Hello folks, great to talk to you this week. It has felt a bit Bleagh! on the weather front out here. Storm Arwen has been wreaking havoc in the UK, but fortunately, where we live in the Midlands, we have had a couple of days with a bit of snow, but no more. My heart goes out to the poor folks in Wales, some of whom have had a power outage for over 6 days now - and of course the poor guys who have to climb up the electricity poles in the face of high winds and driving rain to repair the cables that have broken due to trees crashing into them. I lived in Wales a long time ago, and I remember after one such storm in 1989, the garage roof blew off and ended up in a heap at the end of the street with the door crashing and banging into the car. We lived without electricity for about five days - that is the coldest I've ever been in my life and I wouldn't wish that experience on anyone. While snow looks pretty in pictures, it isn't nice unless you are wrapped up and warm, and of course there's always the danger of the icy patches lurking underneath, especially when the temperature drops at night. I've been telling you about this necklace that sits unfinished on my worksurface for over 3 weeks now - and unfortunately I still haven't got a clasp for it - the original one got lost in the post. When I wrote to the vendor, I was told that it was the last one in their shop, so I then had to pick another and it is on it's way. With the lack of HGV drivers, Brexit and the snow, who knows when it will arrive? I made yet another pair of beaded peacock feather earrings - they are so pretty, I couldn't resist it. This time I used a grey crystal bead for the centre of the feather, and then decided to put a little beaded bezel around the central bead anyway as it forms the 'eye'. I posted pictures on a beading forum and the folks there fell in love with it. I'm not expecting it to last on my books for very long, but I do have the supplies to make more if required to. This pair is hung on gold tone ear wires, with the tiniest micropave diamante inlaid into the front. Red Vinyl NecklaceThis necklace was made for my Ethnic Collection, for the Eastern Promise page and I remodelled it - I was never happy with the original design and it would appear, neither was anyone else. It now has three vintage pendants from Afghanistan, set with little glass gems - a central box pendant set with cobalt and red glass in a paisley design and the other two are mismatched squares set with colourful glass, edged with loads of little bells. They are strung on two strands of vintage African vinyl beads in red and have little crystals and seed beads to break up the boredom and add movement and colour. Mismatched necklaces are worn by tribal women in India all the time - they just pick up the pendants as they go along and string them together with little seed beads and chains made of alloy, interspersed with little coins. These are old pendants, and show signs of loving wear and tear. Vinyl beads from Nigeria are made from vinyl recycled from old records. In countries all across Africa vinyl beads are used to create beautiful necklace, bracelets and striking waist chains. Vinyl bead strand jewelry is sometimes worn to indicate the wearers state of mind. Each individual color of vinyl bead strands has a different meaning. Blue vinyl beads stand for love, harmony, togetherness and peace. Black vinyl beads are said to represent spiritual energy and emotional maturity. Maroon tones stand for healing and mother earth. Purple vinyl beads are said to represent everything feminine and royalty. Pink vinyl beads are said to indicate mildness and feminine qualities. Red vinyl bead strands stand for spirituality and passion. Unfortunately (unless you travel to Africa) it is almost impossible to source these beads in loads of colours and sizes in the UK. They have to be purchased through outlets in the USA and then brought back. I picked up a few strands of them when I went there a few years ago and am still playing with them. I used some of the soutache braiding I have in my stash to make these earrings - the central bead is a 'cat's eye' bead, which incorporates strands of fiberglass at it's core, giving it a shimmer when it is moved in the light - unfortunately a still photograph doesn't do it justice - it just looks like a brown bead. I have tried taking photographs in the light in preference to using my photobox, but I'm not sure if that's enough to capture the pretty movement of light within the bead. It is on an ear stud and has a Nepalese resin bead dangling from it. That's me for this week, folks. Have a lovely week, and I'll catch you next Friday, same time, same place.
