Andrea's Random Lil' Blog

The Shizuku necklace...

2009-10-17T00:34:00.010+01:00

Shizuku is my 2nd necklace from this week. It was also made from recycled Antica Murrina beads, also from a bracelet, as my previous Wagashi. The original bracelet name was called Kiruna, and included light aqua blue Murano beads, very pretty.

I turned the bracelet into a necklace, as before, and it became Shizuku, name which means droplet, a "drop of water" in Japanese. The association with this element is more than obvious, due to the texture of the main beads, their colour and transparency, making them look like real water drops, or splashes, or even ice. Two different aqua tones are present here: a light aquamarine tint similar to the sea in a sunny morning, and a darker, grayish kyanite shade, similar to the sea in the afternoon, after a rain shower.

Or at least, that's how I feel about it, anyway! The name I firstly decided on was Asatsuyu - meaning "morning dew". Then, I changed it to Shizuku, which sounds prettier and easier, and is more generic as well. In my mind, an Asatsuyu necklace would rather be shorter and with more delicate components, in the end!

For Shizuku, I used:

- Six large Antica Murrina glass beads in different aqua shades and irregular shapes, slightly crackled and smooth. One of them however, is round and has a crispy, sugar-coated finish like the beads used in Wagashi;
- Ten small aqua-gray Murrina beads with a smooth surface;
- Seven small Kyanite beads;
- Two faceted Czech Fire beads in silver-gold approaching the clasp;
- Several stardust silver-plated round beads;
- Several flat silver-plated Heishi spacers for the Murrina large beads;
- Several Swarovski elements such as bicones, cubes, small briolettes, stars and an octagonal pendant, all in complimentary shades of light Azore blue, aquamarine and different Sapphire shades and effects;
- One large silver-plated lobster clasp and ring.

Details are shown next. As usual, please click on thumbnails to magnify...

These three pictures show the Antica Murrina irregular glass beads in dark and light shades of blue (aquamarine and grayish), as well as the small round Murrina ones with a smooth surface. Swarovski bicones and cubes can also be seen, in different shades, sizes and shapes, interspersed with the Murrina beads. The sugar-coated dark sapphire blue Murrina is also visible on the 1st shot...

The 1st thumbnail shows the silver-plated lobster clasp and ring. It is a big clasp, since this necklace is quite heavy. It was threaded on sterling silver wire, thus very resistant to breakage. However, it is always safer to use large clasps in the case of a heavy piece. One of the faceted Czech fire beads is also visible. The 2nd picture displays the only sugar-coated Murrina bead, surrounded by some Swarovski bicones and the flat Heishi spacers, used as bead caps. Finally, the remaining shot shows the upper section of the necklace, with the stardust round balls and some of the kyanite beads and, of course, the main Murrina glass beads once again.

I added these screenshots since we can appreciate how beautifully the light is refracted by the Swarovski elements. Cubes, bicones and an octagonal pendant can be seen throughout, especially on the 3rd shot. As for the Murrina beads, with their smooth irregular surfaces, we can also see how the light appears reflected, making them look like pieces of shiny crushed ice.

And to end this post tonight, some more views of Shizuku. I hope you have enjoyed this one!

The Wagashi necklace...

2009-10-16T09:14:00.003+01:00

This week, I re-started making the jewellery, and it was about time! This first necklace, which I called Wagashi, was pretty much inspired by my friend Sapphire pictures and posts on her fantastic blog, for both Wagashi and mochi . And also, because I love eating them myself!

(Sapphire, I hope you will enjoy this one! The flavours available here today are: plum, green tea and Sakura!)

The main beads are brand new Antica Murrina ones. I bought two bracelets from them some months ago (including the "Sweet" one from the link), and I recycled them to make some necklaces, one of them being Wagashi. You might ask why did I bother buying them in the first place, just to end up by recycling everything? Well, they were elasticated bracelets. The problem with this kind of bracelet is that the beads get to close to my skin, and I dislike that (makes me itchy). I much prefer normal, non-elasticated bracelets where you can adjust the length with extra links, for example. Also, mind you, the beads were too big and I have the clumsy habit of bumping my hands (and myself) into everything, not to mention getting stuck on door knobs, for example. So, even if I decided to use them, it would sooner or later end up in disaster. Really.

The problem is that I fell in love with the beads, so... Murrina says these beads, that have a "crispy" appearance, are like "sugar-coated", and it's true. They look edible. I think I already bought it with Wagashi in mind, adding to the fact that they called it "Sweet", so, just could not avoid it. Sweet, yes, but with a Japanese twist (in my mind at least!). As I said before, the colours are very appropriate: pale pink for Sakura, acid green for matcha (green tea), and purple for plum, all on a delectable yokan base!

Here is Wagashi:

For this piece, I used:

- Nine Antica Murina sugar-coated beads in shades of plum, pale pink and acid green;
- Two rose quartz pebble beads;
- Two Murano-style stripy beads, one cylindrical and one squared;
- Two Czech glass flat swirly flat beads that look like mini-lollipops;
- Small Chinese glass pearls in green;
- Several Swarovski bicones in different sizes and colours;
- Several stardust silver-plated small, round beads;
- Four ornate Tibetan Silver large spacers;
- Tibetan silver S-hook clasp.

Note this is my first asymmetrical necklace. I used different shades, sizes and shapes, and tried to spread them over in a quirky pattern. Well, almost! There is a bit of symmetry there, now that I look at it closely, but not as severe as in my previous pieces. It is also longer and bulkier, pretty much on the current trend of chunky, statement necklaces - although not as much maybe. I've been seeing much bigger pieces around lately.

Some details follow... Please click on the thumbnails for magnified views.

The 1st picture shows some of the Murrina beads in detail, along with Swarovski bicones and Tibetan silver spacers. The 2nd one on the right displays one of the rose quartz pebbles, one Czech glass lentil bead, a small Chinese glass pearl and more of the bicones and stardust round beads.

Here we can see the Murano-style stripy beads, with a lovely layer of silver foil, as well as some Sakura-coloured Murrina and Chinese green glass pearls. A Tibetan silver spacer can also be seen, as well as the stardust beads.

