All the Pretty Things

7000 Bracelets Blog Hop

2012-02-25T00:01:00.092-05:00

The day is finally here! As you can remember, we were supposed to create bracelets - with blue in them.

After going through my stash of beads a number of times without getting the proper idea, one day it just came to me: a Shambhala bracelet. A symbol of peace, tranquillity and happiness - exactly what I am for when creating my pieces, and exactly what the families of the children will need!

To test my abilities (I have done one long time ago - it seems to be a skill similar to bike riding: once you learn it, you'll never forget it!) I used the only blue beads with large enough holes that I had in my household at the time - this is the first bracelet:

Love at first sight! Quickly went to the store and got another set of blue glass beads; they have to be blue, otherwise I have a number of suitable beads: purple, green.... no blues... you'd think the way I love blue I would hoard them. I figured out that as soon as I get something blue I make it immediately in a wearable piece :)

This is the 2nd Shambala bracelet:

I meant to do a few more - maybe next time (at least I'm optimistic!).

Instead, I have decided to add a couple of charms: Angels - I'll be using them this week for Martzishor (read more about our beautiful tradition here) and I made more, just in case.

This was my try at the 7000 Bracelet Blog Hop - I'd love to hear what you think about it!
Please check below the other participants - and make sure you visit them!

Elysian Studios and One Kiss Creations	The Studio Sublime	Crafty Hope
The Gossiping Goddess	SilverRose Designs	Firefly Visions
Pink Chapeau Vintage Jewelry	Michelle Mach	Pine Ridge Treasures
Backstory Beads	Adventures in Creativity with Lorillijean	Carefree Jewelry by Lisa
Sue Beads	MiShel Designs	Created Treasures
Taralinda Muses	My Life Under The Bus	Elizabeth Creates
SilverNikNats	Erin Siegel Jewelry	Carolyn’s Creations
My Life…one bead at a time	Fresh Baked Designs	Songbeads
Sunshine Bliss	Lori Anderson	Rainy Days Designs
Pat Barden Jewelry	Tell Your Girlfriends	Therese's Treasures
Windrock Studio	Bead Lola Bead	Spice Box Designs
Antiquity Travelers	Vitamin C...A Daily Dose of Creativity	Beads and Bread
Sharyl's Jewelry and Reflections	Ahtee's Blog	Thoughtful-Notions
Beads for Brains:365	Wild Sally Road	All The Pretty Things
Skye's Creative Chaos	My Addictions...Handcrafted Jewelry by Patti	Lindy's Designs
Falling Into The Sky	Curry Chaos	Mama's Got to Doodle
10KDgroup

The fortunes (in the cookies) (2)

2012-02-24T07:00:00.002-05:00

Last week I found this little papers I've been saving God knows why or what for... the fortunes from the fortune cookies. This is the second part.

Honour yourself and others will honour you too (unfortunately very few people are able to teach you this one!)

Hand that touch (sic!) this fortune shall have no more worry (I wish)

Speak softly and sweetly (OK, I got it the first time... and seriously, have you heard me talking? If go any softer I'll be quiet... or maybe this is the message? :))

How much deeper would the ocean be without sponges (huh?!)

There are three ingredients in the good life: learning, earning, and yearning (hehe... )

To have peace is to increase fortune and longevity (errr... no... it is as simple as to tell your family you left to get groceries and instead lock yourself in the bathroom with a glass of wine and a book)

The calling that has sounded will not be the lasting call (if you say so...)

Today your charm will have them singing like birds (maybe I should hop on twitter quickly?!)

An exciting opportunity lies ahead if you are not timid (I believe the opportunity lies regardless of my shyness... the ability of me grabbing it - well, that's another story)

Your greatest asset is not the quantity of your friends, rather the quality of your friends (yup... figured that one about 25 years ago)

42.7% of all statistics are made up on the spot (is this part of the 42.7?)

You should be able to undertake and complete anything (well, let's not get over ourselves - I can't see how I can undertake becoming an astronaut... never mind completing it!)

Did you ever get a fortune cookie with a funny / true / spooky message?!

Let's party! (Mardi Gras)

2012-02-23T07:00:00.018-05:00

Since I started this blog I've been looking forward to Mardi Gras time - since I have a perfect piece for it, aptly named (what else?!) 'Mardi Gras' :)

Back when I started to work with polymer clay I was trying various techniques and I had the foresight to use colour that will work together very very well - until I ended up with an assortment of very un-assorted beads. Not one to throw anything out (see Friday's post, I am unable to throw even fortune papers :)) I laid them in front of me and they happily yelled at me "Carnival! Let's party!"

