This is just a quick photo post, as I’ve finally managed to take some decent pictures, but the EURO2008 final (Go, Spain!!!) is starting in half an hour, so…

The first set is Masquerade. Not for the faint at heart with this dramatic colour combination :)! The black agate in the bracelet has exquisite facets and shine. My friend brought me a handful of those treasures from Barcelona in April. Ooh and aah!

Masquerade earrings

Masquerade bracelet

Carved gemstones are expensive but very inspiring and a real treat to work with. These twin necklaces feature charming flower-shaped red carnelians, one paired up with almost a whole strand of even redder carnelians and the other with a similar strand of faceted fancy jaspers.

Carnelian Flower necklace in red

Bottle jewelled with Carnelian Flower necklace in green and the Sunset Sky set. Another view of the necklace here.

These earrings I’ve made several weeks ago but noticed now that they have a very similar feel to the above necklaces.

Rowan earrings

Here is a bracelet made on request in the same style as another “Charming” bracelet from back in the day. The light colours made it quite a challenge to photograph in the circumstances I was having, and I must say this one looks much prettier in real life.

Charming bracelet in clear/aqua

And lastly, a threesome of earrings. I finally found a key to making them hang naturally when photographed! Yeay!

Afrodite earrings

Brunette earrings

Veranda earrings

I recently realised that my Flickr set for Jewellery is geting a bit hard to manage on it’s own, so I did something on a rainy day this week that I should have done ages ago: created separate sets for Earrings, Bracelets and Necklaces, alongside one more set, Happy Together. I think now the navigating through photos is much simpler, especially if someone is searching for some piece in particular there.

The gallery here on the bloggy is only for the pieces available for purchase, and is updated regularly so check it out if you see something you might fancy for yourself. Ok, enough of the advertising and on with the… EURO2008 FINAL! Cheerio!

So, I was on vacation all last week and spent most of it back home in Joensuu.

Birches. We have a lot of those all around the house and down by the sauna and river.

I wasn’t quite expecting the mostly cold and rainy weather conditions but this actually allowed me even more to relax and really gather some energy that I had most certainly been lacking these last few weeks. I slept very well and had extremely vivid dreams, made a whole bunch of new jewellery that I’m very happy with, read a pile of magazines, enjoyed my mother’s cooking, watched Euro2008 (Yes, indeed!! My dream final would be Portugal vs. the Netherlands!) and just chilled…

Sunset. Although it rained most days the sun fortunately always came out in the evening.

Next weekend will also be spent in these surroundings. It’s a bit crazy of course to go back and forth like this but since I only had one week off this time, I had to return to work on Monday. However, now my boyfriend and I both have the Midsummer weekend off, so we’ll pack up and fly away on Friday morning. This year my birthday happens to be on Midsummer’s Eve as well, and to be honest I’ll be much happier eating strawberry cake at my parents’ veranda with all the family than in our currently very messy apartment in Helsinki!

The nightless night. And one hundred million mosquitoes…

As I said, I finished many jewellery projects last week, a bunch of earrings, three bracelets and three necklaces, but I haven’t got much to show from those yet. The reason is that I’ve taken seriously crappy photos this week! I don’t know whether my camera is on the verge of a breakdown or if it’s just bad concentration on my part. I hope to be able to fix this problem soon. The citrine and red agate set below is all that I have to prove that I’ve been working.

Sunset Sky bracelet

Sunset Sky earrings

Now with the forecast changing all the time, most Finns are biting their nails over where the rain will finally fall next weekend. Thumbs up for each and every one for lovely sunshine! But rain can look pretty too, at least if it’s drawn by George Barbier. Have a great Midsummer!

L’Arc en Ciel by George Barbier. Picture origonally picked up from here.

Yellow is a colour towards which I’ve had some kind of love/hate relationship all my life. In nature it’s one of my favourite colours, from daffodils to sunflowers, lemons, the Sun, you name it. In clothes and interiors I’ve found yellow more difficult (i.e. slightly yucky) and have shyed away from it almost all my adult life. But in recent years yellow has slowly begun it’s journey back into my heart. So, here’s an introduction to “My Life and the Colour Yellow” featuring recently made jewellery, faraway places and some floral delights.

Kitchen table on a spring day.

