Goethe quote necklace

These last few weeks have been rainy, stormy, cloudy, windy or, in the best case dull. So yesterday I was looking outside the window, thinking about what an unhappy day Valentine's must have been for some people. I remembered a book from one of the top shelves in my library, about young Werther. It was in Greek, quite an old publication. And I began to read.

This is the book in its original German publication, the first print, in 1774 (image from Wikipedia). So, I suppose, if I wanted to make a jewelry piece with a quote from this book, it wouldn't be special if it was in Greek, or English. It would have to be in German, the language that Goethe wrote it in.

This is what I came up with. It is a gold heart locket, hanging from a black beaded choker. The locket reads 'Mein Herz habe ich allein', the phrase that struck me as quite strong and which I felt like using for this piece. The necklace is available here.

Not for timid bodies

In a room—empty, small, four walls only,
covered with green cloth—
a beautiful chandelier burns, all fire;
and in each of its flames a sensual fever,
a lascivious urge, glows with heat.

In the small room, radiantly lit
by the chandelier’s hot fire,
no ordinary light breaks out.
Not for timid bodies
the rapture of this heat.

Translated by Edmund Keeley/Philip Sherrard

(C.P. Cavafy, Collected Poems. Translated by Edmund Keeley and Philip Sherrard. Edited by George Savidis. Revised Edition. Princeton University Press, 1992)

A few weeks ago I discovered some links from a vintage gold gilt chandelier. They were bright gold and just way too beautiful to be thrown away, they had this wonderful palmette decorative motif, so I put them inside the box for when the inspiration would be right. And a couple of days ago, I came across this poem by Cavafy, called 'Chandelier'. If you read Greek, here it is in the original:

Σε κάμαρη άδεια και μικρή, τέσσαρες τοίχοι μόνοι,
και σκεπασμένοι με ολοπράσινα πανιά,
καίει ένας πολυέλαιος ωραίος και κορώνει·
και μες στη φλόγα του την καθεμιά πυρώνει
μια λάγνη πάθησις, μια λάγνη ορμή.

Μες στην μικρή την κάμαρη, που λάμπει αναμένη
από του πολυελαίου την δυνατή φωτιά,
διόλου συνειθισμένο φως δεν είν’ αυτό που βγαίνει.
Γι’ άτολμα σώματα δεν είναι καμωμένη
αυτής της ζέστης η ηδονή.

(Από τα Ποιήματα 1897-1933, Ίκαρος 1984)


Then it suddenly struck me. I had the finished piece in front of me in a few seconds. And I got to work.

I think the result looks sultry and provocative, just like the poem is. I love how an architectural salvage, like this chandelier chain link, gives this piece its character and is then quietly complemented by the black brass chain and the black Czech glass bead. Its provocative element is thus even more stressed! 'Not for timid bodies' indeed...

What do you think?

Nike Victorious

Nike Victorious by amoronia featuring a hard case clutch

Black Chain Earrings

For this pair I used a couple of old bracelet connectors and pieces of black chain. It is a one of a kind item. And I think it suits the new AW11-12 fashion trends perfectly! There's this fluidity of the chain, there's the length of the earrings (which is not overwhelming though), there's the black and the silver colour which create just the perfect contrast, there's the simplicity, the darkness, the 'kinkiness' or 'bondage' of the interlinked rings and the geometry that will be seen ALOT this coming season. Sterling silver ear hooks.

Find these earrings here.

 

Linked to Our Creative Spaces

Love Unconquerable in Battle Necklace with Vintage Black Lace Ribbon

 Love Unconquerable in Battle Necklace with Black Lace

This necklace is a OOAK. It is done in a black metal frame, and there is no closure to the ribbon. You simply tie it around your neck -or have someone else tie it for you...

The Black and Yellow Mosaic

blank folded modern card

tie me up tie me down skirt

custom party hats 

Bold polymer clay ring

Love Unconquerable in Battle in Nude and Black

I decided to make my popular Sophocles quote necklace in a longer version, to go with all the latest fashion trends! Plus, nude and black is an amazing color combination, classic, elegant and yet so now!

Love Unconquerable in Battle, Sophocles, Antigone, Greek Quote Necklace in Nude and Black, Long, OOAK

 

Notice the long, crocheted cord detail...  Just imagine wearing this with a lace dress or a flowing silk top... Superb!

Mardi Gras Carnival Inspired: Crocheted Wire Necklace with Reclaimed Beads

Today it's been raining in such a charming way... Very inspiring! So what better way to use some multi-colored semi-precious stone beads (chips actually), that had come off an old pair of summer sandals, than to create a crocheted wire necklace, also throwing in some black vintage czech glass beads?

This is the result:

I love how random and relaxed this necklace looks, with chips and faceted beads here and there adding a variety of texture, which looks so good with crocheted wire! I can almost feel the Carnival coming up...!

A week full of recycling projects...

... and there's more.

A friend has this obsession with expensive, designer clothes. Her wardrobe is currently worth a fortune -literally. The other day, however, she came to me with a t-shirt that she has always found not to be flattering on her. Why she bought it on the first place is another story... That piece of clothing was indeed strange: the fabric did not justify its price, as it was definitely not good quality, but there were some stunning crystals and rhinestones sewn onto it here and there, in patterns. These looked expensive, to say the least.

So we decided to cut off the embroidered, beaded parts with the fabric, and then I made a ring and a brooch -to start with. I am saving the rest of the stones for different projects. Here they are:

Ring

Brooch

As you can see, I added some black fabric at the back of the beaded - embroidered pieces of the t-shirt, and then sewed everything onto a ring base, for the ring, and a pin for the brooch. Well, you can't actually see the pin in these photos, but it's there, hahaa!! I hope you like them.

I have already begun work on my next recycling project, but it will be the subject of another post... I promise!