And, finally, some extra pictures showing different views. Enjoy!

Of Flowers and Bees Pt. 3 - Farmleigh (again)

2009-10-12T17:30:00.008+01:00

Some more pictures taken on a different date in Farmleigh, Pheonix Park (circa 2 weeks ago)... Click on thumbnails to magnify!

(I don't know which species these are, but they certainly look like anemonae, in a deep blue sea, and not something you would usually expect in a garden!)

(There is a rose garden in Farmleigh, and I love their texture and the spiral formed by the petals, like an ephemeral, colourful mandala)

(Once again, my favourites: bergamots and cute bees. I have included magnifications of the bees on each photograph. You can clearly see their shiny coats and beady eyes)

(This is a different, skniier type of bee, working on a yellow flower whose name I ignore. Not as cute as the bergamot ones...)

(Mark certainly took this picture, for I would be unable to focus here. If you magnify it, you will clearly see the spider webs shining at the sunlight. I think it is very pretty...)

Of Flowers and Bees Pt. 2 - Farmleigh

2009-10-12T10:41:00.006+01:00

I love spending an afternoon in Farmleigh, Phoenix Park. We usually go there in the weekends, looking for lovely flowers, herbs and trees to photograph. I enjoy that a lot.

What I love the most are the bees. They are always flying all over the bergamot flowers, which they seem to especially enjoy. One may even call them nasty bugs, since they sting and so on. But I could not care less, for they are always busy buzzing carelessly away, oblivious to my presence and the camera, with their light little fluffy bodies and delicate wings. At least in those moments they seem absolutely harmless, flying around in their yellow and black stripy furry pyjamas, so focused in their feeding activities that photographing them may even seem like an easy task - as if they were striking a pose just for you! Yes, they are cute. And yes, bergamot flowers smell really, really sweet...

As before, click on thumbnails for a magnified view...

The yellow flower is a begonia...

Sunflowers...

Lots of pink dahlias...

The one on the left looks like artichoke. Could that be it?

And finally, the bergamots with some of my beloved busy bees!

Of Flowers and Bees Pt. 1 - Ballina

2009-10-11T22:58:00.003+01:00

These pictures were taken in Mark's parents Caravan park, Belleek Park, in Ballina, co. Mayo, just some months ago. Now, I am obsessing with taking pictures of plants. Flowers. Bees (these, whenever possible!). Nature in general. Most of the time (98% of the time, to be precise), I don't even know the name of the flower. Or even if that insect is a bee or a bumblebee or a wasp. But I enjoy it nonetheless, in all my ignorant bliss.

As always, click on thumbnails for detail...

(The above are from the chestnut tree in the Park, so, chestnut flowers!)

(The bright purple one at the left is a pansy for sure!)

(This baby looks like a hydrangea, but may not be one...)

Back after 3 long months...

2009-10-10T17:28:00.009+01:00

I am back again, after a long hiatus of 3 months or so, namely, since I moved to the new house. Why is that, one might wonder... Moving to a new place really messed me up: new surroundings, stairs to climb all the time, getting used to it... It takes some time, really, to settle in, and the whole process is quite tiresome for me. I am not very fond of changes.

But now, I am OK. Mostly OK. I am settled, yes, but starting to feel a bit depressed: it's one year since I went to Rio last, and I miss it a lot. We will go there for Christmas, true. But whenever I stay more than 10-11 months away, I start to feel depressed and anxious. So, that's why.

The house is now looking great (I think!), but of course there are still some bits and ends left (hanging pictures, for example).

I still haven't restarted the jewelry though, but at least all my stones and beads are well-organised and in the right places right now.

What have I been up to, during these 3 months then? Well, not much, really, except for the usual: watching DVDs, reading manga and books, organising my little things (Kitty collection, stationery, perfumes, magazines etc) and playing with Super Poke Pets on Facebook. I must say I turned out to be quite an addict, for the pets and objects you buy and collect are so lovely, that it's really very hard to resist!

The manga I've been reading lately are: Nodame Cantabile (Sapphire's recommendation, really great), Inuyasha (yes, yes, still!), Chibi Vampire (which just ended in a rather abrupt/hurried way), XXXHolic (which quickly became one of my favourites), and some others. As for the books, mostly Japanese authors: Natsume Soseki, Natsuo Kirino, Yoko Ogawa. Special mention of course goes to Natsume Soseki, a wonderful Japanese classic. I started by reading his "Kokoro", which is very moving and very hard to put down. I was wanting to read him for some time already, since I read Murakami's (indirect) praises of his work in "Kafka on the Shore" some years ago. At the time I thought: well, if it's something Murakami (his characters, in this case) waxes lyrical about it, of course I am bound to love it. And I was right. It's not a light reading, but one that really makes you think and consider a series of things. And if you enjoy Japanese culture, even better, however the chore of this specific work was rather universal , global, ie, things that anyone (in spite of cultural differences, backgrounds, religion, gender etc) can feel, live and why not, die for. But that was his first book I read, and quickly bought some others: "The Three-Cornered World", "The Gate" and "I Am a Cat" - but am only starting the former tonight.

Talking of books then... Our Play Room (aka library, aka computer room, aka...) is finally ready. Mark finished the book shelves that we bought in Ikea (my favourite place for house stuff, for sure!) and I am very happy to report that our book organising issues are all sorted (for now, ha ha! Nah, just kidding...)...

If you want to have a better look, please click the thumbnails for a magnified view...

And some details here...

The new house

2009-07-09T18:27:00.003+01:00

We moved last Wednesday. It was very, very stressful. I don't want to go into details, really. The moving company was OK, but not as brilliant as they claim to be, and once the insides (of the old apartment that is!) arrived, it was not like everything turned out to be completely right. Well, most of it was great actually! Minor issues of course, but these can be fixed. If not now, over time.

Kitchen is great, garden is lovely and, overall, the place is bigger than it looks! The negative points? My shower door is broken, the showers themselves (both bathrooms) have to be either fixed or replaced, and we are running out of bookshelves. A wall unit had to be sacrificed (put to recycle) since it would not only fit in the stairs (1st landing being a bit narrow for the curve and so on), but it was mouldy underneath, as a result of a flooding some years ago in our former apartment. Since it was cheap, not great looking and has already served its purpose, we dumped it.