When I was a kid one of my favourite pieces of clothing was a yellow, pink and brown striped terrycloth mini dress. I wore the dress with yellow, green of brown flip flops, the most comfortable shoes in existence. My first trip abroad with my family was to Algarve, Portugal in 1979 when I was five years old. What I remember most is the lovely, yellow mimosas that I then saw for the first time in my life and have loved ever since. I also remember that the beaches were very beautiful and wonderfully peaceful, just perfect for collecting interesting shells and playing with the sand. In every picture taken at the beach, I wear my beloved dress. I remember we bought a yellowish straw hat for me from Algarve and from then on I always wore that hat with my dress and flip flops.

Waterlily earrings

In my 6th grade school portrait  from 1986 I wear a yellow hoodie by Nike. It had been rather expensive and had come with a set of matching sweatpants. I never wore the pants though, I hated them from day one and have actually always more or less disliked sweatpants of all kinds. But I loved that hooded jumper! I wore it with black jeans and white Puma sneakers. Ha!  Since no-one else in my class wore much yellow in those days I never knew whether they liked it or thought that I looked ridiculous in it. Many years later my best friend and style queen Mirkka confessed that she had much coveted that hoodie. :)!!

For many years I had nothing in yellow in my home or my wardrobe. The nicest memory of the colour yellow that I have from the 1990’s is from the wonderful, hot summer of 1996. During the Helsinki Festival in August Mirkka and I went out just about every night. At one point I counted eleven nights in a row! Oh, the fun and the freedom! Both single girls, going from one musical adventure to the other on warm, moonlit nights (in August the Moon is big and yellow), attending funky jazz gigs in smoky bars and clubs, then returning to my friend’s flat for a late night snack, a dose of Astrud Gilberto and in-depth analysis of the evening’s events… Anyway, Mirkka had a set of absolutely gorgeous, yellow faiance plates. I distinctly remember them as we often ate at her place that summer. Every food, salad, bread, pasta, whatever it was, looked beautiful on those plates. It must have had something to do with the colour!

Lisboa earrings

When my boyfriend and I went to Paris together for the first time in August 2000, we stayed in some Finnish journalist’s vacant flat in Montmartre. The flat was on the seventh floor (no elevators, just a spooky, creaking staircase that curved clockwise and made us dizzy), it was tiny and very modestly furnished. There were merely an old Ikea sofabed, one chair and table, small stove and a weird shower cabinet in the corner. Two empty shelves on the wall and a white curtain. The toilet was outside in the corridor.

Little radio

One of the first things that Pasi bought on that trip was a little yellow radio. This tiny little thing instantly brought warmth and cheerfulness to our humble quarters and also introduced us to French radio stations, among which was also my current favourite Radio Nova Paris that I nowadays listen to at home almost every day.

Lisboa bracelet

Our Lisbon vacation in 2003 was a week filled with the warm shades of yellow. It was August again and the city bathed in the blazing, hot sun that seemed to paint the streets, buildings, even the air in yellow.

When I think of Lisbon, I think of the colour yellow against the turquoise vastness of the Atlantic Ocean. It is a truly mesmerizing sight!

Elevador da Bica in Bairro Alto, Lisboa

During our first few days back in Finland I felt as if the Lisbon yellow had somehow got stuck on my eyes, seriously, like a tinted lense! It was strangely difficult to get used to the “whiteness” of Helsinki as the light, even in the August sun, is never as yellow here.

From reminiscing these vacations that make me want to take a taxi to the airport once again, I’ll move to the subject of my undying love for jewellery…

…which has obviously introduced me to new aspects of yellow in the form of gemstones like citrine (featured in all of the above jewellery photos) and yellow calcite (below with amethyst and painted porcelain).

Giverny bracelet in yellow/amethyst

I have also found that although with my skintone it’s almost impossible to wear yellow next to my face, the colour is marvelous in accessories like jewellery and shoes. I bought a new pair of Havaianas at the end of last summer and haven’t yet worn them once. I can’t wait to have the chance to slip them on!

Sweet freedom for the toes!

Last spring I bought my first piece of yellow clothing in years. A gorgeous yellow skirt with a multicoloured, floral print on the hem. I just know that skirt will be one that I’ll wear until it falls apart in rags, just like my terrycloth dress from the late 70s or my favourite hoodie from 1986.

