Hello, again! Just making a bit of a personal record here, three posts in two days! Illness seems to be a blog-friendly state. I’m better now though and will be returning to work tomorrow…

At first I thought Vilma Banky, “The Hugarian Rhapsody” is holding a compact but no, it’s a rose…

That postcard was found in Porvoo already last summer but the vintage, 1940’s roses that hang from the earrings below are a more recent find.

“Sleeping Beauty”

The seller said that they are silver, however, there are no stamps so this remains a mystery. They’re very lightweight, and don’t smell of anything so I suppose they might be strongly patinated silver. Anyway, they’re quite lovely!! I spent ages trying to decide what to use with them to make a pair of earrings. So in the end I chose these dark amethysts and freshwater pearls in my current favourite colour, “peacock”. The total length of the earrings is almost 5 cm. I’m quite inspired to make also a bracelet or necklace in these colours later on…

Well, then, here’s one more little thing from the past, bought ages ago at an antiques fair. Just couldn’t leave it there!

Pastilles by Docteur A. Salmon

Oh, the stuff people used to pop in their mouths! This old tin cracks me up especially now that my own throat is still a bit sore and I’m guessing people used to take these wonder pastilles for just that. Of course I can’t be sure, as the text on the bottom of the tin simply recommends them for their “qualité” and “activité” (which one, may I ask?). I wonder if all my favourite artists from Mucha to Toulouse-Lautrec walked the streets of Paris with a tin of these in their coat pockets, consuming 8 to 10 per day? They most probably did!

I haven’t posted pictures of my treasured vintage postcards for a while, so here’s one that has been a bit of an inspiration recently.

Priscilla Dean

Another captivating gaze of a girl from the silent movie era. That velvety outfit looks so luxurious! I wonder what colour it was…

Last month my friend asked me to create a necklace to go with her midnight blue party dress. She wanted something black with a slight blue sparkle. After flicking through some vintage ads and photos I came up with this look. I used oxidised silver, fire polished czech glass beads, swarovski crystals, oval blackstones and peacock grey/blue freshwater pearls. The pendant is a gorgeously faceted black onyx that I bought in Barcelona. I wish I had more of them!

“Glittering darkness” necklace

I also made a pair of simple, long earrings to make a set out of it. Here’s also another shot of the necklace, with a sharper look at the pendant.

As of late I have been diving in deep waters inside my mind. I have a lot of questions that need answers, many decisions to make and a lot of work ahead of me, in order to achieve what I’m dreaming about. The jewellery that I’ve been making during the last weeks of summer seem to have caught a touch of these emotions as well.

“Atlantis” necklace

In “Atlantis” I’ve used light and dark amethysts and chalk turquoise alongside a lovely filigree silver pendant. I’m starting to run out of my Argentinian booty of silver beads that my friend brought me in spring. That gives me the shivers!

“Deep water” earrings

In “Deep water” I’ve used glass beads and freshwater pearls that came from an amazing bead gift that one of my friends from work gave me recently. From a wonderful mixture of all kinds and colours of beads that she handed over to me, this is the first piece I’ve created. You’ll be seeing many more once I get my groove back on after this flu I’m having.

I’m embarrassed to admit that I was tagged for this by Rani in May, already! Then again, I didn’t get much blogging done during the summer anyway, so I decided that this tag is a good way to start a new season. I have all the time in the world now that I have the flu and have to stay indoors. Sorry, Rani, that it took so long! Here goes…

Me posing in some ridiculously huge eyewear at Times Square NYC, October 2005. Looking like a little demon out of a comic strip.

1. Decision making is a pain in the a** for me. Whether it’s deciding about my future or where to sit at a restaurant, it’s always difficult. It’s usually about making a choice between two things. Black or blue? Heels or flats? Window or isle? Plane or train? Get up or stay in bed? Work or study? Save or spend? Umbrella or no umbrella? To be or not to be?

2. But sometimes I know absolutely exactly what it is that I want. It’s 100% crystal clear to me. In those cases it’s extremely hard for me to compromise.

3. When I get upset I become a little demon. I either explode completely, swear, cry and kick walls or I stay very calm but what comes out of my mouth is the meanest, most sarcastic and ironic, totally exaggerated slander. Fortunately I snap out of it very quickly once I get it out of my system. My boyfriend says I sometimes behave like someone out of a comic strip!

4. I can’t go anywhere without at least some jewellery. However, I take it all off the second I walk back in. When I’m at home I can’t stand having any jewellery on.

5. I get along with most people but I once met a man who told me that music means absolutely nothing to him. He thought music was totally overrated as an artform and didn’t have any feelings whatsoever towards any music at all. He didn’t understand people who couldn’t live without music. He didn’t get what all that useless fuss was about. That’s one time I really needed to work on it to be able to stay in the same room with him.

6. I had only known my boyfriend for about 6 weeks when I alredy agreed to go on a trip abroad with him. He made all the arrangements. for me, being someone who had been used to travelling alone and organising everything myself, this was a huge deal. He was perfect company. I haven’t travelled without him since.

7. It took me many months to decide whether or not to start my own blog. And although I struggle before every post: oh, god, what am I doing, what shall I write about, oh, no, this is no good, the pictures suck, I have nothing to say, I’m too tired, whatever and blah blah, still I think in the end it’s one of the best decisions I’ve made. Thank You for sharing the experience!

P.S. I’m tagging everyone who hasn’t already done this one. Seven random things about yourself. I’m thinking at least Jes and Violet…?