this, welcome to the Caprilicious Blog. It's lovely to make contact with you again. The weather has been wonderful here in the UK and it is so nice and warm and sunny I almost feel the need to hold my breath in case it's a mirage and disappears, replaced by drab, drab drab! I hope you are all doing well and not finding spurious reasons to drive to the nearest beauty spot - remember, if you find that you're going blind, that is certainly not the time to put your wife and child in a car and take them for a drive - unless you're in a black comedy kinda life! (For those who are reading this from outside the UK, this is an insider joke and you can read about it and join in the laughter if you Google the words Dominic Cummings and Barnard Castle.) Last week I was just putting in the eye in my Hamsa as I wrote the blog post, and I told you all about its symbolism. Since then I put in some colourful beadwork around the eye, and a lotus above it. The lotus symbolises spiritual enlightenment and rebirth. Much is made of the fact that the plant grows in murky water, and yet gives forth a beautiful flower. The Secret Meaning of the Lotus Flower tells us more about this issue and it is the most beautiful flower from a plant that is actually ever so easy to grow. I grew some miniature plants in an old bucket once in my garden. If you fancy a go at growing them yourself, here's an article that will help you do it. Crystal and beaded fingernails, paisley and chevron patterns were added, the Hamsa padded out with felt, backed with ultra suede and edged. And then, all of a sudden it was finished! I almost felt a sense of loss when the last bead was put in, as if an old friend had left and gone away. I would have to perforce, put it away - and eventually send it to a good home. Eye Protect - a Hamsa NecklaceAnd then, how to hang it? One lady suggested citrine and pyrite - 'for prosperity,' she said. However, I decided that this was a playful piece and deserved a playful, colourful necklace to carry it. Frosted amethyst beads that appear like blue grapes with a bloom on them and are very pleasing to touch - they have a soft rasp to them - contrasting shiny carnelian rice beads and a couple of hand made fire polished Czech glass beads that I ran up - the packet of glowing, purple glass beads had been sitting on my work surface for the whole time and I thought it would be rude not to include them. A protective amulet then, in difficult times. The amethyst is thought to bring peace of mind and calm and the carnelian brings vitality, warmth of spirit and prevents illness. Fin! Finito! Well not quite, as the necklace still had to be photographed, the pictures edited, a blurb written and the whole thing posted on the website. And since then, I've sat out in the sunshine with the hubby and the cat, doing absolutely nothing during the Bank Holiday weekend. 'Hope Springs Eternal' was sold to a lady from Maryland a couple of days ago, and will be on its way later today. That's me for this week, folks. Have a lovely week in the sun and I'll catch you next Friday, same time, same place.
Until then xx Hello people, I hope all is well with you today and that you've had a good week. We had a Bank Holiday this Monday and of course, this means guaranteed poor weather in the UK - that's almost a given! Time off is not to be sneezed at however, and I took full advantage of it. Hubby and I vegged out in front of the telly watching movies back to back, me with a bead tray in my lap. True bliss, and just my kind of relaxation. I started a Goddess pendant a few weeks ago, but put it aside as I got too busy for a while. I decided that I was going to finish it over the long weekend and started to channel all the Goddesses I know of into the piece. It will soon be time for the major celebrations in the Indian calendar, marking the triumph of good over evil in one form or another. The first one is the Durga pooja, which marks the battle of goddess Durga with the shape-shifting, deceptive and powerful demon disguised as a buffalo, Mahishasura, and her emerging victorious (well, of course - did you really think a demon who could only think of a buffalo disguise could be allowed to win, over a woman with eight arms, each one carrying a Lethal Weapon?). The festival epitomises the victory of good over evil, but it also is in part a harvest festival that marks the goddess as the power behind all of life and creation. It lasts for ten days and is both a social and religious event. Soon after this comes Diwali, another popular festival, which spiritually signifies the victory of light over darkness, good over evil and knowledge over ignorance. This celebration includes millions of lights shining on housetops, outside doors and windows, around temples and other buildings in the communities where it is observed. The festival preparations and rituals typically extend over a five day period. Those of us who are non believer heathens still enjoy the over the top colour and craziness, and the fifteen days of the holiday period are a time when families bond over food and sweets, children set off firecrackers and a lot of fun is to be had - you can tell I'm looking at this through a retrospectoscope! In reality, all government offices are closed so official business ceases and if you cannot get your work scheduled between the end of Diwali and Christmas, you are royally sc%&%ed and have to wait for the next year when everyone is back at their desks (also through the retrospectoscope!!). My Goddess is non denominational, and has a beautiful crown of Czech dagger beads, and a halo of individually wrapped crystals. She is over embellished, as goddesses are with shiny crystals and fringes and is delightfully over the top. I call her Shakti, which means strength and have her on a simple necklace of yellow agate beads. The Xian Kun NecklaceThis week was a week of