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Beautiful Handmade Statement Necklaces and other Fabulousness from Neena Shilvock - Inspirations and Designs From the Week Gone by
 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
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