Favourite skirt

I’ll end this post with a link to a quirky little video. Check out what the old word jazz man Ken Nordine had to say about the colour yellow.

I really just wanted to post this image because I think it’s charming and very pretty. Old perfume ads rule! Springy, dreamy Paris… My sister just got back from a a few days in Paris and brought me a little bag of goodies, yum! Oh, had I been there too! Oh, to take a taxi to the airport and fly, fly, fly…

I wish I could remember where I found this image in the first place. Probably here.

If you want to see some absolutely stunning flower photos check out this woman on Flickr. I love these pictures to bits!!! I originally found them via swedish blog It’s Vintage, Darling, also a new discovery.

I made this bracelet the other day and I like it very much although it’s really simple. The inclusions on that chunky amethyst nugget are fantastic! I bought this gem from Barcelona last Spring and haven’t had the heart to use it until now…

Giverny

I also made a friend for the other My Lady earrings from last post…

My Lady (tigereye/aqua)

Next post is comig soon and it’s sooo long you’ll probably fall asleep. That’s why I’ll keep this one short and sweet. Cheerio!

Brass filigree is something that I’ve had my eye on for quite a while. I bought a few inexpensive copper filigree findings from New York in November, that I later used for Snowflake Chandelier and Château and ever since then I’ve been wanting to make more of these slightly Tudorian inspired pieces. At long last I recently came across some very beautiful natural brass filigree that suited my purposes perfectly and the “Snowflake Chandelier” earrings have since become a series. Here are Lyrical and Diamond.

Snowflake Chandelier: Lyrical

Snowflake Chandelier: Diamond

I also began making this necklace but ran out of pearls before it was finished! Now I’ll have to wait a while before I get some more…

Necklace in the works… Better picture to come when it’s finished!

Here’s one more set of earrings with a similar design. I really adore these little dragonfly connectors! The picture could be better. The moonstones and pearls won’t sharpen no matter what I do…

Pearlcatcher

Elizabeth and Elizabeth: The Golden Age are among my huge favourites when it comes to gripping historical drama alongside fantastic costumes, jewellery and actors. This Spring I’ve also been watching The Tudors every Tuesday and although I haven’t enjoyed it as much as the above mentioned films, I’m sure the fair amount of eye-candy has much inspired the “My Lady” earrings.

My Lady (red/aqua)

My Lady (tigereye/aqua)

Well, these ladies still need matching bracelets or necklaces so I think I’d better get back to work…

I’ve been preparing a longer spring-post but need to get some old photos scanned before it’s finished. In the meantime, here are some pictures of my latest jewellery creations that I’ve already had on Flickr for some time but haven’t yet managed to display here. Time flies and so do the jewellery as almost all of these already have new owners! I hope you enjoy your jewellery, dear ladies!

In this set I used some very nice smoky quartz beads that I handpicked in New York and a pair of light green aquamarine teardrops. The cherry on top (or in this case, the bottom) are the little flowers in Bali silver. I really love the magazine cover that I’ve used as background for “Chestnut Grove”. It’s from 1901 and it’s called The Studio, An Illustrated Magazine of Fine & Applied Art.

Chestnut Grove earrings

Chestnut Grove bracelet

During my Easter holiday I made some romantic pieces out of faceted rose quartzes and amazonites, with a dash of lovely, round moonstones. In the “Faune” set an important part is also once again played by gorgeous Bali silver…

Faune earrings

Faune bracelet

Tender Heart necklace

It’s obvious that I have a soft spot for faceted beads, whether they be gems, glass or synthetic quartz. In Pompeii and Chanson du Nord the beautifully faceted labradorites are brought together with amazonite and clear synthetic quartz.

Pompeii necklace

Chanson du Nord earrings

Sometimes it’s relaxing to make something really simple but downright sweet and cute. For me “Meadow” falls easily into this category.

Meadow necklace

Meadow earrings

All right then, that’s the end of the first update in a while. More to come very soon, so see ya later!

Finally on holiday! Free all week and most of next week as well! Yeay!

I’ll be heading for the snowy landscapes of the country very soon but before I do, I’ll post a few pictures in order to keep up with what I promised myself about blogging…

A friend of mine recently went to Paris and had stumbled across a lovely bead store just two minutes before closing time. She told me that she had just grabbed something really quickly and was later almost embarrassed by what she had picked up. However, she hoped that I might be able to whip up some earrings from the beads for her.