symbolism, runes and icons. I bought a medallion from a Tibetan trader - this is a man's waist amulet with Bagua symbols. Bagua symbols are used in Taoist cosmology to represent the fundamental principles of reality, seen as a range of eight interrelated concepts representing opposing forces or elements - Yin and Yang. The Bagua is an essential tool in the majority of Feng Shui schools. The amulet was rather large, so to balance it I added three strands of chevron beads, yellow agate and turquoise to make a necklace that would stand out a mile - definitely one for when you want to be noticed. The Siren's SongI saw images of an Indian silver comb used as a pendant on various sites and I made it my goal to track one down when I was last in India. I researched it earlier, and apparently the combs are reproductions of Rajasthani hair or beard perfume combs. "The top of the comb is hollow, and contains a well which may be filled with perfume or perfumed oil. This is closed off by a decorative finial, which acts as a stopper. It unscrews so that the chamber may be filled. The central chamber is pieced by small holes, set between the fine metal teeth. By this means the perfume is then dispersed in small amounts as the comb is drawn through the hair." Ruby Lane Unfortunately this replica is not hollow and cannot hold perfume, however, it is just as pretty as the real thing. I held on to it for ages and then decided the time had come to set it free and strung it with bright red coral and silver beads in a very beautiful necklace. Sirens were beautiful women, with long hair who sat on the rocks, combing their tresses and singing sweet songs, luring unwary listeners who passed by in their ships onto the rocks. This is a painting by John William Waterhouse who was an English painter in the early twentieth century. His artworks were known for their depictions of women from both ancient Greek mythology and Arthurian legend. I can imagine this siren combing her long tresses with the comb from the necklace, singing soulfully while she perfumes her hair. I'm not sure what the sirens had against thee poor sailors, and why they didn't spend their time more gainfully, but they sure looked pretty in spite of being murderous at heart. That's me for this week folks, I'm now off to pack for my pre winter holiday. Have a great week and I'll be back with you next weekend, although a bit later than usual,
Until then xx Hello folks, how are you today? It's been an odd sort of a nowhere and nothing week here - totally unremarkable, with not much happening out and about around me. The weather has turned decidedly cooler but it's not yet time for our annual holiday. I've felt as if I've just been marking time, waiting for something to happen. I got a subscription to Amazon Prime having given up on Netflix which seemed to have only B movies and watched movies back to back after work. One of those I watched was Frida, a biopic of Frida Kahlo, played beautifully by Salma Hayek. Some of you might remember that I went to see an exhibition of Kahlo's artefacts and dresses in the Museum of Modern Art in Milan. She is an iconic figure, who knew how to dress for effect; the flowers and ribbons in her hair, the chunky rustic jewellery, embroidered blouses and Mexican skirts in vivid colours - Kahlo really understood the power of image. Reportedly, she spent hours in front of the mirror, and regularly enjoyed the chance to shop - as well as commissioning the making of particular garments. Throughout her life she used her wardrobe choices as a means to play with perception, helping to define how she occupied space as a woman, as well as an artist. Frida Kahlo’s image resonates to this day. She is frequently referenced online, with those startling portraits reposted frequently. In particular her love for flowers worn distinctively in her hair as a tiara right on top of her head are extremely iconic, bold, brilliant, and often joyous: part armour, part mirror, part performance, part visual language and I decided to make a necklace inspired by them. Frida's BloomsThe teardrop shaped coral beads when strung together, appear like a garland of petals. I picked a string of beads that matched the coral in a pendant I had in my stash, For once I picked out all the elements I meant to use in the necklace, and put them together in a sort of 'mood board'. I usually start with one element and pull the others out of my collection of beads and findings randomly when I open a drawer and they stand up and yell for attention, but this time, I was a bit more organised, having thought things through. The pendant, of silver, came from Indonesia and has a beautiful slice of lapis lazuli and a turquoise cabochon, with the little coral dangle I mentioned earlier. Last week I made faux amber beads from polymer clay and this week I put the necklace together with the Tagemout pendant. The lady I made it for was gratifyingly appreciative when I sent her photographs and it is winging its way to her as I type. The young lady in this picture in one of Caprilicious' best friends - she sent me this picture of her wearing one of her many statement pieces, on her way to a show in London. I love it when people send me pictures in their Caprilicious statements. The smile on their faces gives me such a buzz. Another of my repeat customers wrote to me saying how gutted she was to have missed out on owning this necklace. This lady has recently had an operation on her knee and I felt she really needed a boost to her spirits, so I made her another one. When people enjoy their Caprilicious Jewellery and come back for more, they touch a chord in my heart - to love Caprilicious is to love me, as after all, it is my alter ego - a tiny piece of me goes into every piece of jewellery I make. That's me for this week, folks. Have a lovely week, and I'll catch you next weekend, same time, same place.
