XOXO

Hello readers, how's tricks?? I hope you've all been rocking your statement jewellery on holiday and that all of you are enjoying the summer. I've been nose-to-the-grindstone this week - my holidays are usually in and around winter, when I seek out warmer climes - I love England and my little garden in the summer and it would take something major - like dynamite - to budge me out of here. 

This week I discovered a string of Rudraksha beads, waiting patiently in my stash - hoping to be turned into a piece of jewellery one day .  I last used them here and here, and if you want to know a bit more about them, do click on the links.  

Ascetica

 I felt so sorry for the poor darlings, I made two necklaces using the rudraksha beads - one with red and black polymer clay beads made by me and the other without. Since the rudraksha beads are meant to be sacred, I thought the name Ascetica was a good fit. They were made using light alpaca silver and glass pendants from Afghanistan- and are very pretty, as I'm sure you'll agree. One of my clients complained that her last necklace with a pendant from Afghanistan was heavy, so here's a couple of light pieces.

I sent for some vibrant threadwork necklaces from Nepal, and when they arrived, I couldn't resist using one of them straight away - when the parcel opened and the contents spilled out as if from a cornucopia, my eyes grew wide and I wanted to play with all of them, like a child in a sweetie shop. I contented myself with making a pendant using an impression jasper bead wire wrapped in one of Nicole Hanna's designs, and hung it on one of the necklaces - it suits it down to a T. The whole effect brightens the mood of the wearer, like a sunshiny day.....................

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The teardrop is a watermelon tourmaline

While I was looking for beads for Ascetica, I found some tiny beads I made ages ago- they were pinched by my house elf and then thrown back at me in disgust when he realised he didn't know what to do with them - they were found at the bottom of the wrong pile, in the wrong drawer - that's how I knew it was his doing - I am of course so tidy, it couldn't possibly be my fault!
 Anyway, before they went walkabout again, I made them up into earrings, took their picture and put them in a box reserved for earrings - so take that, malign house elf!  Kapow ****! The beads were made with leftover cane from a technique made popular by Bettina Welker, and to me they look like Morse Code - would you agree??

Sweet and sassy, they most definitely make a statement - to me they say you have a sense of style and humour, are not afraid to try new ideas, and are imaginative and colourful - what would you say about someone in these earrings??

Blueberry Kisses - xoxo

Frosted purple Czech glass beads that have been in my stash for over a year found their way into a necklace this week. I still find it weird that I can look at a bead for the longest time and not know what to do with it, and then Wham! the idea just arrives and takes over - if I didn't know better I would have said I am like a woman possessed - well perhaps I am, by my muse! Anyway, I thought I'd put them together with some Nepalese brass beads I received in the same package as the threadwork necklaces, but a string of gold glass beads had other ideas and stubbornly clung to my arm till I agreed to use them - and I am glad I did, they raise the necklace from being merely pretty into something special.
I used all the beads I had, and the necklace grew into a ten stranded beauty, that looks and feels substantial.

And that's all I had time for this week folks, I must go and play with my little kittens now. Have a fabulous week, and I'll catch you next Friday, same time, same place,
xx

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