Until then xx
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Hello, good people, and thanks for joining me once again. It has gone cold in the UK and set to get worse. However, what we experience here, especially in the Midlands where I live is piffling compared to North America, so I shouldn't really make a big deal of it. Moaning about the weather is part of the British psyche and I've lived in the UK long enough to participate in the national weather angst! I saw this picture on Facebook and thought it was so cute, I had to save it for everyone here. I've made one of the prettiest necklaces using a bunch of tiny seed beads, and I've been so keen to show it to you. Unfortunately, I suddenly decided that I absolutely needed a particular clasp when I saw it used by another beader - I've been hunting for the selfsame thing all over. It's quite difficult, hunting down something when you don't know where the other person got it from, what it's name is, or what to put in a search engine when looking for it. I can't remember who the lady was who had it on one of the pieces she had made, or I might have asked her, although she might not have told me. But, determined as I am, I spent days looking for it and finally struck gold. Hubby was pretty annoyed with me, as I seemed to be on the computer all the time - he was probably just looking for a bit of attention. However, I've had a hard week at work, and the last thing I needed of an evening is conversation. Watching rubbish on the telly while beading or scrolling through various shops on my phone in silence seems to be the better pastime than making an effort to chat. Never mind, next week is likely to be better and I will stroke his ego and give him some attention at the weekend. As I said last week, I'm going on the Earrings Show in December - the 10th and 11th is the Caprilicious show, so I've begun to salt away a few pairs of earrings specifically for that. I always like to have lots of stock, so that ladies who like earrings have something new to look at, and I like my earrings to be as different as possible to what the others display. I make the components myself rather than assemble what I have bought from others, and therefore it takes a while to put them together. Anyone who knows Caprilicious knows my love of peacocks - this pair was made using purple crystals at the centre of the eye, surrounded by silver lined seed beads in four colours. I'm not sure the camera picks up the way these earrings glow - silver lined beads have an ethereal sheen and I think this is a very pretty pair of earrings, as light as a (peacock) feather. I picked up two pairs of stick beads of lapis lazuli and turquoise - the beads themselves are so pretty, I felt that they ought to be presented in as simple a manner as possible. I spent a few months wrestling with the idea of adding little embellishments to the tops of the beads but in the end, have presented them simply with little micro pave bails and sterling ear wires that enhance rather than detract from the beauty of the stones. Unfortunately still photographs do not pick up little nuances, such as the glow of the silver lined beads, the little glints of pyrite in the lapis beads or the glints from the micro pave diamante - some degree of movement is required for that. I'm looking forward to this weekend which is going to be about pampering - long lie ins, soaks in the bath, and generally a relaxed time, both to get over the week I've had, and to get ready for next weekend when I'm going to be on call again. 29 days to Christmas, folks! Hubby is buying me a new laptop in the sales and I'm half excited, while the other half of me is a bit anxious about losing all the photographs stored on my old laptop. Yes, they are sitting in cloud storage as well, but there's nothing like being able to access them straight up from the computer. Oh well, I'll just have to grin and bear it. That's me for this week, folks. Have a wonderful week and I'll catch you next Friday, same time, same place.
