Stories of the Secret Garden

Flea Market Finds

2012-02-26T18:04:00.003+02:00

Nothing much in my Flea Market Finds this week. Just a cute little (actually, not so little) Moomin. Saw him yesterday at the thrift store and just couldn't walk by. So, he came home with me. He still needs good washing and grooming, but after that he'll keep me company in my coming workroom. :)

You can check more of flea market finds at Her Library Adventures.

Have a nice Sunday evening! ;)

xo,

New stones

2012-02-22T14:18:00.004+02:00

Postman brought a package today with 2 new beautiful stones. I love carved cabochons and pendants as they make great and eye-catching focals.

Delicate tourmaline flower and fun agate owl.If you like any particular stone from my collection and it's available, you can always order a custom jewelry piece with it. ;)
I've recently been in a mood for stone shopping. More beauties coming soon!

xo,

Monday Moodboard: New Beginning

2012-02-20T11:11:00.008+02:00

I haven't been beading and blogging for a while (since last autumn), as life has been pretty busy and hectic over here. We're still in the middle of my workroom renovation and I wish there would be couple of extra hours per day to manage everything.

The truth is - I really missed you, guys! And I've decided to free a bit time for the things I love - beading, blogging and chatting with you. So, here is a fresh Monday Moodboard that symbolizes the New Beginning.

Myartspace

bialakura

Loddelina

zerabazaar

More MM at staroftheeast.

And here is a shot from my coming craftroom.

Scary, huh? When the renovation started, we discovered that we didn't have even one straight surface to start with, so everything had to come out. Instead of 2-week reno it turned into a total nightmare. New walls, ceiling, floor, insulation, wiring... Many sleepless nights and restless weekends...

But I believe in a new beginning, as I can finally see the end of this. I really hope to be in my room by the end of spring. Decorate, arrange, create... My own space has been a long-time dream. And I can't wait!

I would love to hear, what you've been up to all this time!

xo,

Another Togetherpiece

2011-10-05T20:30:00.004+03:00

I am proud to present another togetherpiece that was created in collaboration with a wonderful artist and my dear friend - Nancy van den Boom.

The name of the piece is Holiday in Provence. The bead embroidered cuff features one of Nancy's gorgeous original miniature oil paintings. It is surrounded by tiny glass seed beads in various colors. The cuff is set on adjustable base that will fit almost all sizes. It is also covered with bright natural leather from outside and comfortable soft brown ultrasuede from inside.

I enjoy working with Nancy very much. Each and every of her tiny paintings is such a great source of inspiration! This cuff is our 5th togetherpiece and I hope there are many more to come. Thank you, dear Nancy, for this great opportunity!

I really hope you all like our new piece! ;)

xo,

Bead Soup Blog Party: the Big Reveal

2011-09-17T00:00:00.000+03:00

Today is the day to reveal the beautiful jewelry pieces that over 360 participants from all over the world have made for this special event.

This is my second time at Lori's fabulous party. And this time I got paired up with amazing lampworker and jewelry artist from the UK - Becky Fairclough. Please, visit her wonderful blog to see, what she has prepared for the party.

Here you can see the amazing package that Becky sent me.

And here I marked the things that I used in my design: vintage button, lampwork focal bead, beautiful toggle clasp, glass spacers and freshwater pearls. I also have a project in mind for the other things in the picture, I just need a bit more time to execute it.

Would you finally like to see, what I actually made?

Here it is - Autumn in the City. Large and bright bead embroidered pendant - mix of bright blue sky, wet roads and crazy red leaves.

Besides Becky's supplies I also used some things from my own stash - pietersite cabochon, copper beads and plenty of Japanese seed beads.

It was a great challenge for me to work with this color combination. I discovered that bright blues look great with bronze and rusty red.

The swirly design was inspired by Becky's beautiful lampwork bead and also by all the curvy lines on the toggle.

I decided to put the embroidered piece on a longer chain and make a really large pendant instead of a really small necklace. :)

The pendant turned out to be a real attention catcher and I think I am going to keep it all for myself. :)

Yay for another great experience! I enjoy Lori's blog parties so much - it's a great chance to meet new wonderful artists, discover new beads and also have a great challenge trying to think outside the box.

Make sure you visit at least couple of other participants! Here is the list of all pairs, click on each name to go to their blogs.