I feel that I am not completely settled yet, and the house is still in the process of becoming "ours". We still have to unpack lots of things and organise it in their places and so on.

Yesterday we have our friends around. Monica discovered some lavender flowers in the front lawn. They smell wonderful! And today, while watering the plants in the back garden, I found a small kiwi tree! Now you may ask yourself how do I know it's a kiwi tree. Well, it has a tag stuck to the trunk with its Latin name and other specs, simple as that.

We took some pictures (actually, lots!), and here's some of them. Please click on the thumbnails to magnify...

Sunset at our back garden...

View from inside the living room...

There is a Buddha in the garden! The former owner gave it to us as a well-wisher! I love it!

Partial view from the play room...

Moving!

2009-07-07T16:32:00.005+01:00

This week is a (very) stressful one. We are in the process of moving house, since we just bought one off Navan Road, more convenient for Mark. And it's a house, it's ours finally, and has a pretty garden!

And, since I am currently addicted to the RockYou Pets application in Facebook, I have decorated my pet according to the occasion. My pet by the way, is a female raccoon and is called Ta-chan (from Tanuki = raccoon in Japanese).

Well, here is Ta-chan then, as lost as me, and desperately wanting to go home!!!

As you can see, she is impersonating you-know-who, and ready to be "abducted to Navan Road".

Now it's back to cleaning and organising for me!

See you soon!

a.

My little JList haul...

2009-06-23T23:57:00.003+01:00

I have ordered some goodies from my favourite Japanese supplier, JList! They arrived today and I am super-pleased...

Matcha diet Coke... Probably the best diet Coke ever! The subtle matcha (green tea) taste makes it a must-drink for Summer. This diet Coke even tastes less sweet than normal, and much nicer with that refreshing hint of green tea. I only ordered two bottles to try and will have to get some more:

A gift for my Mother... It's a banana holder! She always complained that the bananas she brings to her shop get all mushy and bruised on the way... This is a cool, albeit a bit weird, little gadget for protecting bananas "in motion":

And finally, we got a present for our new house and these oh-so hot Irish Summer days (ha ha...). This is a katori buta, a ceramic pig where you burn mosquito coils inside. You can hang it to a tree or leave it outside in a Summer day and the burning coils (pretty much like incense, that is) will keep the nasty biting bugs at bay. It looks very cute and is a very traditional object:

My Russian lacquer boxes...

2009-06-21T22:45:00.005+01:00

I love Russian lacquer work, and since I arrived to Dublin, I got some here and there, but mostly Matrioshka. I have only four boxes, though, and I think they are quite pretty. My Mom and Mark gave me one each and, when we visited Prague, I bought two more in Celetná. It is not really like I collect them, since I have only those few, and I just get them when it happens to be, anyway. Or when people give me them as gifts. I also have two books on the subject, from an American collector. Unfortunately, I don't have their names right now, since they have been packed already (we are moving in 2 weeks!).

Here they are...

This 1st box was given to me by my Mother. It is an old one, from 1964-1965. It still has the certificate above, which says:

Artistic Foundation of RSFSR (Russian Soviet Federal Socialist Republic)

Palekh division of the Artistic Foundation of RSFSR

Material - papier-mache

Number of the work - 1964

Theme of the painting - Scarlet Flower

Author - Televinova

Name of the article - ??? (this abbreviation is not clear)

Size - 10 x 10 cm

Quality - Highest

Article of the AF - 193

Price - 9.10

Date - March 23 1965

The above box, depicting a scene of the Fire Bird, was given to me by Mark. I am not sure if he brought it from New York, or bought it here in Dublin. It' s a lovely two-tiered one, with a little mirror inside.

When I saw this one in a lovely shop in Celetná, I could not resist. I was mesmerised with the amazing transparency of the veils and details of the brocaded dresses. I am not sure if it depicts any scenes of a fairy tale, or if it's just a portrait of two young ladies.

Lastly, some pictures of my remaining box, with a scene from the Russian fairy tale "The Gold Fish", which is not quite the gold fish of our imagination, but a large, regal sturgeon. This is another lovely box bought in the same shop in Celetná, with very bright, vivid colours.

My very own Shikon no Tama...

2009-06-12T04:52:00.003+01:00

This month I have decided to celebrate Inuyasha's last anime series and last manga books. Yes, it will be over. I will miss it a lot, for I am a big fan of Rumiko Takahashi's work, and especially Inuyasha that I have followed for some years already. This week I will order the last DVD box (series VII). As for the books, I am not sure where it stands so far, and how many more volumes are expected.

Since it's celebration time, and the last shards are to be found soon, I have decided to make my own Shikon jewel. Thus, the name of the piece is simply Shikon no Tama (Jewel of the Four Souls), a globe of light composed by these 4 principles (=souls):

- Courage,
- Wisdom,
- Friendship,
- Love.

I will not go into the plot details though, since it would take a long time. At any rate, if you found this post today, it's probably because you already know Inuyasha anyway! My version of the jewel is a bit elaborate perhaps, in comparison with the original artwork by Takahashi-san. It pretty much complies with my own style of jewellery-making: a bit "baroque" perhaps, mixing several materials and trying to convey a meaning, rather than the object "per se". Thus, if you find that it's not at all like the original Shikon (and most certainly it isn't), please bear in mind that it is simply the result of my own personal interpretation.

Here is my Shikon then:

The following materials have been used:

- One round hand blown Murano glass sphere with gold foil;
- Two faceted Czech crystals surrounding it, with Aurora Borealis coating;
- Several Swarovski bicones and two small pendants in different shades of topaz;
- Several tourmaline chips in shades of forest green, aqua, yellow and pink;
- Several vintage Swarovski molted champagne pearls;
- Small glass pearls in deep green that I brought from Prague last month;
- Small round Czech fire golden beads;
- Toggle gold-plated Bali clasp, all threaded on a metallic champagne wire.

To have a better look at the pictures next, please don't forget to click on the thumbnails to magnify:

Two close-ups of the Bali toggle clasp. The small Czech fire beads and dark green pearls can also be seen.