Who am I to argue with the beads?! This is how it comes to you today: Mardi Gras, one of the happiest gayest and most musical piece I've ever made. It dances with you, it sings to you the samba, it is bright and shiny and the perfect accessory for that colourful fancy party :)

I love it to pieces and I had the most fun wearing it - my next goal is to create the Glass Mardi Gras (more practice required, granted).

Happiness revealed

2012-02-22T07:00:00.000-05:00

Nature’s beauty can be easily missed -- but not through Louie Schwartzberg’s lens. His stunning time-lapse photography, accompanied by powerful words from Benedictine monk Brother David Steindl-Rast, serves as a meditation on being grateful for every day.

Louie Schwartzberg is an award-winning cinematographer, director and producer who captures breathtaking images that celebrate life -- revealing connections, universal rhythms, patterns and beauty

(from TED)

New projects

2012-02-21T07:00:00.009-05:00

Sometimes I wonder if it's curiosity or what else that pushes me to try new techniques, new ideas, new media every few months. Since I've started making jewelry I have tried polymer clay (love it, want to try PMC now :)), wire crochet (I always loved crochet, more than knitting), knotting, wire wrapping and many more.

Back in December I have finally approached one of my oldest and dearest dreams: working with glass. I got it somewhat sideways: through stained glass. I learned it's not impossible to work it - actually it was a lot easier than I originally thought. I love that I am now able to create various projects for myself, my family and friends (no, don't look for me selling stained glass anytime soon, not going to happen... or not too soon - never say never ;))

And 2 weeks ago, while in the local bead store I stroke a conversation with the nice lady, I was asking about PMC classes anywhere in the city - when she mentioned they are opening a lampwork studio right here! Oh, wow - something I've been asking them forever (the sister-store has one). I booked a lesson for Sunday - and here I am: I have tried lampworking!

Not only that - I loved it! I will get my first beads today (pictures on an update later in the week) - I am so excited I am going to get there at lunch time, most likely :) And I have 2 extra hours of studio left - and tons of things to practice on... can't wait! (can you tell I am excited?!)

I still have a few techniques I want to try by myself, and a few I need a course in - what I love is that our city is starting to grow into arts and crafts more and more.

So far my bucket list of techniques / media to try looks like this:

polymer clay - checked, love it
glass painitng - checked, really loved it - which brought me to... (the next step):
stained glass - checked, love it
lampwork - checked, love it
PMC - to do
serious wire work - to practice (I have a design I've played in my head for over a month now... it's time to practice it, right?)
silversmithing - to do
wood working - to do (this would be for fun only, I have respiratory problems and there is no way I will be able to live in a studio full of wood dust... although there is little I enjoy more than the smell and feel of wood! but I must try it, nonetheless)
watercolour - to do (as in to take a course, I used to paint when I was young, it wasn't something studied... I feel I need someone to talk to me, reading is not good enough in this case)
enameling - to do

Are there any techniques / media you can think of that I missed?
I really want to try them all. Am I crazy?!

Purple Universe (2)

2012-02-20T07:00:00.000-05:00

It is February so it's only fit I will present you various amethyst pieces I've created - Amethyst is February birthstone, after all.

Taking its powers from the mystical colour (or his colours from the mystical power - who knows?!), amethyst is used as a protection stone. That wasn't on my mind when I designed this new Purple Universe (I might have a fascination with Purple Universes, remember the polymer clay version?).

On my mind was the beautiful, almost magical combination of sterling silver and purple, with some hints of aqua. It spoke of some old legends, those typical Celtic legends when the good is not perfect, and the evil can sometimes be converted to good. It spoke of transformations more profound than the one we usually witness - as the feel of the cold precious metal and stone and crystal on your skin is subtly changing into warmth. It spoke of Yin and Yang, of extremes finally founding a balance.

It makes me think this is how the Universe looks like: silent and beautiful, with big stars and planets on an almost invisible silvery orbit around something unique: you!

With its 40 inches length, the necklace is a versatile piece and can be worn in double strand during the day or become a beautiful opera necklace for the evening. Likewise, it can complement any type of attire: a casual dress, a business suit, and an evening gown. Tip - if you have a fabulous back and a gown to show it (with no back) you can wear this piece draped along your back instead of your front.

A gorgeous piece made of Swarovski crystals and Amethyst beads lightly woven on a sterling silver swage chain, the Purple Universe is not only a piece of jewelry, it is a splendid poem whispered in your ear, adorning a stylish romantic women.