The Hostess, Lori Anderson and her partner, Manuela Wutschke

1. Aimee Wheaton and Barbara York

2. Alice Craddick and Sandra Richardson

3. Alison Sachs and Amy Severino

4. Allison Scott and Cynthia Abner

5. Amanda Cargill Austin and Charlene Sevier

6. Amanda Davie and Patsy Evins

7. Amber Dawn and Kim Ballor

8. Ambra Gostoli and Christine Hansen

9. Amy Freeland and Christine Altmiller

10. Ana Krepel-Novak and Eleanor Snare

11. Andrea Morici and Hope Smitherman

12. Andrea Trank and Jayne Capps

13. Andrea Turini and Charlene Jacka

14. Angela May and Emanda Johnson

15. Anitra Gordy and Elizabeth Owens Dwy

16. Ann Rishell and Debbie Price

17. Ann Sherwood and Lynne Bowland

18. Anna Lear and Barbe Saint John

19. Anna Sabina and Erin Siegel

19. Nan Emmett and Erin Siegel

20. Astrid Boyce and Birgitta Lejonklou

21. B.R. Kuhlman and Deanna Chase

22. Barbara Bechtel and Bryna Lumb

23. Barbara Blaszczyk and DaviniaDesign

24. Barbara Judy and Holly Westfall

25. Barbara Lewis and Cathie Carroll

26. Barrie Edwards and Lyn Foley

27. Becky Fairclough and Jana Tarhala You are HERE!!!

28. Bella Borgouise and Gillian Lehman

29. Beth and Evie McCord and Erin Prais-Hintz

30. Beth Bricker and Heather Pyle

31. Beth Emery and Cassie Donlen

32. Bobbie Rafferty and Cindy Cima Edwards

33. Candice McGinnis and Sally Anderson

34. Carol Bradley and Cece Cormier

35. Cathy Khoury and Molly Alexander

36. Carol Tannahill and Hilary Frye

37. Carrie Tahquechi and Cris Peacock

38. Cat Pruitt and Cindy Gimbrone

39. Charlene Gary and Doris Stumpf

40. Charlotte Pevny and Kate Gardenghi

41. Cherrie Fick and Cathie Carroll

41. Claire Maunsell and Cherrie Fick

42. Cheryl Roe and Jenny Vidberg

43. Chris White and Norma Turvey

44. Christa Murphy and Kathy Alderfer

45. Christie Murrow and Dana James

46. Christina Miles and Collette Collins

47. Christine Brandel and Elizabeth Woodford

48. Christine Damm and Cynthia Deis

49. Christine Hendrickson and Debbie Goering

50. Christine Stonefield and Dee Wingrove-Smith

51. Cilla Watkins and Johanna Rhodes

52. Cindy Wimmer and Riki Schumacher

53. CJ Baushka and Cory Celaya

54. Courtney Breul and Joanna Matuszczyk

55. Cristi Clothier and Kathleen Robinson Young

56. Cryss Thain and Serena Trent

57. Cynthia Tucker and Kitty Durmaj

58. Dana Johnson Jones and Eva Sherman

59. Davinia Algeri and Janet McDonald

60. Deci Worland and Lara Lutrick

61. Diana Ptaszynski and Kristy Abner

62. Diane Cook and Kerry Bogert

63. Diane Hawkey and Jen Judd Velasquez

64. Dorcas Midkiff and Jill Harris

65. Doris Radlicki and Heather Goldsmith

66. Dot Lewallen and Gaea Cannaday

67. Elisabeth Auld and Jennifer Justman

68. Erin Fickert-Rowland and Geanina Grigore

69. Erin Grant and Julie Jones

70. Eszter Czibulyas and Helena Fritz

71. Fiona Christie and Michelle Heim

72. Gail Zwang and Genea Crivello-Knable

73. Geneva Collins and Jana Haag

74. Gretchen Nation and Heidi Post

75. Heather DeSimone and Karin Slaton

76. Heather Marley and Terry Carter

77. Ingrid McCue and Jennifer Pride

78. Jackie Ryan and Nicole Keller

79. Janna Harttgen and Joanne Tinley

80. Jean Yates and Lori Anderson

81. Jelveh Jaferian and Jenny Davies-Reazor

82. Jenni Connolly and Jennifer Heynen

83. Jennifer Cameron and Kristi Bowman

84. Jennifer Geldard and Lisa Liddy

85. Jennifer VanBenschoten and Kim Hora

86. Jess Italia Lincoln and Lori Greenberg

87. Jill MacKay and Lori Bergmann

88. JJ Jacobs and Karen Tremblay

89. Joyce Becker and Kathy Welsh

90. Judy Glende and Karen Sinkowski

91. Judy Riley and Kelly Morgan

92. JuLee Wolfe and Julie Bean

93. Julianna Cannon and Julianna Kis

94. Julie Nordine and Lesley Watt

95. K. Hutchinson and Shea Zukowski

96. Karen Firnberg and Karyn Bonfiglio

97. Karen Williams and Kimberly Roberts

98. Karen Zanco and Polly Barker

99. Kari Carrigan and Laura Twiford

100. Karin von Hoeren and Laura Blanck

101. Kate Richbourg and Lorelei Eurto

102. Kathleen Lange Klik and Maria Clark

103. Kathy Engstrom and Keri Lee Sereika

104. Kay Thomerson and Loretta Carstensen

105. Kelley Fogle and Laurel Bielec

106. Kelly Ramstack and Sally Anderson

107. Kim Stevens and Tiffany Long

108. Kristi Harrison and Mandy Williamson

109. Kristi Kyle and Lana Kinney

110. Kristina Johansson and Sue Hodgkinson

111. Kym Hunter and Laura Sanger

112. Laura Zeiner and Susan Kennedy

113. Laurel Steven and Mary McGraw

114. Laurie Hanna and Lisa Boucher

115. Lesley Weirand Liz DeLuca

116. Linda Djokic and Tracey Weiser

117. Linda Inhelder and Pam Brisse

118. Linda Landig and Lori Dorrington

119. Linda Murphy and Lisa Hamilton

119. Line Labrecque and Marianne Baxter

120. Lisa Lodge and Monica Johnson

121. Lois Moon and Melissa Muir

122. Lola Surwillo and Therese Frank

123. Lori Bowring Michaud and Marci Brooks

124. Lupe Meter and Mags Saari

125. Maggie Towne and Marge Beebe

126. Malin de Koning and Susie Hibdon

127. Mallory Hoffman and Shirley Moore

128. Marcie Abney and Patty Miller

129. Marcy Lamberson and Melissa Clarke

130. Margot Potter and Suzann Sladcik Wilson

131. Maria Grimes and Wendy Blum

132. Maria Horvath and Melinda Orr

133. Maria Rosa Sharrow and Marie-Noel Voyer-Cramp

134. Marian Hertzog and Melissa Mesara

135. Marianna Boylan and Sandi Lee James

136. Marina Dobrynina and Michaela Pabeschitz

137. Marsha Neal and Miri Agassi

138. Mary Ellen Parker and Melissa Meman

139. Mary Elliott and Tamara Soper

140. Mary Hicks and Laurel Steven

141. Melissa Pynn and Michelle Buettner

142. Michelle Hardy and Niki Meiners

143. Michelle Mach and Moira McEvoy

144. Missy Rappaport and Norma Agron

145. Molly Alexander and Poranna

146. Mylene Hillam and Nicole Rennell

147. Nadezhda Parfyonova and Stacey Curry

148. Nan Emmett and Nancy Peterson

149. Nancy Boylan and Natalie McKenna

150. Natalie Monkivitch and Niky Sayers

151. Natasha Lutes and Pam Ferrari

152. Noemi Baena and Penny Ilagan

153. Pamela Petry and Rebecca Sirevaag

154. Pat Haight and Mary McGraw

155. Patty Gasparino and Vonna Maslanka

156. Penny Neville and Sandi Volpe

157. Pepita Bos and Wendy Chamberlain

158. Raida Disbrow and Rebecca Watkins

159. Rebecca Anderson and Sabrina Staub

160. Regina Santerre and Rose Binoya

161. Rhea Freitag and Tari Kahrs

162. Rochelle Brisson and Sheryl Stephen

163. Sally Russick and Tracy Bell

164. Sandra McGriff and Shay Williams

165. Sandra Wolberg and Sara Hardin

166. Sarah Elder and Salla Small

167. Saskia Kaffenberger and Sharon Gardner

168. Sharon Palac and Shannon Chomanczuk

169. Shay Stone and Suzette Bentley

170. Shiraz Biggie and Tammy Powley

171. Staci Smith and Tracy Stillman

172. Stacie Stamper and Tracy Martin

173. Stefanie Teufel and Vicky Taylor

174. Stephanie Dixon and Stephanie LaRosa

175. Stephanie Haussler and Valerie Norton

176. Suzanne Tate and Terri Wlaschin

177. Sweet Freedom Designs and Tammy Jones

178. Tania Spivey and Tari Sasser

179. Tara Plote and Terry Matuszyk

180. Terri Gauthier and Deana Hager

181. Theresa Fosdick and Tracey Nanstad

Thank you Becky for being such a great partner! I really enjoyed meeting you thought this great game. And thank you Lori for all the great work you've done for all of us to enjoy!

I have already marked my calendar for the next party in February 2012. ;)

I hope you all had as much fun as I did! And now it's time for the blog hop!

xo,

My Creative Space: party teaser

2011-09-15T16:29:00.005+03:00

Hi dearies,

Sorry for not posting here for a while again. I've been down with terrible flu for many-many days. I even celebrated my birthday at home on the sofa with cake and hot tea.

Today I want to show you a small teaser of the piece that I have prepared for Saturday's big reveal day of Lori's bead soup blog party.

Here it is...

Intrigued? ;)

Come back to visit me on Saturday and I'll show you the whole piece.

Meanwhile check out other creative spaces here.

Be well!

xo,

Bead Soup is here!

2011-09-01T20:13:00.007+03:00

This is the soup I received from my party partner Becky.

Just look at this great selection - vintage button, lampwork cab, beads and spacers, Swarovski rondelles, wooden beads, freshwater pearls and a beautiful toggle.

Love it!!!

And this is what I sent to Becky.

Sea sediment jasper focal, jade and jasper beads, freshwater pearls, MOP, Swarovski butterflies, silver plated findings and sterling silver toggle.

I am really looking forward to working with these treasures! And I hope Becky enjoys it too!

Thank you Becky for being such a wonderful game partner!

And special thank you to Lori for organizing this great event for us!

Don't forget the big reveal day on September 17! ;)

xo,

My Creative Space

2011-09-01T17:28:00.002+03:00

Nothing much going on in my creative space at the moment. I've done some online shopping and first packages have already arrived. Look at this catch! I especially love the carved lizard on a picture jasper cab and the pair of small ammonite fossils.

Can't wait to start working with these beauties!

More creative spaces HERE.

xo,

Giveaway Winner

2011-09-01T15:29:00.004+03:00

The winner of my giveaway on Handmade Europe has been announced.

Congratulations to Carrie

from Cherry Blossom Tattoo!

Your new pendant will be on the way to you very soon!

