Thursday, June 26, 2014

The Creative Continuum of Seven Artists: Reveal #6 ~ featuring Cynthia Macatha

Hello, hello - and welcome to the sixth reveal of the CC7A, the group of 7 friends crazy enough to accept to get together an work with each other's choices each month.

This month is hosted by Cynthia ~ a lovely lady I never met in person (I haven't met any of the other 6 in person, we are online friends), and who seems my soul sister from all the stories we've shared!

It is June and Cynthia chose the eternal bridal theme: something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue. I mentioned before this: hubby and I have eloped! That is not something you do in my culture, we are Romanic at the base of everything cultural (including language) and we do those big, crazy weddings, with traditions and what not. Would we had go that route, I would have ended up neurotic, I am sure, so we decided on a very simple visit to the City Hall: I do, I do, sign here, congratulations! and off we went our way. We didn't even have our wedding band - on our walk from the City Hall to the park we passed a big jewelry store in the heart of the city, we looked at each other and we asked ourselves: should we get some?! We got them ~ and we still share a good laugh about the day. And good memories. And a strong marriage of 18 years and 30 days (today :) ).

That being said - we don't have the something... saying either, and I didn't wear blue or white that day (I went with red and pale yellow) so Cynthia's choice came as a surprise. It's an 18 years later reminder of a lovely start to a great journey.

I did not take pictures of the package, but from Cynthia's original post you might know it's about something old (reclaimed sari silk), something new (imperial jasper), something borrowed (several remaining leaf toggles from a ZnetShows hop) and something blue (apatite rounds). I added my own something vintage in here (the flower connectors, from a recent package from my mom) and here is what happened:

The Creative Continuum of Seven Artists: Reveal #6 ~ featuring Cynthia Macatha: sari silk, imperial jasper, leaf toggle, apatite rounds

I think I like where this is going... let's see if I can deliver!

One note about the pictures: we are traveling right now and I took the unfinished necklace with me... I have no props for the necklace, so I used the bird calendar we have in the trailer :) hence the curious colourful stares!
The Creative Continuum of Seven Artists: Reveal #6 ~ featuring Cynthia Macatha: sari silk, imperial jasper, leaf toggle, apatite rounds, wire working, ooak necklace, June Dream :: All Pretty Things

The sari silk, along with blue suede went around the neck, as usual.

The Creative Continuum of Seven Artists: Reveal #6 ~ featuring Cynthia Macatha: sari silk, imperial jasper, leaf toggle, apatite rounds, wire working, ooak necklace, June Dream :: All Pretty Things

The flower connectors with the apatite rounds make the necklace, and the leaf toggle ended up as a focal, along the imperial jasper. The wire on the jasper is a dark blue by, err... design :) nope, by lack of thinking ~ when I left I put all sorts of copper wire in my bag, but none of the silver. How I thought I will finish a silver necklace without silver, I cannot tell you!

The Creative Continuum of Seven Artists: Reveal #6 ~ featuring Cynthia Macatha: sari silk, imperial jasper, leaf toggle, apatite rounds, wire working, ooak necklace, June Dream :: All Pretty Things

I was thinking to add some of the sari silk and suede as tassel 'fringes' on the bottom of the leaf (between the jasper), but that will have to wait until I get back home and in the possession of some silver wire.

This is it: my 'June Dream' ~ a lovely piece with beautiful components that worked very well together. I wore it yesterday, to test it and I had the mom of one of our young athletes (we are in Ohio, training with the Junior team for upcoming competitions) commenting "You have very intriguing necklaces - a new one every day and I've never seen designs like this, with the fabric around the neck". It felt very good :) I told her I'm making them and she then said "That explains it!"

Thank you for visiting today and staying for a cup of memories :) and please visit the group ~ it promises to be an interesting get-together, apparently the ladies all have something intriguing to share!

Cynthia Macatha (June host)
Emma Todd
Monique Urquhart (January host)
Christine Altmiller (February host)
Sally Russick (March host)
Therese Frank (April host)
Alicia Marinache (May host) <- you are here

Sunday, June 8, 2014

Unhappy about life ~ fable

This has arrived in my email recently ~ a good reminder of what's truly, truly important in life.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A young man was complaining about being poor. One day, a wise man heard him and asked:

- So you seem unhappy with your life, because you have no money?!
- Yes, sighed the young man.
- Are you healthy?
- Oh, yes, I can be very proud of my health!

The wise man held his hand and said:

- I offer you 10,000 for this hand and 1 million for your eyes.
- God forbid! the man exclaimed
- Well, can you see now how much 'wealth' God gifted you with?! Stop complaining: you have everything you need to make a living. Be happy!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~