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Saturday, May 19, 2012

Double Sided Silver and Crystal Necklace




Every week I go to visit my sister's place in Tiberias. Her garden is one of the places which inspire me most, especially in Spring when it is still very beautiful and pleasant before the hot Summer arrives and dries everything up.
Of course I took a few photographs.




Did I promise you a Rose Garden? - Here it is !
These purples are beautiful. Wish I knew how they call them! 

Winnie, my sister's cat, enjoying his sunbath


 Winnie is king of the garden. I've never seen any other cats around beside him!


When I came back home I had this necklace in my mind so I handcrafted it, with red wine facetted crystals. It is double sided, so they can be worn according to ones state of mind.

Double sided silver and Crystal Necklace one side up - smooth surface

Double Sided silver and crystals -Smooth side up

Friday, May 18, 2012

Teardrop Pearls and silver Flower earrings

Pearls of all sizes and shapes have been some of women's most favorite objects. History shows us jewelry endowed with pearls worn by majestic figures - queens, princesses and even ladies from lower social ranks of historical ages.

I have recently "discovered" a painting by 16th century Scottish artist Adrian Vanson, of Queen Anne of Denmark, wife of  King James the VI. and as I viewed her in admiration, I observed the  expression in her eyes, the high forehead, her beautiful hair jewelry , and.....her earrings.

Of course this was a source of inspiration to me, and as I have recently acquired a pair of beautiful classy teardrop pearls, I have set to work, and this is the result:


I hammered a piece of silver to shapes of small flowers, had them cast, then polished the silver and oxidized it, added the studs and loops, finally hung the white  teardrop pearls to dangle.

Made with Love!
https://www.etsy.com/listing/100037837/silver-and-pearl-earring-studs-dainty



Sunday, May 13, 2012

Silver Coin Necklace with Goddess Athena



I have recently listed a sterling silver necklace with an ancient coin reproduction, showing Greek Mythology  Goddess Pallas Athena. I always use only AUTHENTIC ancient coins for my sterling jewelry designs, but as  an EXCEPTION I have decided to set this replica silver coin  in a silver pendant. I hung it on a “snake” sterling chain to be worn  as a necklace.
On the back of the coin you will find the image of an OWL which is Athena’s symbol of the way she arrived into this world:

When I was very small , I asked a neigbour of ours who had lived upstairs, what all kids ask:
"where do babies come from"?
She looked at me, with a little smile on her face, pointed at her forehead and said:
"From here! This is where they come from!"


 Well, according to  the Greek Mythology, Athena was the daughter of the mighty Zeus. She was not born from a woman, but- no more, no less - leaped out of Zeus’s head, clothed with all of her armour!!! 


Replica silver coin necklace with the image of Athena

The owl symbolizes Athena's birth
To continue the story , Zeus’s first wife was  METIS.  She was wisest of all beings. When she was about to give birth to  Athena, Zeus, who was aware of Metis's destiny to give birth to the most brilliant children, and wished to prevent them from taking over his place,  assimilated her into his own body. 

The city of Athens is  named after her. She is the patroness of civilized life,  art, and of agriculture.

As she was Zeus’s favorite daughter, he let her use his insignia: the terrible shield, the aegis, and his ray, the most dangerous and fearful  weapon.
 She was "nicknamed" in the Mythology as "The Bright Eyed". 
She is the first of the three virgin Goddesses, also known as Maidens (PARTHENOS - Athena, Artemis and Hestia).The famous  Parthenon temple was derived from this. 
In poetry Athena  is described as the symbol of Wisdom, Reason and Purity.
She created the OLIVE TREE, and the OWL is a symbol of her unusual birth.
One of the reasons I used this reproduced coin, inspite of its  being only a replica,  is its beauty , but there is another reason –  I have always admired the Ancient Greeks for choosing a female figure as a symbol of wisdom. Unfortunately, for our world, even today in the 21st century,  we think of ourselves as more modern and smart than humans were ever in the past, but women's contribution to our world still sadly underestimated.

Monday, May 7, 2012

Yankee Burrow Creations: My Besteam Monday spent in Israel

Yankee Burrow Creations: My Besteam Monday spent in Israel

Aquamarine beach glass and Silver necklace with Mint and Sage leaves

Saturday the sky was clear and it was nice and warm, I let my cat Mazie out to her balcony and saw that the mint and sage in the window box  have returned to life during Spring. As I was holding a piece of Aquamarine colored beach glass in my hand, I realized I knew how I wanted  to spend the rest of my Saturday.


Inspired by the freshness of the leaves, I sat at my work table at home and handcrafted this necklace:


Riorita - Aquamarine beach glass with silver,brass and copper Necklace
To make it, I used a flat peace of silver of 0.6mm thickness, and soldered on it sawed and hammered leaves from brass and copper pieces I found in my metal box.


When I finished it I was rather satisfied, as it was made with love! With a necklace like this decorating your outfit, who needs Gold?! - I definitely don't! 

Tuesday, May 1, 2012

Sunday was a day of fun!

One of my greatest pleasures in life is playing with my two and a half years old grandson.
Sunday I visited my daughter Adi's  little family. As Adi was busy with her newborn baby, I went to fetch the older son from his day care. He ran up to me happily but then suddenly looked a little worried. I understood. I said: "let's go home and we'll kiss your mom and your little baby brother!". When we got home he ran to his mom and the baby and kissed him and we took care he will not kiss him TOO hard.
Then he said :"Let's go to the playground"!

Adi decided to stay home that day, so I took him by the hand and we went over to the playground across the street. We played a kind of "soccer" on the grass,  then "Hide and Seek" (I was watching every step of his, through my "closed" fingers while he was hiding from me), and then he went over to the slide. He climbed the ladder and slid down, once, twice, three times and then he said" "grandma why don't you come and slide too?". What could I say? I HAD to find something to say!  "My leg aches, I cannot climb" escaped my lips. (Lying to a little boy - shame on me!). "So climb with your other foot" said he. Wise guy!... But adorable!

Then we returned home and his father was waiting for him there with open arms.




When I returned home I was full of energy, so in spite f the late hour, I sat at my table and handcrafted these  Aquamarine beach glass earrings and silver.





Hope you like them!