Watch this space for another celebration giveaway coming up shortly! ;)

xo,

Flea Market Finds

2011-08-28T10:33:00.002+03:00

I haven't visited flea markets for a long time, but yesterday I finally made time and went to a couple of my favourite places. Here is my catch:

Imperial Messenger portable typewriter in leather case. Great condition! This model was produced from 1963 to 1967.
Four volumes of Big Animal Book. First issued in Italy in 1974. Filled with beautiful pictures and interesting descriptions.
Olivetti Valentine typewriter in original case. 1969. What a beauty! True style icon.

I'm very happy with my finds! My typewriter collection keeps growing. I definitely need to move to a bigger room as soon as possible. :)

To see other flea market treasures of this week, visit Sophie.

Have a thrifty weekend! ;)

xo,

Giveaway on Handmade Europe

2011-08-21T18:41:00.003+03:00

Hi dearies!

I'm having a giveaway on Handmade Europe. If you'd like to win my Amber Wasp pendant, click HERE to enter. ;) Giveaway ends on August 28.

Good luck!

xo,

Would you like some soup? ;)

2011-08-21T15:41:00.003+03:00

It's again that wonderful time of the year, when Lori Anderson of Pretty Things is hosting another one of her amazing bead soup blog parties. And, of course, once again I couldn't resist it!

This time I got paired up with talented Becky Fairclough of Chameleon Designs. Her lampwork creations took my breath away! I can't wait to see, what kind of soup she will send me.

And I really hope she likes the things that I've picked for her.

Would you like to see a little sneak peek? :)

My hubby said that the brown spot on the right looks like a spider. :)) But I can promise that there are no spiders in my soup, maybe just a couple of butterflies instead. Ok, now I've said too much. :)

It's time to go and finish up the floor in the guest room.

Watch this space for further updates regarding the party. ;)

Have a nice and creative day!

xo,

Custom work

2011-08-20T22:11:00.006+03:00

Hello my dearies!

I know I haven't shown any new jewelry pieces for a while, but I've been extremely busy with my day job and our diy house renovation project.

I haven't been beading much lately, but I've managed to complete couple of simple custom orders. I'd like to share the results with you.

Very simple summer set with lampwork focal and faceted Czech glass beads.

Elegant bracelet and necklace set with lava. It looks much better on a person, but unfortunately I didn't manage to take any other pictures.

And a bead embroidered cuff with mother-of-a-pearl focal, freshwater pearls and a lot of delicate seed beads.

I have couple of other piece in store for you, but I'm going to save them for later. ;)

Thank you for visiting me!

Enjoy your evening!

xo,

Wedding Photoes

2011-08-17T21:50:00.012+03:00

We've finally received the CD with our wedding pictures and I'd like to share with you some of my favourites. ;)

Beautiful flowers and rings.

Getting ready for the big day...

Last minute ironing. :))

Our baby-dog was quite stressed because of all the people running around in the house.

Waiting for the groom. :)

The ceremony.

Happily married.

Enjoying the rain in the park.

Dinner time.

The venue was gorgeous!

I hope you enjoyed the moments of our special day!

Thanks for visiting!

xo,

My Creative Space

2011-07-21T17:44:00.005+03:00

It's been a long time since my last post. And I also had a break from beading. But now I'm slowly getting back to my normal life with free evenings and I've started beading again. (Yay!) :)

Here are couple of things that I'm working on right now.

Romantic soft pink pendant and earring set with rose quartz, freshwater pearls and vintage glass flower cabochons. I still don't have a name for it, but I know it has to be very feminine and gentle. Do you have any ideas? ;)

Yesterday I also started a very special project - next collaboration piece with my friend from the Netherlands Nancy van den Boom. It will be another floral cuff with one of her amazing miniature oil paintings. Hope it turns out good.

Oh, and I've also started preparing some delicious berries for winter. First in line - raspberries with sugar, they are great help during winter flu season.

To see other creative spaces and play along, click HERE.

I missed you all!

Have a great Thursday!

xo,

Our Day

2011-06-28T14:04:00.010+03:00

Last Thursday we finally did it! I still cannot believe that I have a new name and a shiny ring on my finger. :)

It was raining cats and dogs, but we still managed to make the best out of it. In many cultures there is a saying Wet bride - lucky bride. So, I must be very lucky after all! :))

Here is the first beautiful photo that our wonderful wedding photographer Olga from Studiohappymoment sent us. And we can't wait for more!

And here are couple of pictures made with our own camera.

Beautiful flowers from Kukkakauppa Karjalanneito.

The cake topper that we actually forgot at home. :)

The bead embroidered belt that I made to match my blue shoes.

All the wonderful cards that we got.

And me chilling in a hammock on our porch.

I hope you enjoyed couple of moments from our special day.

I promise to share more photos in 6-8 weeks! ;)

If you have some nice pictures from your wedding day, I'd love to see them, too!

xo,

Monday Moodboard

2011-06-27T13:05:00.002+03:00

I'm in a good mood today. Last week was very busy and some moments were totally crazy. We had house full of guests and Thursday was an important day. I'm feeling a bit tired after all the events, so my mood is comfy-cozy. :)

SmilgeArtblotaTeaJennysdenizgunes

Did you have a nice week, too? ;)

More MM here.

xo,

Monday Moodboard

2011-06-20T18:21:00.003+03:00

There will be a wedding this week...

KwanderaArtstocklilabelledesignRomanticRona

More MM here.

Have a wonderful week!

xo,

Monday Moodboard

2011-06-13T10:49:00.003+03:00

Rain...

steinschmuckdesignsilkstorypiktolandkrize

More MM here.

Have a nice week!

xo,

My Creative Space

2011-06-09T18:18:00.005+03:00

I haven't been at my beading table for a long time. And finally I have a project. We have a very important event coming up at the end of this month and I decided to make myself a beaded belt to compliment my outfit.

Here is work in progress...

I'll finish this focal element and stitch it on a wide satin ribbon. What do you think? I will also have matching blue shoes and flower for my hairdo, but I will show you that a bit later.

To see other fabulous creative spaces, visit Kirsty at the new blog.

Have a wonderful Thursday!

xo,

Monday Moodboard

2011-05-16T15:49:00.002+03:00

It's been raining for 2 days now and our lawn is finally getting some color. So, today my mood is green and happy. What about you?

To see more moodboards and play along, visit our new hostesses - Star of the East.

Have a wonderful week! ;)

xo,

Flea Market Finds

2011-05-15T12:44:00.003+03:00

This week I have many wonderful thrifted finds to show you. I discovered two small thrift stores in the nearby town and decided to visit both of them. Here is my catch.

Two wonderful books from 70's:

Applied Art of the Middle Ages in the Collection of the State Hermitage

and

sweet book of the best fairytales translated in Finnish.

And I also found a cute wooden candle holder that will look great on the porch.

My next find is a pastel painting from 60's. I need to open it carefully and fix the picture in the place. Do you know, what is the most amazing thing about this painting? Remember THIS post from last September?

Tadaaaam! I have a set! How cool is that?

And now let's move on to the most exciting find of the week. I still can't believe my luck, but now I'm a proud owner of this black and shiny German typewriter from 1935. And it's in excellent condition!

Now it's official - I'm collecting old (and fabulous!) typewriters. If you haven't seen the first item of my collection, click here.

And don't forget to visit Sophie to see other flea market finds from this week.

Happy thrifting! ;)

xo,

My (messy) Creative Space

2011-05-12T16:30:00.000+03:00

Hi dearies,

Sorry for not being with you for a while, as I was pretty occupied with our big move. We finally said "bye-bye" to the city life and made the decision to move to the countryside. And we don't regret it - the air is cleaner, people are nicer and birds just don't stop singing.

I promise to show you the house pictures as soon as we make the yard look nice again. The surroundings of the house are in a rather sad condition, everything has been abandoned by the previous owners and we need to fight the crazy wildness in the back yard and dry lawn in the front yard.

