WOW!!! 10% OFF

WOW!!!!
How generous of Eva!!!!
She is offering ALL MY READERS 10% OFF any purchase on her Chili Crab designs!!!!
Oooooooh!!!!
Definitely take advantage of this people!
....off to look in her shop again!
:P

Chili Crab Treasures

As ALWAYS when I see a designer with such talent and beautiful designs I HAD TO SHARE them with you!
Introducing Chili Crab!
Let's get to know her a little better.
DIrectly from her bio:

"I am a German expat happily living in Singapore with my husband and two sons. I really enjoy the freedom of being engaged with the things that I have been doing for more than 6 years now.

The biggest influence on me becoming a creative person definitely comes from my parents and my mother-in-law. My mother loved to do any kind of handcrafts, from knitting, crocheting to silk painting and sewing. She did everything. My father is talented with any kind of woodwork. And my mother-in-law is a great painter and artist in general.

But the decision to keep my fingers busy with other things than typing the keyboard in a software company came during my first pregnancy. I felt almost forced to create crochet treasures and made a lot of gifts for friends and family. After that my interest evolved into designing home accessories. Later I got interested in creating jewelry. Nowadays, I still maintain my interests in all these areas."

Now my favorite part!
Sharing with PICTURES!!!! Here are a few of my favorite piece from her shop!

for the aztec goddess-earrings
The vibrant colors against the richness of the brass is such a wonderful contrast!


Check out this pendant!
Such intricate detail! All of the delicious little petals and leaves...such work!
paradise by night-pendant


I always have found the image of a skeleton for the most part morbid and scary. Even though I know the history of the day of the dead...still creeps me out....UNTIL now! The bright festive colors and design of this piece really do make for something to celebrate!
dia de los muertos-pendant



Finally, my FAVORITE piece...or really pieces! I have ALWAYS loved the color combination of brown and blue. This set takes my love to a whole new level! For all the years running around with flowers in my hair these simply take my breath away. They have everything I LOVE. Flowers, detail, brass filigree, sparkle, sass and a sensational organic feel.
I actually get butterflies in my tummy looking at them. The amount of detail used to create these truly makes me believe she loves her craft!
cocoa dreams-earrings



I hope you all share my joy of these amazing treasures!
I highly recommend you to visit her shop and check out all her other AMAZING designs.

**Photos courtesy of Chili Crab

Ella

I am pretty excited about this piece I recently listed.
Ella is made 100% from scratch! Layer upon layer of hand treated, cut, pressed, curled and shaped Silk Chiffon, Silk Satin, Silk Crepe de Chine and Organza create this Ultra feminine design.
It was SO MUCH more time consuming but I am really happy with the completed piece. I first treated all the silk material to minimize any fraying at the raw cut edges. I then pressed the material, cut each individual petal shape out and proceeded to further press, shape and curl each piece. There is SO MUCH more body and shape compared to the pieces I made even a year ago. Gotta love progress... practice, practice.... and more practice!
I find that organza is much more difficult to shape. The transparency of the material doesn't take to any liquids very well and ends up with weird blotches all over it. So, I have to still figure out what I can use to possibly help with this material to minimize fraying and hold shape better.
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
I used white and champaign colors in this piece. Of course it also has my signature jeweled center. White opalescent Swarovski pearls and crystals sparkle against the anti-tarnishing Silver wire.

Gardening

I took a little time this afternoon to work in my garden.
No one has really lived in this house for a few years on a regular basis so the front and back yards have been terribly neglected.
I planted some vegetables in the small space that was left unpaved in the back but I have now realized there is little sun hitting it due to the over grown fruit trees looming over it.
I hope something grows...My Uncle brought me 2 tomato plants that have been growing on the outer rim but no buds or flowers yet.
I have been slowly but surely tending to the lemon and mini mandarin orange tree.
I think by next year these will be full of juicy fruit. The lemons are plenty but since it hasn't been pruned the branches are too full and the fruit too crammed so they aren't that great.
I've pretty much lived in apartments all these years so having a yard to take care of is new to me.
I have such ideas and little skill or money.
:P
I REALLY wanted a simple Japanese garden but apparently that is like years in the making to create one...and it so far seems to be REALLY expensive as far as plants, rocks, et cetera.
I think the fact that I genuinely have no idea what I am doing as far as the whole landscaping and gardening thing plus having very little money to spend on this makes it all the more challenging.
When I have something to show I promise to take a few pictures.

COSMOPOLITAN BRIDE Feature

How SUPER Excited I was to see that I got a photo of my custom design featured in this article of my clients wedding! Andrea was such a super sweet client and this was a special piece for me as well. I literally took HOURS trying to create the perfect size and shape with only virgin feathers. I didn't want to cut the edges since I used such high quality feathers. She was very specific on size so I had to create the right shape and still keep the pieces within the size she requested. A LOT easier said then done! I can't tell you how many of these empty feather flowers I had sitting on my desk over the several weeks perfecting this set. She looks stunning and I am SO HAPPY she LOVED the final piece. I was a little bummed that the picture refers anyone to a generic "etsy.com" and not even my personal etsy shop...I REALLY need to get my personal website up and running.
You can find Cosmopolitan Bride UK on stands now.
Can you believe that I haven't been able to get my own hands on one?!
I kinda live in a not so cosmopolitan area (lol) ...I got spoiled with everything in walking or driving distance in L.A.
Ah, but I can't beat the clean ocean air here!!! Heh, I would never be able to afford to live anywhere in L.A. getting the same ocean air!

