Ishtar - The Evening Star - WORKSHOP October 1st, 2011

One pendant with two sides. This is my latest play and I am thrilled with the results. I put all my focus on creating the "front" side (left pic) of the pendant and when finished I looked at the back and was thrilled with how this side turned out also. Two pendants in one!
I will be teaching how to make  this pendant - I've named "Ishtar" on October 1st, 2011.
Love to hear any comments.


ISHTAR - The 8 Pointed Star - also known as the "Evening Star" - represents the fullness of woman-hood and dares us to dream. Her power is strongest at the full moon, when the essence of womanhood heightens in response to the moon energy that is all-encompassing.

Ishtar's energy represents love, fertility, passion and sexuality. Babylonians have honoured Ishtar as a goddess who inspires lovers everywhere to stop for a moment and connect with the fertile energy she brings. The city of Mari worshiped Ishtar as a birth goddess symbolised by the Urn of Life held tight to her belly. Even the Christians have borrowed aspects of the womanly Ishtar and incorporated the divine love of a mother for her dying son into their Virgin Mary.

She is descended from the goddess of romance, Venus, and her energy encompasses all that is "woman" - nurturing mother, inspired companion, playful bed partner, wise advisor, insightful leader. She is revered especially on days of the full moon, when it is right to engage in joyful acts of lovemaking to celebrate being "woman".

HER MODERN ENERGY

Are you feeling that someone is making you feel like a workhorse instead of the wondrous being you really are? They are taking advantage of your conditioned mindset that the needs of others come before your own. It is time to tune into your own needs and pay them some attention in order to rejuvenate your core style and grace.

ISHTAR WORKSHOP - October 1st, 2011. Full details will be posted shortly.

Pendant Panache

Continuing on from yesterday morning's play I woke early this morning (as usual) and laid in bed designing these pendants, figuring our how to construct  the image I have had in my mind's eye for the last few days.  Today I got it!!! - finally - and I am very happy with the results. Here is one pendant with two different sides. There are two Volcano coloured rivolis, shell pearls, heaps of Swarovski crystals, Czech beads and seeds. A lovely sparkler with class and elegance.

Having succeeded with the first one above I had to have another go and came up with this Grey, hematite and black coloured design. Again two silver rivolis, shell pearls heaps of Swarovski crystals in CAL, black diamond and jet colours, Japanese clear drops, Czech beads and seeds.
This is definitely a design I will teach when I return to teaching. Maybe October - who knows!

A Morning's Playful Pendant

Here is this morning's play. I have had an idea I wanted to try for quite awhile, so this morning I had a go. A double sided pendant with lots of Swarovski crystals, Czech beads, Japanese Miyuki drops and seed beads, hung from a chain that also has a bronze sheen to it.
It took me two attempts to figure out how to create the double sided effect and it has certainly been worth it.  There is heaps of scope for embellishment in this design so I have to give it another go and see what else I can come up with. Again - stay tuned !!

Another cold day's play.

Here is this morning's play. Whilst creating this ring it seemed to morph into something quite different to yesterday's design.
It has a large Swarovski diamante centre as well as 20 Swarovski crystals. When you look down onto the ring it has two crosses overlaying each other and forming an eight pointed star - you can't quite see it here. This image is the best I could get today having left it too late in the afternoon after a 7km walk. Maybe tomorrow I will have another attempt for a better image - before my daily walk.
Now that I have this design in my memory bank I will return to the necklace experiment. I have learnt a lot from these rings and will incorporate the learning into the necklace. Sidetracking can be very productive sometimes.

July 11th - Monday's image - Here is the same ring with the picture being taken under a lamp. It shows off the colours better. A real sparkler.
The necklace is under way and coming along very nicely.

A Cold Day - and beading

The weather is cold and windy and I am at home today - perfect for sitting and beading. Having walked about 9 kms this morning I am about to start on a project I am trying to perfect. All I seem to do lately is experiment and often abandon projects. I have lots of unfinished 'bits', lots of one earring, that I must one day unravel. Experimenting can be very frustrating but it is the only way to come up with original designs.

Here is a picture of today's early morning experiment which ended up being turned into a ring. I am not overly keen on the lime green in the ring but hopefully someone will love it. There are 20 Swarovski crystals on the top and all is done in Right Angle Weave - fast becoming my favourite stitch.

I am going to make another one using a better choice of colours and will post this up when complete. Stay tuned !!

Bali monkeys

I returned from holidaying in Bali a week ago and thought I would blog about the monkeys.
I stayed in Ubud in a hotel across the road from Monkey Forest and the monkeys would come in each morning and entertain the guests by attempting to steal food from the breakfast tables. Often they succeeded.
Here you have a mother and child monkey eating the flowers which I think are a type of Oleander. I thought oleander were poisonous ? Maybe not to monkeys.
I had one monkey steal my pen and proceed to chew it to bits in front of me. I also saw a rather large male monkey yawn and thought I wouldn't like to be bitten by him as his fangs were enormous.
My holiday was very soul-feeding for me. I have returned home very rested and at peace with my lot. Isn't that what holidays are supposed to do ?

Another Multi-chain

A new design for my multi-chain range. Green delicas and Czech fire polished crystals make up the centrepiece.
You can't quite see the crystals as they are around the edges of the pendant centrepiece.
I do enjoy making these.

The next Stage in my Multi chain phase - double sided

The Next Stage. With this creation I have succeeded in making a two sided necklace. I used 6mm round Swarovski crystals in the centre, with 3mm Czech fire polished beads embellished around the edges.
Images below show both sides of the one necklace.

 



Side 2 close up

 



These images are close ups on the pendant. Where the chain has been woven in cannot be seen front or back so I am a happy chappy. The wearer will also be happy having a necklace that is actually two necklaces.

I can see loads of possibilities and varieties will come from making this pendant and am looking forward to further experimenting with more colours. Stay Tuned !!!

The Latest in My Multichain Phase

 Here is my latest multi-chain necklace. Fuschia 6mm Swarovski AB bicone centre with delica surround. I have been developing a pendant that doesn't show where the chain has been woven in. This is my first success. You can see the join on the back of the work but not the front. I also developed a better way to stop the chains from rolling over each other, when worn, by beading flat squares, joining the chain, then joining these squares to the clasp. The chains stay in place when the wearer puts the necklace on. Yippeee!!

Fun with Chain

Here are my latest designs incorporating chain into the weave.

Having found a really lovely bronze looking chain I couldn't wait to come up with a design using this chain. Below is another example - much longer - combining weaving, chain and wire work.

I have made another necklace but didn't like the pics I took so I will have to add this tomorrow. I have another idea going around in my head right now and am looking forward to manifesting this also.

Let me know what you think of these.