Most of the boxes are unpacked, but I'm still struggling with my workroom. At the moment I got a temporary place in the smallest bedroom in the house, while we renovate the room for my studio. I've managed to unpack 3 boxes of beads and some other supplies and I still have over 10 boxes to go. Wish me luck! ;) He-he!

And here is my tiny messy room.

Later we will turn it in a cute guest room, as it has nice view to the front yard.

Now I need to take care of this mess and turn in into my new creative space.

Click here to see other spaces this week.

Have a nice and clean day! ;)

See you soon!

xo,

Happy Easter!

2011-04-24T00:09:00.006+03:00

I just wanted to share with you some of my Easter preparation pictures.

Spring grass and a bunny.

One more bunny.

And a butterfly. Oh, it's a pity you can't smell the flowers. They smell so good!

Ten colored eggs, one chocolate egg and whole bunch of cute little chicks.

Traditional Easter bread.

And once again the little bunny (and me) wishing you all joyful Easter!!!

See you after the holidays! ;) Have fun!

xo,

My Creative Space

2011-04-21T15:14:00.004+03:00

Today no beading on my table, as I have lost my inspiration somewhere. To keep myself busy I decided to make more face options for the goddess wholesale order that I'm currently working on. It's always nice, when you have a lot of things to choose from.

To see other creative spaces visit kootoyoo.

Happy Thursday!

xo,

My Spring Swap Gift is here!

2011-04-20T16:40:00.004+03:00

Today I received my Etsy European Street Team Secret Spring Swap gift. It arrived from Italy from wonderful Priscilla of I bijoux dello Stregatto.

I was very excited while opening the big envelope and inside I found a very cute package with beautiful hand-drawn tag from Gufobardo, who is also an Italian artist.

I kept unwrapping and inside the blue bag found two smaller light blue packages.

And finally I got to my treasures - very cute butterfly and pearl bookmark and sweet pink glass earrings with heart chain.

And look how perfectly they fit with the top that I am wearing today.

Thank you, dear Priscilla, for the wonderful gifts! And special thanks to Anka of Happy hang around for hosting the game for us!

Happy Spring! :)

xo,

Flea Market Finds

2011-04-17T11:37:00.003+03:00

I haven't posted anything for Flea Market Finds for ages, but yesterday I finally went to our local flea market and brought home 3 wonderful things.

Metal candle stick. It will be perfect for the bedroom.

Ceramic garlic jar. Isn't it a cutie?

And finally the thing that has been on my thrifting list for a very long time - old typewriter. I found this dusty Underwood in the darkest corner of the market and dragged it home. It needs major cleaning, but I think I can handle it. According to the serial number, it's almost 100 years old. And the coolest thing is - it has Finnish keyboard.

I'm very happy with my finds and I think I need to visit the flea market more often.

To see other finds of the week, visit Sophie.

xo,

Saturday Shopping Day

2011-04-16T18:56:00.006+03:00

This week I have several new things to show you at Saturday Shopping Day with Sandra.

Let's start with two brooches.

Dark Sun has Swaroski crystal centre surrounded by freshwater pearls, Japanese seed beads and cotton lace. Elegant and attention catching.

Central Park Melody is an experimental piece with lace leaf layered over dark red leather and embellishes with mountain jade cabochon and seed beads.

And I can also finally show you the gift that I sent to my secret spring swap partner. It's a bit less crazy version of my Forgotten World. I wanted to make something for every day for my swap partner, who is a wonderful lady and a very talented artist. Wanna know, who she is? Click here to find out! ;)

Enjoy your Saturday! And come back to visit me tomorrow to see fabulous Flea Market Finds. I have something great to show you! ;)

xo,

My Creative Space

2011-04-14T12:54:00.003+03:00

I haven't been around for a while and I'm feeling very guilty. Spring is the busiest time at my day job, but I'm still trying to do some beading at least an hour a day.

I finally finished my Secret Spring Swap gift and even posted it already.

And I'm also working on a new togetherpiece with wonderful Nancy van den Boom. Here is a little sneak peak. You can see a corner of Nancy's beautiful painting and also very interesting ocean jasper cabochon.

Watch this space for the big reveal. ;)

Visit Kirsty to see other creative spaces.

Happy Thursday!

I missed you all!

xo,

Forest Goddess at New Home

2011-03-27T12:29:00.004+03:00

You have already met Forest Goddess that I created for fellow artist Mags in my previous post.

Last Friday she arrived at the new home and Mags started working on creating a necklace with her. I was so excited and curious about the result. Would you like to see how the goddess looks now? Click HERE to visit Mags. I think she's done a great job and I also hope she enjoys this necklaces for many wonderful years! ;)

Have a great Sunday!

xo,

Saturday Shopping Day

2011-03-26T15:34:00.008+02:00

Today is another wonderful shopping day with Sandra. And here are the things that I finished this week.

Seeds and Pods Cuff with ceramic focal and freshwater pearls for Etsy European Street Team Weekly Challenge, also hosted by Sandra. :)

Custom made Forest Goddess for Finnish jewelry artist - Mags. She sent me this beautiful ocean jasper cabochon and asked for a very special goddess, which would remind her of Finnish forests and brooks. The goddess is already with Mags and she will make a very special necklace using goddess as focal element. I can't wait to see the result! And, of course, I will share it with you, when it's ready. ;)

Inspirational pictures by Urpo A. Tarnanen and Erkki Toivanen.

I am also very proud to present the third Togethrpiece with wonderful Nancy van den Boom - Summer in Holland Cuff. It features miniature poppy oil painting lovingly created by Nancy, which I later embellished with Japanese seed beads in two shades of red, blue and tarnished silver.

The outside of the cuff is covered with light red leather and the inside is lined with soft blue ultrasuede.

Every time I work with one of Nancy's tiny paintings, the ideas start dancing in my head and my heartbeat gets faster. She is such a wonderful artist and great inspiration! I hope you love this cuff as much as I do! ;)

And the last piece of this week is an experimental Midnight Blues brooch with lace, leather, vintage rhinestone and a bit of seed beads.

I hope you enjoyed the shopping tour! Visit Sandra to see more of beautiful pieces from this week! ;)

Have a lovely weekend!

xo,

Monday Moodboard: Euro Week

2011-03-21T09:36:00.005+02:00

Today my Monday Moodboard is about beautiful romantic items and also Etsy Euro Week.

Many European sellers are taking part in this event and offering various discounts and/or free shipping for the whole week (March 21 - 27). Don't miss out!

I am also offering 11% discount on all items in my store (including the Sale section!), just use coupon code EUROWEEKSALE11 at the checkout! ;)

Sterling silver hand-stamped charm - You are my cup of tea by dindi

Still Life With Portmanteau by MyMonography

Lidded Jar with Birdie and Flowers by TikaCeramics

Plush Bunny cuddly - Lily by ChoochMagooz

More Monday Moodboards at fleurfatale's.

Have a wonderful week! ;)

xo,

Saturday Shopping Day

2011-03-19T15:00:00.008+02:00

It was a busy and stressful week, but I did manage to finish two new things for my Etsy store that I will show you right now.

The first one is a cuff featuring Mucha's The Blonde. I do have a passion for Mucha's art and also for interesting color combinations, and here you can see the result.

The bracelet has adjustable metal base, central element measures 5 cm in diameter. Outside part is covered with leather in bright mustard color and the inside is lined with soft brown ultrasuede.

The other piece that I created this week is Marzipan Flowers statement necklace with magnesite, Czech seed beads and mother-of-a-pearl beads.

To see other wonderful creations of this week, visit Sandra.

Enjoy your Saturday Shopping! ;)

xo,

Saturday Shopping Day

2011-03-12T15:06:00.007+02:00

For several days I've been away from my computer and creative corner. Some of you already know that my precious little baby-dog is ill and we've been shuttling between the vet and home most of this time. Today she's feeling a bit better and I have a free minute to show you some of my recent creations.

