Voting for June 2013 EBW challenge

The poll will be up in a few hours on the Etsy Beadweavers Team Blog, but you can start looking at these beauties to choose your favorite:

You have time untile the 15th of June to vote and spread the word!

June Bride EBW challenge

This month theme for the Etsy Beadweavers challenge is "June Bride":
"June has traditionally been the most popular month for weddings for centuries around the world. That is where the term "June bride" comes from. Historically, there are several reasons for that. The month of June derives its name from Juno, the Roman goddess of marriage. In ancient times it was thought that couples who married in June would be blessed with prosperity and happiness. There were also many logistical reasons for brides to consider June weddings. Brides married in June were likely to give birth to a first child in spring (also thought to bring good luck) and recover in time for the fall harvest. During medieval times a person's annual bath usually fell in May or June, meaning that June brides still smelled relatively fresh. 

In modern times those things are not so important, but weddings still take place in June more than any other month. It’s the month that summer begins (northern hemisphere), the flowers are all in bloom and the weather is warm without being too hot. So for this month’s challenge, channel your inner bride to create the perfect wedding accessory for a June Bride. Perhaps a decorative barrette for her hair, a cuff to set off her new wedding ring, a beaded sash for her dress or the quintessential necklace full of luster and sparkle. There’s nothing as stunning as a Bride decked out in white, but also think about the red silks of a Chinese Bride, the Henna Mehndi of the Indian Bride, or the bright colors of the Moroccan Bride. "

I couldn't resist the temptation to use my white Swarovski stash, even though I would usually go with something colored. I think I made something unusual though since I decided to go with a relaxed style

I just made a bunch of donuts and knotted them together with waxed cotton thread, like in my Cherry blossom necklace.

I imagined a beach wedding with a barefoot bride or a country style ceremony

(even though this pic looks like a Renaissance painting)

Maybe it's just I don't like stiff, traditional weddings and love those relaxed ceremonies where everybody feels comfortable and actually has fun! I'm not really a wedding girl, if you hadn't got it, but I certainly appreciate the beauty and fascination of a bride as anybody else.

As usual you can vote for your favorite entry fron the 9th to 15th of June on our team blog. 

Don't miss it!

New can tab earrings

You can guess how many cokes my BF drinks by the huge amount of can tabs I have.
So that's quite an encouragement to make more earrings.
Like these

and these

More to come in black and fuchsia (custom orders) and maybe some new shapes!

Not my fault!

Stars, like hearts and pink and glitter, are one of those things hidden in every girl's DNA. Even though you try hard to convince yourself that you are too old to wear, let's say, a heart printed t-shirt or star shaped earrings, it's impossible to resist them.
It's not your fault.
So that's what happens when I bead stars and have people around me: I can't even finish one and that's already sold!

Here are my latest puppies, ready to leave me: a beautiful lilac pendant made with size 11 miyuki

and these tiny earrings, so elegant and delicate, made with size 15 miyuki

These last look great if you're tanned and might as well be worn as bridal jewelry.
I'll see if I can get some pics of people wearing them!

Custom order

I received a custom order just before Christmas.
Due to my job schedule and my trip home for the holidays, I had to start it very late and I'm still struggling to finish it in a couple of days.



It's a necklace with two beaded dolls (like this one) of Little Lulu and Toby and 2 beaded heart earrings.

I love the crocheted rope. I just hate the stringing part...
I had to re-start it from scratch 3 times because something in the pattern I had made wasn't ok; then I realized I needed an "upside down" pattern to have hearts in both the directions (which you can't see in the pic).
Now I just need to go on for 10 cm and then I'll have fun with the little dolls.