Hi and Happy New Year! GIVEAWAY!

Hi and Happy New Year! GIVEAWAY!


Hello :) And happy New Year to you! I am skipping the resolutions, but I do have a belayed new year's present for you: the chance to win a free handmade necklace! It's one of my matryoshka necklaces and it's cute, bright and fun because I am sick of winter and depressing news, so we need something sunny and happy to keep us going. Come over to my facebook page and enter the competition!

I love kitchen ware!

Noooo i haven't lost my mind, i'm not going crazy over spoons and forks but my latest addiction is the hunt for perfect mold...in the kitchen wares section of my favourite thriftstore! I'm not too fond of the traditional resin molds that are for sale on e-bay or other shops that specialize in resin supplies, they seem too generic or just plain boring most of the time. The kitchen ware section of my thrift store is another story because here i find my treasures : egg holders for the fridge, old fashioned ice cube trays, other trays for i-don't-know-what-goes-where for the kitchen, the shapes and possiblities are endless. More than once i've been greeted with a frown when i walk to the till with an arm full of used ice cube trays, happy about my new thrift store treasures. Seriously, i must be the only person buying these things because some of the trays ( the ones i really don't like) have been sitting there for months. My latest mold is the best i found sofar: an ice cube tray for diamond shaped, faceted ice cubes. I think it is just perfect for making ring charms and i've been trying out some new designs:

Matryoshka in Space

Floating Flowers:

Frozen Diamond:

Sea shells Now here's a fun substitute for settings! I'm recycling sea shells so i can use them for making resin pendants. It actually looks like there is water inside the shell, and a little matryoshka floating in it, surrounded by rose petals ( ok, not really : it's red mica glitter, but use your imagination!). I painted the shell in bronze-gold tones so it would match the jump ring chain i made for it. I have a lot of double shells that i would like to use, if i can find a way to keep together with glue i could turn them into diptychs or portrait lockets. To be continued!

Tsarina Winter Coat & Trashion Baroque Japan Jacket I think autumn is the most productive time of the year for me. I 'm working day and night on my new ideas and the best thing is that i really enjoy it and don't feel tired at all. I worked on two new designs last week, something i've been wanting to do along time but never got around doing it in summer. I'm always a little bit hesistant to work on a piece of clothing because i'm afraid to mess up and not be able to cover up my mistakes. Anyway, i decided to take the plunge and restyle these two items into something very different. The long coat is inspired by Russian Tsarinas and Matryoshkas (yes - again russia, can't help it). I painted bronze hearts, embellished with lots of hand sewn seed beads on the sleevs and around the edge. Then i put little matryoshkas in the middle of the hearts and taller ones alternating with the hearts. The most difficult part was stencilling the art nouveau pattern. I had to cut it out of flimsy paper and keep it still on this thick coat, but it was worth it because i think that pattern really makes the coat stand out. The other jacket is an upcycled trashion creation, with a japanese twist. I have loads of fabric scraps and i thought it would be a nice idea to use this jacket like a canvas and turn it into a collage. I actually worked like a painter here, with my jacket on the dress dummy, paint brush in one hand and glue gun in the other. I was not sure what to put inside the cameo frame, to be honest, of all things that decision too the most time! I wanted something that really contrasted with the baroque style of the jacket and the fabrics i used, so i chose a japanese geisha. many thanks to my lovely sister for modelling them for me :)

Resin Ring I have to admit, i really love resin. And matryoshkas. And sparkles. I love the preparation, slowly pouring it into the molds and then wait anxiously for a hit or miss surprise. I think i used too many hardener drops in my last batch, which caused an "inner combustion" or something like that. I do like the result though, it looks like chipped crystals or flakes.