Magical Magatamas

Last month at a wedding party, I met a few people I haven't seen in a couple of years. We chatted a bit and they asked me what job do I have and I told them that I am a jewelry designer. Then they were very surprised that I don't wear any jewelry (mine or others), and they said that I am a living example of  "a shoemaker who is walking barefoot" (it's an old Hebrew say). Funny, but true!... I stopped wearing jewelry long before I had started beading due to allergy to metals I had developed, and somehow I got used to being "jewelry-naked" (except for a watch, if that counts). I promised my relatives to show them some of my work the next time we meet, which would be next week in another family relative's wedding. I decided to wear a nice jewelry set to show off at the coming wedding... After all, my jewelry is made from glass beads, so there shouldn't be any allergy excuse... ;)

Luckily, my Muse cooperated and I managed to finish this new necklace and matching bracelet on time before the wedding (a tutorial is also ready & available). They are made with seed beads, glass pearls, Swarovski crystal beads and Miyuki long Magatama beads. (I take this opportunity to thank the people of Bogal, who are always very helpful and come to my rescue whenever I run out of beads before the project is finished... Thank you, Gloria and Avishai for an excellent customer service!).

Once again I had a challenging (read: annoying) designing process with those Magatamas (mainly because of their large, diagonal holes), but I love them, and I didn't want to give up on the texture they add to the beadwork. I am very pleased with the result! The necklace is laying nicely around my neck and the bracelet is softly draping  my wrist.

Now all I have to do is to find something nice to wear that goes with this set, which is another challenge for me! I never had to match the clothes to the jewelry - it usually goes the other way around, right?... ;D

New Beaded Beads Necklace

I decided to design something new with sharp triangle beads. At first, I was trying to make a flat design (without much success), but somehow it evolved into these textured, self-supporting beaded beads...

I made one version of the beads with Swarovski crystals and combined them in this bold plum necklace. The other version, is a longer bead embellished with smaller triangles and used as a focal in the blue/pink necklace.

Summer 2011 - Heat, Health and Hope...

My Muse is gone.... It's probably the combination of July/August heat, my eyes getting tired too quickly and the excitement I feel about people's protest over the huge social-economic gaps that is taking place here in Israel in the last couple of weeks. Daily life worries and health problems can be a real turn off to any creativity sparkle... 

Last Saturday night, I joined the largest ever protest parade in Israel that took place in Tel Aviv, as well as in many cities throughout the country and in my town. I came back home all sweaty and tired, but my spirit was filled with fresh energy and hope. It was amazing to see (and be part of) a large group of good people making an effort in trying to make our life and our children's future better... It was a great reminder of how beautiful, united, supportive and strong Israeli people still are, even though this time the issue was not our complicated security situation, but about fighting social injustice and corruption - the main reasons for our domestic social problems ... I am looking forward to a real change, even if I know it would take more time and effort before we can feel it!... 

Okay, back to beady subjects... This necklace is the ONLY thing I created since my last post (I still haven't finished the bracelet I wanted to make to complete the set of necklace & earrings I created...). My inspiration for this necklace was one of Lisa Peter's Art beads, used for a wire wrapped pendant. The colorful beads in the necklace are Indonesian "trade" glass beads - beautiful, irregular shaped handcrafted & hand-painted striped large "seed beads", strung on orange cotton cord. 

New - Antique Silver Necklace with Crystal Pendant

I haven't done much beading in the past month. All these eye tests I had to make and the fact that even with my new multi-focal glasses (I had those replaced for me twice last month, but I still don't see 100% well with them), made me feel a bit nervous & depressed and made beading being an uncomfortable task. One eye test - which I feared the most about its results - came out (relatively) good :) , and the doctor said that even though the only treatment for the problem is laser eye surgery, it is up to me if I want to have it now, or I can wait and see if there are any changes in the next scheduled tests in every six months. I want to wait and see (pun intended ;) what happens... I am now using another new eyeglasses just for computer & beading work, and it works and feels much better. I am optimistic! :)

This is my newest necklace - herringbone rope with strung beads and a bead embroidered pendant with Swarovski crystal beautiful chessboard stone, and I also beaded matching stud earrings. I like how the necklace turned out - it reminds me of the silver jewelry my grandfather used to make. It has a bit of antique feel to it thanks to the beautiful Miyuki Duracoat #4222 seed beads I used for the main color. I started working on a matching bracelet about a week ago, but I got stuck with the design and my Muse has left me again, so it is still waiting, unfinished, on my beading tray...

Published in Creative Beading Vol. 6

I love the smell of the pages in a new book. Today I opened a large package received in the mail and before I finished unwrapping it, I noticed the special smell of a new book. It was Creative Beading Vol. 6 by Kalmbach Publishing - an annual book of collection of projects picked by Editors of Bead&Button magazine. Two of my designed are published in it: Layered Loops bracelet and Fine Woven Rings necklace.

Amongst the various sections and 77 projects included in this book, there are two beadwoven stunning necklaces by Melissa Grakowsky; beautiful wire wrapped earrings by Sonia Kumar; a gorgeous bead-embroidered cuff by Heidi Kummli; a very interesting "beadpunk" (steampunk with beads) necklace by Diane Hyde; a chainmaille & lampwork bead  collaboration bracelet by Kathy Peterson and Susan Matych-Hager, and many, many other beautiful designs in a large variety of styles and techniques!

Layered Loops Bracelet

  Fine Woven Rings Necklace