The fox and the fence

2012-02-19T07:00:00.020-05:00

fox saw lots of chickens in a backyard. She walked around the fence, looking for a hole. After a long time she found a small one, but when she tried to go through, the hole was too small. After a few days without eating - she came back and now could get through the hole into the well sought-after garden.

Inside her newly found paradise, she started eating until she was full. But now she was too fat to go through the hole. To get out - she again went on a 'hunger strike'. When out of the garden she thought:

How stupid could I be, I exit the same I entered!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A gentle reminder of the fact that we enter this world without owning any physical things & treasures, and we leave the same.

Why would we focus our life on amassing physical treasures, when we can simply spend our time enjoying the amazing gift we've been given: our life, our family, our friends, our dreams.

May you enjoy your treasure!

Night Sky

2012-02-18T07:00:00.003-05:00

I've been always fascinated by the sky - day or night, sunny or stormy, the sky is a magic world for me.

When growing up I learned a lot about stars and the universe from a good family friend (an astronomer) and I can find you quite a number of constellation at any time of the year (I had to re-learn some details when moving to Canada, since the sky here is just a tad different from the one back in Europe).

The site I'm sharing with you today is fascinating - watch what a good photographer can do!

Experience The Night Sky Like Never Before

Enjoy!

The fortunes (in the cookies)

2012-02-17T07:00:00.005-05:00

A hoarder that I am - I just found an impressive number of fortunes I amassed over the past few years.

Some speak the truth, some are silly, some... enjoy all :) [I will split it in 2, since I found yet another stash! I should open a fortune store]

Work with the public and let some of your hidden qualities shine (hmm... must look for those hidden qualities :))

Love is like wildflowers - it is often found in the most unlikely places (especially when you're searching for it in the flower shop!)

There is always a way - if you are committed (I'm afraid there is a way even when you're not committed... you might not like the results, though)

Consider gain and loss, but never be greedy and everything will be all right (hmm... obviously the Wall Street people never encountered this fortune!)

Fortune favours the brave (yes, it does)

Business is a lot like playing tennis: if you don't serve well, you lose (well, really depends whom you are serving against :))

You will do well to expand your business (this is funny - as it came right after my DH decided to expand the business in a new direction)

Good health will be yours for a long time (God bless!)

Excellent day for dusting: start with a few old dreams (yeah, I dust one every few months :))

You are very grateful for the small pleasures of life (yes, I am - and for the big ones alike!)

Don't forget, you are always on our minds (oops... whose minds would that be?!?! should I freak out?)

Sometimes travel to new places leads to great transformation (only sometimes? what's travelling good for if you don't come back a new you?)

Speak softly and sweetly (OK, I'll try)

A house without books is like a room without windows (you should see the windows on our house :))

Did you ever get a fortune cookie with a funny / true / spooky message?!

3+1 steps to perfect wire wrapping

2012-02-16T07:00:00.011-05:00

Lately I had a lot to think about and, amazingly enough, I've had quite some success in finishing pieces. I fully blame it on the challenges I've entered, nothing like a deadline to put your brain in over-drive and start finding ideas.

On Sunday I succumbed to the organizing moment - I had to clean my work space and organize the craft drawers at the same time. It wasn't perfect, but at least now I know where to find what I'm looking for.

In the process I found beads I completely forgot about, including vintage ones (we talk over 40 years old here, my mom had them for ages... did wear them for ages... she decided it's time for them to have a new life - thanks, mom!). And in finding them - I had to do some (simple and basic) wire wrapping.

Here are my top 3 steps in achieving a pleasant result:

1. Use a length bigger than what you think would be enough. Sure, you will probably end up with small ends you need to cut off - but it's better to have were to cut off from!

2. If you don't have a good spacial orientation and visual memory - use a marker on your pliers. In order to achieve same size loops you either need good memory or good props. Whatever works for you :) I just believe it's easier to use props than to buy good memory!

3. Practice with same size / hardness craft wire until you're happy with the result. Only then use good wire. Yes, I know... and what would you do with the objects crafted out of less-expensive wire? Well, in the beginning you'll recycle them through your city recycling program, unless you're an amazing goddess (or god) of wire craft and your pieces turn perfectly first time when you try them (I am not... in order to get the 2 ends of a cord ending to match I had to practice with craft wire... a couple of times...). It's important, though, to have the same gauge of the wire and if possible, same hardness as your most precious one.

