Gingerbread Star!

Seems like a long, long time has passed....wait...it's already 5 months since my last post!!!

Haven't been beading lately, but experimenting with patterns. And with my life.

Since I got a job in a big store in September, and I also continued with the German school, it's been impossible for me to do anything else. But I found some volunteers that tested my latest pattern and...

Without further ado...

What do you think?

The actual beadwork and the pic are from April Barnes, a customer that turned this last month into a helper and adviser, and I have to say it is good to be a little pushed from someone who likes your work.

Gingerbread cookies are really popular in Austria, their name is Lebkuchen and taste amazingly. You can't see all the details here, but a pattern will be soon released... just in time for Christmas!

EBW July Challenge: The Most Colorful Animals

Yes, I am alive! And, hear hear, I am finally partecipating to the monthly EBW challenge!
This month the theme is The Most Colorful Animals, and my mind couldn't stop thinking about this creature:

Source: Pinterest

I discovered the Mantis Shrimp thanks to The Oatmeal, and I suggest you all jump to his amazing website and read this infographic he created.
Stunning, isn't it?!
This little, amazing creature can break glass. Can you imagine that?!
So playing with CRAW I attempted to make a tiny Mantis Shrimp

and I came up with a wrap bracelet

I love how the tummy came out, even though this part is a work of fantasy

I promise better pics in the morning, in the meanwhile it's already dark in here and I had to rush to post this last minute creation.
Don't forget to jump on out team blog http://etsy-beadweavers.blogspot.co.at/ to vote for your favourite colored animal from the 5th July until the 16th!!!

Batik Dangles on Jewelry Affaire

------------Still hopping for the Bead Soup? HERE is my reveal!------------

I have been published on Jewelry Affaire for the second time, and also this time I have to wait further before my lovely BF brings me my copy of the magazine.
Here is a super cra**y-but-lovely-pic made with his cell:

Simple earrings chosen by the editor herself.
Can't wait to read the entire magazine, it is so luscious and interesting and hope to be part of it again!

Are you blue?

This is not definitely the time to be blue with this amazing spring weather, but what we mean here is, of course, the colour blue.
Yes, march challenge arrived and the Etsy Beadweavers members did their best to honor the theme

Looks like blue is everybody's favorite! 46 entries which will put you in a very difficult situation when the time to choose will come!
Head to our team blog to vote for your favorite blue creation, you have time until the 16th!

EBW Christmas

Christmas is almost there, but there is still plenty of time to make new decorations for your tree - and for yourself.
I'd like to show you what my fellow beadweavers (and myself) have to offer!
From me, you know I have a fixation with stars, so maybe you'll like my little penguin tutorial

you can have it on your tree or on your keys, it will bring a happy atmosphere! Also check his "friend" Santa here!

You can't miss this snowflake decoration tutorial from Crystalstargems

white, sparkly, and a bit edgy with its spike pendant.

Then let's have some gold with these cute bells and a pudding from Beadflowers,

who offers an amazing ebook to make these cuties.

Let's move to packaging with this gorgeous beaded box from Amethyst Ravenstar

I think the box alone is a wonderful present, perfect  to put your preciouses in a special place, or can be used as central piece on your Christmas table.

Let's talk about outfits. You should really wear something red on Christmas, especially if it is as festive as this amazing piece from Maewa

or this from Beauty Glamour Luba

Complete the look with some easy but beautiful earrings from Olga Terranova's tut

which you could also make as gift for your besties.
Did you get any good idea???
I hope so!
Check all the amazing items under EBW on Etsy to see more beauties!

EBW december challenge: "Out of this World"

This month we have a very sci-fi challenge from the Etsy Beadweavers Team.

Out of this World:
"In this theme, I ask you to be inspired by things that are “out of this world”. Whether you choose to explore elements of science fiction/fantasy or real world celestial bodies, the only requirement is that you let your imagination run wild and “aim for the stars”.

Extremely cool, right?!!
Go on our team blog and cast your vote, you have time to think about it and spread the word until the 16th as usual!

Beaded locket

Some weeks ago I bought an amazing pattern from Chloe Menage of Pinkhot.
It's a beaded locket!
These last days I finally had some time to make one

This is for my BF so I used grey and stole from a fellow beader the idea of putting a guitar on it (an old earring I had).
The pattern is so easy you ask yourself "why didn't I had this idea!" and it's really fast, but gives great satisfaction. The picture is trapped inside a beaded frame and the closure, for which I had so many fears, actually works without any struggle.
I am happy and definitely will make more!

Agate chips

I finally got back to beading something.
I have had so many occasions to buy beading material and was so excited and unpatient to use it, but as usual life had a different idea.
Without further ado, here are my new babies

which style you have obviously seen before, but I am now looking for new shapes and options on the bottom.

So, inspired from some crystal jewelry I had pinned, I tried to use some agate chips I had bought for a necklace.

Despite the weird shape, I love them.
Hope this juice will continue to flow and I'll get to use some stash pretty soon!

EBW October challenge: The Art of Geometry

Haven't been much around lately, but I couldn't miss the appointment with the Etsy Beadweavers team monthly challenge.
The October theme is "The Art of Geometry":

 "Artists have used geometry for centuries to create aesthetically pleasing works, whether it was a matter of determining proportions or using geometric shapes to create abstract designs. This challenge is an opportunity to participate in this grand artistic tradition. Geometry's concern with shape, size, area, and volume make it a resonant field for many forms of beadweaving, most notably those techniques for creating geometric shapes and structures out of beads.
Think broadly with your interpretation of this challenge theme - consider probing geometric issues of two- or three-dimensional beadwork, play with lines, angles, and shapes. Experiment with symmetry, explore the possibilities of repetition with tessellations, work with the geometric forms found in nature, or draw inspiration from classic works of art such as Leonardo da Vinci's Vitruvian Man."