Black. Bronze. Elegant. earrings

It's a shorter version from one of my most popular designs.

Bracelet with agate and beaded beads. Custom order.

And finally the necklace with agate slice, agate cabochons, black onyx, vintage glass scarabs and a lot of seed beads. Backed with black natural leather. Quite large and heavy piece.

I still don't have a name for it. Do you have any great ideas?

Visit Sandra and find other beautiful items created this week! ;)

Enjoy your weekend!

xo,

Monday Moodboard

2011-03-07T11:42:00.004+02:00

Today my mood is PINK! And I will try to keep it that way for the whole week, as I am planning to work on the next piece together with Nancy. And, yes, it will be PINK! ;)

Mulberry Silk Ruffle Scarf by LilouColours

Silver pendant with original oil painting Pink Rose by NancyvdBoom

Spring blossoms, 8x6 original signed fine art photograph by stephmel

A-line jersey skirt in green, grey and pink by ThongbaiTatong

More moodboards at Fleurfatale's.

Have a wonderful week!

xo,

Saturday Shopping Day

2011-03-05T11:03:00.007+02:00

Today is one more of the wonderful shopping days with Sandra of zsazsazsu. I missed the last one because of Bead Soup Blog Party, but today I have several new pieces to show you.

Tiny Warrior Goddess brooch.

Fly Me to the Moon statement necklace.

The Rose Cuff - our first Togetherpiece with Nancy. I know you've seen in already, but I love it so much that I must show it off just one more time. :)

And last, but not least, Under the Tree pendant, which is our second Togetherpiece with Nancy.

I wish you all a beautiful weekend! Enjoy the shopping! ;)

xo,

One more Togetherpiece with Nancy

2011-03-04T21:56:00.004+02:00

This is the second one of our Togetherpieces with wonderful Nancy van den Boom. The first piece was the Rose Cuff that I've already showed you here.

We named this pendant Under the Tree. I adore the tiny oil painting lovingly created by Nancy, it's so delicate and vibrant! I decided to adorn it with Japanese glass seed beads and Czech Charlottes, I also added red jasper cabochon for a splash of color and a vintage metal leaf element from my unusual find collection.

The pendant is only 7.5 cm tall and it hangs from 52 cm long silver grey twisted silk rope. It will look beautiful with many different outfits and will brighten up even the classic suit.

It is handmade with passion and love in the Netherlands and Finland. Such an unusual creative collaboration! I am wondering, in which country will it end up? We'll see! ;)

You can find more pictures and additional information about the pendant in my store.

And if you were wondering, what happened to the Rose Cuff, take a look here. The cuff is in the Netherlands now and has a beautiful new owner. ;)

Have a nice evening and don't forget to watch this space, as there are more Togetherpieces to come! ;)

xo,

The Sales Fairy is Here!!!

2011-03-01T15:08:00.008+02:00

This week has started brilliantly! We finished the first common piece with wonderful Nancy, that you can see here, I had a sale and a request for a custom order, it's my first Etsyversary and I also found couple of very special packages in the mail.

The first one was from the UK, from Ingrid (better known as Lilou) - amazing lady, who makes the most beautiful handwoven bags and scarves that I'm absolutely in love with.

Inside the package was an elegant black box. Please, also pay attention to the exquisite ribbon she uses. ;)

And inside the box was a gorgeous sales fairy made of delicate mulberry silk. Isn't she stunning?

The Sales Fairy is a fun chain game played by Etsy European Street Team members. The main idea is to catch the fairy, and if you're fast and lucky and you manage to catch one, you have to make a new fairy and list it in your shop for a reasonable price.

Here is my new beauty, flying over the packing station and looking through the window for fresh ideas and possible sales.

I also made a sales fairy that was caught by Mari from Choochmagooz. I hope she lands in Spain very soon. Here she is.

The second package I received was from Finland, from lovely Minna of Karuski. She was very nice and offered me some seed beads that she no longer had use for. Imagine my surprise, when I opened the envelope and found so many great treasures! Wow! I'm such a bead junkie! :))) Thank you, Minna!!!

I hope you also had a good start of the week! ;)

xo,

First Results of the Beautiful Collaboration

2011-02-28T21:06:00.006+02:00

Many of you already know that recently I've been working on a secret project with amazing lady, great friend of mine and very talented artist from the Netherlands - Nancy van den Boom.

Today we are proud to present the first piece that we created together. It's a cuff featuring Nancy's Red Rose Oil Painting. When she first showed it to me, I immediately knew it is going to be a bracelet!

And here it is

The tiny precious painting is surrounded by glass seed beads, including vintage Czech Charlottes, and beautiful green freshwater pearls. Outside of the cuff is covered with red leather, but the inside is lined with soft ultrasuede.

We are both very happy with the results of our little experiment. And we will definitely work together again!

Thank you, dear Nancy, for being such a great inspiration to me! Thank you for your support and wisdom! I'm so happy to have you in my life!

I hope you all enjoyed a little insight into our creative journey!

Watch this space closely, as more of wearable art pieces are coming soon!

Have a lovely evening!

xo,

Bead Soup Blog Party Reveal

2011-02-25T17:04:00.015+02:00

Welcome to the 3rd Bead Soup Blog Party!

What is a Bead Soup Blog Party?

Each beader was paired up with another jewelry designer and tasked with sending the following:

~ A focal
~ A special clasp (not just a lobster claw)
~ Some coordinating spacers or beads

Using the focal and the clasp was mandatory, but we could use anything from our own stash to round out the rest, and choose to use the coordinating beads or not.

I was lucky to be paired up with wonderful Mags from Mags Koruja (#129 on the list), and we had a lot of fun chatting via e-mail during the whole process.

Here is what she sent me (click on the picture for closer view):

Some of you have already seen a tiny sneak peek of my piece, so I'm not going to test your patience and delay this any longer. :)

Here's what I made!

It's a double-strand necklace with bead embroidered focal element featuring very interesting jasper cabochon.

In this necklace you can also find new jade, fluorite, silver, charoite and more jasper. :)

And, of course, I couldn't resist the seed beads. You know I have a passion for them and I just couldn't help myself.

Double-strand clasp was a real challenge for me, but I think I handled it pretty well.

This amazing butterfly in the bottom of the fringe is designed by Mags and it has tiny citrine bead in it, which is also one of my birthstones. :)

This color combination is very unusual for me, but I really enjoyed working with it. And guess what? I am going to keep this necklace for myself, because I have a perfect dress to go with it! Just take a look!

I bought this dress last summer and I was very upset, because I couldn't find suitable jewelry to wear with it. But now my problem is solved, as this necklace is a perfect match! How weird is that? I realized it just yesterday, while organizing my closet for spring.

But enough about me, let's go and see what the rest of us made!