And the +1, you'll ask? Always file your cuts! It makes the difference between a perfectly finished and professional looking (and feeling) piece and the rest of the world.
For the gods and goddesses of wire out there - what are your top 3 tips on working with wire? Or on your preferred technique, it doesn't have to be wire :)

Erik Johansson: Impossible photography (TED)

2012-02-15T07:00:00.000-05:00

Ooh... this is beautiful - I love how he described capturing an idea!

Simply amazing (besides his cute accent :)) and perfectly true: we are surrounded by ideas, by opportunities, by beauty - all we have to do is see them, open our minds and start truly seeing them.

Enjoy!

I give you my heart

2012-02-14T07:00:00.012-05:00

I wanted to talk about something else today... then I realized it's Valentine's Day.

Although we don't really celebrate it (our spring / love custom is the one I talked about on Sunday, Martisor) I can't really ignore it, can I? Especially when I seem to have made a few pieces with hearts in it recently.

The story today is about 'I give you my heart' - a necklace designed by my son (and made by me). On one of the trips to Toronto he decided to fill his basket with Swarovski crystals - and we spend a painful hour trying to get the perfect ones. Why? He found these hearts and a matching star fish - in a beautiful fiery red (glowing oranges and yellows)... and he wanted matching bicones, in different sizes, plus a contrasting shade... If you've ever tried to buy Swarovski crystals off a wall you'll understand my pain!

He envisioned this triple strand - with the 2 hearts and the star fish in the middle; when I asked him what do they symbolize he mentioned mommy and himself (the hearts) and his love of sea and all sea animals... so sweet!! While I was working - he kept chatting, explaining how he loves the ocean and his plans of becoming a marine biologist (this is an 8 yo with not one, but 2 plans on how to become what he wants). What you see is not his original design - as the star fish had an arm broken (we didn't check properly). Luckily for me he wasn't heartbroken over that, he just planned to get a new one on our next trip :)

On this Valentine's Day I offer you the beauty of a child's love - a sterling silver and Swarovski crystals necklace designed by an 8 yo :)

What is your charming story about Valentine's Day?

Mysticism

2012-02-13T07:00:00.005-05:00

The recent encounter with the violet butterfly brought the amethyst beads to the top of my stash. And what does one do when she has amethyst in front of her? Create beauty, of course.

I've had this idea for a long time - now with the amethyst and quartz chips in front of me, along with some brilliant Czech crystals I have decided this is the day to make it.

So out came the sterling silver wire, chop-chop 11 'stakes' (1 the longest, plus 5 pairs gradually shorter), swirl-swirl a simple loop at the end of each, bead-bead-bead in some sort of a pattern, swirl-swirl a wired loop at the end if each stake, chop-chop another stake to hold all of them, bead-crystal-steak... repeat... add some sterling silver chain, a lobster clasp... and...

Voila! Coming to you from an evening of fun - Mysticism. It will protect you - as amethyst it is a stone for protection. Called the 'Stone of God' by Moses himself (and brilliantly adorning the robes of the High Priests of the Jews), the amethyst is February birth month too! Loved by all cultures and used since antiquity - amethyst has been attributed a great number of powers. It is said to be calming and protecting, to bring luck and drive away evil, to stimulate the mind and enhance creativity. It has been used my Priests, Magicians and Wizards alike through times.

Mysticism necklace is best worn for a formal occasion. This one of a kind piece is unique as it is seductive: will make its owner glow and look absolutely striking.

The Legend of Martzishor

2012-02-12T07:00:00.001-05:00

In Romanian culture (and other South-Eastern cultures, like Bulgarian - they call it Martenitza) there is a very old Legend that symbolizes the arrival of Spring.

It is said that long time ago the Sun transformed into a young man and descended in a village to dance. A dragon kidnapped him and threw the Sun into a dungeon. The whole world saddened: birds wouldn't sing, rivers wouldn't flow, kids wouldn't laugh anymore. Nobody dared to fight the dragon, though.

One day, a young villager decided to go and save the Sun. Many people walked with him for a while and gave him some of their own powers, to help him fight the dragon.

The young man's journey was long and it lasted for 3 seasons: summer, fall, and winter.
Finally he arrived at the dragon's castle and the two started to fight. They fought for days and nights until the dragon was finally defeated. Powerless and hurt, the young man barely managed to free the Sun, who flew into the sky and brighten the world. Spring came!

But the young man couldn't feel spring anymore. His warm blood tainted the snow and upon melting it from the ground bloomed beautiful white flowers, the snowdrops, the spring heralds.