Vote for your favorite until October 15th on our team blog!!!

A new capricho

Capricho means whim in spanish and it's really close to the italian word, which is "capriccio".
As you may know it is also a beautiful cuff made by Alex Unicornio, who shared the pattern on her blog.
It was on every beader's blog some time ago and I joined this madness making a rainbow version.
This week I decided to make another one in gold

I'm going to attend a wedding in a couple of weeks, I have a dark orange long dress and I suddenly pictured myself wearing a big, bold golden cuff to match my purse.
So I made this.

I didn't remember how easy and fast it was to make one.
I used cheap crystals (there are way too many!), but made a netted base with amazing silky metallic amber color Preciosa Ornela seed beads, and used size 15/0 Toho rainbow smoky topaz seed beads between the crystals to give some contrast.
I can't wait to wear it!
I need ideas for the earrings now!

Cute and cuddly, boys. Cute and cuddly!

Thinking about ice and cold really helps when it comes to such hot days.
So here is my new buddy, directly from the South Pole:

I've had him and a lot of other charachters in my mind for such a long time, and I hope little by little to write tutorials for all of them.
Here is the link to the tutorial.
He might give Santa some company...

P.S. a speciale thanks to my dear Ile for testing the tut!!!

EBW challenge Sea Adventures

This month couldn't have a more proper theme for the Etsy Beadweavers challenge:

"...thinking of hot summer days, vacations, and traveling by the sea or under the sea, whatever inspires you..."

Amazing creations ready to be admired one by one and voted until the 15th, as usual, on our team blog.
Don't waste time!

Another piece with Gaea giveaway

I used another amazing piece - a pendant - from the giveaway I won from Gaea.

You can see the first necklace I made with the beads here.

This  time I used this beautiful blue pendant and, as usual, I started with the oh-let's-keep-it-simple attitude and finished in the opposite way

I used some beautiful Czech glass beads from Maya Honey shop and added some beaded beads made with Picasso turquoise Superduo

completing with size 6 gold seed beads and some bronze delicas.

Now I have 1 more pendant from Gaea ... going to use it soon.

Tassel day

When I say tassel, I think about my grandma curtains and her crochet center-piece which is still on her beautiful table. They both have huge tassels which were forbidden for us kids (how can you not touch them?! They are irresistible).

This year is so full of tassel-ed jewelry, so I just followed the wave

Picasso Czech victorian bicones in yellow, my favorites, magenta glass pearls and matching leather tassel.

Maybe some day I'll make a 20's version of it, impossibly long.

In the meanwhile I used some leftovers from the Bead Soup and made another one in green/yellow

New necklace with Gaea beads

I finally used some of the beads I won on the Gaea giveaway.
Remember that?
I was so unsure on how to use them but I finally came up with something pretty different:

There are beaded beads made with both seed beads and Superduo beads, glass beads, Pandora beads and resin chain.

It's so comfortable and light! And I so love this color combo.
Still have to decide whether to sell it or keep it!

Summer makes you thirsty

Even though this summer is really windy and cool, it's always nice to drink some fresh soda and so I always have a nice amount of can tabs to play with.
I am so behind with my beading schedule, I still have used only a small part of all the neon beads I had ordered and feel so guilty about it, so here are some good old can tab earrings with my new UV active seed beads and farfalle beads from Preciosa Ornela

The nice shape of farfalle beads is perfect for these earrings!

Also, I can't help but loving the beautiful confetti finish on the tabs.

I am working on a grellow pair and also on a grellow bracelet - I bought some pretty things on the local market this morning. Here you can see just the beginning of it from the balcony of my room

Brindisi, Puglia: thursday local market

It's huge! It has the shape of a Pi (more or less) and you can find everything there. And it's quite cheap.
So many projects on my mind, so little time!

EBW July challenge: "Beautiful Summer Flowers"

This month the Etsy Beadweavers members are dealing with beaded flowers:

"The summertime with the sunny days and all beautiful flowers is full of energy like an engine for coming autumn and winter. It would be nice to create something new thinking about warm days. I live in wet Normandy so this kind of project keeps me warmer." 

There is always so much to learn from my fellow beaders, I am never tired to look at these beauties and try to understand how they made each detail of their item.

Voting was hard, but I did had my 2 favorites since the beginning.

Remember to stop by on our team blog and vote for your favorite, as usual you have time until the 16th!

More neon

A new bangle I just made mixing tubular peyote technique and simple stringing

I used both seed beads and big farfalle beads from the new Preciosa Ornela neon collection.
Don't you just love the decreasing effect from the thicker beaded rope to rhe size 11/0 beads?! I do.

I also had the smaller size of the farfalle beads, which I used to make these

They are thicker than usual and I love how the farfalle beads stick out from both sides.
Will make more experiments!

Spikey punk bracelet

These amazing orange Delica beads have an AB finish the pic doesn't catch

and I think they make the perfect contrast with the matte color of the spikes.

I just love the punk feeling it gives, mixed with this neon touch.

Kriszten bracelet

Even in the middle of a neon-colors-frenzy I can never forget my first love: red.

A beautiful bracelet designed by Eva Kovacs, who as usual shares amazing free pattern on her website

Takes less than an hour to make it and just the right amount of super duo beads - don't you just hate it when your beads are finished and your project isn't?!! 

This is not the case: I used less than 10gr of super duo.

And I just LOVE the picasso finish. 

I am going to try some other pattern really soon.