Friday, December 30, 2011

All Strung Out




I don't often string beads, unless I plan to attach them to something handmade with wire. But after making a stylish, long necklace and having it quickly sell,  I realised that a simple string of beads makes a great base for jewelery. With that in mind I did a quick search on Etsy, looking for jewellery that featured the VW. And there it was! Fun and funky, short, long, bohemian, classic, it all works, depends what we like. Perhaps that's the limit, what we like, what we like to wear. It can usually be strung.

Friday, December 16, 2011

Fruit of the Vine







Beautiful fluorite beads, ranging in colour from deep purple to soft green are wire wrapped with sterling silver and suspended from hand crafted sterling silver ear wires. These are listed in my Etsy store.

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Begin Again

Following a long, hard year, it's time to return to the handmade part of my life. It's been a year full of learning, about the difficulties people face in life and about that part of the world which fascinates me most, the political part. This year I've begun to realise that there is little, perhaps nothing in life that is not political. The political reaches into our lives and shapes us in fundamental ways. It reaches us in our mother's wombs, and continues to manage and shape us until the day we die. At times I find this overwhelming. But there is little time to be overwhelmed, life is short. We need to live life as fully as we can, the best ways we can. And we can. Human spirit is amazing, it clings, it struggles and it survives. We continue to live, sometimes in pain, but living none-the-less.

This Christmas I salute those who suffer and continue to live. I have the deepest admiration for you, you are the people I would like to be. Have a blessed, peaceful Christmas.

Sunday, August 28, 2011

Juile Ann Twigg

Several weeks ago, a care flight crashed in Victoria, killing both the pilot and one of its passengers. Since then the worldwide hand-made community has watched and prayed, while Julie Ann Twigg, the only survivor of the crash in which her teenage daughter died, struggled to live and recover a little. Her sister in law, Shirley, kindly published and regularly updated a Facebook page that she used to inform Julie's friends world wide, of Julie's progress.

Early this morning, Julie Ann passed away. She was known to be a feisty, creative woman, a leader in the Australian team of Etsy artisans, and a friend loved by many. She leaves these communities in shock, thankful that she is no longer in pain (her injuries caused a great deal of pain some of which would likely have been life long) and no longer without her daughter. But heartbroken for her family (she leaves a husband and three other children) and friends.

Julie Ann was important as a leader amongst Australian Etsians, and in that capacity she encouraged me with jewelery making from time to time. Her work was also beautiful, an inspiration to many. I kept pictures of some of her creations in my own 'inspiration' file. I am struggling with the idea that there will be no more of her work. More, I struggle with the pain expressed by Australian Etsians who knew her well and valued her. God bless and comfort you all.