"Every artist was first an amateur" Ralph Waldo Emerson

Wired Pendants

A true goddess

Like many people, last night I watched the Baftas on TV. It's always nice to see the beautiful and Glamorous dresses the stars wear  and allow our imagination to dream ...

 My favourite gown was without any doubt Jessica Alba's  electric blue Versace dress and her gorgeous blue beaded vintage necklace.  She looked absolutely beautiful. A true goddess.

Another quote

A nice quote can sometimes be inspiring and help us believe in things. Here is my choice for today.

"The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams " 

Eleanor Roosevelt

Wood beads

For some of my latest creations I used wood beads, really like them and  I should try to use them more often. They might not be as appealing as other beads because they do not have the sparkle or  shine of  glass or metal beads but they are also very beautiful and should not be taken for granted.  They come in many shapes and sizes, they are very colourful and  versatile and create beautiful jewellery.

Bookmark

For a while now I wanted to personalise my own bookmark. Finally decided to do it and the result is  a pretty silver plated bookmark decorated with gorgeous semi-precious Mookaite beads and a silver plated star.

Photographing jewellery

One of my New Year resolutions is to improve the photographs of my jewellery so  I am currently reading a book by Tom Ang " Digital Photography Masterclass".

Taking pictures has always been one of my secret passions  and  If you make jewellery like me or intend to do so, then photography will have a very important role in the whole process, unless you can afford to pay a professional photographer to do the job for you.  The main aim is to obtain a good photograph because without quality you won't  be able to present your work. Your photos have to mirror your pieces, it's not easy  but it's not impossible either.

I personally love to photograph my pieces outdoors and use nature as much as possible. When I have to take indoor pictures I look around the house for things
I can use as props and sometimes it works. You need to try and find the best light, control reflections and aim for a quality photo. Most important thing is that you don't need to spend much to do so, you can use a piece of paper, a scanner, make your own jewellery displays and so on.

For now I leave you with some videos from professional photographers I found on You tube that might be helpful.

Merry Christmas

Just a quick line to wish everybody out there a Merry Christmas!

Snow day

It´s almost Christmas and it´s been very cold in the past few days. 

 What a beautiful surprise to wake up and see all the roofs, the streets 

and the gardens covered with snow! I didn´t let the freezing temperatures scare me, instead I decided to go to the park and capture the  beauty of a Melancholic snowy day.

 

Inspirational Poem

I came across a beautiful poem which is believed to have been written by the poet C W Longenecker but has also been attributed to other authors. I'm not sure who wrote it but it's certainly beautiful and  I want to share it with you, because sometimes when things get tough we forget for various reasons that we have to keep fighting. Enjoy ....

You Can If You Think You Can!

If you think you are beaten, you are,

If you think you dare not, you don't.

If you like to win, but you think you can't,

It is almost certain you won't.

If you think you'll lose, you're lost,

For out in the world we find,

Success begins with a fellow's will.

It's all in the state of mind.

If you think you are outclassed, you are,

You've got to think high to rise,

You've got to be sure of yourself before

You can ever win a prize.

Life's battles don't always go

To the stronger or faster man.

But soon or late the man who wins,

Is the man who thinks he can.