Since then - young people braid together two threads: one red and one white, and they offer them to the girls they like. Red symbolizes love for beauty, reminding of the young man's blood, the white symbolizes health and purity, reminding of the snowdrops, the first flower of the Spring.

This is one of the oldest customs in Romania. Some say it's over 8,000 years old... apparently 8,000 yo charms painted red & white have been found; I don't know for sure :)

All I know is that come March 1st all the girls and ladies in Romania will wear a charm (usually a flower or a small animal - all symbols of nature, often a 4 leafs clove, a chimney cleaner, a horseshoe - all symbols of luck) tied with a red & white thread. It is called 'Martzishor' after the name of the month of March (Martie in Romanian). It is a beautiful custom, one that I love and we keep in our household (with my son bringing these charms to school on March 1st to all his colleagues :))

Do you have a special custom or tradition you love? Please share it - I'd love to hear your thoughts!

What am I reading these days?

2012-02-11T07:00:00.016-05:00

jannoon028 / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

I am writing today about other blogs - the ones that make me smile or think or go 'a-ha!' or are just plain beautiful. It's hard to choose the #1 in each category... very hard...

In the Colour my world category I have to pick Design Seeds - a blog that demonstrates properly how a picture is a thousand words... There is no better place to calm and relax than browsing through the beautiful pictures (and most of the time finding inspiration for a next project).

In the ILSHMRH category (I Laugh So Hard My Ribs Hurt) my # 1 is I've become my parents where we find questions to the most pressing parenting answers (to loosely quote the author). I laugh out loud whenever he posts a new article and I adore the fact his boy is only one year older than mine: all the advice is so expertly up-to-date!

In the Cogito ergo sum category the laurels go to To Gyre and Gambol - it is a pleasure to read Thom's articles, they are breathtaking and a gentle reminder to love this moment. I love his tree ritual, as well as the This Moment / Memory one - lovely ways to remember one's life. Yes, I needed a dictionary to translate the title :)

In the Technology bits and pieces category I have chosen EosGrafx where you can always find smart tips about pretty much everything related to social networking technology. Would you like to know how to do something on Facebook or Twitter or on your own blog? They'll probably have the answer - if they don't already, they'll find it for you.

In the Local jewelry community category I have the nice ladies from BeadFX in Toronto - between the 4 of them they will cover a huge territory: from news in the beading industry to new projects to trends to wonderful business tips. The store is also amazing (a bit far from me, but whenever I get the chance to be in the area... I am paying them a visit).

In the That's an interesting thought! category I recently found an aptly named blog: Escaping Mediocrity. It is not overly pushy in that sense of 'buy this $7.99 study and you'll have 10,000 followers by tomorrow' - instead it has just lots and lots of articles and guest-authors that talk in a no-nonsense language about how to build your business. Yes, most are common-sense - however my experience tells me that people somehow forget exactly the most common-sense :)

What are your favorite blogs these days? I'd love to hear from you and expand my horizon :)

Hops and Hopes

2012-02-10T07:00:00.007-05:00

By now you know I stumbled upon the Bead Soup Blog Party and I finally gathered all my wits and elements to make something with my soup... no nothing done yet, no worries, I am the perfect procrastinator - it's going to happen on March 1st if I know myself :) hopefully not!

In the meantime, hopping from blog to blog (which is the intention of the whole party, after all) I managed to get myself into 2 more events, both charity related.

One is 7000 bracelets for Hope: a wonderful initiative to help raising awareness on rare diseases, no matter what they will be. The idea is quite simple - you sign-up by Saturday and make a bracelet in the next 2 weeks. Anything you please - using blue. How could I resist such a call? I who should change my name into Miss Blue :)

The other one is an Auction also being held towards the end of the month - for helping a family here, in Ontario, going through something no family should go through: their beautiful daughter is being treated for a form of cancer. You can find more details on their Facebook page: Project MEERAcles.

If you feel you could be a hummingbird for any of them (or both) - please do so.

May the Hope be with you!

Copper Diem: Three Pound Giveaway**

2012-02-09T20:58:00.000-05:00

Oh my - can you imagine winning 3 pounds of beads and findings? This would be heaven for many people I know (agree, it will leave many more indiferent - or, worse, shaking their head :)) - me included!

You can find more details on the Copper Diem blog, link below. Good luck to all - I sure hope I'm going to win it (especially since I missed the ArtBeads Jar giveaway - 17 lbs!! - by ~500 items estimated...)

