EBW Spring Swap 2013

This year I partecipated again in the Spring Swap organized by the Etsy Beadweavers Team.
The person I made a little gift for was different from the one I received it from, so you interact with 2 people from the team. You never know when the package is going to arrive because you don't know when it's sent, so it's a big surprise!
This time I made a bracelet for Andrea Ortiz of Blue Star Arts.

   

I read from the questionnaire we all had to fill in that she practises yoga and likes blue and green.
So I wanted to make something with an Om. I was inspired by my Japanese tradition bracelet and was thinking of following the same pattern, but just one strand of beaded beads. That didn't look nice though.
I started making these tubular thingies not knowing exactly how to use them. I was inspired by Csilla Csirmaz bracelet but didn't want anything that crowded.
I decided knotting with waxed thread was the solution; of course my size 15 seed beads didn't think so. It was impossible to make it through the CRAW tube of the Om piece.

Final option was metal. You know how much I'm clamsy with it. I had some silver chain which made me think about the final solution....

Much better than waxed thread.
I used a magnetic toggle so it's more practical and easy to remove when she goes to her yoga lessons!

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On to my benefactor who is Cajsa Lisa Anderson of ajBead.
She made a gorgeous pendant inspired by her father's japanese garden (I knotted a simple grey cord to wear it)

She visited it this winter and decided to capture that moment when snow covers everything, but still you know flowers will come back very soon. You can see the inspiration here.
I was really touched by her story and look at how amazing her father's pieces of art are!
I love both the pendant and the source of inspiration. Looks like destiny that I wrote I'm crazy about Japan and her father had this special hobby. Thank you so much for sharing this with me!

Hope you enjoyed both stories, please hop to the Etsy Beadweavers Team blog to see what the other members made for their partners!

BSBP 3rd item: The Cherry Blossom necklace

If you are still hopping on the BSBP second reveal, here is the link . I'm showing my BSBP pieces one by one all over the week, here is the 3rd.

Since I saw these little leaves in my BSBP box I knew I was going to use them, I just didn't know HOW.
I also loved those 6mm pink beads and wanted something to celebrate spring...somehow I found myself making donuts with them and realized they looked like flowers!

The next step was thinking how to assemble them together. I wanted another knotted necklace, simple, something that could resemble an actual twig of cherry tree.
While on Flickr I saw these chain maille "beads" and I thought they would look great made with dark bronze rings...and then, playing with beaded beads, I realized I could complete the necklace with some beaded cherries.

A simple necklace but it has almost become my favorite!

Deliveries

While I usually have to wait a lot of time (seriously, a LOT) for my purchases, my items travel pretty fast on their way to their new homes. Sometimes, though, they might take more than usual.
In these cases I wish I could deliver them myself, but it's not possible and all I can do is bear the feeling of helplessness.
Luckily my Japan tradition bracelet arrived to Germany in a couple of days and I just received the most wonderful message from the new owner!
This will warm up this snowy day for sure.
I'm going to produce more beaded sushi, but in the meanwhile I'm also desperately trying to bead these...

Not easy for me.

To bead is to be challenged

The main reason why I love EBW monthly challenge is because it's not just a challenge with other beaders, but with your own brain.
An "easy" theme is sometimes harder to translate into a beadwoven item because interpretations are endless and your mind keeps jumping from one possibility to another, unless you have a striking idea from the beginning and are able to stick to it until the end (which is pretty impossible for me).

For this last piece I have received a lot of heart-warming compliments from fellow beaders, was it for the craftmanship or the message it holds; I was in disbelief for the kind words of artists that make much more amazing works than I do.
I want to thank everybody because your messages have really made my day more than you might think!

Source: Pinterest

When I opened my etsy shop I wanted to be different from everybody, easier said than done since there are thousands of beaders out there and many of them come up with new designs every single day!
I'm happy I'm sometimes able to do it and I also thank the Etsy Beadweavers team for pushing my creativity and taking care of challenges, website and forum with such a huge passion.

February EBW challenge: Japan

It's finally time to vote for this month Etsy Beadweavers Challenge! Theme: Japan!!!

"Japan has a most exciting culture. There is a distinct division between past and future: ancient traditional values with their strong rituals, art forms and language on one side, versus the crazy dazzling fashion modernity, neon colors, and plastic kitsch on the other side. Pick ONE of these two styles to create a piece of jewelry that shows the important criteria needed to convey either the traditional or the modern Japan. OR: combine both styles into one piece accentuating the contrasts!"

