The royal forest

This is a present for my mother. She had a birthday a few days ago. I used a chrome diopside cabochon, rivoli Swarovski and Miyuki 24k beads

This is my new work, "the Iris Fairy" collar. The legend says, there was a beautiful goddess of rainbow - Iris. She walked on the rainbow, and where the rainbow fell, the flowers grew - and people called them irises.
I used rivoli Swarovski, Japanese beads, a beautiful charoite cabochon, and a metallic fairy pendant - a gift from the fellow beader)

I had some free time yesterday, so I've beaded a simple pendant. It is rather expensive - because I used Delica 24k, rivoli Swarovski, and one unusial thing - a pendant and a chain made of 585 gold. It was a gift from my Mother a couple of years ago, but I didn't wear it, because I prefer to wear my beaded jewelry. But now, I'm going to wear it for sure!

To be honest, I don't like winter at all. It is cold, windy and snowy, but it sure is beautiful, and it inspires me with its wonderful picturesque views:)
Here is my new bracelet, inspired by many snowflakes. The snowflake in the middle is of my own design, and the chain is taken from the B&B magazine. I used Miyuki Delica and Rocailes, Czech crystal beads and also Swarovski crystals.

I did my best to win in the Haute Couture Beading contest, but I guess I'll be lucky next time) Still I'm glad that my compatriot Olga Haserodt (now she lives in Germany but she was born in Russia) won - her work was very beautiful and original. By the way, I was very surprised that there was only 1 winner and so many prizes just for him - couldn't they make some honourable mention prizes?.. There were so many beautiful noticeable works, that were worth it.
A couple days ago I've finished a new collar. I'm not sure how to name it, my fantasy wanished:) I just call it "The Ruby Flower".

The time runs so fast.. I was going to take a part in Haute Couture Beading contest, to prepare a lot of works.. But all I could bead in time was this very collar. I called it "Ivory Dream"

And here is that haute couture dress that inspired me:
This wonderful dress has caught my eye at once. It's really hard to describe my feelings when I see this dress -
something light as a feather or a white cloud, soft and smooth as silk, glowing gently as a pearl, with accurate lines as spires of gothic churches... So I did my best to show my feelings and emotions in this collar.

Sorrow

It is really sad when our relatives pass away... My grandmother died last Saturday. I can't believe it even now.. She will be buried this Wednesday.. She was very ill, and the doctors said in the hospital that it was a miracle that she was still alive. Now I have no grandparents at all. Firstly I coudn't feel anything and I didn't cry at all, and only today the tears came. I can't imagine that I won't see her again. I'm so afraid that I will burst into tears when I see her there in the coffin..
Maybe it will seem strange to someone, but I have beaded all this sad time. This collar is dedicated to my beloved grandmother.. I will always remember her. Here it is:
"My crystal dreams"

New pendants

Finally my practise at school is over. The children are so noisy and naughty! I'm tired of them. But now I have more than a month of free time - I can bead as much as I want. And here are my new works:
1. Pendant "Strawberry flowers"2. Pendant "Amethyst eyelashes"

Today I feel good, even very good... I have been ill for about three weeks, and now I can go to the university again. But today begins my weekend (as I have no lessons on Friday), and I have some spare time for beading. During my illness, I made two new beautiful green things:
1. Collar "Tears of the Elven princess"

2. Pendant "Green Eye".

I don't know why but now I'm in love with the green colour:)))

Study and disappointment

Today is the 7th September, and the 7th day of my study. I have a lot of new teachers this year - actually, I knew only two of them. We have 3 German teachers, and three English teachers as well - each for Grammar, Speaking and Reading. And each of them demands to do a lot of homeworks(( Also, I'll have to write two course works in this year, to have a two-months practise in one of the schools in Gatchina, where I'll teach English and German to the young learners. In January, in the winter session, I'll have to pass 3 exams, and some credits - 7 or 8, I can't tell for sure. So this year will be quite difficult, and I won't have any chance to relax, and even for beading.
As for my life, I went to Lesha and Olgas' wedding, I gave them my beaded mice, they loved them very much)) Also I gave Olga a beautiful bracelet, but she even didn't try it on... That was a great disappointment, because I spent a lot of best Japanise beads on it, and I've been beading it for a whole night long before the wedding. I even didn't manage to photo it one the hand, because I had no time for that. Here it is... I will really miss him((( I think that I wasted it for nothing - Olga hardly thanked me for it...