27.4.10 My 1st Publication In Print - The Flame Tree Flowers Earrings

About almost a year ago (27.5.09), overwhelmed from the magnificent Brachychiton acerifolius blooming in my surrounding, I decided to immortalize that moment by beading flowers that will not wither.

This is how the Flame Tree Flowers Earrings were born.

Today, I got 2 copies of the Jun/Jul 2010 Bead&Button magazine, issue #97. One of them with a kind note, that something I might be interested in appears on p.48:

and indeed very interesting ;-)

As you can see, I prepared several versions in order to test if my instructions were correct and how I could improve the design.

I can't express how much I appreciate the work done by the B&B team from the very beginning of all this process till the moment I got the earrings back.

When I saw the 1st draft revised by the Editor Julia Gerlach who tested my project, I had one thing in mind. How PROFESSIONAL you are! No words and just a pleasure to work with people like these that know how to present and write so nicely, clearly and concise.

This is my first ever publication and this leaves me with a good feeling. I never managed to publish when I was in Plant Science Research, so this is for me a great opportunity to compensate on that with this article :-)

Additionally, it was great to receive B&B newsletter and see the promotion of my earrings handmade by Julia Gerlach:

Finally, I surely hope you will enjoy beading them and surprise me with your versions of it!

17-21.4.10 Baroque Spades Necklace Inspired by Varda's Netted Necklace

My friend Varda kindly sent me a scheme of a netted necklace she had designed. I haven't seen the necklace yet, but she asked me to try the scheme and tell her how it goes.
I opened the file and saw the first row, which seemed to me at 1st sight to be the whole necklace. I made one element and found it very nice. However, it looked to me too "simple" to repeat this element to the circumference of the neck. A flow of ideas ran through my mind and I decided to flew with them to finally come up without too much hurdles with my own design of the necklace you can see above.
Ammusingly, while chatting with Varda, I discovered I had actually missed the 3/4 of the scheme and related only to the 1st row out of 6 or 7 of them!
Thanks a lot Varda for being a source of inspiration to me!
I gave the necklace today to Nomnom for her coming birthday and another excuse for celebration... She will have to buy some purple clothes now - I know she is not so much excited about that ;-) ...

16.4.10 From Hirbe Farage to Har Bental, Har Keta (Nahal Nimrod), Daphna Memorial Monument, back to Beit Dagan

Larnus Beetle

בורדן בוהק Syntomis mestralii

Thymelicus lineola (?) הספרית

טריכודית 4 הנקודות Trichodes quadriguttatus

מרווה כחולה Salvia indica L.

Lytta (?)

Embia (?) on
סחלבן החורש Cephalanthera longifolia

סחלבן החורש Cephalanthera longifolia

סחלב אנטולי Orchis anatolica

שמשונית הטיפין Xolantha guttata

אנדרטה לזכר 73 לוחמי אסון המסוקים - גן 73 הסלעים
Memorial monument for 1997 Israeli helicopter disaster

4.4.10 Journey in the Sataf with the nephews

בן סחלב צריפי Anacamptis pyramidalis

בן סחלב צריפי Anacamptis pyramidalis

סחלב שלוש השיניים Orchis tridentata

עלית זהובה Smaragdina viridina

Picture taken by my nephew Gavriel (9 years old)
wild bee on a Cistus salviifolius

2-3.4.10 Loop Baby Toy Teether for Neta

I didn't find the proper time to realize the original idea I had in mind with this hand teether, so I had to find something quick and "sure". I had in my "to do" list this loop baby toy, kindly shared by Amy Herbst here, which turned out to be a great choice for that same short time.

It took me about 4 hrs of work.
When finished, I went to Ravelry to see other projects done for this loop baby toy and found a beautiful knitted version by A lliLucy, also posted on her pretty blog. Good idea to try it in knitting for the future in case I try to make another one.