EARTH AND SEA AND AN ISLAND...

I have made these new earrings using beautiful seeds or nuts (I'm not sure) that were a gift from Jana, and glass beads in a lovely sky blue hue, and little white rondelles made of shell...

I really love the earthy tone of the seeds/nuts and the white and blue that's so reminiscent of the Greek Islands!

I find that the earthy browns of wood and nuts go so well with blue and turquoise! I have already used this color combination for my Calypso collection...

... for my Sea Goddess ring...

... and for my Floating rings...

... and for these earrings made with wooden disks and blue glass beads...

CHESTNUT TIME!

Chestnuts have started their season!

Here in the Alps, chestnuts used to be a substitute for cereals in times where they were hard to find.
They have been a staple food in southern Europe, Turkey and southwestern and eastern Asia for millennia, largely replacing cereals where these would not grow well, if at all, in mountainous Mediterranean areas. Alexander the Great and the Romans planted chestnut trees across Europe while on their various campaigns. The Greek army is said to have survived their retreat from Asia Minor in 401-399 BC thanks to their stores of chestnuts. Ancient Greeks like Dioscorides and Romans such as Galen, wrote of chestnuts to comment on their medicinal properties. Until the introduction of the potato, whole forest-dwelling communities which had scarce access to wheat flour relied on chestnuts as their main source of carbohydrates. In some parts of Italy, a cake made of chestnuts is used as a substitute for potatoes. In 1583, Charles Estienne and Jean Liébault wrote that "an infinity of people live on nothing else but (the chestnut)". In 1802, an Italian agronomist said of Tuscany that "the fruit of the chestnut tree is practically the sole subsistence of our highlanders", while in 1879 it was said that it almost exclusively fed whole populations for half the year, as "a temporary but complete substitution for cereals".
source: Wikipedia

I love them roasted or boiled, but their culinary uses are many and varied!

Roasted Chestnuts

One the most common ways of eating the fruit involves roasting, which does not require peeling. Roasting requires scoring the fruit beforehand to prevent undue expansion and "explosion" of the fruit. Once cooked, its texture is similar to that of a baked potato, with a delicate, sweet, and nutty flavour. This method of preparation is popular in northern China as well as in Spain, Turkey, Greece, France, Italy, Korea and Southeast Asia.
Chestnuts can be dried and milled into flour, which can then be used to prepare breads, cakes, pancakes, pastas (it is the original ingredient for polenta), or used as thickener for stews, soups, and sauces.
The flour can be light beige like that from Castagnaccio, or darker in other regions. It is a good solution for long storage of a nutritious food. Chestnut bread can stay fresh for as long as two weeks.
The nuts can also be eaten candied, boiled, steamed, grilled, or roasted in sweet or savoury recipes. They can be used to stuff vegetables, poultry, fowl and other edibles. They are available fresh, dried, ground or canned (whole or in puree).
A fine granular sugar can be obtained from the fermentation of the juice, as well as a beer; the roasted fruit provides a coffee substitute.
Candied chestnuts (whole chestnuts candied in sugar syrup, then iced) are sold under the French name marrons glacés or Turkish name kestane şekeri ("sugared chestnuts"). They appeared in France and Northern Italy in the 16th century. Chestnuts are picked in autumn, and candied from the start of the following summer for the ensuing Christmas.
Chestnut-based recipes and preparations are making a comeback in Italian cuisine, as part of the trend toward rediscovery of traditional dishes and better nutrition.
source: Wikipedia

Marrons Glacés

Marrons glacés are one of the gastronomic glories of Piedmont. Candied chestnuts appeared in chestnut-growing areas in the North of Italy and South of France, shortly after the crusaders brought sugar back with them as one result of their endeavours. A candied chestnut confection was probably served around the beginning of the 15th century, among other places in Piedmont, a northwestern area of Italy close to the border of Switzerland and France. But marrons glacés as such (with the last touch of 'glazing'), may have been created only in the 16th century. Lyon and Cuneo dispute the title for the addition of the glazing, or icing, that makes the real Marron glacé.

Marrons glacés may be eaten on their own. They are also the basis for many desserts, among which is the famous “crème de marrons”, flavoured with a hint of vanilla, and itself a staple ingredient for other desserts, such as the Mont Blanc (puréed with cream), ice creams, cakes, sweet sauce or garnish for other desserts...

GETTING CHILLY... WARMING UP!

Autumn is suddenly here after an unusually long summer... and with temperatures dropping and getting chilly, Zoe is looking for warm, cozy places to sleep... like my closet or her "igloo"...

Experimental Jewelry: SHRUNKEN CAT HEADS

I love experimental and unconventional jewelry! In this series I'm featuring jewelry artists who work with unconventional materials and techniques, and who see a ring or a pendant as a canvas to express their art and creativity.

