24-27.1.10 Brighton

CENTRIM, University of Brighton

Brighton Center
A view on the magnificent Royal Pavilion of King George IV:

Unfortunately I didn't have the time to visit it, but thanks to Yoram, I even had the chance to make some "Beads Shopping" in the last minute ;-) at The Brighton Bead Shop (bead sun limited).

10-11.1.10 Surprise Birthday presents, Watches recycling and the Blue Pitaya Earrings for Dvorah

Sis Dvorah is going to be 35 years old in 11 days. Her oldest adorable child and her husband are preparing her a surprise party tomorrow.

It's been months since Dvorah gave me some watches she asked me to fix. I was quiet reluctant and kept postponing it.
Recently, Mom brought me Dvorah's bead collection she used to have as an adolescent, while playing with polymer clay jewels she was making.
I can't believe I managed yesterday to fix the watches thanks to beads' "recycling" and also repaired a pendant that Mom asked me to. What a relief!!! I am not sure the watches look better now, but at least she can put them on.
Now the thing is that the blue watch was an example, or "archetype" Dvorah gave me in order to repair the pink one in the same way of stringing and size (an elastic thread was originally used, which didn't last too much, as expected and many beads were lost).
Dad gave me a hint that I can make my sister earrings for her birthday and reminded me she likes the blue ( how can I forget?? :-]). Since all this happened so quickly, I had left only two days to prepare something. So I decided to make the Pitaya earrings (designed by Mariposa, as I have made recently), but was missing something to decorate or elongate it. Eureka! Two of the beads from the blue watch fits perfectly to the Pitaya earrings. So I did something I am not used to and unpicked the "archetype" watch, repaired it and took the beads I wanted for the earrings :-)
Now, I hope she will like it and not kill me ;-)

Last, some new beads I bought on Friday in Jerusalem, in the Avgad store, probably for future earrings....

12.1.10
The party was nice, but surprisingly Dvorah didn't seem surprised?! To make the long story short, it happens that she organized herself a surprise party with full cooperation of her oldest son, so you can just guess whose surprise it was ;-)

4.3.09 Funny Coincidation

I had a great day today, full of adventures :-)

It started with this strange coincidation, when I was looking on the map of Tel-Aviv/Ramat Gan to plan my itinerary. I suddenly saw that there is a street called Judith overthere, but this is not so exciting because also in Jerusalem you will find a Judith St and probably also in other cities of Israel. The exciting thing was that it meets the Beads St which is just next to the "Beads Park"???!!! Haaaaahhh...?I haven't been yet to any of these places, but this is quiet amusing. Additionally, it is approximate to the prestigious Shenkar art School!
I am too lazy to tell the rest, I guess it's not so interesting for you either. Just to summarize that I was really happy and surprised to find some beads I had asked to order from a bead shop in Ramat Gan and never been notified they had arrived. I found cool clothes in ridiculous prices and now I have a new set of vivid clothes in my guarderobe, for winter AND summer ( need to make some room for these ;-) ) lime green, witch purple, peach etc... Youpi :-)

Ciao for the moment dear friends!

18-21.2.09 Pastoral and Snowy Passau via Munich Metropolis

A view from the garden in the Mathematics and Informatics Department of Passau University, Germany.
Passau at sunset.
It's snowing! Passau University.
Hep, an impossible tetrahedron? One day I should try it again, making it truly infinite...

Beautiful 3D Geometrical shapes. Mathematics and Informatics Department, Passau University. Gwen, you would like it!
A look from the Mathematics and Informatics Department's garden. Passau University.

The important street where you will find the BEADs STORE! Rindermarkt 10, Passau.
Beads, beads and of course, more beads.
I entered this warm Perlenwelt beads shop from the beautiful and cold snowy weather outside. To my surprise, I found in this beautiful shop a various choice of Ayala Bar Magnific Jewelry. I felt quiet proud for her. It's ashame I couldn't communicate properly with the beads seller, but luckily enough, a kind Austrian visitor came to my help with her useful German/English translation. There were plenty of special beads in that store, very nicely exposed. I especially liked all the special Nature organic seeds. There were also some special crocheted gloves with inserted swarovsky crystals, beads from all over the world and very aesthetic vitrines.

Nice vitrine with beaded Jewelry. Harald Eggenberger, Grabengasse 29, Passau.
Beautiful Shop vitrine with the famous Brezel or Pretzel or בייגלך, Passau. They really know how to decorate the window displays. Look at these wonderful colours!
You can also visit the Think! website, if you like these shoes.

A food recommendation in Passau. Go to the Bräustüberl Hacklberg‎ (Bräuhausplatz 7, Passau) and take the duck or goulash soup. Prices are very reasonable and the bier is excellent, tasting like a light juice.

