New Year Countdown - New Year Layouts

Dear Friends,

Each moment in a day has its own value.
Morning brings HOPE,
Afternoon brings FAITH,
Evening brings LOVE,
Night brings REST,
Hope you will have all of them everyday.
HAPPY NEW YEAR 2010 !

Sincerely,
Diva's Admin

It sounds like you claim to keep silence, "CCCCCCCC..." This sound reminds you of a bee buzz, "ZZZZZZZZZ..." If you put this letters together, it will be something strange, "CZ". Let's open Wikipedia for "CZ", and the first result returns you "Cubic Zirconia". We read, "Cubic Zirconia (or CZ) is the cubic crystalline form of zirconium dioxide. The synthesized material is hard, optically flawless and usually colorless, but may be made in a variety of different colors. It should not be confused with zircon, which is a zirconium silicate. Because of its low cost, durability, and close visual likeness to diamond, synthetic cubic zirconia has remained the most gemologically and economically important competitor for diamonds since 1976."

To tell the truth, I knew about Cubic Zirconia, but haven't tried those "diamondy" beauties until I received Cubic Zirconia Beads from Artbeads.com. They have a beautiful choice of CZs of any kind: beads, pendants, teardrops and so on. I decided to use faceted teardrops in my design.


According my idea, the necklace should have been pretty light and elegant, to wear for any occasion, and I added Amethyst, Garnet, Peridot, Olivine and Yellow CZ Faceted Teardrop Pendants to the main chain made using amethyst faceted round beads, seed beads and peridot chips. I wish I have wider CZ pendants color range, but for now it's fine. Ahhhha... Next time I'll try to combine those teardrops with Russian leaves...

The first picture displays my finished necklace, which I haven't named yet, and the second one - its close-up. What about name? Any idea?

December started with good news that came from Soft Flex Company, the company announced the winners of the Flex Your Creativity Beading Contest, and my Bridal Flowers Necklace won First Place and Grand Prize. My another piece, Pearl Fireworks Necklace won the Seventh Place. Thanks to all who voted for me! My warmest congratulations to all winners, finalists and participants! WoooooooHooooooooo!!!

Winners List

Recently a friend of my friend has brought me a pair of old vintage earrings (Sterling silver, labradorite and pearls) and asked me to create an unusual piece of jewelry using those earrings.


Create a new pair of earrings using the old ones? Oh, no! I decided to keep the old design, and put the earrings together on a blank beadwoven bracelet. I picked up seed beads matching labradorite and pearls for the bracelet, and added a few seed bead branches with amethyst rounds, pearls and some gemstone chips. So, here we are!

Here is another Russian pendant, handpainted on a piece of black onyx and featuring a small part of the whole painting Winter, by Alfons Mucha.


And here is my another necklace featuring Russian pendants, its style completely differs from my Picasso's Dream Necklace. Not only shape, but technique and materials are different: I combined free-form and Russian leaves, as media I used seed and bugle beads, and a lot of Swarovski crystal pearls.


At last, here is a close-up of my lovely Lady! Maybe, too much gold, maybe I needed to add some silver color pearls, who knows, what would be better!

I had a dream - to create a necklace using mostly Swarovski crystals. Of course, with seed beads together! Artbeads.com declared October as their month of Swarovski, and I didn't want to loose such a great opportunity. They have over 5,000 different items from Swarovski including beads, pendants, rhinestones, buttons, chain and more. In other words, everything you need to design the most dazzling jewelry!

I received from Artbeads.com different Swarovski crystal beads (Margarita Bead Jet and Margarita Bead Siam of different size), rivolis (Rivoli Siam, Rivoli Padparadscha, Rivoli Black Diamond), and amazing Aquiline Pendants, added bicones I've already had, and started working.


I must confess, it was a pleasure to work with Swarovski! Though I'm not a fan of bright sparkling beads and elements, I can sometimes afford to work with such materials, right? The name was born easily: Tropical Blossom! I think, it's fine for my necklace.

It can happen not very often when I make pictures of my jewelry on models. Here my daughter Ivanna is serving me as a model. At that time she was just back from the Burning Man Festival, she grabbed my necklace and put it on! I called that free-form necklace Southwestern Taste because of its color combination.

Burning Man website: www.burningman.com

Annual Alexandria Festival of the Arts is voted one of the top 100 art festivals in the country by Sunshine Artist magazine. As usual, it took place in September.


More than $15 million in art was on display, and more than 200 juried artists have displayed and sold fine art ranging from paintings, sculpture, prints and photography to pottery, glass, jewelry and ceramics. This year we noticed less sculpture artworks, but much more jewelry of any kind. Anyway, festival made a great success!

Pictures: Festival of the Arts

I had to post that at least a month ago, but better late, than never! A great event took place in September at the Torpedo Factory Art Center, where visual art came alive during the Alexandria Festival of the Arts. Artists demonstrated throughout the day pottery on the wheel, drawing, bubble glass making, beading, spinning, weaving, knitting, limestone carving, etching, and much more. Visitors could try their hand at different art techniques including clay throwing, sculpture, and fiber art at special "Try Me" stations.


Hands-on projects also included Champagne Cork Chairs workshop, Bubble Gum painting, Create Your Own Button workshop, Screen printing workshop, Mask Making workshop and so on. Lots of fun for both, adults and kids!

Pictures: Art Activated

Right Click on Image to select 'Open Link in New Window' :

Sun Flower Pearl Earrings USD7.89/ RM28.03

Mink and feather ponytail USD5.26/ RM18.68

Mink Ribbon Pin Point USD15.79/ RM56.05

Flowers and ribbon pearl earrings USD10.53/ RM37.37

Opera Earrings USD6.58/ RM23.36

Vintage Gold Pendant Watch USD21.05/ RM74.74

Cute velvet hair band USD5.26/ RM18.68

Shearing Zip Necklace USD18.42/ RM65.39

Musk Milk Necklace USD10.53/ RM37.37

Rosario lines Chain Necklace USD9.87/ RM35.03

Suede Chain Earrings USD15.79/ RM56.05

Mini Key Earrings at Bernie USD5.26/ RM18.68

Swallow Stone Fruit Ring USD13.16/ RM46.71

Slim Mini Silver Bird Necklace USD6.58/ RM23.36

Slim Mini Silver Bird Earrings USD6.58/ RM23.36

Lumiere cubic ring USD9.87/ RM35.03