Until then xx Hello, good people, I hope you're having a good start to the weekend, with fabulous sunshine wherever you are. The garden has kick started itself and there's loads to be done this weekend. I'm very proud of my little container of irises that I finally managed to grow. My neighbour gave us the bulbs a number of years ago, but they refused to flower for me until I dug them up and repotted them with the bulbs exposed at the top of the soil, and voila! my first crop of flowers appeared. Moulin Rouge The Moulin Rouge is one of the first nightclubs in Paris - almost 132 years old and has been at the forefront of all cabaret acts in Paris. They have up to 60 dancers performing each day with hundreds of costume changes through the spectacular show. The can-can originated in the Moulin Rouge and it has become the most famous show in the world as the dancers of the Moulin Rouge high-kick their way to become icons of exotic glamour and legendary champagne-fuelled nights. I've been to watch the dancers at the Moulin Rouge and the Lido in Paris, these being the most spectacular shows and though they are quite different, they are awash with music and colour. The girls remind me of flowers in their frou-frou skirts, twirling and pirouetting to a live band, and although touristy and glitzy, it is such a fun way to spend an evening (albeit expensive). I made the pendant for this necklace in the spirit of the Moulin Rouge - exuberant, high kicking and fun. It contains three pieces of solar quartz which are cross sectional slices of a stalactite, surrounded by multi colour soutache braids. At the lower edge, the braids loop back and forth in an effort to recreate the frothy frills of the can-can skirt. A brass peacock feather and shiny crystals add to the fun and the whole piece is colourful and reminiscent of the spirit of the Can-can and just right for June which is of course, Pride month. The necklace is simple with lapis lazuli teeth, spaced with little colourful semi precious gemstone beads so that the attention is all on the pendant. I hope pictures of the pendant bring a smile to your face and evoke joy in your heart - that's precisely the effect I'm trying to achieve here. At this point in time, we need some joy - even if it comes in a little box with a Caprilicious label on it. It will be a great little necklace to wear on holiday with a simple dress and we will soon all be going on holiday - Oh yes, we will! That's me for this week folks. Have a fabulous week, and I'll catch you next Friday, same time, same place.
Until then xx Hello lovely folks, Happy New Year to you all. This year I wish that you all get your heart's desire, and that some of what your heart desires is found at Caprilicious - that would suit us both! My New Years Eve was quiet and peaceful, I was on call and I cooked a pot full of pilau rice and Mike helped me carry it to the midwives and doctors at work, who have to stay in the hospital perforce and had planned a midnight feast. I sat at home sewing crystals onto a piece I had half made and temporarily abandoned at its fugly stage. I was determined to have a fresh piece to show off on the website on the first day of the year. I think I've finally realised the direction I'm taking with Caprilicious - I'm well on the way to becoming an Occasionwear maker. Of course it depends on the wearer, and what they think is an 'occasion' that demands a piece of Caprilicious. I know ladies who wear my pieces effortlessly all day, every day. However, I think I enjoy making the showy, highly embellished pieces of jewellery the most, and may well concentrate on them this year. And I think this is what makes Caprilicious so precious to me - it allows me to create things that make me happy and satisfy my soul. If I made jewellery to suit other peoples requirements I would end up in a second job, not in the beautiful cloud of creativity that surrounds me and floats me through the day until I can get back home to my tools. FantasiaThis one has Shibori silk, crystals, embroidery with beads, a soutache piece, and the icing on the cake - dyed marabou feathers. I came across Shibori silk ribbon on a website I happened to be looking at and was smitten. It is silk ribbon, cut on the bias, and wound around a pipe in a circular fashion as shown. It is gathered into folds by first wrapping a silk cord around the tube and fabric tightly, making sure it is continuous. The fabric is scrunched together into little pleats under the cord and then dampened and dye allowed to seep into the silk. It sounds like a simple process, but isn't and that is reflected in the cost of the ribbon which is sold in lengths of 10 - 20 cms. It can be stretched out or used as is, in its scrunched up form. I learned how to make petals from a woman who calls herself Shibori Girl and made three out of the orange silk that arrived first, and a ginkgo leaf out of the green silk - and wham, I ran out of ideas! The piece sat on a tray, and I saw it sitting there every day trying to attract my attention. To keep it from being too vocal, I applied myself to making other