Vote for your favorite piece of art from today until the 16th on our team blog!

EBW February challenge: Japan

Progress is necessary for a country to move on and improve, but tradition is indispensable.
Traditions give roots to people so they can always have their feet firmly on the ground and start again whenever they fall down.

Having experienced many differences moving from one place to another, all in the north of Italy -so very different from the south in a million ways- I know for sure that whenever I'm feeling down, or just don't know how to behave, traditions from my family and my town are what really cheer me up and make me feel confident again.
Can be a conforting recipe from my grandma; a saying in my town slang, full of wisdom; a festivity we try to celebrate even though it is not known where we live now.

Japan is a country which has endured a lot of tough situations, and I think it owes that to its people strong faith in tradition.
Bombs, earthquakes, tsunami, just to name some.
Everytime they fall, they always stand up again, more fierce and determined than before.
Fall down seven times, stand up eight.

My piece for this challenge wants to celebrate some typical, traditional Japanese symbols.

Its cooking tradition (sushi); the famous cherry blossoms; a kokeshi doll; a koi, the symbol of perseverance in adversity and strength of purpose; national pride, with the country flag and the rising sun;

mount Fuji, or Fuji-san, the (almost)sacred volcano;

the Daruma doll, symbolizing the ability of recovering from troubles and stand up again.

And I swear, it's really comfortable to wear!
I'm so happy with this bracelet. I really made something out of my comfort zone and love the result.
Can't wait to see all of them all together in the mosaic!

Japan beaded beads

My piece for the Etsy Beadweavers challenge of february is almost ready.
I wanted to show you what I've been doing today...since most of my piece is made of beaded beads, which is virgin territory for me, I tried to make a bead with a landscape of the mount Fuji.
To make you understand better, here's a rough graph I used

The result is...well...weird.

Pictures don't really make you understand, but I'm quite happy with it, although it realy needs a bit of imagination to be interpreted!
Tomorrow I'll make the last beads and shoot some decent pictures.

Another Japan sneak peek

Let's keep on talking about Japan.
Another thing I love about Japanese culture, is that they have huge self confidence, in the sense that they always think you are the only one who can make things work.
They don't say "good luck" or "break a leg"; thay say "ganbatte", which means "do your best".
They have a strong will power and, although they do believe in luck and amulets, they're just a little help.

If you scroll Pinterest and look at "words of wisdom" boards, you'll realize most of them have "cheer-up" sentences, like "you deserve it" or "you are enough". Only when it comes to sport they become a bit harsh and base everything on will power. So how do you mix those different attitudes? Are you supposed to only be brave and strong and push it to the limit while exercising?

So here comes Daruma dolls again. Since they're usually round, made of papier-mâché and weighted at their bottom, if you push them gently they'll swing until they'll return to a standing position.
Always.
So they came to represent one's strength to always get up whenever they fall down.

Nanakorobi yaoki: fall seven times and stand up eight.

Japan challenge

I will start talking about next Etsy Beadweavers challenge, which theme is Japan, because one post is not enough to explain how big my love for Japan is.

Source: Pinterest

It's a love born by accident you might say, in 2005.
I used to spend 2 hours a day on a bus to go to work, and couldn't manage to read, so I decided to try learning a new language with some audio lessons.
I did some research on the internet and found out a lot of website about Japanese and fell in love.

After learning the 2 alphabets on my own I found a school and started some serious lessons, which I have tried to keep attending despite my many relocations...
Most people start learning this language because of mangas or animes, for me it was the other way around: after I started my brother asked me to watch some anime with him and a whole new world opened up.

Source: Pinterest

Some of them are pieces of art. Some just make you laugh hard and cry at the same time.
Only after two years I discovered another addiction: dramas, Japanese TV movies.

Of course during all this time I have also developed an interest (addiction) in every other aspect of Japanese culture, like bentos and cooking, street culture and traditional arts.
I still haven't got the chance to go there but I firmly believe I will very soon.

Talking about wishes, there's a tool to help you succeed called Daruma.

Source: on Pinterest

It's a doll with white eyes, which you are supposed to draw like this: make a wish, draw the first eye. You need to make a commitment, it's not about magic: the one-eyed-Daruma is there to remind you of your desire and the strength you need to pursue your dream.

Source: Pinterest

Only when (and if)your wish comes true you can eventually draw the other eye on the Daruma.
This is why I started my brainstorm for the next challenge with a tiny beaded Daruma:

We'll see what's next...