Merry-Go-Round - Looking Forward

Jump on our merry go round and join a group of artists/crafts-women from around the world as they link hands and tell you a little bit about their lives in craft.

Do look up the answers from the rest of this band of crafters (links to your left).

If they haven't posted yet, remember we all live in different time zones and check again later...

This month's theme:

What are you planning for the year ahead?

So. First off— I am really, really sorry I am so late posting this.

Got carried away with how short February is and how much there was I wanted / had to cram into it...

The bad news: no photo.

The good news: I am actually looking forward to this year and gradually making out what it is I am going to make of it, craftwise.

Late December-Early January was a difficult time but it was also liberating and brought me peace and clarity of mind the like of which I had not experienced in a long, long time.

The past year was spent, not uselessly but sometimes seeminglingly pointlessly, dabbling around new stuff.

I do intend to go on experimenting (sounds better, does it not?) with textile and metal, and learning, but things are slowly beginning to fall into place and I am beginning to see more clearly how to combine, or not, this and that craft; how this is going to be just for my own pleasure, whereas that is going to be "marketable" in some way.

Recently, I have been going through my stacks in a violent session of pre-Spring cleaning. Order! Order! Yeah, right... Anyway. The mix of contemplation and exertion (panting and resting vs. putting shelves together and up against the wall) allowed me to think and fantasize freely.

A thematic project has been slowly growing and coming together.

So— watch this spot for some statement jewelery— that's all I'm going to say for now!

PRO-ACTIVE

Une révolution pacifique se prépare sur DaWanda...

Guettez ces logos, ils devraient apparaître début novembre.

Ne manquez pas de visiter la section "BIENVENUE" du forum.

Vous avez tout à y gagner...

Bonnes courses de fin d'année à tous !

We few, we happy few; a band of sister designers is planning a peaceful coup on DaWanda...

Watch out for these logos in early November.

Do visit the "BIENVENUE" section of the French forum.

You won't regret it.

Happy holiday shopping, Everyone!

Nouveau visage - New face

Alors, qu'est-ce que vous pensez de ma nouvelle bannière et de mon nouvel avatar ? Ils sont basés sur une gravure ancienne chinée au printemps dernier : des sirènes et une émeraude...

So— what do you think of my new banner and avatar? They were created out of an old print I unearthed at my favourite antiques fair last spring— a print showing mermaids and an emerald...

AVANT-PREMIERE / PREVIEW

L'année dernière (!), sur le marché de Noël de Bordeaux, sur un stand qui vendait des santons de provence, je suis tombée sur un lot de fèves inutilisée... aux quelles j'ai tout de suite trouvé un fort potentiel bijoutier.
Au grand étonnement des propriétaires, je suis repartie avec tout un lot de miniatures, en particulier des reproductions de mascarons et d'assiettes en faïence.
Comme d'habitude, je laisse les idées tourner un peu dans ma tête avant d'utiliser ce genre de pièces uniques, mais je me suis déjà mise au travail : j'ai commencé avec les mascarons en faisant un collier et une broche très vintage, mais aussi une paire d'assiettes "souvenir de Paris" qui sont devenues des clips pour une amie parisienne.

Last year (!), roaming along the alleys of the Bordeaux Xmas Market, I found a display of unused "fèves" (small objects traditionally hidden in Epiphany pies and cakes - the person who finds it in his/her slice gets to be "king/queen" and choose his/her "queen/king").
Some of these are "mascarons" (typical sculpted ornaments found on 18th century façades here) and others are tiny miniatures of antique porcelain plates.
I like to let designs mature in my mind before I do anything too definitive with unique pieces like these, but I've already gotten down to work - with mascarons first (a necklace and a brooch, both very vintage-looking), and with a pair of Paris plates which were turned into a completely unique set of clip-on earrings for a friend.

A DaWanda Seller's Christmas Holiday

The Christmas Holidays - so long expected, so yearningly looked forward to - Getting away is the key-word here. A change of scene.

So this is where I'll be off (photos taken early November, this year), as soon as possible, to be away from my day job, deep in the heart of the heart of the French country.
Apart from champagne and sweet as well as savoury delights (mandatory, you understand), there will be a lot of photographing and knitting involved, and hopefully a little time to experiment with new stuff - I'm quite curious about resin and look forward to trying out a few ideas.

By the time the End of Year holidays have arrived, the work on other people's celebrations and presents has long been done, so it's also a good time to focus on those excellent resolutions that will make me a better crafter next year... Not sure my holidays will be long enough to figure that one out!

One change I do intend to make is to make this blog bilingual - but I still need to decide on how exactly... Suspense!

A "small" wish for the New Year, if I may : let DaWanda improve and grow and develop, and let our enthusiasm and work and efforts be rewarded!

A very Happy Crafty New Year to you all, DaWandians and others!