A goodbye picture from the neighborhood of the Atrium Hotel.
Pastel colours all around.
This last picture is from Munich, which is the BIG city. I found there a small heaven. A shop called "Kunst und Spiel GmbH" (Leopoldstr. 48 - D-80802 München) where you can find original industry or handmade designs and plenty of craft supplies and amazing German books on Crochet, Knitting, Beadwork, Felting, Origami and much more. The thing is I almost forgot myself there, when I noticed the light was off suddenly. Almost locked in a German store - which might not be such a nightmare in such a place, I had to rush and decide what to buy in 3 mn. Finally, they wouldn't accept any credit card, only cash or cheques. I gave up for the silky felt and took 2 amazing books on felting.

Tschüss my friends!

9.12.08 "Crazy Little Things" expo by Sarah Hornik

Varda and myself went today to have some beady fun day, having some shopping in Tel-aviv bead stores and ending in a visit to the Yaniv Glass Gallery, where we could see in real the legendary lampwork beads made by Sarah Hornik.
The small expo is called: "Crazy little things". Not much beads were exposed and the beads are very nice - some of them amazing. However, we were a bit disappointed. The reason, that I suspected of before going, is that Sarah knows to picture so well her beads, with the proper light - that when you see them in a regular light or no special light, they loose a lot from their charm. It's not that they are not wooow, they are still amazing, but not as they appear in her blog or site. I know, it's a matter of light , maybe someone could have a start up by coupling internal light into a lampwork bead, wouldn't that be fantastic?

In a small room, we could find other glass treasures. I especially liked the glass works of Ana Gautier. I still wonder about her name, I think she is a Russian-Israeli but the family name is so French?! Nevermind, she has a very special glass technique, producing a net of glass spaghetti. I fell in love with her earrings, though I would gladly have them in an opaque colour. If I could efford it, I would buy her ball in balls necklace - which is so special! See her at work (image 2 of 14), working on a common project with Ayala Serfaty.

Finally, I saw for the first time in reality, the masterpieces lampwork necklaces of Rachel Goldreich (or Rachelle). I was left with open mouse. What joy, spring and colours in her work. Additionally, she is such a modest and kind person.

At last, that was the story of our journey, we came back home full of beads from all the year's end sales and now I need to buy new boxes to arrange them :-[

29.6.08 Recent Presents from Mom and Dad

Masada lampwork amphores.

Tiny Japaneese Charlottes from Paris ("Tout A Loisirs") and some delicas.

26.3.08 I don't have a name for it

Svetlana daffodils

Visiting Svetlana's site, my closest multiply contact, I was surprised to see her latest amazing new necklaces. I especially liked her remarkable daffodil necklace:

http://reijo.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/upload/R9mEzAoKCp8AACsahJQ1

http://reijo.multiply.com/journal/item/80/Daffodil_necklace

The reason I was surprised is because I also tried to make one of Petersen's daffodils in January 2008. It was funny to see how each of us (Svetlana, my friend Varda and myself) created something else while being inspired by Petersen's daffodils.

http://bp0.blogger.com/_-82rXmNxudo/R1bSmCpUDpI/AAAAAAAAAbM/4pvs4FcK1c0/s1600-h/foreverspring.bmp

Since my daffodil remained orphelin, I am waiting to create for him a new family, so that I can show it to you.

Anyway, I think Svetlana should publish a book. She is giving such rich and interesting information about all kind of beadwork issues. It's a pleasure to be in her site. I wish I could help her making this book :=))

You can also look at the touching swap she has done with her friend Ingeborg:
http://reijo.multiply.com/journal/item/79/A_necklace_for_a_woman_who_so_much_loves_flowers

http://reijo.multiply.com/journal/item/81/Id_like_to_boast_a_bit_

http://ingeborglovesflowers.multiply.com/journal/item/39/Talking_about_FLOWER_POWER

Weekend pictures

Some weekend inspiring pictures maybe to encourage my self "stuck bead-muse". My niece Tamar behind gentle white flowers:

and magnificent magenta and yellow-gold flowers which I don't know the name :(

Beads beads beads and more beads....

I went on Sunday to buy some beads in Jerusalem. Though the shop was supposed to be closed because of Pourim - I was kindly authorized to get inside. I bought many drops and some Rocailles (size 15). However, I didn't find the orange colours I was looking for, the prices were very elevated and I was urged to finish my purchase because they had to do some renovation in the store. So it's better to do shopping online, but there is nothing like seeing in reality the beads colours, shapes and size...

