Tassel day

When I say tassel, I think about my grandma curtains and her crochet center-piece which is still on her beautiful table. They both have huge tassels which were forbidden for us kids (how can you not touch them?! They are irresistible).

This year is so full of tassel-ed jewelry, so I just followed the wave

Picasso Czech victorian bicones in yellow, my favorites, magenta glass pearls and matching leather tassel.

Maybe some day I'll make a 20's version of it, impossibly long.

In the meanwhile I used some leftovers from the Bead Soup and made another one in green/yellow

New necklace with Gaea beads

I finally used some of the beads I won on the Gaea giveaway.
Remember that?
I was so unsure on how to use them but I finally came up with something pretty different:

There are beaded beads made with both seed beads and Superduo beads, glass beads, Pandora beads and resin chain.

It's so comfortable and light! And I so love this color combo.
Still have to decide whether to sell it or keep it!

Never ending drilling

No, I am not talking about drilling beads or pebbles. Nothing jewelry related.
It's just wherever I go, the sound of drills follows me - looks like buildings renovations are all over Italy.
And always next to where I live.

The weather is still not too hot, thanks to the strong wind blowing all over, but that means it is almost impossible to stay on a beach.
So I got back beading and making experiments.
By now all I can show is this

a mixture of colors and stones I really love. I'll have some new pieces really soon...in the meanwhile I am knitting hard to finish this shawl and I'm almost there.

Summer makes you thirsty

Even though this summer is really windy and cool, it's always nice to drink some fresh soda and so I always have a nice amount of can tabs to play with.
I am so behind with my beading schedule, I still have used only a small part of all the neon beads I had ordered and feel so guilty about it, so here are some good old can tab earrings with my new UV active seed beads and farfalle beads from Preciosa Ornela

The nice shape of farfalle beads is perfect for these earrings!

Also, I can't help but loving the beautiful confetti finish on the tabs.

I am working on a grellow pair and also on a grellow bracelet - I bought some pretty things on the local market this morning. Here you can see just the beginning of it from the balcony of my room

Brindisi, Puglia: thursday local market

It's huge! It has the shape of a Pi (more or less) and you can find everything there. And it's quite cheap.
So many projects on my mind, so little time!

EBW July challenge: "Beautiful Summer Flowers"

This month the Etsy Beadweavers members are dealing with beaded flowers:

"The summertime with the sunny days and all beautiful flowers is full of energy like an engine for coming autumn and winter. It would be nice to create something new thinking about warm days. I live in wet Normandy so this kind of project keeps me warmer." 

There is always so much to learn from my fellow beaders, I am never tired to look at these beauties and try to understand how they made each detail of their item.

Voting was hard, but I did had my 2 favorites since the beginning.

Remember to stop by on our team blog and vote for your favorite, as usual you have time until the 16th!

Baby knitting

Looks like baby knitting is the best when you are a person who gets bored with a project halfway

                                                                                                Source: Pinterest

(Had I already posted this? Well, it's still like this).
Baby knits are so much better, at least when they are newborns. In a couple of days you get to finish a sweater. Amazing.
So here's what I have done by now

a neon green hat in Merino wool, here you'll find the Ravelry link, and a little "grown up" cardigan

here the pattern, still needs to be blocked and I also need to find the right buttons.
I already have another cardigan on my needles and then a sleeping bag/cocoon with matching hat.
My Color Affection shawl is almost done...I'll bring it with me on the train tomorrow.
Yep! Going home finally! So I'll be furiously knitting for 12 hours...if I don't pass out before.

More neon

A new bangle I just made mixing tubular peyote technique and simple stringing

I used both seed beads and big farfalle beads from the new Preciosa Ornela neon collection.
Don't you just love the decreasing effect from the thicker beaded rope to rhe size 11/0 beads?! I do.

I also had the smaller size of the farfalle beads, which I used to make these

They are thicker than usual and I love how the farfalle beads stick out from both sides.
Will make more experiments!

Gaea, again!

Some time ago I posted about another giveaway from the amazing Gaea Cannady.
What I haven't said (because I felt kind of guilty for being this fortunate) is that I was picked (again) and won the wonderful beads.

I am used to her beautiful and delicate pastel colors, so I wasn't prepared to these bold and vibrant tones.
Just beautiful.
How am I going to do these beauties justice???
Already have an idea for the heart pendant, and maybe some beaded beads to get the ceramic ones some company.

Summer gifts and packing

My bead mate Dorota, my favorite chocolate pusher (remember???) has just received a little thing I made for her

Sorry, I had to steal her pic!

I asked for her favorite color combo and it was perfect with the idea I had of making something for summer.

I'm happy to see once again outgoing mail is much faster than incoming.
 I've been waiting for a knitting needle for more than a week now, and it's from Germany. My shawl is stuck halfway and I was hoping to finish it while on train next week, so I hope my mail will come soon!

I am also starting to organize my beads in order to decide which ones I'll take with me this summer.
How do you choose?
Sometimes bringing W.I.P. projects doesn't work and you start regretting not bringing more beads with you.

Last summer I didn't bring much 'cause I wasn't planning on staying more than 2 weeks, and they became 2 months. This summer I already know it will be 2 months and a half and I don't know which beads I can do without. And threads, and jump rings and stuff.
Hard decisions on my way...

Spikey punk bracelet

These amazing orange Delica beads have an AB finish the pic doesn't catch

and I think they make the perfect contrast with the matte color of the spikes.

I just love the punk feeling it gives, mixed with this neon touch.