fairly complex pieces. "I just have to make these, and I'll come back to you", I reassured the poor, forlorn, fugly thing. I couldn't bear to admit to it, let alone myself, that I didn't know what to do with it. Eventually, I decided to pull the piece together with other elements - the soutache piece is really three pieces sewn together, with the feathers placed under it and eventually Fantasia came into being. A 'ginkgo leaf' in Shibori dyed silk crowns the top of this pendant, embroidered with seed beads and freshwater pearls. A blue beaded Swarovski rivoli and crystals adorn the lower edge of the 'leaf'. The three plump shibori silk petals are placed to the bottom left of the pendant. A soutache piece in two layers nestles between the petals, and two dyed marabou feathers are attached securely beneath the soutache and crystals. Teardrop shaped crystals encased in soutache braiding shoot out of the main crystal and soutache piece like comets. And then I got taken out to dinner on New Year's Day so I wore it. I think it looks great, and it is definitely flamboyant. It was certainly noticed at the restaurant we went to, and a couple of strangers came up to me and took a card off me - yes I carry business cards everywhere! One of the ladies even got in touch and has ordered a piece of jewellery from me, so that's a result. A friend of mine came round for a cup of tea and a chat - she's a consultant at the hospital in the next town and was on call - unfortunately she lives too far away to work from home and needs to stay in the hospital when on call, so when there was a lull in the proceedings she dropped round to see me. I persuaded her to try some of my jewellery on and we spent a happy hour or two taking pictures. That's me for now, folks. Enjoy the coming week and I'll catch you next weekend , same place, same time. Until then xx p.s. Last couple of days for the Payday discount in case you fancy it - I will be travelling next month so although I might post a discount code order delivery is likely to be delayed until I get back, just so you know N Hello good people, how are you? Hurtling towards winter as we are, I'm not looking forward to the cold and the dark, especially as we will be putting the clock back at the end of the month. The heating is on at home and we are snuggling under the duvets, trying to stay warm for longer. However, we still have the festive period to come - if it weren't for Christmas, it would be so dull by the time December arrives. 'Persian Pickles' or PaisleyThe original Persian droplet-like motif – the boteh or buta – is thought to have been a representation of a floral spray combined with a cypress tree, a Zoroastrian symbol of life and eternity. The seed-like shape is also thought to represent fertility, has connections with Hinduism, and also bears an intriguing resemblance to the famous yin-yang symbol. It is still a hugely popular motif in Iran and South and Central Asian countries and is woven using silver and gold threads on to silks and fine wool for weddings and other celebrations. Imports from the East India Company via the ‘silk routes’ brought the textile pattern to Europe in the 18th century, and following the arrival of luxurious Kashmir shawls some of which were very expensive, the pattern took the continent by storm. The shawls were soon imitated throughout Europe, mainly in Wales and the town of Paisley in Scotland. From that point onward the English term for the motif was ‘paisley’, though it is also known in the United States among quilt-makers as ‘Persian pickles’ or in the Welsh textile industry as ‘Welsh pears’. Arthur Liberty, William Morris and the Arts-and-Crafts movement adapted the print, and it became an integral part of the Aesthetic Movement and the Art Nouveau Movement – shorthand for sophisticated, arty bohemianism. The Beatles, in the 60's once again revived the pattern by wearing it at their concerts and it became emblematic of the ‘summer of love’ and the aesthetic of the psychedelic era. Various designers have insisted that it has a deep meaning, that it symbolises the tree of life, the seed palm, thus fertility and it has remained exotic and cool with a rock vibe. So, that's the background of my 'Persian Pickle'. When I was growing up, my mother called it the 'mango', which was as fanciful as she got. While I was researching the paisley I read that it could signify halved fresh figs, mangoes, gourds, licks of flame, or Cypress trees (sacred to the Zoroastrians); kidneys, tadpoles, tear drops, pears, or sperm! I even came across a Jehovah's Witness message board that wanted paisley to be "taboo" because it is considered a representation of sperm! What?? Have they ever looked down a telescope at a sperm? I have, and it is definitely not paisley shaped!! I decided to release two of the pieces of labradorite I bought in Jaipur a few years ago, into the world. The paisley pattern appealed and with inspiration from Kinga Nichols, I started out on a paisley pattern I drew on a piece of Lacy's Stiff Stuff (not a made up Harry Potterish name, I promise). That took the bulk of an