Two pictures showing close-ups of the Murano focal bead and the faceted Czech crystals, along with other various elements...

The above photos show detailed views of the Swarovski regular and top-drilled bicones, and also the small pearls, Czech fire golden beads and vintage Swarovski pearls. These are quite old, but still have an amazing shine and smooth texture.

These pictures display a nice view of the faceted Czech crystals, as well as some of the bicones and pearls. I have decided to include them because I really like the golden reflections and iridescence generated by the AB coating and facets. A nice play of light.

These three shots focus on the Swarovski vintage pearls. They measure 10mm each. I have included tourmaline chips between them, which made the threading process a bit harder and longer since the holes are too small, as are the chips of course (the smaller they are, the harder it gets to even hold them). Tourmalines are quite expensive when compared to other minerals, but do have a wonderful translucence. The colours (in this case yellow/amber, pink, dark and aqua green) go really well together - to my surprise, I must say!

More detailed shots of the tourmaline chips... and, below, two more views of the piece:

Sadness

2009-06-03T12:42:00.004+01:00

I have been thinking a lot about the missing plane AF447. It is like a bad dream. We are on that flight a lot when coming back from Rio. I am very sad, and cannot even sleep very well thinking about it. At the same time, I am following the Brazilian newspapers for any news on the searches. I don't even know what to say...

Tsukimi necklace

2009-05-28T21:05:00.005+01:00

I made this necklace this week, by Sunday or Monday. I called it "Tsukimi", which, in Japanese, means "viewing the Moon". It uses bluish-gray colours and seems a bit different from my previous work, since I use no focal beads or pendants. Still symmetrical though, but a continuous line of several Swarovski elements, gemstones and glass beads (that I brought from Prague).

It is a "lunar" piece, due to the choice of cool hues that reminded me of the surface of the Moon, thus, its name "Tsukimi".

For this piece I have used:

- Tibetan silver hook clasp;
- Several kyanite round gemstones;
- Several chalcedony round beads;
- Swarovski elements in different shades of blue: cubes and bicones of different sizes;
- Several Czech glass glazed beads in bluish-gray;
- Two small fluorite beads near the clasp.

Some details of the above components to follow...

The 1st picture shows a detail of the silver clasp, the two small fluorites I used close to it, the lovely light blue milky chalcedony stones, along with some Swarovski bicones and a Czech glass bead. Second shot shows the Czech beads in detail, as well as two sizes of Swarovski cubes interspersed with some small bicones. Finally, the 3rd picture shows the string of beads: kyanites, chalcedonies, Czech glass beads and Swarovski elements, quite a simple structure. The necklace itself, since it is composed of mostly minerals, is quite heavy and I had to use a sturdier and thicker Beadalon wire, which, due to its gauge, is not quite easy to work with (the beads seem to "slip" though them a bit too easily, and crimping is very hard since the surface is so smooth and slippery). I much prefer the lighter, thinner wires due to their flexibility and slightly rougher texture.

Another detail of the gemstones, Czech beads and lovely Swarovski elements with an AB coating. Chalcedony is the stone with the light blue tint and milky texture. Kyanite is the dark blue one, a sapphire-like shade of blue almost, very vitreous and speckled with silver/metallic streaks.

Kyanites and chalcedonies in detail once again, and a nice close-up of one kyanite bead, a small fluorite with its pale green and purple streaks, and one of the small Swarovski cubes.

I love the AB effect on the aquamarine coloured cubes (larger ones). The kyanites are also splendid, but unfortunately I have ran out of them!

Some more views of Tsukimi:

Lovely Prague - Part 1...

2009-05-23T23:39:00.010+01:00

We arrived from Prague last week. We went there for 5 days, since Mark ran the Prague Marathon for the 1st time.

It easily became one of my favourite cities. I love its cleanliness, the way everything works, and how calm the traffic is. People seem relaxed there. The shops (at least in the old town) stay open until late, and you can get some really nice ice cream and lovely drinks and food.

Also, that mix of Baroque, Gothic and Art Nouveau is absolutely enchanting, and very very unique.

My favourite walks must be the ones we took in the Josefov, the Jewish quarter area. Absolutely magical.

But tonight, I just want to post some curious pictures we took in several different places... Please click on the thumbnails to magnify them.

Puppet shop near the Castle! It is indeed a magic town...

Mark and friend, before going for a stroll in the Castle...

I call it the "Fawlty Towers", although it is a wonderful building with amazing design...

Virgin Mary in a cage...

Not even statues seem to be free of cellulitis these days...

Kafka in Josefov...

Golem's attic in the Altneu synagogue...

Retro Pepsi ad!

Sausages!

A saint in cage. This time in Charles Bridge. Funniest thing was some parents with a little child who insisted in pushing the kid into those bars. Kid was scared to death (even I was), but the oh-so-sensitive parents did not rest until they got a picture of him, crying his lungs out...

Toys, toys and more toys! This is a very cute video! Toy shop in Celetna...

The Murasaki necklace...

2009-05-03T09:45:00.004+01:00

Another Japan-inspired piece. Murasaki is the name of the colour "purple" in Japanese. There are several types of Murasaki shades and tints, based on different pigments and flowers. But the generic term for purple is simply "murasaki":

But Murasaki is also a woman, a writer, Lady Murasaki Shik ibu. Her name, or rather pseudonym, refers to the character she has created for her book "Genji Monogatari" ("Tales of Genji"), written some time in the Xth Century Heian period and probably before she joined the imperial court as a maid of honour. She is also contemporary of Lady Shonagon, who was the inspiration for my Hana Kotoba necklace. Two formidable ladies and, indeed, very inspiring.

For this necklace I have used:

- One light brass oval bead as the focal point;
- Several dark purple cloisonnée beads with gold wire;
- Several purple round jade beads;
- Czech fire polished small "heavy metal" beads;
- Antique gold plated Tibetan spacers,
- Stardust small round spacers;
- Several Swarovski bicones in shades of purple and gold, and in different sizes;
- Antique gold plated Tibetan hook clasp.

Details next...