New Month New Post

Ok.
I'm not even going to go into the lack of posting...
Ah, New month...new post!
So, the last 2-3 weeks I have been finally able to exercise and it's been AWESOME!
I have to confess that I am almost kicking myself because all of you that are about to be shaking your heads in an "I TOLD YOU SO" are going to laugh. I FINALLY started to do Yoga and LOVE IT! Due to illness I haven't been able to exercise in almost 3 years so this has been a perfect low impact way to get back in to shape! Yeah, yeah....it was in the late 80's that you were ALL telling ME that of all people you knew I would LOVE yoga and should give it a try.
LOL!
Yeah, typical me...better late then never I say!!!
I also started beginning Pilates too.
WOW!
I just LOVE both of them.
I realized just how stiff and NOT limber I am!
Slowly I am working on stamina and core strength and in only 3 weeks I can already feel a difference.
I had no idea just how challenging yoga can be.
:P
Any suggestions on yoga DVD's for relative beginners would be appreciated.

Today is my Birthday!

Heh...
I have been busy trying to be busy!
My family is taking me out to dinner tonight.
YUMMY!
I have had family visiting so it's fun...but I get nervous since I am used to always working.
I will take a few pictures to share!

Reworking

So I decided to rework an existing piece.
I actually LOVE what I did.
I ended up adding multiple layers of hand treated Silk Chiffon petals underneath the jeweled center. I think the hand cut stylized petals add a romantic billowy fluff and soft dreamy effect. Now the flower appears to have more depth and fullness. I also added several more Swarovski pearls and rhinestones in the center spray. It REALLY sparkles and twinkles in the light!!! I wish you could tell in the pictures.
Sometimes I just know if I tweak a few things it will make the piece stunning!!!!!
I think I did the trick!!!!
Original

New Piece

New Customs to share!!!

The recent HEAT wave really threw me!!!
Who ever thought it would be 93 degrees where I live!
YIKES!!!!!
Everyone was scrambling since no one has air conditioning in their homes here!
LOL!!! It is always too cold!
Anyway, today was a nice 68 degree high and sunny with a slight breeze!
Ah, my kind of weather!!!!!

So, the health has been up and down which is why the posts have been slim.
I just finished a couple new customs that I am IN LOVE with!!!!

My First piece is made entirely from scratch!!!!
Here are some early pictures on the collaboration between myself and the Bride.
All the petals have been hand curled and pressed after I treated the silk so it won't shred on the edges. It took HOURS but I am SO in love with how pretty these turned out.

The Bride also wanted a little soft tulle added to wear since she wasn't going to wear a traditional veil.
Finally, she loved the idea of adding the feathers. Especially the Silver Pheasant feathers. I believe I was the first to use these in Bridal pieces in the beginning of last year. As always, I got knocked off and have since this year seen a few in my competitors designs. (yeah, remember the skeleton leaves that I also started using the year before last that have since popped up in other designers pieces now?!)

Absolutely elegant vintage glamour!


My second custom order is a 2 piece request. One elegant Diamond white piece for the Bride and a Persian Pink, plum, fuchsia combination for the sister. Both inspired by my Mesmerizing Magenta design.

I personally like the hand cut Silk Chiffon petals surrounding the "A" quality Freshwater pearls and Swarovski crystal center.

Here is the second piece. I used hand cut and treated silk hot pink Dupioni petals sprinkled in there too.
SO pretty!

Touching base...

I've been sick a lot lately so I apologize for the lack of posts.
I've been trying to discontinue my use of Prednisone and every time I lower my dosage I feel literally like I am getting the Flu.
So, it makes me very tired.

Ah, looks like I will be moving AGAIN!
Ugh...my neighbor is having a lot of work done on his 2 bedroom house. Apparently, our families have been close for years. His Uncle built both homes! He was only 15 years old when he built the neighbors house!!!!! I think it was in the 1950's. Can you believe it?! My neighbor told me his Grandfather gave his Uncle the land to give him something to do back then. I guess as the story goes he read A LOT of books and built it!!! I was SO IMPRESSED!!!! Then I am assuming years later he built MY families house.
:P
Apparently, there was MAJOR termite damage and several walls next door have been torn apart removed and built back.
I moved in my families house as a temporary thing since one of my Uncle's is retiring at the end of the year and will be living here...obviously, I will need to move out.
I think in the long run, it will be to my best interest to move next door when it's ready. I was hoping to save a little more money over the next 5-6 months...but I can't risk losing the opportunity to live next door. (the space and price will be good for me) A little out of my price range but nothing more then what I'll have to pay anywhere else for less space and privacy. And you ALL know how much I HATED the Los Angeles apartment I was living in.
So, if I have to eat $1.00 ramen again...that's what I'll do!
:P
I REALLY LOVE living here. The weather suits me SO MUCH better.
I feel SO MUCH HAPPIER.
Man, the thought of moving again is SO NOT FUN!
Remember the drama....at least it's just next door!!!!!!
:P
Ah, I'll keep everyone posted.
Hope you all are healthy and well!!!!
*hugs*