Copper Diem: Three Pound Giveaway**: **Got your attention, didn't I! You like this? AND this? (It couldn't fit in one photo!) I'm doing a giveaway of THREE pounds...

Accessorizing by your face shape

2012-02-09T07:00:00.065-05:00

Last week we talked about how to pick the length of your necklace depending on the occasion.

In the 'How to...' category today we will talk about picking your accessories based on your face shape. You'd want your jewelry to accent your best features and complement your face, right?

Let's start with the face shapes - there are 8 different ones:

Oval face: the face is slightly longer than wider, the jawline is slightly rounded, the face is wider at the cheekbones. With equal distances from jawline to cheekbone to forehead, this is often referred as 'the perfect' face - which means anything goes with this type of face! Lucky you! You can wear any length of necklace, any type of earrings. Play with your other features: if you have a long neck you want to emphasize - wear a multi-strand collar; if you want to soften it - wear a collar necklace.

Oblong face: the face is slightly longer than wider, the jawline is slightly rounded, the face has the same width at the jawbones, cheekbones, forehead. Choose jewelry that will reduce the length of the face, and add width - a full choker will do both, and princess necklaces with a bold wide focal will break the length and widen your face. In earring look for short and wide: studs or short bold dangles. Avoid accessories that will lengthen the face even more.

Rectangular face: the face is slightly longer than wider, the jawline is straight & square, the face has the same width at the jawbones, cheekbones, forehead. The same rules as in oblong will apply - just make sure you add rounder shapes, to soften the straightness of the jawline. A good necklace option is one that will keep the round shape, like necklaces built on memory wire. For the rectangular face - choose round / disc beads.

Diamond face: the face is slightly longer than wider, the jawline is long and pointed, the face is wider at the cheekbones. Almost as perfect as the oval shaped face, with a diamond face you can wear almost anything. You can either accent the dramatic line of the cheekbone or soften the angular lines a little bit: for the former use bold modern styles, for the later choose the more classic softly shaped princess or collar necklaces. In earrings - accent the other features of the face: for a more narrower face use earrings that will give width in the upper area (like a modern going-upwards style); if you'd like to add width to a more pointier chin wear dangling earrings that are wider at the bottom (like a marquise cut, or chandelier). If you'd like to accent the straight lines of the face - wear crystals (or diamonds); while if you'd like to soften the angular lines - wear round shapes (hoops) and beads.

Triangular face: the face is slightly longer than wider, the jawline broad, the face is wider at the jawline. With a triangular shape you want to lengthen the face and give it the feeling of being oval. In necklaces - add length by using longer (princess and matinee) ones, and by using lower focal beads that will draw attention away from the face. Use rounder shapes (and beads) to soften the angular lines. In earrings - complement the shape of the face by inverting the shape of the earrings, and wear longer earrings that are wider at the top than the bottom (think grape clusters).

Heart-shaped face: the face is slightly longer than wider, the jawline is long and pointed, the face is wider at forehead. For necklace choose a short length (choker, princess) with larger round beads (discs are ideal) - they will break the vertical line and add softness to the pointed chin. If you prefer longer lengths - try a multi-strand necklace with multiple strands around the neck and a longer one. In earrings - avoid anything that adds length and width at the cheekbone and use earrings that are wider at the bottom than the top like teardrops and triangles.

Square face: the face is almost as wide as it is long, the jawline is straight & square, the face has the same width at the jawbones, cheekbones, forehead. With a square face you want to add length and soften the right angles. Wear long necklaces: princess, matinee, opera & rope. Like with the triangular face, a large focal will draw attention from the face and add length. The earrings should focus attention on length - wear long oval hoops, or long drops, but avoid too-long earrings, as they may highlight the width of the face. Wear soft round cuts in beads / gemstones.

Round face: the face is almost as wide as it is long, the jawline is softly rounded, the face is wider at the cheekbones. Accessories for a round face needs to add the illusion of length and angular lines to counter-balance the softness of the shape. Like with the square face, your necklaces should be long and have a focal that will draw attention. The focal should be more angular than round (triangles, rectangles, diamond shapes). Long earrings are best for this shape - use more angular lines than with a square face: long narrow rectangles, and cut crystals.

Now we know how to pic our jewelry based on the occasion and our face shape. What should we talk about next in our 'How to...' articles? Please leave your suggestions!

The hidden world of... (TED)

2012-02-08T07:00:00.022-05:00

Image: David Castillo Dominici
FreeDigitalPhotos.net

I recently stumbled upon this video - it describes a world so hidden for many of us... we don't even think about it: packaging.