Until then xx Hello folks, thanks for dropping by at Caprilicious Jewellery today. The skies finally opened and rained poured from the clouds, but unfortunately for me the lovely heat wave broke on the day I had people coming round to our place for a barbeque. The day before the barbecue I downloaded the BBC weather app and the Accuweather app and spent anxious moments between prepping the food anxiously swapping between the two. The rain poured as if it had all been stored up for that one day. However, there was a happy ending - it stopped raining just as the guests arrived and we relaxed in the garden. Fire and IceThe anxiety of the weather watch exhausted me and it took me a while to recover. A rummage through my stash of beads soon inspired me to make a necklace that I long had in mind to create. The lava beads in this necklace appear spongy from the time when bubbles of gas escaped from them as the magma boiled and flowed from the volcano where they came from. The icy blue quartz beads are gently faceted and provide a perfect foil to the black lava beads. A box clasp set with a blue topaz finishes the necklace beautifully. Journey to the Centre of the EarthPerhaps a strange name for a necklace? Well, this is a novel written by Jules Verne which inspired a video game of the same name. The story is set in Iceland which is such a mystical, magical place that it seemed to me that the geodes of amethyst used in this necklace could easily have come from there. I racked my brains as to what I could use as a focal point to the necklace without detracting from the beauty of the geodes. These beads are very hard to come by and I've been looking for them for years. They are relatively expensive and I thought long and hard before I hit the 'pay' button. However, I'd wanted them for ages, and searched so hard for them that I had to have them. I put the string of beads away, taking them out at regular intervals and stroking them, turning them over in my hands like Gollum. And now, I've released them from my stash with the addition of a silver amulet. The geode beads appear as if they have been tipped with ice crystals and I just love the way they look. No photograph can do them justice, and my skills aren't good enough to show off the beauty of these geodes. You'll just have to take my word for it. The necklace sits close to the neck and is finished with a toggle clasp, and in my opinion, it is one of the most beautiful pieces I have made.
That's me for today, folks. Have a great week, and I'll catch you next week, same time, same place. Until then xx Hello folks, and how are you today? Have you been watching the Presidential campaign and the debate?? Truly!! I cannot believe that morons and/or the morally corrupt will have their finger on the nuclear button for the next five to ten years - the world is going to hell in a hand basket, whichever one of them wins! I rushed off to rummage in my stash of gemstones and began to bead around them furiously in an effort to alleviate the pain behind my eyes. CaribaCariba is a necklace made from sea sediment jasper tusk beads in beautiful greens and browns reminding me of a tropical sunrise. The pendant was made from three cabochons of solar quartz, surrounded by beads and soutache braids in coordinating colours. The beads themselves are unusual and the whole ensemble is very fetching. Making it certainly took my mind off the world's troubles. DuskI do so love pearls - their luminescence when worn close to the face gives one a healthy glow. However, I'm not keen on granny's pearl necklace - I like mine to have a modern twist. On a visit to China, we visited a government run pearl farm, and watched as they injected particles of sand into the oysters before lowering them into freshwater pools to wait for the pearls to form. I didn't know that pearls were merely Calcium Carbonate - how depressingly mundane! The Chinese eat ground up pearls as a calcium supplement, grind them up for face powder and add them to lanolin, beeswax and cocoa butter to produce face creams and exfoliants, as well as antiseptics. Drilling holes in pearls can be tricky as the calcium is likely to crumble if handled wrongly - which is possibly why tiny pearl beads can be more expensive than the larger ones. The pearls in this necklace are dyed in grey with an iridescent sheen, and drilled from side to side at the top, which means that they hang in a manner that suggests a double string. A hand carved mother of pearl shell clasp worn to one side like a corsage complements the piece beautifully. Hand fulls of waxy prehnite teardrops were strung onto all three strands, and the necklace was finished. MamouniaLa Mamounia is an opulent hotel in Marrakesh, originally a palace built in the 12th century. Prince Mamoun who owned it turned it into a hotel in the 20th century and it certainly is one of the most beautiful and opulent places I have visited. We were fairly recently married and Mike took me