A close-up of the Tibetan antiqued gold clasp and stardust beads. On the second picture, we can see the Czech fire faceted beads in those lovely "heavy metal" shades, along with the Chinese deep purple cloisonée beads and some Swarovski elements. The 3rd picture is pretty much the same, under a dimmed light.

More details of the cloisonnée beads on the 1st picture, and also the jade beads, some Swarovski bicones and Tibetan lantern spacers. I decided to show the other picture because I love the light reflections forming little stars on the faceted Czech fire beads!

Close-up of the jade beads and another shot of the cloisonnées. The Swarovski bicones are shown in full force, very shiny and with a lovely AB2X coating. Please don't forget to click on the images to see it magnified though!

Now, on the 1st picture another close-up of the purple jade beads, but also the Swarovski Golden Aurum bicones in detail. This effect is nowadays a bit hard to find, but I managed to procure some for my beading needs! The second picture is just a funny one. If you click on it, you will clearly see my camera reflected in the bicone, and you can even read the word "LENS" on it, like the bicone has been "printed"! I liked that!

The Benifuji necklace...

2009-04-30T00:01:00.009+01:00

This latest necklace is all about colour experimentation. This week I (re)started to study a bit of Japanese through colours. I mean, Japanese names of traditional colours: colours of nature, different flower shades, leaves, stones, and colours for most aspects of life.

Benifuji is a pale wisteria purple. The name means "crimson wisteria", but may also refer to the wonderful sight of Mount Fuji at sunset. As a colour, it is pale purple, with red/pink undertones. A "warmer" shade of purple, rather than than the usual cooler, bluish tinges that we associate to the colour.

You may visit the NHK blog, which was also an inspiration for this piece. On this blog - exclusively dedicated to Mount Fuji - you will see different views of Fuji Sama at different times of the year by wonderful photographers. A gem of a blog, really, and more than worth a visit.

As a flower, the wisteria (fuji) looks like a flowy cascade of purple petals (look at it here), and I tried to portray that using two strands of crystals, amethysts and Chinese cloisonnée beads. Here is the result:

The materials are:

- Several Chinese cloisonnée oval beads in rosy lilac, light purple with silver threads;
- Several medium light Brazilian amethyst beads;
- Swarovski bicones in different sheades of purple and various sizes and effects;
- Tiny silver-plated and blackened silver ball spacers;
- Two silver-plated rice-shaped beads and four Tibetan silver round spacers;
- One double-strand Swarovski clasp with clear crystal embedded.

Some details next...

Close-up of the silver-plated Swarovski clasp, clipping style, and also the lovely Brazilian amethyst beads. These are quite unusual, due to their light, pale tint and exceptional transparency. In Japanese, amethysts are very appropriately called "murasakizuishou" (from Murasaki = Purple and Suishou = Crystal, thus "Purple Crystal").

A detail of the smooth Chinese cloisonnée beads with silver thread and some of the Swarovski lilac bicones I used between beads. On the 2nd picture, more Swarovski bicones in other violet colours and effects, along with the silver-plated balls and Tibetan spacers used.
My only complaint about working with this kind of cloisonnée beads is that they are hollow, not drilled like a regular solid bead. So, being hollow makes it harder to string it, for sometimes the wire gets "lost" inside the bead and it takes some time for me to find the way out! I may take from 2 seconds to 5 minutes to string one single bead like that! I love cloisonnée, but dread them at the same time.

The Tanabata necklace...

2009-04-12T22:12:00.005+01:00

I made another necklace today. The idea for it came from the Japanese Star festival, celebrated around July 7th and derived from the Chinese festival called Qi Xi - or "the night of sevens".

The idea of a Tanabata necklace came from a lovely Swarovski teardrop faceted bead I had. Unfortunately, I only had one, then I had to wait to buy the 2nd bead, just like the legend behind the festival, which celebrates the meeting of two celestial lovers, Orihime and Hikoboshi, namely the stars Vega and Altair, respectively. These star-doomed lovers are allowed to meet only on the 7th evening of the 7th month, which very roughly would correspond to the 7th of July, always bearing in mind the date varies due to the Japanese calendar being lunisolar. So, it may happen some time between July and August of our Gregorian calendar.

Tanabata is a time for encounters, and wishes and vows to be written and hung onto bamboo plants or set afloat in the river, and even burnt on festive fires the night of the festival or the day after. It's lights, and that's why I have selected only Swarovski crystals that somehow resemble a night, starry sky on Summer time.

Here is my own view of Tanabata, a portable "festival" to be worn around your neck:

I have used:

- Two Swarovski 6002 disco ball faceted beads representing the two lovers Orihime and Hikoboshi, in clear AB coating;
- Three Swarovski star beads in Crystal Silver Shade, representing the Milky Way, or the stars making their way between the lovers;
- Several Swarovski bicones in five to six different shades of silver and blues;
- Ten Swarovski crystal pearls in light grey and different sizes;
- Two large bicones in metallic silver;
- Two medium sized vintage Japanese pearls in white and blue veins;
- Small vintage antique silver round spacers;
- Small Czech Fire faceted beads in shades of blue/green;
- Stardust silver spacers near the clasp;
- One silver-plated Swarovski clasp with embedded strass flatbacks.

Some details as follows...

Above, details of the two Swarovski focal beads 6002, representing Orihime and Hikoboshi, with a lovely faceted cut with AB coating. Some of the bicones, pearls and Swarovski stars can also be seen. The 6002 beads are only 15mm long, thus quite small. The necklace as a result is very delicate and short, and no gemstones were used this time.

Some details of the Swarovski crystal silver shade stars, and also the bicones and pearls.

A detail of the Swarovski clasp with embedded rhinestones and more of the 6002 beads, with their wonderful AB effect and impeccable cut.

On the 1st picture a detail of one of the vintage Japanese faux pearls in shades of white with blue veins, as well as the Swarovski pearls, some bicones and those small faceted Czech Fire beads. The remaining pictures show close-ups of the bicones in two different sizes and diverse shades of blue, silver and white. I tried to emulate a fading effect with the colours here, that is why I had to use 4 or 5 different shades and effects.

The bamboo leaves rustle, rustle,
shaking away in the eaves.
The stars go twinkle, twinkle;
Gold and silver grains of sand...
(traditional Tanabata song)

The Amaterasu suncatcher

2009-04-12T14:17:00.003+01:00

Again, I took ages to produce anything these days. This cold seems to love me! Oh yeah, I cannot get rid of it. Still, improving slowly.

These days, I have decided to make some suncatchers with Swarovski crystals. Why is that? Just because we are ready to move to our new house and, hopefully, I will have some skylights where I will be able to hang some nice prisms! Also, it's a way to celebrate Summer, or rather, Spring.

I used one large Energy Gate prism by Swarovski, very nicely cut, along with Swarovski Clear AB bicones and vintage round faceted crystal beads, as well as some Miyuki Delica seed beads strung into a bail for the prism itself. And I called it Amaterasu. Amaterasu is the Sun Goddess, possibly the most important Shinto deity and her name means "the one who illuminates Heaven". Easy to see why I have chosen that name, I guess!

It is a very simple, decorative piece. I just used stainless steel silver-plated wire, one Energy Gate with the Swarovski logo etched in one of the facets, several crystal AB faceted beads and Swarovski Clear AB bicones, as well as one Tibetan silver ring to hang it.

Some details:

Details are all about light being refracted, shadows and transparency. On these pictures we can see the faceted beads and bicones with that lovely AB coating...

More of the crystal faceted beads, along with the Miyuki Delicas I used to make a bail for the Energy Gate prism.

The pictures may look a bit weird (grainy actually), and that's because I have used a greyish silk background, so, the fibres of the fabric are very visible and sometimes magnified by the prism. I like these pictures since the crystal cut can be fully appreciated, so precise and so sharp.

The Midori necklace...

2009-04-01T12:11:00.004+01:00

I have not been blogging for some time since I got a really nasty headcold and have been staying most of the time in bed. Actually, I caught it from Mark but, while he seems to be improving a lot every day, I am still very, very ran down and feeling quite bad.

However, this last Saturday, I made a necklace after some days of inactivity. I called it Midori (Japanese for "green"), due to its colour and the fact that I really love the word: Midori!

For Midori, I have used:

- One Murano-style gold-foiled glass heart as the central piece;
- Small stardust antique gold spacers under the heart, as a base;
- Several small faceted pyrite beads;
- Several green gold-foiled Murano beads and some smooth green ones;
- Several Swarovski bicones in different shades of green;
- Two medium-sized green dragon veins;
- Two large faceted synthetic quartz beads;
- Two teardrop Czech Fire beads;
- Eight small green agate beads near the clasp;
- Ten small Czech Fire faceted beads in gold and green;
- One antique gold Tibetan hook clasp.

Details as follows...

The first picture shows the glass heart, surrounded by two pyrites, dragon veins, Czech teardrop bead and Murano gold-foiled round beads interspersed with some Swarovski bicones. The heart is probably Chinese. It is Murano-style but not Murano as such, since I consider Murano as pieces that are handcrafted in Murano, Italy. I call "Murano-syle" anything else that uses the same technique but is handcrafted elsewhere. China, in this case. The second picture shows the top section of the heart in more detail, where the stardust spacers can be seen underneath.

On these pictures we can see the Murano beads , gold-foiled and smooth, with the Swarovski bicones in-between. On the second one, a detail of the pyrite faceted beads and more of the bicones. Pyrite is Iron Sulfide, popularly known as "fool's gold", due to its resemblance with gold, specially in its natural/brute form. It has a lovely effect in jewelry with its yellow brassy shades, and a strange, almost pungent iron smell.

Details of the dragon veins, some of the green agates, pyrite bead and Swarovski bicones can bee seen on the 1st picture. The 2nd one shows more of the Murano beads and the lovely iridescence from those Swarovski elements with AB coating.

Detail of the pyrite beads and Swarovski tourmaline bicones, and a picture of the upper sections of the necklace, showing the Muranos, Swarovski bicones, synthetic faceted Quartz beads and pyrites.

The dragon vein bead is show in detail here, along with the pretty Czech Fire teardrop bead...

Detail of the back of the heart, and the clasp in a hook shape.

Here we can see the faceted synthetic quartz beads in detail. I decided to post these because I love the reflections and glow produced by the Swarovski bicones and quartz! Could not resist!

The Fiore di Neve necklace...

2009-03-08T18:43:00.006Z

The idea behind this piece was just a simple one. I used white Murano fioratto beads and lots of crystal and moonstone beads, and, due to this icy appearance I simply called it "Fiore di Neve" (Snow Flower, in Italian).

The vintage fioratto beads also gave it a more traditional, conservative look, like an antique necklace. These beads I managed to win in an auction and I was very happy with them, since they are in perfect state, no chips of flaws whatsoever. I still have some left - I did not want to use them all because I think it is a pity to have lots of beads and some of them being inevitably hidden behind your neck or under the hair! I really think it's a waste, then I used some few where they are more visible and mixed it with gemstones and Swarovskis for that extra touch.

Here it is:

For Fiore di Neve I have used:

- Seven white vintage fioratto beads with gold foil and details in pink, yellow, blue and green;
- Eight medium white moonstone round beads;
- Several Swarovski crystal elements in different colours and sizes: round beads, flowers and bicones;
- Several Czech gold-lined clear seed beads;
- Antique gold bead caps for the fioratto beads;
- One clip gold-plated Swarovski clasp with embedded crystals.

Follows some details of this piece...

On these pictures we can see details of the white fioratto beads, along with the antique gold bead caps and some Swarovski elements (bicones, small flowers and round faceted beads). The 2nd picture also shows some of the nice gold-lined Czech seed beads, very small and delicate.

The 1st picture displays two of the moonstones along with lovely Swarovski Rose Water AB bicones, butterflies and faceted rounds. Moonstone is a type of feldspar that occurs in several shades and is characterised for that lovely opalescence and play of colours under different lights. This effect is known as Adularescence (from the Adula group of mountains in the European Alps) and moonstones are also called "Selenite" (from the greek Selene, Moon).
The 2nd and 3rd pictures were taken in the exact same position but using different lights. The so-called adularescence can be easily exemplified here and the surface of the stone is pretty much like soft snow reflecting the light.
One thing with moonstones is that they are very sensitive and have a low degree of hardness, meaning they can change appearance/texture under extreme heat and sweat and may break easily. Variations in texture can be easily fixed by a specialised jeweller though.