Since online sales are raising each year and are here to stay with us... think about it: you receive the box at your door - but how did the items get inside the box?

Watch and learn about the 'magic' - I found it interesting, and as many TED conversations it is delivered in a fun easy way.

Mick Mountz: The hidden world of box-packing

Hiking @ RBG

2012-02-07T07:00:00.038-05:00

With this winter that looks like spring - this past weekend we have decided to spend it outdoors. It was sunny and warm, and we had to decide: hiking or swimming. Initially William said 'both' - but I knew it will be too much: hiking in this weather, with all the wind is tiresome even for a full-of-energy child.

We stopped first at the Chocolate Exhibition (it's a good thing we ate before we left home) where we learned a lot about the cacao history: I never knew it was the Maya who grew the cacao trees... or that the Aztecs would use it like we use money / gold today, because they couldn't grow it... or that it was introduced in Europe by the Spanish - this last bit made sense, since they're the ones who conquered South America, after all, or many other bits and pieces. The whole learning process was made easier and fun with a scavenger hunt: you were supposed to answer 9 questions and collect a cacao bean for each answer! Hint - if you go, make sure you take one pouch for each person that loves chocolate :) We then watched a nice gentleman making cacao from the roasted beans, using a bike to grind the beans... we were able to sample the 'smoothie' at the end - quite interesting taste. We had to visit the Mediterranean Gardens and say hello to Spot and Tiger (2 of the Koy fish in the pond... William named them a while ago). I admired the glass projects too - I forgot the name of the company / artists, but both the stained glass and the fused glass projects were breathtaking. With a short stop at the quiz centers we were back outside and on our way to the Arboretum.

The garden is home to hundreds of lilac bushes and trees and it is a miracle in May. What I never expected until last year (when we first went in the Arboretum Gardens during winter) is to find the hills a pleasure when the lilacs have no blooms and no leaves. However, it's an interesting sight: one can see the wood properly and discover subtle differences that won't be visible anymore once the leaves appear. To my surprise - the lilacs started to bud... I am not sure if it's a good sign, I sure hope my beautiful flowers will be in coming May...

This time we started from the middle trail and decided to pursue the Cootes' Trail towards the Cootes Paradise Sanctuary. I knew we won't be able to get too far - however we managed to get to a few Lookout places and enjoy long moments of pure beauty...

We've encountered a small bird paradise: various types of woodpeckers and chickadees coming to eat the seeds everyone is leaving on the tree stumps. There is something almost magical in watching a bird: these were used to people, but not to the point they will approach humans, and I could stand there for hours watching them flying from trees to the seeds and back to trees. Not sure why they wouldn't simply stay on the stump until they had enough to eat: they just came, took a few seeds, fly away, eat them, come back.

We walked to the end of trail (beginning of the marsh and the Dundas Channel) and in the lookout place we met a couple of chickadees. One was really noisy - chirping away continuously (I had the feeling she wanted us to go away) and refusing to eat from our hands (she had seeds on the wood rail next to us, I'll give her that). The other one would just measure us and decided we aren't a real threat... she came to eat, but didn't like our assortment of seeds (apparently they like the sun flower seeds with the shell, and we had just the core of the seed! lesson learned :)) so off she went on the rail as way. We sat on the bench and watched them - like the woodpeckers: come, take a seed, go away, eat it, come back...

The marsh was half-frozen, however near the shore there was a large area where the ice had melted - ducks and geese were happily playing there. If you look at the pictures - you'd never know it is winter! It looked like summer.

Of course the child had some important activities: he was some sort of clone (the Star Wars type) and ran from hill to hill to research and pre-scan for battle droids and other enemies. However, he stopped to admire the nature every now and then and made some plans for future adventures :)

What beauty moments have you discovered recently?

Party time! (2)

2012-02-06T07:00:00.003-05:00

As I mentioned in a previous post I am participating in Lori's Bead Soup Party and I have received my beads last week. Over the weekend I managed to take pictures :)

This is what Dita Basu sent me:

Pretty, isn't it?

There are some beautiful wood beads, in very bright happy colours:

Beads in my favourite colour - turquoise:

A couple of black & white Krobo beads - I had to search for them and find more: they are handmade in Africa, from recycled glass, through a labour-intensive process; each bead is manually painted and re-fired (for more info read Krobo beads):

A couple of wonderful toggle clasps: one in gun metal, very well in-tone with the upcoming Valentine's day:

and one in sterling silver:

They both match an idea I have - however, they're both too beautiful to use only half of the clasp... they'll most likely end up in another idea :)

As for the focal - I got not one, but two!

