Special

A bird has chosen me. I feel so special.

The girl bird who arrived
from donowhere.

It is what's called a "Diamant Mandarin" in French (a zebra finch?). Funny that it arrived on my balcony while I'm working on the book about Diamond Weave. When we tried to catch her she came inside. We couldn't find her owner, so we kept her. I bought her a boyfriend and all the things she needs to be well and happy, a cage, food, a bath and more, still to arrive.

She and her boy friend
get along very well

I made a brief video of her and her companion discovering their beautiful new cage. He sings all the time and she loves to bathe. It is very pleasant to hear them chit- chatting. It brings more life in my life and I think that it is a perfect addition for my "smell-the-roses" programme.

It's my birthday this week and I have to buy quite a few things for these new friends and by buying my patterns, you are making this possible. To celebrate and thank you I'm  having a 33% discount off of all my patterns during the next days - valid until the 31st of October 2014 only.

and the code to enter on Etsy is

HAPPYBIRD

Not valid on jewelry - sorry!

I had my flu shot this morning and feel not so good, so I'm keeping this post short today. I just wanted to let you know that I am having a sale in my shop. Your support is very welcome and highly appreciated. Thank you very much!!!

Much love to all,

Cath

The Perfect Present

When I learned that the theme of the Etsy Beadweaver's Team Challenge of November was  "The Perfect Present", I immediately knew what I wanted to make. You can see the listing here.

Years ago, my dearest friend Isabelle gave me a small vermeil Hamsha hand, to protect me, as she said. I think that she is the only person who has ever given me something protective, but that comes from the absence of supersition of my other beloved ones.

Click for a larger image - the Hamsha
hand in this photo is the one I received
from Isabelle

I wasn't superstitious myself, and didn't realize how adorable it was to receive (or give) an amulet, or talisman until she gave it to me. Since that day, I consider "Evil eyes" which actually symbolizes the eye watching out for evil, Hamsha hands (God's hand), Maneki Neko (lucky cats) and many other little beads and charms as Perfect Gifts. Small objects, durable representatives of the loving attention and affection from one person for another. It doesn't matter that you believe it or not, what matters is the intention. "Be well, stay safe". It is kindness, friendship, love, dedication. Symbols are the result of culture, and culture is the result of thousands of years of human evolution. Some symbols have an incredibly deep meaning.

The Evil Eye in this beaded component is a rare vintage Venetian glass cabachon, which I received from the adorable Ruth Buffington. She sent it to me along with other beautiful beads and cabachons within the framework of the January 2013 PIF which went viral on Facebook - a lovely action where one commits to send a gift to 5 persons who, in return, simply must pay it forward. Ruth is a very talented beader and seamstress extraordinaire.You certainly will like to discover Ruth's works for this year's Steampunk exhibit at the Lyam & Merrie Wood Museum of Springfiel History, 3 exceptional costumes with incredible beadwork and beaded accessories, are amazing.

Click for a larger image to read Nesli's note

I ordered 22Kt matte gold-plated Hamsha charms to match the cabachon, little coin charms (also symbol of good fortune) together with a few other items from an Etsy shop in Turkey, TukishEyeSupply. The owner, Nesli, sent more than just the items I ordered. She added a little bag full of goodies plus a 'real' Evil Eye bead, with a note saying:

"This is a Nazar Boncuk (Evil Eye) handmade by Turkish Artisans.
 For thousands of year it is believed to be protective. I hope it will protect you and brings you good luck too..."

I don't know Nesli personally, and feel very  grateful.

The cabachon is glued on Lacy Stiff Stuff, backed with turquoise leather. I made a butterfly rope structure around the cabachon. The oval peyote structure is supple. It makes the component cup nicely, which is practical for the chain to pass behind. I used beautiful materials - 24Kt Gold plated Delicas, Goldplated Firepolished rounds and Permanent Finish gold Toho seed beads for extra durability.

For my beaded pendant I initially planned to make a long Butterfly rope, but Debra's lovely Seed Bead Chain pattern (available for free in her Craftsy Store) is matching this project even better, in particular when worn on the hand.

There are two chains for this item: to wear it as a bracelet (34cm chain for a 71/4 inch wrist) or as a hand adornment with the longer chain (38cm). The two chains together make a 72cm long chain to wear the component as a pendant.

The tiny little coins are fantastic little 'helpers' to attach the clasp.

Please let me know what you think!