Another detail of the bead caps and Swarovski elements, while on the 2nd picture we can see the Swarovsky old-fashioned clasp, and more of the round faceted ones and gold-lined Czech beads.

Below, pictures of the necklace under different light settings:

The Kusunoki necklace...

2009-03-08T00:31:00.005Z

Kusunoki is the Japanese name for "camphor tree". I made this necklace as a little tribute to the magnificent camphor tree in the anime "My Neighbour Totoro" (Tonari no Totoro), by Hayao Miyazaki. The camphor tree in the film was indeed one of the main characters, majestic, dark and fragrant. The soundtrack, beautifully composed by Joe Hisaishi, captured the night, the garden and the tree with its whistling leaves amazingly well. So well that, when listening to it, one cannot prevent oneself from smelling the pungent, refreshing scent of camphor at night.

The smell of camphor is a very dear smell to me. Since I was a little girl back in my old house, I learnt to love it. Not the camphor of moth balls (although I must say I don't dislike it!), but the pure smell of the camphor wood. We have two big old carved trunks from China, made of camphor wood. Very pretty they are, and my Mom used to keep the bedlinen inside it. When they were opened, the smell of the camphor wood - still very minty and fresh after who knows how many years - would waft through the house and, at night, permeate my dreams with its distant mystery. I loved it. I loved it so much that managed to procure myself some time ago a scent that, in many ways, duplicates that long lost sensation. The scent is called "Un Parfum de Charmes et Feuilles", by The Different Company.

In this necklace, I tried to depict many things: the colours of camphor trees at night and how do they look like in a Miyazaki film, dark night green with flecks of ancient gold. I tried at the same time, to give it a scent and a memory. A scent I love, and a memory of my early days that will no longer come back.

For Kuzunoki I have used:

- Four flat oval deep green dragon vein beads;
- Three large round gold-speckled malachite beads;
- Six medium round dark green dragon vein beads;
- Several Swarovski pearls in powder green and two different sizes;
- Several Swarovski bicones in Chrysolite Dorado, Crystal AB Satin and small Swarovski rondelle beads in Rosaline Gold;
- Two Czech Fire faceted beads in shades of antique gold and pink;
- Several green jasper small beads;
- Two tiny stardust spacers in ancient gold;
- One set of Tibetan hook clasps and links.

Some close-ups below...

A detail of the S-hook clasp in antique gold. I used a copper wire to string the necklace and it can be seen in the first picture, followed by a bronze crimp, a stardust spacer and the green jasper beads. The 2nd picture shows the Swarovski crystal pearls, some of the bicones and round dragon veins in more detail.

Details of the jasper beads, Swarovski pearls and bicones, round dragon veins and also the two faceted Czech Fire beads I used as an accent.

These two pictures show the malachite beads in some detail. The gold spots are real gold, ie, impurities accumulated in the mineral. They look quite nice, but are hardly discernible in the pictures. Tried my best though!

These shots show two of the dragon vein flat beads. I always use them (it is a type of agate) because their shine and texture are so unique. No bead is the same, there is always some little mark or vein to differentiate them. The colours are also magic. Dragon veins come in such a variety of shades that you really want to use them all. This one has black veins and the shade varies between dark green and teal. It's like a forest at night, thus my choice of stone for this piece.

The Kazé necklace...

2009-03-06T23:35:00.003Z

I made another Japanese-inspired necklace tonight. It is called Kazé, or "Wind". I tried to capture the colours of a landscape where the wind blows in the afternoon: air and sand, blue and ochre tones. Maybe an Autumn wind (Aki no Kazé). Maybe simply the wind over the sea.

For Kazé I have used:

- Five dragon veins agate flat, oval beads (one used as the focal bead);
- Several Swarovski bicones in different sizes and shades (Pacific Opal and Silk) and two small Swarovski round beads at the bottom and top of the focal stone;
- Eight small Chinese glass pearls in taupe/beige;
- Several Miyuki Delicas in laminated blue;
- Two large beige dragon vein round beads;
- Several medium round blue dragon veins;
- Several small amazonite beads;
- Antique gold-plated clasp and small stardust spacers.

Some details of Kazé:

The 1st picture shows the focal dragon vein in detail. It has a wonderful pattern to it, like crackled glass, in shades of blue and ochre, a very unusual combination. The round Swarovski bead in Pacific Opal AB and a Silk bicone are also visible here. The 2nd picture shows the leafy clasp, in antique gold.

On the 1st picture we can see a detail of one of the large round dragon veins in beige along with some of the Chinese glass pearls and Swarovski bicones. The 2nd picture shows more details of the flat oval dragon vein beads. Depending on the angle, one will see different colours and patterns. They are all very unique and exquisite. I must add that this necklace is heavier than normal, due to the use of these strong and equally heavy gemstones. They are also quite large, and for that reason I made it longer than usual. I think it would go nicely with a lovely nude or pale blue linen tunic and loose trousers.

Another detail of the leaf clasp, surrounded by medium blue dragon veins interspersed with tiny Miyuki Delicas and some of the small amazonite beads in shades of blue, aqua and grey. The 2nd picture shows a detail of the bottom section of the necklace, where the focal bead is set in a "V" shape made with a loop in the wire. Swarovski bicones and round beads in Pacific Opal AB are also seen here, along with more of the blue dragon veins, stardust bronze spacers, Miyuki Delicas and one large Silk bicone.

The Fragola set...

2009-03-05T21:42:00.003Z

The original Fragola necklace has become a set these days. A bracelet and pair of earrings have been ordered by its owner. This is the necklace:

And these are the new earring and bracelet that I made to accompany it:

The pictures were, of course taken at different times. The 2nd one is much better, no yellow tinge to it! I have improved the technique lately, it seems, and now I can get the natural light with no problems.