A polymer clay disc from Laurel Stevens graciously embellished with flowers (thanks you, Terri from Beads2Die4 for the info):

And last, but definitely not least, a jade donut in amazing colouring:

And all together, again:

Thank you, Dita!

Now... to the 'drawing board' :)

The result - on March 3rd!

The Cherokee 2 Wolves (Legend)

2012-02-05T07:00:00.002-05:00

A Cherokee Legend

An old Cherokee is teaching his grandson about life. "A fight is going on inside me," he said to the boy.

"It is a terrible fight and it is between two wolves. One is Evil - he is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego." He continued, "The other is Good - he is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith. The same fight is going on inside you - and inside every other person, too."

The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather, "Which wolf will win?"

The old Cherokee simply replied, "The one you feed."

I found the story exactly a week ago and I knew what will be the Inspirational story of this first February Sunday. I can't keep thinking how we, Europeans, considered Natives to be savages and know nothing about the 'delicacy' of life, we were the 'better' ones... Think about the trend these past years - it's all about the return to roots, to nature. And that's what they have been all the time: connected with nature, with their inner.

May you feed the right wolf today and every day!!

Credits

Legend: Native American Legends

Picture: Image: Evgeni Dinev / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Party time!

2012-02-04T07:00:00.007-05:00

Well - almost... and not the type you might think about either!

This year I have decided to try something new and I have entered Lori's Bead Soup Blog Party. Sounds strange? That's what I thought too :)

The idea is quite simple: artists from everywhere (and I mean - everywhere!) entered and 200 lucky participants have been paired... they send each other a 'soup' of beads and design a piece which we all showcase on March 3rd. Yes, that's exactly 4 weeks away - scarry...

I have been lucky enough to be picked by the randomizer and Lori did a tremendous work pairing 200 individuals... thanks, Lori!

My package has arrived just a couple of days ago and I'll find some time this weekend to take pictures (had lots of insipration already).

In the meantime - I am reading other people's blogs: I probably won't be able to hop onto everyone's blog, but I sure am trying! And I've made already some new friends throught the FB group Lori put together...

Stay tuned!

Dance with me!

2012-02-03T07:00:00.000-05:00

A perfect song and video for a Friday - and one of the best songs of Johnny Reid (in my opinion).

I'm going now to find my moment I can dance on :)

Enjoy!

How to pick the length of your necklace

2012-02-02T07:00:00.021-05:00

Today - a short article about different lengths and when / how to pick them.

As you probably know - there are a variety of lengths a necklace can take. With bracelets it's easy: they need to match your wrist. With necklaces - well... we can play with their length.

The shortest one is collar - at 12-13 inches long it shows your neck (you might want to have a slim neck to wear a collar) and is usually strung of pearls and very precious gemstones or diamonds - think queens and princesess with a precious gown. It is mostly worn in very formal and elegant occasions, although it might be pulled of for informal attire. The dress should clear the collar area (don't wear it with a turtleneck). It projects a very sophisticated look, however you need to be comfortable with something so snug around your neck (most people aren't).

If you're not comfortable wearing a collar (or your neckline doesn't allow you to) - the next size is a chocker: 14-16 inches long. It is sometimes worn in multiple strands (think Jackie Kennedy and her famous 3 strands pearl necklace) and it attracts attention to your long lovely neck. It is equally suitable for formal (evening) and informal (all day) occasions. A chocker is usually worn on skin (the neckline of your attire is lower than the necklace).

The most common length is the one called princess at 17-19 inches long. It is very popular and can be worn with almost any attire. Worn with a higher or lower neckline, it is great with pendants - just make sure your necklace and clothing are happy together.

The matinee necklace is 20-24 inches long and it is suitable for business attire, but it can be easily used with a more casual attire. Can be worn with both very high or very low necklines - as the necklace falls down to the breastbone make sure the blouse / top doesn't have embelishments that can visually clash with the necklace.

Elegant and sophisticated the opera necklace is 26-36 inches long - it is mostly worn with evening or formal attires. Caution: it draws attention to the wearer chest.

Well known to the 20's and 30's era the rope is over 45 inches long and worn in a single strand will draw attention to the torso / waist area. However - it can be easily shortened by wearing it in double or triple strands, or by knotting the rope.

The necklace you wear is used to adorn and beautify you - choose the suitable one for the occasion and the attire, and make sure it complements your style and compliments your figure.

Next week: tips on how to choose accessories based on your face / figure.