As a lover of  bright, Mediterranean colors and decor, and of traditional ceramic tile designs from around the world - be it Greece, Spain, Portugal, Mexico or the stunning mosques in Uzbekistan - I couldn't be but fascinated by Cori's wonderful designs! Cori, a talented California based jewelry artist and writer, as well as a lovely person, works under her own brand Shrunken Cat Heads, and she creates the most stunning miniature tiles using her own "secret recipe". Her miniature tiles look stunningly like ceramic tiles, but they are very lightweight as she uses plastic tiles that she lovingly decorates with her own designs and then layers in resin. I love her jewelry featuring miniature tile designs from around the world: it's like wearing a piece of culture on your neck, ears or finger!

As a San Francisco Bay Area native, Cori grew up around many different cultures. She says this good fortune has inspired her work as an artist. Her creations are born from thoughts about history, social class, and pop culture; blending the old and the new, exploring traditional crafts and techniques while giving them sassy modern twists.
Cori tells me that the her whimsical shop name "evolved from the name 'Cat Head Jewelry'... which was the name of my business about 15 years ago. Back then my work was primarily beads and wire. When I began working in shrink plastics I added the 'Shrunken' to the name because it's so whimsical... just like miniature tile recreations".
You can find Cori's amazing miniature tile art jewelry in her Etsy shop Shrunken Cat Heads, and you can find more information about her work as both an artist and writer on her website.

Mediterranean Ceramic Tile Pattern Pendant

Miniature Mediterranean Ceramic Tile Design Ring

Mediterranean Decorative Tile Lovers Earrings

Mexican Tile Earrings

Catalan Gypsy, Spanish Mediterranean Ceramic Tile Pattern Pendant

Bobby Pin Hair Accessories - Mexican Talavera Ceramic Tile Design

Islamic Decorative Tile Necklace

Ancient Ceramic Tile Design Print Earrings

Southwestern Style Ceramic Tile Lovers Earrings

The Traveling Girl

TURIN HANDMADE: THE GIRLS!

Photo L'Officina

So here we are... the wonderful girls who took part in Turin Handmade! Aren't we gorgeous???

- back row: Marzia (Le follie di Marzia), me (Annuk Creations), Alessandra (ixela), Mirella (MireLoom), Sara (Sarabergando), Crimilde (The Witch Emporium);
- front row: Vincenza (Ferrarel), Sonia (L'Officina), Antonella (Alt Design), Roberta (Satyrikon & Satyrikon Lab), Loredana (Satyrikon Lab).

Please see my previous post for more photos and a linked list of the shops exhibiting at Turin Handmade.

GLORIOUS OCTOBER IN THE MOUNTAINS

Magical light, impressions and moods on a glorious Indian Summer day at the Mont Cenis, at 2000 m...

It's amazing how soft and warm the light is this time of the year...

These breathtaking sceneries are wonderful in each season of the year, and I find it amazing how the light changes, and the colors get warmer and softer through the seasons... I would never stop taking pictures of this masterpiece of mother Nature, one of the most breathtaking sceneries I know on earth... Every time I'm in awe!

TURIN HANDMADE!

I had a great time at TURIN HANDMADE! I met lovely artists and artisans from my area, and we had a great time!
Our exhibition took place in a beautiful dressmaker's workshop located in an ancient courtyard in the heart of Turin.

It was a glorious Indian Summer day, so we even had some booths outside (MireLoom, ixela and L'Officina were exposing their work there), while the rest of us artistically "took over" the workshop, generously offered by Loredana and Roberta of Satyrikon Lab.

We even had a lovely buffet outside, with homemade goodies and drinks! :)

What I always love so much is when people ask about the inspiration behind my creations, the materials I use and the creative process, and I get an opportunity to talk about what I deeply love! Because my art is so interwined with my life and the things I love, and my art is such an important part of my life!

Photo by Marzia Schiavolin

Photo by Marzia Schiavolin

Exposing at Turin Handmade:
Alt Design (jewelry, accessories)
Annuk Creations (jewelry)
Ferrarel (paper art)
Gufobardo (paper art, digital art)
ixela (knitting, crochet & jewelry)
Le follie di Marzia (jewelry)
L'Officina (ceramic jewelry & home decor)
MireLoom (handwoven shawls, scarves, bags)
Sarabergando (eco-friendly and repurposed accessories)
Satyrikon (photography & paper art)
Satyrikon Lab (paper and fabric art)
The Witch Emporium (candles & magic)

Thank you MadeInItaly Team on Etsy and Roberta & Loredana for organizing this great event! :)