Micromacrame

I encountered for the first time the Micromacrame (without knowing this name) in a bead store in Tel-Aviv, in which I saw an AMAZING black necklace made mostly with knots. I was in love from first sight... I remember it had a donuts in the middle and it had some chineese knotted balls. They told me there they have a "knotting workshop" but I couldn't afford that at that time. A dream was born in my mind in that moment and this is to learn how to do such beauties. This is still a dream, however today, I am much closer to realize that dream and now I can even call it more simply an "ambition". I have the book and I have also got the cords :=))) Youraii!

I started by buying few months ago the book of Joan Babcock "Micromacrame Jewelry". This is a great book and Joan is explaining there very clearly things that I believe are hard to explain and describe on a paper sheet.

http://www.joanbabcock.com/Order/MMJ01/MMJ01_Order.html

It's been months I am planning to buy cords for trying the art of micromacrame. Every once and there I am checking the stores in which I happen to go, to see if they have those cords. Unfortunately, most of our stores in Israel don't even know about the art of Micromacrame. We are a small country with many things but not everything (as I can imagine someone will find in the USA, specially for crafts supply)...

No worry of course, you will find almost everything you look for in the net. Internet is such a blessed and genius thing.

So I looked for the micromacrame cords with the help of the book introduction about the threads to use and I found several sites selling them, with all kinds of trademarks.

Finally, I decided to buy C-lon cords from Marion Hunziker-Larsen's site and I was very satisfied with that purchase:

http://www.store.jewelsinfiber.com/nylon.html

The prices are good, the site is very easy to use, it is clear and nicely-made and the cords colours were wonderful and almost the same as in the site's pictures. Finally, I got the package at home within one week only! This time, I was absolutely satisfied with my transaction. It was a joy to open all that small boxes, each one with a number and see all these threads arranged by colour! I felt like a happy child getting a present she really wished to. I looked like a big Smiley.
Let me show off with my new toys (the picture is a bit distorted, but you can still have a glance):

Naki's netted flower spiral virtual workshop

Yesterday was full with tidying and arrangements, I also gave my first virtual workshop on Naki's netted flower spiral! Amazing, all this technology possibilities... You can do almost everything from home! The girls liked it and I am glad they found it clear. Even Birgit (Fofinha) did a great job:

http://fofinhas-perlenstuebchen.blogspot.com/2008/03/nakis-netted-flower-spiral.html

7.2.08 A set for Neora

It's been a while that I wanted to prepare something for Omer's mom.
Now, I finally had the opportunity to do it, while the "family day" we had this week was just an excuse for that.
I started with the russian leaves earrings I learned from Pnina and I also wanted to prepare a ring that will suit in order to make a small set.
I started with a simple tubular peyote stitch and ended up with the idea to add as a motif of the ring "Tali's button" (which appears in a bracelet she has done in the following link http://talibeads.canalblog.com/albums/bracelets/photos/21002831-reversible.html). I actually don't know if it's her design, but I surely know she gave an extremely clear diagram for it. I saw Varda's version to it on the same morning and I really liked it. Varda told me it's quiet simple and quick. Indeed, it was so and I just had to pick up triangle beads instead of the hexcuts that I didn't have.
Varda and I spent a great day shopping around "Tel-Aviv Bead Center" or as we call it, "the triangle" (like the bermuda triangle, swallowing women into it and also for being a counterpoint between three streets). That day was full of beads and I felt quiet efficient.

Neora got the present and seemed to be happy. The colour was a good match and the ring suited one of her fingers!
The pictures were taken in Bat Shlomo and it was a big fun feeling so close the spring arriving. I love so much the spring! It is the most beautiful season that can be.

23.11.07 Mom and Dad Birthday's presents

Among the presents I received from my dears, Mom bought for me this year, a birthday present in Paris. It was covered with orange "papier de soie", like a big candy. It reminds me of a Hanuka present I got about 25 years ago in Nice, in the Jewish school Hanuka party. I think this giant candy filled many good dreams I had since then:


And in the picture below you can see the moment every child is waiting for:
Sometimes, I miss this age :)

Mom wanted to give me the present immediately when she came back from Paris - but I asked her to wait and give it to me only on my real birthday date. Dad was so curious, he couldn't wait, but I insisted.

The big moment arrived and I opened this orange candy. I found inside a beautiful jewels-stand and some lampwork beads from "La rue des Rosiers" (Paris):

On the other hand, I sent Dad to bought for me 60 excellent plastic jars for my beads in Etz Hachaim 79 St, Mahane Yehuda - Jerusalem. He decided he is offering them to me for my birthday. I even had the time to make some order and fill some of them! I was waiting to do it for months...