Smell the roses

Before (when I still could work like 'normal' people), I happened to tell myself that I would be able to smell the roses when this or that job would be finished. But that never happened because each mission, project, or work morphed into more missions, more projects and more work. There never came an end to it, but there always came an end to me (my spirits, my strength, my enthusiasm, etc.). Before, even if I had been confronted with employers who screamed (yes, they exist - I am a magnet for unpleasant employers), I never feared to leave and take on another job. I was strong, I could do it.

Now it's different. I haven't healed completely from the burn-out because of the mobbing. Mobbing leaves very deep, invisible scars. It is known for pushing people to suicide. I am not at all a suicidal person but my photosensitivity somehow excludes me from the outer world... I don't know if it is related. My doctor sticks to "fibro can provoke all sorts of strange affections".

please love me...

I always felt obliged to do better than good. It is my philosophy to do my best, but I needed the encouragement. The thanks you's, the compliments. I think that I still do. Who doesn't? But... being an expat, high potential and highly sensitive are all part of the explosive equation. For example: I always wanted to be accepted in a group (I never was) even if I didn't fit in at all (I never did - HP and HS nearly fit in nowhere). I wish that my parents had known how horrible it was but they were not HP and didn't (maybe couldn't) have the slightest notion about it. I continued as I could. Searched for "aproval" and worked for 2. This got me into trouble, because there is no better victim for a mobber. I have noticed that most women who have fibromyalgia have this in common: we want to be 'good girls' so much and one day, we break. Hypersensitivity is not something which can be changed, it is something we learn the hard way that we are like this, and then need to learn to cope with. I am wondering if fibro is a result of years of crazy multitasking without breathing correctly.

To compensate the big reduction of my income and to keep myself from going insane, I needed to find a solution and the only solution is to work for myself, in a secure and light-free or light-under-control place: my home.

Writing a book about Diamond Weave with no other boss than my own self, at a self-imposed pace brought new insight: smelling the roses is not a question of having time - I had all the time before, but didn't smell them. It's a state of mind, a lifestyle, something I have to learn. I nearly overworked myself again, of course, but this time I am the boss who is shouting at my computer (Windows "Hate" is frankly horrible) and I got to the point where 'I had to talk with my boss'. Yes, the problem is me. Meditation imposed itself. It slowly sets me free. I can't blame anybody else for the amount of work, the timing, planning, mistakes, stress, etc... Nobody else but me.

I conclude that to enjoy life, we need to work hard at something that is ours, something we love and enjoy, push our own limits and then have those moments of peaceful breaks - moments where you are satisfied with yourself... every day! Even if compliments are really great, not a million of them will replace that special feeling.

Working so hard at something that I love so much brought me a back on the path to the roses.

I have discovered that peaceful, timeless place somewhere inside of me. It is like having found the way back home after having been lost during forever. I didn't expect this and am grateful. Now the challenge is to find the right balance between work and roses. It is not easy to access that place inside. I need to improve the quality of my meditation. Not just scratch the surface and get a glimpse. I also need to do more exercice. Luckily I have a wonderful physio who helps me well, and I exercise in the warm pool once a week. But that is not enough.

I have discovered a series of seasonal Qi Gong exercices on this website and  made the promise to myself to do them very regularly during the coming 4 seasons, like a ceremonial. One year. To do myself the favour of being better for myself.
To stop and look at the sacredness of everything and softly celebrate it. A state of bliss I want to experience more often. It will need a bit of discipline.

Did I say that I love my 'job'? I do!

Flowers for Friendship Wreath

I wrote my last post more than a month ago, and so many things have happened in the meantime... Contemporary Geometric Beadwork Vol. II is in the process of being printed and bundled right now, and it is very beautiful. I am so proud of my participation as a beader as well as a member of the Edit Team - I'm not of English mother tongue and haven't attended University, so this says a lot.

It is not that I could not go to university, it is just that I didn't know what I wanted, didn't know what to do... My mother died at that very crucial moment in my life where I had to make decisions and I decided to not make any decision. I simply started working as a telephonist - my English was good enough to get hired by an import-export office in Geneva and I wanted to leave my family's (father and brother's) appartment asap to have my own life. I regret not having decided to to go to France and learn to make perfume, which was something I had in mind before the world became upside down... Loosing your mother at 18 is ... indescribable.

But life goes how it has to go: on. I went on too, became a secretary - learned eveything on the job, and later, much later, I became an administrative assistant for the IUCN. My dream! to work to protect nature! I'm an animal lover and of course Terra lover.

In the meantime, the Internet had grown, and I became ill...But I had started beading. Beading helped me to not let illness bring me down and ... now I am part of the Edit Team of this amazing book! Wow!