Here is the list of all the wonderful participants and the first one on the list is our amazing hostess Lori. You must visit her blog, as it's a very warm and friendly place filled with beautiful pictures, great advices and exciting stories! ;)

1. Lori Anderson, Pretty Things

2. Kitty Durmaj, Perles and Life

3. Michelle Heim, Life In the Bead Lane

4. Lisa Petrillo, Lucid Moon Studio

5. Anitra Gordy, Leelu Creations

6. Paige Maxim, Paige Maxim Designs

7. Marianna Boylan, Pretty Shiny Things

8. Cheryl Roe, BeadRoe

9. Heidi Post, Ex Post Facto

10. Cindy Wimmer, Sweet Bead Studio

11. Terri Gauthier, Blooming Ideas

12. Rachel Walsh, Balanced Crafts

13. Marian Hertzog, M's Place

14. Mary McGraw, MK's Musings

15. Sarabeth Burke, Chronicles of Sarita

16. Deci Worland, Gem Trails

17. Erin Prais-Hintz, Treasures Found

18. Laura Zeiner, Stick Lizard Designs

19. Kristin Latimer, MJM Jewelry Designs

20. Cathryn Brooks-Williams, Chile Cats

21. Holly Westfall, Silver Rose Designs

22. Janna Harttgen, Palima-Lim

23. Libby Leuchtman, Libby Leu

24. Rebecca Anderson, Songbeads

25. Deb Hunter, Living On Air

26. Diana Ptaszynski, Suburban Girl Studio

27. Jennifer VanBenschoten, VanBeads

28. Margot Potter, The Impatient Crafter

29. Cyndi Lavin, Beading Arts

30. Courtney Breul, Beads by Breul

31. Stefanie Teufel, Stefanie's Sammelsurium

32. Patricia Gasparino, My Life Under the Bus

33. Tari Khars, Pearl and Pebble

34. Kristi Bowman-Gruel, Kristi Bowman Design

35. Jayne Capps, Mama's Got to Doodle

36. Becky Fairclough, Chameleons Designs

37. Evie and Beth McCord, EB Bead & Metal Works

38. Lynne Bowland, Islandgirl's Insights

39. Barbara Lewis, Painting With Fire

40. Lorelei Eurto, Inside the Studio

41. Stacy Hartis, Sissy & Jack's

42. Jennifer Cameron, Glass Addictions

43. Marcie Abney, La Bella Joya

44. Johanna Rhodes, Fire Phoenix Creations

45. Nan Emmett, Spirit Rattles

46. Melissa Mesara, One Eared Pig

47. Amanda Davie, Articulations

48. Cherin Poovey, Lanyard Lady

49. Virginia Joste, ViviBijoux

50. Andrew Thornton, The Writing and Art of Andrew Thornton
51. Lori Dorrington, Lori's Glassworks

52. Melanie Brooks, Earthenwood Studio Chronicles

53. Kate Gardenghi, Tropical Blonde

54. Serena Trent, PinkIce Jewel's Blog

55. Malin de Koning, Beading by Malin de Koning

56. Shai Williams, Shaiha's Ramblings

57. Francy Inman, 8 Second Studio

58. Amy Freeland, Copper Diem

59. Lisa Liddy, Joolz By Lisa

60. Sandi Lee James, Do Be Do Bead Do

61. Mary Harding, Mary Harding Bead Blog

62. Stacey Curry, Star Hitched Wagon

63. Leslie Gidden, Mad Maggie Designs

64. Elisabeth Auld, Beads For Busy Gals

65. Niky Sayers, Silver Nik Nats

66. Linda Djokic, Lutka and Co.

67. Tracy Bell, Copper, Glass, and Recycled Trash

68. Laurel Steven, Rue's Daftique

69. Ingrid McCue, Wrapped In Silver

70. Birgitta Lejonklou, Create With Spirit

71. Diana Hawkey, Diana Hawkey

72. Norma Turvey, Moonlit Fantaseas

73. Jeanette Ryan, Jeanette Blix

74. Jackie Ryan, Silver Lodge Gems

75. Jean Yates, Snap Out of it Jean, There's Beading to Be Done!

76. Debbie Goering, Prairie Emporium

77. Valerie Norton, Hot Art

78. Jana Trupovniece, Stories of the Secret Garden You are HERE!!!

79. Amy Severino, Amy Beads

80. Emma Thomas, Fred Beans Nook

81. Karen Zanco, Everyday Gypsy

82. Suzann Sladcik Wilson, Beadphoria

83. Janet McDonald, Singing Woods

84. Dana James, Dana's Jewelry Designs

85. Kristina Johansson, Wild Roses and Blackberries

86. CJ Bauschka, CJ Bauschka

87. Angela Barribea, Re: Angela Rae

88. Marcy Lamberson, Studio Marcy

89. Tanya Floyd, Glass Migrations

90. Lisa Kavanaugh, Beading Bliss

91. Sue Hodgkinson, Hello Gorgeous

92. Jenni Connolly, Jenni's Bead

93. Nally Parfyonova, Nally's Creations

94. Karyn White, Releases By Rufydoof

95. Emanda Johnson, Artemisia Studio

96. Sandy Richardson, Sandy's Coloring Box

97. Cindy Dolezal, Cindy Dolezal Designs

98. Stacie Stamper, Park Avenue

99. Mallory Hoffman, For the Love of Beads

100. Linda Landig, Linda's Bead Blog and Meanderings

101. Nicole Valentine-Rimmer, N. Valentine Studio

102. Jacinta Meyers, Jamberrysong's Creations

103. Charlene Gary, Gray Girl Studios

104. Rubiee Hayes, Glitter and Keys Galore

105. Marge Beebe, Rock Creek Creations

106. Elizabeth Freeman, Turquoise Sky

107. Shelby Foxwell, Sundown Bead Designs Rhetoric

108. Lynda Moseley, Diva Designs

109. Grace Danel, Grace Beading

110. Lois Moon, Que Onda Quitman

111. Agnes Shapiro, Beader Bubbe

112. Terry Carter, Tapping Flamingo

113. Judy Glende, Judith B. Designs

114. Mary Ellen Parker, Bee Tree By Me

115. Barbara Bechtel, Second Surf

116. Charlene Sevier, The Bead Dreamer

117. Alice Craddick, Alice's Beads and Baubles

118. Cory Celaya, Art With Moxie

119. Ronda Adams, The Ravished Heart

120. Sandi Volpe, Sandi Volpe Designs

121. Anna Lear, The Laughing Raven

122. Susie Hibdon, Vintagesusie & Wings

123. Amanda Austin, Sea Shore Glass

124. Jennifer Velasquez, Jen Judd Rocks

125. Hazel Ward, All Those Things

126. Brenda Salzano, Salzanos

127. Dee Gordon, Runako Designs by Dee

128. Anna Denisova, Anita-M

129. Margaret Saari, Mags-Jewelry My Partner!!!

130. Genea Crivello-Knable, Genea Beads

131. Penny Neville, Copper Penny

132. Angela Blasingame, Hopemore

133. Helena Fritz, Beadwork by H's Blog

134. Stephanie LaRose, Confessions of a Bead Hoarder

135. Stephanie Haussler, PixyBug Designs

136. Diane Cook, Rosa & Josies

137. Maryse Thillens, Glass Bead Art

138. Jennifer Pride, Jewelry by J.P.

139. Shannon Chomanczuk, For My Sweet Daughter

140. Lisa Godfrey, Bead Happy

141. Heather Pyle, Welcome to My Muse

142. Regina Santerre, Regina's Writings

143. Liz DeLuca, Creative Arty Facts

144. Sig Wynne-Evans, Beaded Bear's Nonsense

145. Loretta Carstensen, Loretta's Boutique

146. Raida Disbrow, Havana Beads

147. Amber Dawn, Inventive Soul

148. Shelly Graves, Stars Dance With Me

149. Jess Italia Lincoln, Vintaj Blog

150. JJ Jacobs, Coming Abstractions

151. Carrie Tahquechi, Carrie T

152. Staci Smith, Staci Louise Originals

153. Katarzyna Kwiatkowska, Quiet Area

154. Ema Kilroy, Ema K Designs

155. Magdalena Sikora, Poranna Gazeta

156. Nicole Keller, Nicki's Reef

157. Ann Rishell, My Critical Eye

158. Noemi Baena, Fire, Metal, and Color

159. Christa Murphy, Adventures of One Beady Woman

160. Barbara Blaszczyk, Labotorium Flory

161. Collette Collins, Firefly Myst

162. Carola Greiser, Polymer Clay Shed

163. Joanna Kopijczuk, Bizuteria z Filcu

164. LeAnn Weih, Summers Studio

165. Cassandra Watsham, Design by Cassandra

166. Anna Motz, Stunning

167. Shea Zukowski, Gr8findings

168. Susan Kennedy, Sue Beads

169. Lisa Boucher, Lisa's Clay Happenings

170. Hope Smitherman, Crafty Hope

171. Alison Crenshaw, Beads by Earth Tones

172. Dorcas Midkiff, Wondrous Strange Designs

173. Melissa Rediger, Sea of Glass

174. Marina Dobrynina, Savon Feutre

175. Julie Nordine, Julie Nordine | Credit River Art Glass

176. Menka Gupta, Menka's Blog

177. Patsy Evins, Patsy Evins Studio

178. Cherrie Fick, En La Lumie're

179. Suzette Bentley, Ellie's Bijoux

180. Molly Alexander, Beautifully Broken Me

181. Lyn Foley, Lyn Foley Wearable Art

182. Tara Plote, The Newbie Beader's Blog

183. Natalie Schuetz, Natalie S Perlen

184. Kim Hutchinson, Running on Ink