evening, and I then started to fill in the gaps around the labradorite with tiny seed beads the next day. The labradorite is a startlingly deep blue when held up to the light, otherwise it is a dull grey. Another couple of evenings of zen enjoyment went by. Finally, the paisley was filled in to my satisfaction and I encircled it with diamante cup chain and soutache braids and made a little flourish at the top of the 'mango'. Somewhere along the line, I decided I was going to hang the finished pendant on a blue necklace cord and hang citrine nuggets from the pendant. Before I could do that I had to decide how the paisley was going to be hung - and after a long period of deliberation I made a final decision. This was very important as I needed to sew in the jump rings for the citrine dangles, and cover them with a layer of felt, and then another layer of ultrasuede. Once that die was cast, there would be no going back! On day four, I added to loops to use as bails to hang the necklace - as I wanted the pendant to hang asymmetrically, the loops had to differ in length, and I decided to go all the way and make them in different colours. I liked the way the pendant was shaping up when I hung it from a knob on my beading lamp, but the green bail looked a bit stark. I added blue tassels with seed beads and Czech glass petals, taking inspiration from Kay Bonitz. The seed beads in this piece are all 15/0 which are smaller than 1mm in diameter and 11/0 which are 1mm - not terribly good for the eyes, fingers and feet. Feet?? you ask? Yes, they are so tiny they often fall from your hands to the floor, and it is inadvisable to walk around in bare feet. It certainly hurts like hell if one is trod on because they are invisible when so far away. The Finished 'Pickle' - Perfectly Paisley!!So here it is, the finished article. It is looking for that perfectly flamboyant woman who will love it's high visibility. One of my customers asked how it hung on a real person, so I whipped on a shawl and took a quick picture and here it is. I think it would look much better on a dark, high necked little black dress, and I'll leave you to use your imagination to produce that image. That's me for this week, folks. This pendant took me five evenings to make and I had no time for anything else. I do enjoy the beadwork, it is a lot of fun to watch the piece grow and evolve. When I start out, perhaps on Day 2-3, it looks awful, and I often have to put it away for a few days before I can face picking it up again. This piece, however, was a delight to bead from the start, so it flowed beautifully.
Have a fabulous week, 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 -Dear friends, thanks for joining me again, as always it is fabulous to speak to you each week. If you enjoy reading this half as much as I do writing it, we're both in a win-win situation. The summer has been particularly kind to us this year with sunshine - I'd better not say any more or I might jinx it! Last week, Mike rescued a magpie chick that was almost on its last legs and so exhausted it couldn't fly, although nothing was really wrong with its wings. It was a plump little bird, crouched at the bottom of the tree on the front of our house and I named it 'Toast' apropos of what was most likely to happen when Wilfred the cat caught up with it. Mike tried putting it in the bushes, but it just came back over the road to the same spot. Eventually, we put it in the cat cage overnight, fed it bread and milk and replaced it in the tree from which its sibling fell from the nest and perished a couple of days earlier. I'm happy to report that Toast survives, and flutters past our house cocking a snook at Wilfred every time he goes past. Happy ending, then - for now! SerenityThese two necklaces were made on the back of the coral necklace I made to order a couple of weeks ago. I pick beads and gemstones that chime with my spirit - they need to have a certain 'something' about them - their shape, or their colouring, marking, or texture - I very rarely picked simple round beads and if I do, I like to team them with an interesting clasp or component that makes me jump up and down with pleasure. A few beads with a clasp on the end do not a piece of great jewellery make, and I do my best to put things together that chime with my joie de vivre. Sometimes I buy gemstones just because I like the look of them and then have to sit on them for ages before I can decide what to make with them. The beads in these necklaces were purchased around two years ago and they sat in my stash serenely, occasionally popping up when I rummaged around looking for the perfect components for my next piece. Suddenly, I had a lightbulb moment and these two necklaces came to life. Adding an interesting clasp and a few tiny beads in total simplicity elevated these two from being strings of beautifully marked beads to two exquisite necklaces. Even so, I wasn't prepared for the sudden mini rush of orders. I hunted out the vendor praying that they still had them, and bought some more strings of amethyst. The citrine necklace will take a bit more