Merry-Go-Round

It's time for another ride on the merry-go-round! Jump on and join a group of artists/crafts-women as they link around the world and tell you a little about their lives in art and craft.

This month's question:
If you had more time/money, etc… what new craft or art would you like to try this new year?

If I had the time, I’d love to get into Photography, because a photograph transports me instantly into another world. A photograph gives me an instant emotion, much stronger than a drawing. A still shot gives me time to ‘LOOK’, and discover things I wouldn’t otherwise have seen. It’s soooo creative and its material is endless. I think this interest in photography comes from my journalistic father who never went very far without his huge and old fashioned camera (the one you had to look down into…yes, I am THAT old!!), and I even attended a club in High-School, but always took too long to chose my subjects, or rushed and ended up with nothing; didn’t really enjoy any of it at the time… I find it amazing that 2 people can look at the same photograph and see different things…unless you’re looking at Auntie Harriet’s Happy Hols in Havana, of course… :-) . My 2008 diary was a French edition of photographs of Island’s fauna and flora from around the globe; you may have seen snippets of it as I often use it as backgrounds for my jewellery pics! I also love browsing in the Dawanda photo section, and above are a few of my favourites: The shipwreck is by eeniemoni, the rose is FlorcitasArt and the flip-flops are kitaken's (apologies for lack of direct link, it's not working!!!), you can find them all on www.Dawanda.com...

And if I had the money I would just LOVE to become a goldsmith and learn everything there is to know about Haute Couture jewellery… Carving/casting/imprinting/cutting/diamond setting… My own basic silversmithing skills showed me just how long it would take me to such perfection – a few years? Try a lifetime…Every time I see creations like these, my jaw drops and I have to scrape it from the floor. This is to me the ultimate adornment, the richly carved, over-the-top ornate jewellery, the very genre that makes me feel overdressed even with no clothes on…I’d have to go naked anyway, as I got nothing in my wardrobe that would even come close to ‘wearable’ with something like that… The monkey ring is by Dior, the owl is by Boucheron and the castle ring by Adler.

Apologies for the lack of direct links, but this function isn't working :( Neither is the photo-placement function :(( Bit of a mess, sorry...

Please go and read the Merry-Go-Rounders, you'll find them listed on the right (direct links these ones!!!)


Thanks for reading!!

Lilie et Aurélia...

J'adore recevoir des images de mes créas portées, et merci à Lilie et Aurélia, 2 filles fantastiques, fans d'artisanat, patientes, hyper sympas, avec qui j'ai travaillé pour leur créer pour Aurélia la parure 'Songe d'une Nuit d'été' remplie de bleu et d'ambre, et pour Lilie un collier 'Trilogie" réellement personnel. Conception, finitions, idées, critiques constructives, tout a été un fabuleux travail d'équipe, que j'ai adoré et où j'ai beaucoup appris... Un vrai plaisir, je le dis tout le temps, mais c'est totalement sincère!!! Merci!!!

Chromothérapie/ Colour Therapy: Rouge/Red

Colour Therapy : RED
Red is the colour of passion but also anger. It gives you courage and symbolizes life and vitality, but also danger.
Put some red in your life to increase energy and enthusiasm, to feel more confident and to protect you from your fears.

Chromothérapie (Thérapie des couleurs) : ROUGE
Le rouge est la couleur de l’amour et de la passion, mais aussi de la colère. Le rouge donne du courage et symbolise vie et vitalité, mais aussi danger.
Mettez du rouge dans votre vie de tous les jours pour vous donner énergie et enthousiasme, pour vous aider à avoir confiance en vous et pour vous protéger de vos peurs.

Stone test 6

Last one for today, the funny shiny black stone, which, Shelby, you said was igneous... Could not actually break a piece off, but managed to get little brown flakes and powder, which did not fizz. This one looks to have conchoidal fractures, doesn't it? MOHS 2.5 and white streak...
Well Shelby, I call upon your expertise again!!!! I'd LOVE to know what they all are!!! I'm really enjoying this learning curve, thank you very much for your help!!!

Stone Test 5

Cute little pink fragment, with what looks like conchoidal fracture managed to break off a little triangular piece, which didn't look conchoidal lol, dear me this business is so confusing!!! MOHS 2.5, white streak and this one fizzes, so there's calcite in it... So is it pink calcite?

Stone test 4

A funky green stone, collected today on a deserted hill road a few hundred meters from our house, looks porous like pumice (may be it is??), so would it be igneous??? MOHS 2.5, white streak, no fizz and conchoidal fracture, is that right???

Stone test 3

This one looks like pink slate, dull and layered MOHS 2.5, white streak and no fizz. 2 pics for this one, to show the fracture and cleavage (using the jargon makes me feel so clever :D). Totally lost on rock types for the mo, igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic are as yet a total mystery...

Stone test 2

Second stone, a white glittery pebble, smooth but grainy looking, white streak, MOHS 3.5 and it doesn't fizz with vinegar... Could this be quartz? Some of the pieces I find are smooth like pebbles, ranging in colour from white to dark yellow.

Stone Tests

I chose 6 stones to try out my newly found rock identifying skills (thanks you Shelby!!!), so here's what I got for the first one:
MOHS 5.5, does not fizz with vinegar, white streak, cleavage not sure so I took a photo of the stone after I whacked it :)

More rocks...

Out for a walk with Jack after a heavy bout of rain... the colours of the rocks are 10 times stronger, and these are my latest finds... The white group I think is marble, it is very dense and grainy. I think I also picked up some pink marble, (gorgeous colours!), a streaky stone (grey and white - is that marble too?), calcite nuggets of course, they just glittered, ready to be picked up! The black stones puzzle me, especially the shinier of the 2, as there's not many like it around. The other black stone has a funny little yellow imprint which looks like a duck, so sweet!

Chromothérapie/ Colour Therapy: white/blanc

WHITE:
Strictly speaking, white is not a color, but 'contains' all colours. White is whole and complete. In many cultures it represents openness and truth.
It's the key to all other colours and this makes it a good choice for new beginnings, and development in any direction.
Put some white in your everyday life when you want to clear your mind, rid yourself of clutter (physically and mentally) and start something new.

BLANC:
Le blanc n'est pas une couleur mais "contient' toutes les couleurs. Dans de nombreuses traditions, le blanc représente pureté et vérité.
Mettez du blanc dans votre vie de tous les jours quand vous voulez vous débarasser d'obstacles, clarifier votre esprit et commencer quelque chose de nouveau.