185. Haley Frank, Wide Eyed Smilin

186. Grace Caputo, Suddenly Last Summer

187. Marie-Noel Voyer-Cramp, Skye Jewels

188. Erin Siegel, Erin Siegel Jewelry

189. Janea McDonald, Organized Chaos

190. Kristi Evenson, Colie Bug & Co.

191. Linda Inhelder, Must Haves Jewelry

192. Hilary Frye, FryeStyle

193. Whitney Lassini, Whitney Lassini

194. Nancy Schindler, The Rabbit Muse

195. Pam Brisse, The Blue Between

196. Beth Bricker, Vintage Sweets

197. Ruthie Stickney, Rose Works Jewelry and Gifts

198. Rose Noble, Lady Noble Designs

199. Karen Williams, Baublicious

200. Claire Maunsell, The Next Bend

201. Christine Damm, Stories They Tell

202. Kerry Bogert, Kab's Creative Concepts

203. Wendy Blum, Sand & Sea Designs

204. Juli Cannon, Julsbeads

205. Jenny Robledo, La Dona Boutique

206. Krista French, French Elegant Jewelry

207. Pam Krinski, Ewa Beads

208. Melissa Meman, Melissa Meman, Art, Life, Love

209. Dana Jones, Dana's Jewelry

210. Shirley Moore, Beads and Bread

The next party's sign ups begin August 1-3, 2011. Don't miss it!

I know I will definitely take part in Lori's Bead Soup Blog Party again!

See you there! ;)

Enjoy your weekend!

xo,

My Creative Space

2011-02-24T14:01:00.005+02:00

Recently my creative time has been quite limited because of long working hours at my day job. But I'm enjoying the feeling of coming spring, as the mornings are getting lighter and I can manage to spend couple of early hours at my crafting table.

At the moment I'm working on a secret project together with wonderful Nancy from Nancy van den Boom Oil Paintings. All I can show you at this stage is a small pile of supplies that I've prepared for our creative plan.

I'm also having a small polymer clay face factory right on my table. Soon most of these faces will be fitted with matching stone dresses and they'll be transformed into beautiful goddesses like these.

And one more very special thing that I've been working on yesterday and this morning is Sales Fairy for the chain game played by Etsy European Street Team members. Here is a tiny sneak peek.

If you are a member of EST, you like blue color and you still haven't caught magic Sales Fairy, watch my store carefully this evening. The fairy will be listed after 17:00 (UTC+02:00).

Meanwhile visit Kirsty to see other creative spaces from this week.

Have a nice day! ;)

xo,

Getting ready for Saturday

2011-02-22T15:25:00.004+02:00

If you've been following my blog for past month, you probably know that this Saturday is an important day for 210 jewelry artists from all over the world, who are participating in Lori's Bead Soup Blog Party.

Saturday is the big reveal day! We all will get a chance to see many special pieces designed for this event.

Here is a small teaser from me.

I am very excited and can't wait to see what other participants have come up with.

Don't forget to visit my blog this weekend to see the party piece! ;)

Have a nice day!

xo,

Saturday Shopping Day

2011-02-19T13:45:00.004+02:00

For the whole week I've been working on a large necklace, but it's still far away from being ready. So, today I'll show you couple of smaller items that I made while taking a break from my big project.

First up is a pair of earrings. They are black, gold and elegant. Antiqued glass cabochon is the middle, Japanese seed beads around, plus, two sparkling crystal beads and gold-filled findings.

The second of the small items that I made this week is a bead embroidered barrette - Quite Earth. It has the most beautiful pietersite cabochon with amazing colors and pattern on it. I also added two 8mm ocean jasper beads, Czech seed beads and natural leather backing. The barrette is 7.5 cm long and I think it will look beautiful with many different outfits.

Join us for Saturday shopping at zsazsazsu!

Now I'm going back to my worktable, as there is a necklace calling for me. :)

Have a nice day!

xo,

My Creative Space

2011-02-17T14:36:00.006+02:00

Today it's very cold outside. When I woke up it was -28C and I decided to work from home. As I've already managed to finish all the paperwork for the day, now I can move on to my creative space.

So, here you can see what's happening on my table right now.

I am working on a large necklace with labradorites. The first element is almost finished.

I was also playing with my stones earlier and decide to make a sketch for warm red necklace. Now I need to find suitable seed beads and start working on it.

And this is my 100% natural lap warmer. She likes to cuddle on my lap under the blankie while I'm making jewelry.

How do you stay warm during the coldest days?

For other creative (and hopefully much warmer) spaces, visit Kirsty! ;)

xo,

February Scarf Challenge: Week 2

2011-02-13T16:14:00.003+02:00

Second week of the scarf challenge started by Sophie from Her Library Adventures has gone by.

This week there were couple of fun styles in the chart that I'm sure I'm going to wear again.

Here are the pictures of 7 more of my scarves.

Day 7 This long pink scarf with dots traveled to me from England. I love it very much and enjoy wearing it in many different ways.

Day 8 Organizing kitchen cupboards with my bright green scarf that I use while doing messy jobs.

Day 9 Beautiful red scarf from my grandma's closet. I like to slide it though one of my stone rings - looks neat and holds well.

Day 10 One more scarf from my grandma. This one has beautiful butterflies flying all over it.

Day 11 Fluffy crocheted scarf made by me.

Day 12 Delicate silk scarf. Got it as a gift from a cosmetics company many years ago. I think this one I wear the most often.

Day 13 Simple long scarf in bright pink color. I wore it today during my trip to the grocery.

I hope you enjoyed the quick tour through my week and my scarf rack! ;)

If you'd like to see more of the challenge entries, visit this flickr poll.

Have a nice evening!

xo,

Saturday Shopping Day

2011-02-12T15:29:00.005+02:00

Is it really Saturday again? I don't know, where the time goes. Days just keep flying by.

But I'm glad to announce that today is shopping day with Sandra of zsazsazsu! ;)

Here are two new things from my Etsy store.

Unraveling the Mystery - bead embroidered cuff.

It's the result of my experiments with layering lace over leather. I'm quite happy with the cuff. The central element has beautiful multi-color agate cabochon that matches the color of seed beads and faux leather. I will also include two beautiful agate rings with this bracelet for free. ;)

And the other piece made this week is

Impression II - bead embroidered statement ring.

Trumpet shell, Japanese seed beads, natural leather backing and adjustable sterling silver base. If you're looking for unusual cocktail ring, check out my store! ;)

One more great thing that happened to me this week is a wonderful surprise from Tatiana of La Boom! She nominated me for The Lovelies 2011 Award. If you have a facebook account and you also like my jewelry, click here to vote for my store. Click "Like" button above my shop's banner.

Thank you for your votes! And thank you, Tatiana, for this touching gesture!

Enjoy your Saturday!

xo,

My Creative Space

2011-02-10T13:27:00.008+02:00

Today I'm unpacking and organizing some new supplies. New yummy stones... fossil coral, parrot wing jasper and my precious pink tourmaline.