time to move on as yellow is not everyones cup of tea. They are a lovely warm molasses colour, though, and I know some redheads and brunettes that they would suit to a T - I'll let them come across the necklace in their own time. The Social ButterflyI showed you the beginnings of The Social Butterfly last week. I pressed on with it all of this week and once I'd embellished the edges of the butterfly, I had to decide how I was going to string it. I found an image on Pinterest and decided a faux lariat style necklace would be the way to go. Unfortunately I cannot credit the owner of the image as it isn't mentioned on Pinterest. I had already decided that this was going to be a confection in pale pink and green so I used beautifully marked, faceted green agate beads. A social butterfly is a slang term for a person who is socially dynamic, networking, charismatic, and personally gregarious and I found this amusing article on a website called Lifehacks - "20 Things You Should Know Before Dating A Social Butterfly". Everyone likes to be thought of as charismatic and gregarious even if they are not, so a bit of help is always welcome in my opinion - what do you think?? Silver EarringsI did not make these, but found them on a website before I went to India, they are so pretty I couldn't resist them for my Caprilicious ladies - some of them were sold in India, and these are the few that remain. They are light, pretty and inexpensive and if you do like them, they are on the silver earrings page of the website. They are great as little gifts too. My nieces picked up a few and certainly loved them. That's me for this week folks, have a lovely week and I'll catch you next Friday, same time, same place. Until then xx "There’s so much sameness in the world. And if people are not going to change their manner of dress, at least change your jewelry so you don’t all look alike." Hello people, how are you? I'm typing one handed today, having cut myself attempting to chop an onion and bleeding all over my kitchen. We've had a lovely week, the garden's coming together, the sun is out and all's well with the world. Unfortunately, the bird and rodent population around our house aren't having a great time of it - the warmth of the temperatures outside has drawn Wilfred outside the house and he is going through them like a dose of salts. I'm almost afraid to walk around the house in bare feet as there's always a high risk of stepping on a barely cooled furry/feathery body - no walking around with my head in the clouds, then! The other people who've been adversely affected by the warm weather are my poor neighbours. Mike has his electric keyboard set up in the conservatory and when it is mild, he goes there and bangs out the few tunes he knows (one of them is 'White Christmas'), and what's worse, attempts to accompany himself in full throat. He has a reasonable voice, but eventually it sounds like Ozzy Ozbourne singing Bark at the Moon backwards with a half chewed bat in his mouth. That puts paid to any ideas they have of mowing the lawn or having a little al fresco picnic outdoors, they scuttle back to the house shrieking, with their hands over their ears. I'm not stupid, I've invested in a good pair of earplugs and am considering gifting the neighbours a few pairs as a gesture of goodwill. WIth all the flowers coming out in the garden and the butterflies and bees flitting around, I was inspired to make a butterfly using a couple of hand carved pink quartz cabochons. I felt that the pale pink of the quartz needed zhooshing up with a bit of extra colour and have decided that the necklace will be in spring/summer shades of pink and a bright leaf green. Silken SilverI've owned a string of tiny 1mm silver beads for the longest time, and I had no idea what I could do with them. A few weeks ago, I was idly looking at a brochure from one of my suppliers and I found strings of tiny 2mm haematite beads. The beads are electroplated with titanium in an electric blue and I bought four strings and added the tiny silver beads to them, along with a few round beads sprinkled through the necklace, to allow the beads to move on the stringing wire. The tiny silver beads are called Silver Silk and the necklace was hell to string because of the size of the beads, but I persevered as I could see that it was going to look pretty when finished, and so it does! I left the strands short at 18" so that they frame the face. So, here are a few pictures of the butterfly I've been working on - WIP pictures, taken at the end of each night, as I go along. For the first time I actually put a sketch down on a piece of kitchen roll, I usually start with a cabochon and design the piece as I go along. With this pendant, I'm using two cabochons and want two wings and a tip of a third to be visible, so I felt it made sense to have a vague idea of what I wanted to do rather than muddling through as is my wont, normally. I hope it's looking vaguely butterflyish now - if it isn't, you could
This is all I had time for this week. Have a fabulous week, and I'll catch you next Friday, same time, same place.
