EBW November challenge: Holiday Treasures

What's more precious than our loved ones, even if they've passed away?!
That's what I thought when I read the EBW November challenge theme.
We had to "Choose your favorite late fall or winter holiday and create a beadweaving to celebrate the occasion...Let your own imagination find the perfect Holiday Treasure!"

I'm Italian, and we have All Souls' Day which is the 2nd November: is a day when everyone goes to the cemetery and pay a visit to their deads bringing flowers.
It's not something I feel very comfortable with...most of the times seems like something due that only old ladies do.
But I love the Mexican Dia de los muertos.
Tha whole family gathers together and build an altar with sugar skulls, flowers, pictures of the departed and all his/her favourite foods, drink and stuff.
I think it's lovely: you celebrate their lives, instead of simply remembering that they're dead.
The day has already passed, but if you're interested here are some very interesting websites where you can find out how to build an altar



how to bake the Pan de muerto



how to make sugar skulls



and some amazing pics on Flickr from loupiote and magus523 which really inspired my work...here it is:





Please visit our EBW team blog, www.etsy-beadweavers.blogspot.com (http://www.etsy-beadweavers.blogspot.com) between the 9th and 15th of November and vote for your favorite entry!

Christmas is all around us

Well, it's about time!!! November has just begun, but Christmas is already in the air everywhere.
I've spent the weekend in Wien to visit my newly wedded cousin, the weather was great and the city beautiful as I remembered. They were starting to put Xmas lighting all around the city...must come back next month to see how it looks!
I didn't have enough time to look for some bead shop ^_^ maybe next time!
In the meanwhile you can look at this Poinsettia treasury to start feeling in the right mood for Christmas:

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)!!!!!!

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!

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!

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!

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!

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!

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: