MERMAIDS CHALLENGE

Lovely Gia of OnePerfectDay is hosting the current Etsy European Street Team (EST) Challenge on her blog!

The theme is... Mermaids! A lovely theme that leaves so much open to phantasy and imagination! As Gia says, "Maybe thinking of the deep blue sea, sparkling scales, seafoam, starfish , shells and other sea-creatures, female sirens and mythical beauties will help...."
You can find the relevant post here, and entries can be posted directly here.

What I entered? Well, my new Queen Of The Islands necklace... Wouldn't you feel like a mermaid wearing it? :)

Double Feature :)

I'm so happy and excited! I've had two features at the same time! :)

I'm so proud to have my Queen Of The Islands featured on Etsy Lush - "The Best of Etsy"!

Thank you Etsy Lush! :)

And at the same time my Mediterraneo 1 has been featured in the "Etsy Finds"!

New Wooden Treasure Box

I have found this lovely box in untreated wood and I had to buy it! It would make a great box for storing little things, a lovely jewelry box or even a beautiful box for displaying jewelry.

I think I'll try to turn it into a display box for earrings and pendants, it would look great lined with black fabric... Oh and it would make a lovely photo prop for photographing my jewelry! :)

CREATIVE CORNER: Working With Shrink Plastic

I had not worked with shrink plastic in ages, but finding my shrink plastic sheets again I thought I'd make some experiments...

Shrink plastic consists of large flexible sheets which, when heated in an oven, shrink to small hard plates without altering their color or shape. The base material consists of thin, flexible polystyrene plastic sheets. They usually come in white, black and transparent (both frosted and shiny). Prior to heating, the plastic sheets can be colored with felt-tip pens, acrylic paint, colored pencils, permanent inks, etc. and cut into shapes. 

When heated in an oven or with a heat gun, the plastic shrinks by about five-eighths and becomes thicker and more rigid, while retaining the colored design.

The colors get much richer and as you can see, from thin sheets the objects get thicker and dimensional. Amazing, isn't it?

QUEEN OF THE ISLANDS

This is my new handpainted necklace!

Inspired by the rich blues of the Aegean Sea and Sky...

I used 12 mini wooden tiles (each of them is about 14 x 11 mm) in a rich brown-reddish wood. I painted each one of them in a mix of blues, followed by two generous coats of varnish. Little wooden beads in teal complete this sea-inspired necklace that's sure to make a girl feel a Queen of the Islands all year long. Soon in my Etsy shop!

ANOTHER FEATURE ON ETSY LUSH!

I'm so happy and honored! My Road To Damascus, one of my "trademark" rings (it's on my new business cards!) and one of my most "hearted" pieces on Etsy, has been featured in the gallery of Etsy Lush alongside my Aegean Sunset! :)

HOT & COLD EUROPE

Europe is cut in two... weatherwise, that is! An extremely hot area and a cold, rainy area... It's raining again today! Feels like October... 16°C right now :(
Which area are you in? :)

Can you see that purple little VERY rainy area? That's where I am! :)

MARRAKECH

Here are more photos from yesterday's photo shoot! This ring has an oriental touch to it... It reminds me of oriental markets... magical oriental nights... Marrakech... spices and souks...

SUNNY PHOTO SHOOT!

We've had a beautiful sunny day at last... So I was able to take some photos!

I had made these sunny rings before going to Rhodes, and now I finally had time for a photo shoot!

I really love the color contrast of the dark wood and the bright sun...

But this one is gorgeous too!

FEATURED ON ETSY LUSH!

ETSY LUSH is a showcase for "The Best of Etsy", a kind of Etsy-de-luxe... Submission is juried and criteria as to what is accepted are very strict.  ‘Items with no creative integrity’ - which means "items that have been made using mass produced components that have been put together without showing any special skills" - are not accepted. Criteria are particularly strict when it comes to jewelry: "Due to high volumes of jewelry submissions we are extremely strict as to what is approved. The main components must be handmade BY YOU and show a special skill like lampwork, wirework, metal-smithing, ceramics etc. We will not permit items assembled with purchased components, even if those are handmade by someone else. We will check shops and if your items do not fit the criteria, your permission to use www.etsylush.com will be stopped without further notice or explanation".
So I was incredibly happy and delighted when my Aegean Sunset handpainted ring was published in the gallery of Etsy Lush! :)

WELCOME LITTLE THOMAS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh I'm so excited!!!!!!! Last night my brother's first baby (and my first nephew!) was born! He was a little in a hurry to see this world... so he was born early, not yet 7 months and a half... so he is very tiny (1.5 kg) and he will have to stay in hospital for some time to get the right care for such a tiny baby. But he is healthy and also his mom is fine! A little, sensitive Cancerian boy!

WELCOME LITTLE THOMAS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

GREEK ISLAND LOVERS TEAM!

It's online! My newly founded GREEK ISLAND LOVERS TEAM on Etsy! I wanted to give lovers of the Greek Islands and Greece in general an opportunity ro meet and share experiences and inspiration! 

This Team is open to all Greek-Island lovers and lovers of Greece!

Do you love the Greek Islands? Has your last trip left you longing and dreaming about your next one? Do you keep dreaming about that gorgeous blue blue sea? Are you one of those people who have fallen in love with one specific island and are going back each and every year? Have you fallen ill with “islomania” like Lawrence Durrell did? Are you looking for a way to be in touch with Greek artists and crafters? Or are just dreaming about your first trip to Greece?

Then this is the Team for you! WELCOME! We want to hear from you and share experiences and inspiration!

The main aims of this Team are:
1. Gathering lovers of the Greek Islands and chatting about our favourite island(s), sharing experiences and inspiration, and dreaming about our next trips;
2. Creating a contact between the international Greece-lovers community and Greek artists and crafters.

This is intended as a little “sister” of my beloved Etsy Greek Street Team (EGST), of which I am a proud member.

BACK HOME WITH AEGEAN MEMORIES

- SYMI -

I'm back home... with the striking light of the Aegean still in my heart, many memories, new friends and lots of inspiration that will fuel my creativity throughout the next months!

- PIPPI -

- NYSIROS, Dodecanese -

- DONOUSSA, a small island of the Cyclades -