Until then xx Hey folks, thanks for stopping by, nice to catch up with you again. This is a bit late as we just got back from a few days in Milan last night. Fed up of the weather and cold in the UK, we took a short four day break - all we wanted was a quick direct flight, guaranteed warmth and a few touristy things to do, nothing strenuous. A nice hotel, decent food and something to get dressed up for - we put all these wishes into a box, shook it hard and picked out........drumroll.....Milan! The touristy bits were easy - as Milan is mainly industrial, there isn't too much that we wanted to see, just the Duomo, and the mural of The Last Supper painted on the wall of a convent and we were done! We did add an exhibition of the works of Frida Kahlo to our must see items and strolled around the posh designer shops in the centre of Milan as if they were museums - they might as well have been, at those prices! The Duomo has no dome and is dedicated to St Mary of the Nativity, took six centuries to finish and has spires ( Spiro??) and pointy bits galore. It is the largest church in Italy and the third largest in the world. Statues of saints abound - around 3500 of them ( I didn't know that there were that many saintly people who walked the earth!), and the doors are carved beautifully with the Stations of the Cross. People walked up to the doors and touched the figures of Christ and Mary, and where they were constantly rubbed one could see that the doors were made of bronze that was tarnished a dark green/ black. Much of the cathedral was being cleaned and refurbished, and I'm sure when they get around to the doors, they will be dazzlingly beautiful. It's a pity that they have been allowed to tarnish so badly in the first place. There are over 130 spires, and a nail allegedly from the Cross hangs at the apex of the vaulted roof. People mill around the square, taking selfies and the bars and restaurants serve up expensive food and drink, that cost a fraction of the price elsewhere, away from the Centro Storico. Just across the square was another Temple - this time to conspicuous consumption - The Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II. It has a barrel domed glass roof, a beautiful mosaic floor, paintings and frescoes abound and the air smells expensive with loads of posh shops in it. Everything in the shops at first glance seemed to be made for anorexic, rich waifs. Mike showed me a dress and said how beautiful it was - well, even one of my legs wouldn't get into the whole dress. 'Just as well', I muttered to myself, clicking away. The shops were full of Japanese tourists buying handbags and headscarved middle eastern women, laden with bags buying the same designer goods that are probably available in the shops where they come from. Our hotel, which was a block away from the Duomo was full of Japanese and Middle Eastern tourists and the floor of the foyer was littered with shopping bags and weary women every evening. Mike and I were each in an ethnic minority of our own at breakfast - I am used to it, but he found the experience strange in Europe! I took photographs in La RInascente - a department store just off the Galleria - everything was very very expensive, and once again geared up for the anorexics who walked past the fabulous food and chocolate shops without a second glance, making straight for the clothes. 'Just as well', I thought to myself again, clicking away without a pang of heartache for all the things I didn't buy! Culture Vultures in MilanoThe best part of our holiday was a visit to La Scala - the only tickets we could get at that late date were in the third row and a heart clutching 180 Euros each. I went against Mikes wishes and booked them online the day before we flew out, and I'm so glad I did. They had a modern ballet set to music on that week - I don't know Mahler at all, but the pieces by Mozart and Ravel were familiar. The ballet itself was spectacular, especially the piece choreographed to Ravel's Bolero - I was literally in tears by the end of it, I was so moved, bearing in mind I am not a person who cries at the drop of a hat - that twenty to thirty minute piece was worth the price of the tickets. The theatre itself is very beautiful inside, although it has a disappointingly nondescript exterior. The chairs are padded and comfortable, which is important if one has to sit still for hours at a time. Frida Kahlo at MUDECI found out that there was an exhibition of curated works by Frida Kahlo at the Museum of Culture, MUDEC, so we schlepped across town to see it. The amount of pain this prodigious artist was in all through her life was difficult to bear, as it was all around us in her pictures and portraits. We were in awe of her