Holiday Treasures

The theme for the Etsybeadweavers November Challenge is "Holiday Treasures". When I think of Christmas I always think of the big family christmas' we used to have when we were kids. It was a time for the whole family to be together ... all the cousins catching up and having fun ... and of course there was the food. Oh my the christmas fare was to die for. My Aunties German cookies are always a fave, the Christmas Puddings that my mum cooks up, the Rum Balls, and I can't forget the Pav. Beautiful and crunchy on the outside, soft and gooey on the inside, and topped with cream and berries.

Hence my piece is a tribute to that Pavlova. Gorgeous handmade Lampwork cabs by Australian Lampwork Artist Anne Dundas, with her aptly named set "berries & cream". It also features are beautiful deep red dichroic cab as the centrepiece, surrounded by Swarovski Crystals and seedies. The colours remind me of that beautiful Pav and the berries. Yummo!!!!

It's been a while since I made a cuff, and I really must do another one soon ... I'd forgotten how much fun it is.

To see this, and all the other gorgeous entries for this Challenge, please visit the team blog, http://www.etsy-beadweavers.blogspot.com/  between the 9th and 15th and vote for your favorite entry.

Christmas Fare

Create Your Style Swarovski comp - 2010

Those of us that entered this year's comp have finally heard whether we've gotten through to the next stage - the final judging. I'm really stoked that my piece "Jardin des fleurs rouges" has made it through to the next round. Now we all have the mad rush to send our pieces in by the due date. I do want to say a hearty GOOD LUCK to all those that entered and have made it through to final judging ... let's hope they can't decide and award us all the trip to Fiji :)

Jardin des fleurs rouges

Rustic Earth

Edited to add - Finally thought of a name ... and I'm very happy to say that this is the one they chose :)

This is the third and final piece that I have made for my gorgeous family members to choose between for their mum. Turquoise just happens to be one of her favourite stones, and I had a couple of these big slabs of African Turquoise in my gemmie collection for quite a while ... just waiting for the right piece. After much starting, pulling apart, and starting again, this piece just wasn't happening ... so I did the other two pieces instead. Finally I decided that I needed more slabs to work with ... and lo and behold, inspiration hit. Why don't I go back to my first love? Wiring?

Nothing goes better with Turquoise than copper findings and wire.  I had good intentions of this piece being structured and the wire framing the beads .... that just wasn't going to work LOL. Structured and me just don't go together :). My wiring took on a more freeform nature, but also because I didn't want the wire to take anything away from the gorgeous African Turquoise ... and I think I achieve that.

The pillow beads are also African Turquoise - there's also a smattering of Swarovski Copper Pearls in there. I love this piece and I almost want to keep it for myself ....  :).