there, sat me down in front of the grand piano in the foyer and played 'As Time Goes By' for me, the romantic sap that he is. I have to say I was a bit overwhelmed by the beauty of the hotel - the floors are so shiny that I swear that one could see the underwear of the women who walk upon it in skirts! The enamelled amulet in this necklace comes from Morocco, and the beads are bamboo coral teardrops dyed a vibrant green, reminding me of the beautiful gardens surrounding the Mamounia. The large coloured beads are cat's eye's - they have a reflective fibre-optic thread running through them that gives them a sheen. I've now booked my annual trip to see my mother back in India and will take some of my jewellery back with me for my third show in Bangalore. I do look forward to meeting old friends and relaxing in the environment that I grew up in and remember with great fondness and the rose tinted glasses of the retrospectoscope.
That's me for this week, folks. Have a fabulous week, and I'll catch you next week, same time, same place. Until then xx Hello readers, I hope you have all had a good week and are ready to relax at the weekend. I have been slowly getting over the visual overload of the last week - so many sights, so many statues and pieces of art, so much to take in that the photographs I took were only a drop in the ocean of memories I wish to hold on to. We went to the Ponte Vecchio, a 13th century bridge over the river Arno. It connects the Oltrarno ( the artisan district) to the main city of Florence. Butchers initially occupied the shops but the present tenants are jewellers, art dealers and souvenir sellers. In the 16th century the Vasari Corridor was built on top of the bridge by the Medici rulers of Florence to move freely and safely from their home in Palazzo Pitti to the Palazzo Vecchio and the Uffizi, which is when the butcher's shops changed hands to become goldsmith's shops. As the rents were very high, the goldsmiths extended their shops outwards and they still hang over the water as if by magic, in a charming, higgledy piggledy manner. I peered into the jewellers windows as we crossed the bridge. They had hundreds of Euros worth of silver and gold in them and at first I was quite fascinated. Unfortunately there was no place to sit down and a load of other people including pick pockets, street vendors who shook fists full of leather bracelets in your face in an alarmingly threatening manner if you didn't look like you'd buy from them, a colourfully dressed African man who informed us that 'Yoo arrr maai fadder and yoo arrr mai maader', and tried to extract money from us to care for his siblings, presumably also our children, caused us to walk briskly away and seek refuge in a cafe on the other side of the bridge. Pity, that, I'd have quite liked to have spent a bit more time there. And then I found Angela Caputi - a fabulous boutique in the artisan district selling art statement jewellery made of resin, lucite, and acrylics. Her jewellery has caught the attention of haute couture stylists and museums. She is displayed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art of New York, at Museo degli Argenti and Galleria del Costume in Florence. Very contemporary and hi-falutin', but the prices - OMG! they made me go weak at the knees - given the materials used, they were highly overpriced, but I guess one is paying for the store in the centre of Florence and all the other overheads, as well as the name. I took in all the beautiful things around me and came away shaking my head muttering, like the woman from Goodness Gracious Me, ' I can make this at home for nothing!!' Well, of course I cant, but it gave me solace to think so. Moroccan MelodyThis is a necklace I had planned before I went on holiday. I made the faux amber beads myself out of translucent polymer clay coloured with alcohol inks, antiqued and inlaid with 'coral' and 'turquoise' and 'repaired' using wire. The Moroccan amulet is extra large and very colourful and needed the balance of the large amber beads. I added a bit of colour with red resin beads - I figured that if Angela Caputi can do it, so can I! Delicate Darlin'I saw a necklace on a tourist in Florence and immediately thought of a way I could create a similar one using beads I recently rediscovered when rummaging around in my stash. I think there is a method to my madness as far as the untidiness of my work surfaces goes - I have the compulsive need to tidy up as I go along and while doing this find strings of beads bought long ago and forgotten, just waiting to be found. I sent off for Czech glass flower beads to match and when they arrived put them together with a beautiful little silver clasp. These little embellishments make a piece for me - a pretty clasp, a charm dangling from the back of the necklace, a beautiful focal bead. I collect them obsessively and jealously, and am slow to release them, which is a bit stupid, I know, but hey, a girl has to have some fixations in her life. Little lever back earrings with a couple of the left over flowers finish off this ensemble. Well people, this has become the story of Little and Large! I hope you have enjoyed your read and liked the pictures of Firenze I had for you. That's me for the week, I'll catch you next week, same time, same place. Until then,