accomplishments, lying flat on her back bound up in a corset, with a cigarette in one hand and paintbrush in the other, making meaningful art on a canvas suspended over her on a contraption of pulleys. Every brushstroke had a meaning ascribed to it and told a story - it wasn't just a pretty picture but almost a blogpost or diary painted in pictures, each one telling the story of what was happening in her life at the time and how she felt about it. And then, on to the convent of Santa Maria Delle Grazie to see Leonardo Da Vinci's 'The Last Supper' - painted on the refectory wall. It was commissioned by Luciano Sforza, the Duke of Milan - because the painting was on a thin exterior wall, the effects of humidity were felt more keenly, and the tempera failed to properly adhere to the wall. It was covered over with a curtain, but that trapped humidity further and the painting has been restored several times, the last one taking 21 years, using modern paint and completed in 1999. Twenty people are allowed in at a time for fifteen minutes, and I bought tickets online to beat the queues. The painting depicts the consternation of the twelve disciples when Jesus tells them that he is about to be betrayed by one of them - it has a lot of significance on Maundy Thursday, which coincidentally was the day we ended up going to see it. Jesus is the central figure and all the apostles, painted in groups of three, look shocked and disturbed. Judas has been painted with his head lower than everyone else, third to the right of Jesus, clutching a bag of silver. Some really crazy person decided to knock a door into the refectory wall, just under Jesus, thus effectively amputating his feet - the door is now blocked off. On the opposite wall is painted a depiction of the crucifixion by Da Montorfano, added to later on by Da Vinci. As we had got to the convent too early, we spent some time wandering around Leonardo's vineyard across the road and drinking fabulous Italian coffee in a cafe'. Spring is definitely in the air in Italy and as we sat in the bars on Viale Magenta I saw a number of young people wearing wreaths of laurel leaves on their heads. I wondered whether there was a connection to the Easter holiday. I walked up to one of the girls and asked her the significance of the wreaths - they were all celebrating graduation day - she had graduated with a degree in business studies and the new graduates wore a wreath of leaves to the ceremony. The girls had flowers woven into them, and the boys just had leaves and red berries. The world belongs to them and I wished her well! Hello folks, thanks for joining me again. Last week, Mike and I went to the ballet - he got us tickets to The Sleeping Beauty in Birmingham. To avoid the nuisance of having to find a parking space and driving around the one way systems which are totally clogged up due to repairs and urban regeneration projects, we took the train in to Birmingham and made a day of it. I love all dance forms, and this ballet, with the evocative music of Tchaikovsky is close to my heart. Mike has the music on vinyl which he sometimes plays when we are in the garden and it is quite magical. Before the matinee they had a short programme about how the show was made and set out costumes and ballet slippers for kids to try on and have their pictures taken. While I waited for Mike to deposit our coats in the cloakroom I saw this young family with their two daughters delighting in the costumes and took some of my own pictures with their permission. These kids were a delight to watch - just look at the expressions on their faces, they were quite the divas! RainforestThis pendant has been a long time in the making. I made it bit by bit, gently feeling my way through the mist of a lack of formal design - I started with a butterfly and then added a flower, and then snaky vines and a waterfall of a tassel and created a mini scene from a rainforest, with the butterfly flitting over an exotic flower. I added three rows of crystals and a beautiful abalone clasp and suddenly it was done! As with many other Caprilicious pieces it is a showstopper, for extroverts only! And if you think my made up flower is a bit strange, check out this flower that grows in the rainforest - when I first saw this picture I thought it was 'fake news' but no, it is called the Hot Lips Flower (Psychotria poeppigiana). It grows on a small shrub that lives under the rainforest canopy. The bright red color attracts birds to pollinate it. Well, that's all I had time for this week folks. I hope you enjoyed your little read of my ramblings. Have a great week and I'll catch you next Friday, same time, same place.
Until then, xx |
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