I am now dedicating my time to get the book Diamond Weave out to the world. Writing, illustrating, beading and photography are what I'm most busy with. It's a huge job and I know nothing about editorial work except what I learned at the IUCN and from Kate and what I learned from her might not even be the 'correct' way to write a book, because she is not following specific rules either, but that's fine. In fact, it helps me because I somehow am the same. I follow my nose like I've always done and somehow things will work out right. I love what I'm doing.

Beading and the Internet are two things which impacted my life tremendously. In particular as a human being, psychologically and creatively. I am grateful for what I've learned and received. Planet Bead is my world, and I meet beaders from everywhere thanks to Facebook. Maybe one day my photophobia will heal and I will travel the world to meet them in reel.

Yesterday I learned that beaders in Kiev, Ukrain, are planning to make a Friendship's Wreath. This is to commemorate the victims of the Ukrainian conflict and of the Boeing777 desaster. The wreath will be exhibited in Kiev on exhibition "Golden hands of masters" 15-17 October 2014. Anna Bystrik is coordinating the project. I love this!

You too can participate and send (a) flower(s); here are the "rules", also posted on the Facebook Page of this Event:

1. Flower from beads can be any shape, any color and made in any technique. The only limitation - the diameter of not more than 7 cm
2. Finished flowers should be mailed to Anna (you can contact her via Facebook for her address, simply send her a personal message)
3. Finished pieces should be sent in such a way that before September 20, they are at her place for the assembling of the wreath.
4. The final destination of the wrath is to either be sold by auction. In this case, the money will be used for charitable purposes, or to be exposed in a museum.

What Ukrain needs most is peace, so I made Peace Lillies. They need the positive vibes.
The entire world needs more love. Love from the heart. Kindness.

BTW I created a Facebook page for Diamond Weave. I hope that you'll like it! There is not much to see there, but if you ask for updates from the page, you will receive the important info when it's posted.


I also finished a tutorial for a very lovely little pendant with exchangeable crystal stone, Trapezino, and it is in the hands of my wonderful proofreader.

I'd like to Cathify Jewelry à la Diane Hyde

The lovely Diane Hyde

I felt pretty miserable over the past weeks for not being able to print laser images... And yesterday my printer, an ink-jet with remarkable fine pixels, died. So I had a quick look at laser printers, but the good ones are far too expensive and not worth buying for the rare occasions I need images for my jewelry. It was a tough decision though, because this really looked like a reach-out of the universe to me, as if to say: 'you wanted one, now is the occasion to get one and make your own buttons for Diamond Weave, and your own cabochon backings and printed material for beautiful necklaces and bracelets, à la Diane Hyde.'

Did I tell you that I love her book "Break the Rules". It is not just about Bead Embroidery!

Diane's Book - a Must

I love it because
- she shines through. One can nearly hear her voice, see her smile and feel like a good friend sitting together with her in her studio et café à volonté.
- she makes me feel confident to use things I like, which I didn't dare to use before, because I feared to (excuse my French) fuck them up. And there are things we don't want to fuck up. Diane has tested it all. Her advice is highly valuable. It takes so many years of tryal and error to find the right glues, varnishes, materials and techniques to use for this type of mixed media jewelry. Her tips are exactly what I needed to make the step.
- she broadens my horizon. She transforms my way of looking at things: everything becomes a potential element to incorporate in jewelry.
- she saves me time. I am busy writing tuts myself, but I really would like to make some mixed media jewelry with those particular things which are close to my heart. I started already, with my Tristan & Isolde Necklace, strongly influenced by her beautiful work, but very hesitating - I didn't have her book at the moment I made it. Now I don't need to search for disseminated information anymore - all the how to and what to use is there, in one publication. The pictures are excellent and the explanations very clear. It really is a toolbox, and we love toolboxes!

Tristan and IsoldeScented bottle necklace

I can't tell you how many times I have renounced making something just because I didn't know which product to use and didn't want to buy the whole store, nor work with  images which wouldn't last. So I had to either buy products made by others, or resign. I generally resigned, because the images I would like to use in my projects are different from those available.
But that's over now.

I will find a solution for printing durable images. Hubby has come up with several good ideas.

Now even if the price of inkjet printers has dropped over the past years, I must say that I still would have preferred spending the money on other things. You sure understand what I mean, don't you? ;)
If you like my work, then feel free to use coupon-code NEWPRINTER in my Etsy - you'll get a 25% discount - valid only until Sunday :)

Thank you so much for your support!