Beautiful oval fluorite. I love all the colorful layers.

Metal barrettes. Now I can make plenty of them! :)

It's also time to start working on my Bead Soup Project. I will not tell you, what it's going to be, but I can definitely say that there will be seed beads involved. :)

And I also have a new buddy to be with me whole rabbit's year and also cheer up our Easter table. :) I bought this cute little fellow from the Hare's Nest, because I fell in love with cute flowers and berries on the rabbit's back. If you still don't have a rabbit in the house, visit Hare, and you'll definitely find something to suit your taste! ;)

More of Creative Spaces at kootoyoo.

Have a wonderful Thursday!

xo,

Giveaway Winner

2011-02-08T16:26:00.010+02:00

I just came home from work and straight away decided to draw the winner of the pendant giveaway. This time we had almost 100 entries from all over the world. Amazing!

So, there is my favorite vintage plate in front of me filled with plenty of tiny paper strips...

This time I decided to pick the winner myself. There I go... Closed my eyes and went straight to the bottom.

And the winner is...

...wait a minute! Flipping the paper...

Can't see? Me neither.

Ah, that's better! So, the winner is...

Līga

of Filigree Creations!

Congratulations, Līga! There is a convo flying your way. ;)

Thank you all for participating and supporting me in my creative journey!

Don't be upset, as there will definitely be more giveaways from me this year! ;)

I love you all!

xo,

Monday Moodboard

2011-02-07T11:56:00.005+02:00

There is white sun coming through the clouds today. It's still winter outside, but with the first rays of sunshine feels like spring is just around the corner.

Hand felted Dahlia Flower Brooch by JurgitaMi

Steps to nowhere - photo print by Lazyfish

We are Only Several Miles from The Sun Necklace by staroftheeast

Ivory Fingerless Gloves by pasin

To see other beautiful Monday Moodboards created by members of Etsy European Street Team, visit fleurfatale.

Have a great and sunny week! ;)

xo,

February Scarf Challenge

2011-02-06T14:52:00.008+02:00

I don't have anything for my Flea Market Finds this week, as it was a bit crazy around here and I didn't have any extra time to go shopping. But the good news is that I decided to participate in Sophie's February Scarf Challenge.

She found this fun retro chart and invited all scarf addicts to participate. 28 styles, 28 days. Fun, isn't it?

I looove scarves and I have a ton of them! Ok, maybe not exactly a ton, but it's one full scarf hanger. ;)

Here are the pictures from the first week. I was elegant, I was fun and I was a bit of a hippie, too. :))

Day 1 Long purple scarf, knitted by me.

Day 2 Liisa helped me to model triangular scarves. I'm wearing crocheted shawl from my grandma's closet and Liisa is wearing her own tiny silk scarf. :)

Day 3 Small stripy scarf with violet, green and pink. I don't even remember, where I got it, but it has been with me for over 10 years.

Day 4 This one was a bit unusual, but I handled it. ;) The scarf is hand-painted by Latvian artist.

Day 5 Hippie look with pink scarf and long Indian earrings.

Day 6 Light pink scarf hand-painted by me.

For more pictures, visit this flickr pool.

If you'd like to join us for this fun and very addictive challenge, visit Sophie. ;)

Have fun accessorizing! ;)

xo,

Flying Over Coral Desert. Saturday Shopping Day

2011-02-05T23:43:00.007+02:00

It was a hard week and I managed to create only one necklace. It was a tough one and I almost cut it apart, as the stones didn't want to lie in the right way. I finally finished it yesterday.

Fossil corals, mother of a pearl, coral, Swarovski rivoli, freshwater pearls, rose quartz, faceted glass beads, leather backing...

I really enjoy working with pastels. This time I added some gold accents and a splash of coral. For more details, please, visit my store.

I also linked this post to Saturday Shopping Day with Sandra at zsazsazsu. Please, visit her blog to see other interesting handmade things from this week.

Happy Shopping! ;)

xo,

My Creative Space

2011-02-03T12:46:00.004+02:00

Today I'm working on a necklace in gentle pink, cream and gold. So far it's looking good. I really hope I can finish it this week.

I am absolutely in love with those fossil corals, the color mix is so delicate. Central metal element is an old earring. I think I'll make the backing and add some cute little fringe with corals and maybe pearls.

Today I'm also organizing my brooch box. Here it is.

I looove my new pins from SoleDeVita! They are so cute! I enjoy every small detail of her amazing work! If you still don't own a pair, you must visit her store!

Other creative spaces at Kirsty's.

Happy Thursday! ;)

xo,

Saturday Shopping Day

2011-01-29T19:13:00.008+02:00

It's Saturday again and it means that we again go shopping with Sandra from zsazsazsu. ;)

This week I don't have only three new pieces to show you, but each and every of them is very special.

I would like to start with Forgotten World - large bead embroidered pendant with ammonite fossil, crystal, very long and playful fringe and natural leather backing. It' definitely one of my favorite pieces. Every time I get the courage to use one of my ammonites, the jewelry piece turns out to be special. In my opinion, ammonites are very challenging materials to work with and they like to be surrounded only with the best of my supplies.

Next I'd like to show you Majestic Swan earrings. They are very simple, only two colors - white and tarnished silver. Two tiny vintage cabochons, Japanese seed beads and sterling silver findings. They are also my entry for Etsy European Street Team weekly challenge. This time the theme is wedding, you can see other beautiful entries here.

And last, but not the least is this sweet Peach Nectar set of brooch and earrings. It's cute, but practical, work with many different outfits and for variety of occasions. Ocean jasper, freshwater pearls, glass beads, Japanese seed beads and sterling silver findings.

Thank you for shopping with me and Sandra! Enjoy your Saturday! ;) See you next week!

xo,

Giveaway at To Sew With Love

2011-01-27T15:50:00.003+02:00

Would you like a free pair of bead embroidered hairpins?

Visit Lelanie at To Sew With Love to enter the giveaway and also read an interview with me. The winner will be picked next Thursday and he/she can pick any pair of bead embroidered hairpins from my Etsy store.

Thank you, Lelanie, for the wonderful post and this great opportunity!

Good luck! ;)

xo,

My Creative Space

2011-01-27T11:35:00.007+02:00

Nothing much has been going on lately at my creative space, but I have a new thimble display that I can brag about. :) Check out this cute little box with glass door and tiny latch! Not all of my thimbles could fit in there, but that's why I have an old re-purposed printer drawer for the rest of my collection.

And this is the corner, where my jewelry goes to show out and shine a little, before I pack each piece in the bag and put in the storage drawer.

On the big mannequin you can see a corner of my latest piece - pendant with ammonite and very shiny crystal. It will be available in my store later today. ;)

Hmmm... What else?

Wanna know, what am I going to do in the evening?

This! Sounds yummy, right? And I have all ingredients in my fridge!

Thank you, dear Frances, for this amazing recipe that I'm about to try! ;)

To see other creative spaces and play along, visit Kirsty.

xo,

The soup is here!!!

2011-01-26T20:02:00.004+02:00

Today my bead soup party package arrived! Mags, who is an amazing jewelry artist and also warm and sweet person, sent me an envelope full wonderful treasures. Just take a look at these beauties!

I love the bright colors and interesting bead selection! And do you see a tiny silver butterfly in the middle? Mags designed it herself! It's so precious!

Lori's rule for the game is that we have to use focal and clasp and the rest is up to us, but looking at the bead pile in front of me I want to use everything! :) We'll see how it all works out. ;)

Watch this place for the big reveal on February 26th!

If you'd like to see, what treasures other participants have received for the game, check out this flickr group.

Thank you, Mags, for being a great game partner! And thank you, Lori, for hosting the game for us! xoxo

Happy beading! ;)

xo,