Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Working table

I've been grounded in my kitchen working since last week and I barely had the time to go out and buy something to eat today.
This is the condition of my working table:



This is where I'm eating, drawing, sipping tea and even beading, whenever I have a break (beads all around my drawings, and EVERYWHERE).
Disgusting, I know.

I'm trying hard to complete my EBW December challenge piece and I hope to make it at the very last moment (sneak peek in the left corner)!
Need to finish my work within tomorrow so I can send a cd...it has to arrive at its destination within tuesday, and monday is bank holiday.
Aaaaaaaaaaargh!
Going to bed (1,40 AM here)!!!!!!

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Twinkie Chan's Halloween Blog Giveaway

Have you ever visited Twinkie Chan's blog?
She'S an amazing crocheter/crafter, her cupcake scarves are really famous across the web:





Today you can win a pair of super cute pumpkin/jack-o-lantern fingerless mitts handmade by her, just go to her blog and leave a comment!
Just in time for Halloween!

Thursday, October 21, 2010

Andrew Thornton Fund

Many of you already know Andrew Thornton, a fellow beader who is fighting against skin cancer - and unfortunately against hospital bills too.
Many members of the Etsy Beadweavers team are donating some items to help him.
This below is the first of many treasuries with the items donated:



Please stop by and help us even just commenting and sharing!

I'm donating my Vampire heart necklace to this cause



Stay tuned to see all the other treasuries still to come!

Sunday, October 17, 2010

Hearts and crochet weekend

I spent the whole week beading: my BFF's birthday is near:



She was a pink addict, but now she's really into purple and lilac, so hope she'll like it.

Also did something for my shop...



and I have a new project going on (sneak peek):



But during the weekend I got the hook back in my hands and started crocheting on the sofa with one of my friends, to whom I had taught crocheting last year duting lunch break:



She's now knitting a baby blanket, while I'm halfway with my new scarf.

Oh, and we have a winner for October EBW challenge, Olga of MadebyOga:



Please visit the EBW blog to discover the runners up!

Saturday, October 9, 2010

EBW team October Challenge "Autumn Falling of Leaves"

Do you like autumn?
Cities gets coloured with reds and yellows as the leaves fall down from trees...

This month's EBW challenge theme is "Autumn Falling of Leaves"



I was expecting gret things, but these 59 entries are far beyond any expectation!!!
Please visit the EBW blog and vote your favorite from October 9 to 15. It gets harder every month to choose!

Thursday, October 7, 2010

Painting inspiration

If you love paintings but you're tired of the same ol' Picasso and Monet, if you're looking for inspiration and don't know where to find it, give a look at this beautiful blog:



Every day of the week has a different theme and you can find gorgeous paintings of unknown painters mixed with famous ones





Oh, the blog curator is my dad ^_^ we often visit art exhibitions together and take note of the artists we don't know. Too many of them are not on art books, even if they would deserve it.

Hope you'll enjoy it!

Sunday, October 3, 2010

New Bollywood necklace

I loved so much the colours and inspiration of the September EBW challenge, that I decided to make a matching necklace:



The necklace base was ready since July, bud I haven't had the time to go on and I wasn't sure on how to use the stone.



Earrings to come!

Fulco cuff by Verdura

Do you like Chanel?
Even if you don't, I'm sure everybody would have loved to have her cuffs.



She used to wear them one on each wrist, under suits as well as with her famous "little black dress".
They were made for her by the famous jewelry master Fulco di Verdura, someone said from old jewels gifted by old lovers.



When my embroidery abilities will improve, I'll make a proper version of this, with white leather and a better cabochon.



But tonight I had this idea and couldn't refrain myself from trying:

Saturday, October 2, 2010

Around Padua, part 1

Internet is letting me down constantly these days, plus there’s a lot of noise in my house ‘cause there are works in progress in my neighbors’ apartment. So I decided to take a walk and make some photos of this beautiful city I live in.
When I first came to Padua, in 2005, I hated it.
It was snowing like crazy – and I had never seen snow in my life before, I mean: I come from the south of Italy and it never used to snow back then.
So I arrived here with my big luggage, walking in the snow until my knees, it was so cold even inside my new house, all my roommates were at work and i didn’t know where to go ‘cause I was afraid of getting lost (something I’m very good at).
Only in my last months here before moving to Milan I discovered all the beauty of this city, and now that I live here again I’m really happy and love it.
Of course living right in the centre of Padua helps a lot. You can walk everywhere and have all you need around you. You also have many things you don’t actually need: there are about 5 churches around here, and early in the morning they all make their bells “singing”….imagine that. Saint Anthony church alone has something like 8 bells….
As all of you know this city is where Saint Anthony died and was buried, so here you can find his "basilica":



Living near it means that you can barely walk out of your home during special festivities, because you can find cues of devouts 2 kilometers long – I’m not exaggerating.
Near the church you can find this wonderful square, Prato della Valle (in a sort of 360° pic...)



It’s considered the biggest in Europe after Red Square in Moscow



All public markets are held in here – like the monthly Antique market and every fair or small concert and the weekly market every Saturday



In summer you will find a lot of people just lying on the grass and sunbathing.
Walking through the streets of Padua you can find any sort of old building and river streams









This is the most famous bar in Padua, and the oldest too: the Caffè Pedrocchi



People attending university (which is just round the corner) MUST NOT enter this Cafè until they've graduated.
Every city here has its own special "rules" about what a university student mustn't do to avoid bad luck.
This is the main entrance with the stone Lions (which bring such bad luck):



Students also can't overcome chains which delimit the pedestrian area if they want to pass exams



The morning after their degree ceremony, they finally go to Cafè Pedrocchi to have breakfast.
So I'm waiting for February when my BF will have his postgraduating ceremony to finally enter this cafè and have a hot chocolate, with the piano playing and red velvet carpets anywhere!!!