xx Hello readers, how are you today? Hasn't January just flown by? It is already the 22nd, and in two weeks I will be back in India in the sunshine, having escaped from the miserable cold weather we are experiencing recently. I've started packing stuff in boxes for my show and making the last few pieces I intend to take with me. I've decided to call it a day now, and pack a few things every day - to stay away from my jewellery altogether would give me the DTs. And now I have a small favor to ask. (Don't worry, it doesn't involve lending me money.) All I'm asking is, if you have the opportunity, that you help me get the word out about the exhibition on any social media platform you happen to participate in. It can be something as simple as a tweet, or a mention on Facebook, or Tumblr, or Pinterest, or Instagram, or even Google+. Anything to raise awareness would be great! Please tell your friends - and of course come yourself, I'd love to see you. It even managed to snow this week, and although it didn't last long and melted away in a couple of days, it messed up my weekend as we had planned a little shopping trip on the very day it snowed and my credit card heaved a sigh of relief. The Tuareg OasisThis year, it feels like I've thraped the Tuareg theme to death - but I love the tribal motif and it gives me a great opportunity to play with colour and shapes - to me the word 'colour' instantly calls for polymer clay in some form. As the Tuareg amulets and pendants came strung simply on black braided thread or black glass beads, there was no limit to where my imagination could take me and no precedent to block my flights of fancy. I totally agree with the Rajasthani tribal people - the desert they wander is so sparse, and well, sandy, that their clothes have to be colourful to light up their lives. If I had my way, I'd get the Tuareg people walking about bedecked in bright colours too. The green of this pendant though pretty, is not one that I would generally pick - I like the brighter green of the parrot, or even the chili - this one is a gentle leaf green, which is soothing to the eye, but not really vibrant. Prehnite is a vaseline green colour, with inky black random smudges and goes well with the pendant to give it a soft, sophistication which isn't 'in your face', which is usually my wont. Just to vary the shapes, I added a tribalistic imitation spindle whorl bead made of polymer clay in a silvery black. I played with clay at the weekend and made these Shibori Seashell earrings designed by Carol Blackburn - love the icecream colours, don't you? A bit fed up with the cold weather, I also made some snowdrop earrings. Where are you, spring?? Happy DanceI did a happy dance - I entered a giveaway on the blog written by Pearl Blay - 'The Beading Gem's Journal' and won! I won a free webinar on how to photograph jewellery. I spent Sunday rushing around the house finishing all my chores to free myself up for seven pm which was the time allocated. I have a Canon point and shoot as well as a dslr, and have been to a couple of lessons on how to use my camera - but not with jewellery specifically. She managed to talk to dslr users, point and shooters and camera phone users all at the same time and made sense to all of them. I wasn't sure what exactly I hoped to gain, but I know that product photography is of the utmost importance and any help with this is welcome. I wanted to learn how to get a clear white background, and how to keep shiny objects looking shiny - in my opinion, silver and pearls are very difficult to photograph. Pearl gave us some really great tips on this and what sort of lighting to use. I took loads of notes and am having a lot of fun experimenting with my new-found knowledge. Before I knew it, two and a half hours had flashed by - time does fly when you're having fun! On Golden WingsI found a vendor who had Jewellery Beetle's wings that have a golden tinge to them. I simply could not resist them and just had to make them up for the show - they are not freely available in India (or if they are, I've never seen them) and I thought it would be nice to offer something exotic. I've made jewellery with Elytra before, so I tried to do something completely different with them on this occasion, using earring connectors to give them a unique look. I couldn't resist showing my pictures to my teacher - 'Look miss', I cried. And she was suitably pleased with my homework and sent me to the top of the class, which is more than I've ever achieved at school! "Can do better," my report cards always said, which I took as a compliment - at least they didn't say "DUNCE". Indian schooling is very competitive and my entire childhood was spent looking crestfallen at being made to feel a bit of a duffer. When I got to the UK, I was pleasantly surprised to hear that children were not put through the mill with hundreds of exams each year. If I wasn't such a resilient character, I might have believed that I was stupid. Happy Dance No 2At the end of last week, HOLY S*1T ( I mean WOW!), I HAD MY FIRST SALE IN MY ETSY SHOP !!! Pardon me for shouting, but I was so excited, all of it could have been in capitals, and we all know how annoying that can be. Anyway, it turned out that my first Etsy buyer is an artist called Julie Dumbarton who won Visual Artist of the Year in 2013 and 2014 and is totally in love with colour. OMG, pressure, or what?? I chewed my nails until I couldn't wait any more and sent her mail asking if she'd received it. Eventually that day it reached her in Scotland and I had an email from her to say she loved the piece - Phew! I can breathe again. That's me for this week, folks. Here's a picture of my boys having a snooze on my bed - aren't they sweet? Have a fabulous weekend and I'll catch you next week, same time, same place. Until then xx Dear readers, how nice of you to drop by, I love meeting you here like this. I despair of Ms Muse, I really do - she refuses to come out of holiday mode. She's been galvanising me into using the most colourful beads in my hoard and this week's pieces have all come out bright and beautiful as a consequence. I thought I'd play you some music as well, it has been a while, so here we are. Hello HollyThe lovely red crystal beads I had leftover from making 'Mandarin' were turned into a necklace of two strands using diamante set connectors. They do look like holly berries, don't they? Kind of BlueThe pendant and the silver beads in this necklace are from Jaipur and are made with 925 silver. The capsular pendant has little dangling bells and is on a necklace of the most beautiful lapis lazuli teardrops contrasting with bright green dyed jade beads. I named the necklace after a record by my favourite Jazz and Blues musician, Miles Davis. Ms Muse remembered a statue of him made by Niki Saint Phalle outside Le Negresco in Nice. My necklace I think, is no less colourful. A pair of earrings with the lapis teardrops and a tiny peridot bead echoing the green of the jade accompanies the necklace. Brown SugarI've had all the elements for this necklace in my stash forever - they just sat there quietly until one day the carnelian leaf shaped pendant jumped out of it's box and demanded, yes, demanded to be used. I rummaged around in my bead drawers and the red jasper needles and citrine nuggets came out to join the party. The citrine nuggets are so pretty, and remind me of the crystalline unrefined sugar my grandma used to hand out to us kids when we'd been especially good. Mum used to go mad, claiming that she had spoiled our appetites for dinner, but my grandma knew that if she bribed us with brown sugar, we were sure to return to keep her company in the hope of more coming our way. By the Grace of the GriotThe word “Tcherot” means “message” or “paper on which something is written” in the language of the nomadic Tuareg tribe. The Tcherot is often a metal or leather lozenge shaped box which holds magic letters, numbers, names of days, stars and planets, or signs representing the eye, revealing the esoteric practices well known by the Griots or holy men. At other times a Tcherot may contain desert sand, small 'lucky' objects, or simply the “whiff” of the Griot, at the request of the person who needs protection from the evil eye, curses and diseases or to receive favors or luck. I bought a Tcherot from a trader in the UK - and one look at the price and I wondered if would be subsidising her next airfare to Niger. However when I rechecked the prices on other websites and realised that I was getting a fair price I simply had to buy it. It is made of camel's leather and studded with bronze. I decided to make some dull gold beads using polymer clay and gold foil - thankfully I had written an aide memoire for silver foiled beads which was easy to follow. That's it for this week, folks. I am publishing the blog a day earlier this week as I am going to a precious metal clay class in the south of England which I am combining with a medical meeting and visiting friends in Bournemouth. Anna Mazon is coming in from Poland to teach her herbarium pendants and I have long wanted to learn a bit more about using precious metal clay - and there's nothing like learning from a professional. I have only made fairly simple and straightforward pieces of jewellery in my kiln, and am really looking forward to learning some new techniques from her. I shall tell you all about it next week. Have a lovely week, folks, thanks again for joining me. I shall catch you next Friday, usual time, same place xx |
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