For the earrings and bracelet I used:

- Several red Murano round beads;
- Faceted Czech Fire beads in gold and red and different sizes;
- Vintage glass pearls;
- One vintage cylindrical red glass bead for the bracelet;
- Tiny Czech seed beads in pearly beige/white;
- Small gold-plated spacer beads;
- Gold-plated lobster clasp and leverback earrings (base).

This set is an example of why I do not repeat designs. Mostly because - most of the time - I cannot find the same beads, the same design, the same finishes. I did not have anything similar (and a tad smaller, perhaps) to the big stripy Murano of the necklace. Well, I still do have one more of those beads but it would not be suitable for a bracelet because it is too big and round and, at the same time, too fragile to be worn in the hands. It would look too big and chunky in the wrists, whereas it has a lovely drape when placed over your breast bone. For this reason I used the glass vintage bead instead:

I still had some of the red faceted Czech glass beads and lots of the pearly seed beads, but I am running out of the vintage glass pearls already. Juggling with what I have and trying to find similar things to what I once had, that's all the fun of it!

The Kaede necklace...

2009-02-22T12:31:00.007Z

Yesterday I made a companion for my Momiji necklace, once again inspired by the colours of nature and, more specifically, Autumn leaves. If Momiji represents the delicate Japanese Maple, Kaede portrays the strong North-American variety, where the leaves have three lobes (instead of five, as it happens with the former).

For this piece I have used:

- One large Chinese carved jasper leaf;
- Several labradorite chips;
- Several mookaite round beads;
- Palace Green Opal AB Swarovski bicones;
- Two oval flat dragon vein beads;
- Twelve flat oval and disc multicoloured Jade beads;
- Two Swarovski large crystal pearls;
- Small labradorite round beads near the clasp;
- Antique bronze Tibetan flower clasp.

Some details of Kaede...

This is the main piece: a large carved jasper leaf, in shades of red/burgundy and khaki/taupe. Its surface is very smooth and highly reflective. It is 5cm long and quite heavy as one might expect.

The 1st picture shows a close-up of one of the lovely mookaites surrounding the leaf, labradorite chips that look really exquisite with their colour changes, one small bicone , part of a Jade oval bead and, at the top, four round small labradorites and a red mookaite. In the centre we can see one of the Swarovski pearls. The other picture shows more of the labradorite chips and Swarovski large pearl. This was my first time working with labradorites. They don't look as pretty at first, until one realises how it changes colour depending on the light. It is really subtle though, and this change can be easily seen in the pictures. Then a little miracle occurs: they suddenly become wonderful. I fell in love really!

On the 1st shot, one of the large flat oval dragon veins bead. The other gems are beautiful multicoloured jade round and oval beads, together with some labradorite chips and Palace Green Opal bicones. The other picture displays the small labradorites and more jade beads.

Some more close-ups of the jade beads and pretty mookaites. The iridescent labradorite chips and some of the Swarovski pearls and bicones can also be seen.

The Hana Kotoba necklace...

2009-02-21T10:39:00.005Z

Hana Kotoba is a Japanese word that means literally, "Language of the Flowers". This latest necklace has been inspired by Sei Shonagon's "The Pillow Book", or Makura no Soshi. It has been written in the Heian Era, more or less one thousand years ago, in XIth Century Japan. About its author, we know little. We know however that she was a lady-in-waiting in the court of the Empress Sadako, and this book can be read like a diary. It's very enjoyable, and memorable. Her description of people, clothes and nature is very vivid and funny at times, and I really enjoy her "lists" (like "Hateful Things" or "Depressing Things", "Splendid Things" and even "Things That Give a Pathetic Impression"!). It is a delightful book, and everybody should read it at least once. Or indeed, have it under the pillow for a quick browse before sleeping at night, or in one of those rainy days when the only thing you need is a fluffy pillow and a good reading!

So, this piece has mostly been inspired by Lady Shonagon's descriptions of nature, and passages such as...

"Things that cannot be compared: Summer and Winter. Night and day. Rain and sunshine. Youth and age. A person's laughter and his anger. Black and white. Love and hatred. The little indigo plant and the great philodendron. Rain and mist."

Here is my Hana Kotoba, a little tribute to Lady Shonagon's Pillow Book and that past, soft nature she once described so candidly:

For Hana Kotoba I have used:

- One main cherry quartz carved rose (Chinese);
- Several Swarovski bicones and light peach Swarovski pearls in different sizes;
- Several Miyuki Delica seed beads in two different shades of pink and red;
- Two oval lampwork Chinese beads with pink swirls;
- Tiny silver-plated beads;
- Four small coral beads near the clasp along with Czech glass round rose beads;
- Four big round cherry quartz beads;
- One silver-plated Swarovski clasp for two strings.

The necklace is a double one, this is why I used a double-string clasp. Double necklaces are not very easy to make (depending on the design of your piece and materials used, of course). For example, this one was a bit like making four different necklaces due to the central bead that had to be locked in place first and then having the rest of the beads strung around it. It took me more than four hours just to string it, not to mention the design phase.

Details of the piece as follows...

Detail of the carved quartz rose, very pretty and translucent. I would describe the colour as "watermelon" rose, rather than "cherry". Diameter is approximately 35mm. The 2nd picture shows the lovely oval Chinese lampwork beads with pink swirls, along with some of the Swarovski pearls and Miyuki Delicas.

Two detailed shots of the cherry quartz round beads, which are very smooth and have a lovely transparency to them. We can also see some of the Swarovski pearls and Rose Water Opal AB bicones, which look slightly yellowish in the pictures but not as much in real life. The tiny silver-plated spacers and Miyukis are also visible here. One of the reasons this necklace was a bit harder to complete is the size of the Delicas: they are indeed very tiny and sometimes it is hard to string them (I am short-sighted and have not much sense of depth left in my right eye, so...).

Two more detailed shots of the Swarovski elements, cherry quartz beads (yeah, I love them!) and Miyuki Delicas (pretty but hard to work with!). The 3rd picture shows the Swarovski clasp in detail, a flower with crystals embedded. The two hooks for the double strings can be seen here. Again, it is a very safe clasp, ideal for this kind of ornate jewel. It would not go well with other materials and styles, but if the piece is a bit more "baroque" and intricate, then it's ideal!