Moulin Rouge

Well, despite her (completely unnecessary) embarrassment I immediately saw potential in all her finds. Pictured above are the first earrings I came up with. Even if I say it myself, I think they turned out really lovely! I don’t know if the honey coloured stones are citrines or some type of quartz, but they were very pretty. The cute copper findings reminded me of a windmill so that’s why I named them “Moulin Rouge”. Obviously the name is also very fitting, considering from where the materials had been bought. The faceted synthetic “quartz” beads are from my own stash. I’ve recently come up with a saying: “When in doubt, add a little aqua!”, since it seems to work every time for me! Hehe! I actually liked this pair so much that it was a real drag having to give them away…

Peacock

And there’s another addition to the series of necklaces featuring an amazonite leaf, this time teamed up with shades of deep, dark blue and lilac. These necklaces are so much fun to make but I’ll try to create some different necklace styles during my holiday. Otherwise I’ll feel like these are all I do!

Peacock

This bracelet is quite thin and delicate, a little more so than what’s usual for me. The striking colour however makes it stand out from the wrist just as a heavier piece would. And again with the double strand. I seem to have a thing for them, that’s for sure.

Dear Friends, I wish you a cheerful and relaxing Easter! Remember to buy flowers! (I often forget and then wonder why I feel like something’s amiss…) I have some gorgeous, bright yellow daffodils in a vase on our kitchen table. They add a boost of sunshine to gloomy and cloudy mornings, from which I’ve been suffering for the last few days. Oh, and don’t forget to stuff yourself with an ample amount of chocolate eggs! Cheerio!

I’m absolutely in awe of Moo! I’ve ordered mini calling cards from them several times and received my latest batch just the other day. These cards look and feel so nice! Just perfect for slipping in your purse or pocket. I know thousands of people have these but I don’t care, these little cards are so my thing at the moment! Inexpensive and easy to order, plus in my opinion, however popular, they’re also original.

A glimpse of my new calling cards! I wish I’d managed a sharper photo but it’s a rainy and dark day…

I also received my first ever Moo Sticker Book and was very pleasantly surprised by the quality of the stickers. They’re tiny but still very sharp with rich colours. Again the photo doesn’t do them enough justice…

I love these tiny stickers! In real life the images are smaller but perfectly sharp.

Jewellery wise I’ve been busy, I have several projects in the works so I hope to return soon with more photos. In the meantime just  these light and easy earrings made in the same style as two other pairs from last summer…

Dolphin’s Tail

I’m starting to recover from the flu once again. Let’s hope that this time there won’t be any more setbacks…

I’ll just post a couple of images for now: little jewellery with wings.

Mercurio earrings

The name Mercurio seemed appropriate for these thin and delicate earrings since I’m a Gemini and therefore Mercury is my planet. In Roman mythology Mercury (or Hermes in Greek mythology) is the messenger of the gods and has little wings in his heels and hat. (Now wouldn’t that come in handy, every once in a while?) Coincidentally, just a few days after this picture was taken last month, the spacecraft, also called Messenger, passed by this lovely planet, mapping and photographing it’s previously unknown areas. Fascinating!

Hummingbird necklace

And here’s another addition to the series of necklaces featuring an amazonite leaf. This time the leaf is accompanied by rustic looking little glass beads and an antique gold coloured metal hummingbird.

By the way, I’ve added a gallery of available jewellery on my sidebar along with some contact info, in case anyone should ask… I’ll be updating that whenever I make new stuff and/or something is sold…

I’ve been playing around with rustic colours and little shells during the last few days. The result so far is three bracelets and a set of earrings under the “Desert Island” title. Later on there will probably be at least one necklace to go with these as well.

Castaway

There’s something relaxing about working with this kind of materials. The mind drifts to faraway places as the light shells rattle softly against the old, wooden table. (I finally have a working space at home, I should actually write about my beautiful old/new table some time!)

Starfish

There’s always the danger of coming up with something that looks just like cheap, plastic souvenir from Ibiza. I’ve tried my best to avoid that because, maybe I’m goofy but I really like these little shells in summer jewellery! Adding precious materials always helps, of course. Sometimes all it takes is a really pretty clasp to give the piece that special something…

Dragonfly set

And now another pot of tea with a ton of honey, please!