Focus on Life - Week 25

I have spent many years in doubt whether I am lovable.
I have spent many years rejecting love.
I have spent many years struggling to accept people's love.
Finally one day I came to terms with myself! I am a wild child. But that doesn't mean I need to be tamed to be loved.

I had surrounded myself with rules, boundaries and limitations. I was negative for many years. But, like a caterpillar from a cocoon, I came out of the darkness, and decided to 'live'. I have a few scars. But that just makes me more strong.

And now it is easy for me to accept the fact that:
I am lovable.
I am in people's prayers.

What else do each one of us strive for, in this lifetime?
Lets go see Sally's blog to share other thoughts.

AJE, Again!

I am not sure how many weeks it has been, but finally I am up with a pair of earrings for AJE. Better late than never!

Many craft fairs, studies, creating and such occupied me, keeping myself from blogging; I thought it was not worth blogging if I was not blogging something sensible. So.

Okay here we go with this week's contribution to the AJE Challenge from me:

Copper balled dangler element by me, with wire wrapped reconstituted turquoise. Yeah, the balled ends look like meteors, but still.. I like it the way it is though! Do tell me what you guys think.. It has been a long time hearing from all of you. It's such pleasure to read your comments, I was continuously missing it!

Stocking up for the Craft Fair at Canterbury, Orion, Michigan.. Hope to blog about that adventure real soon!!

Thats it for now!

Visit the Pinterest board for AJE here.

PS: This got featured!! See it here.

Focus on Life - Week 18/52

                                                          Week 18 : Photo 18


Here is an abstract!! I could'nt consider anything more abstract than this in my picture..!! And it somehow symbolises the word 'Flourish', my word for 2013.

Here after many weeks of absense, but yay, I made it again.

Sculpture at 'The Morton's Arboretum', Chicago

To see more of abstract pictures, hop over to Studio Sublime!

A poem to ponder!

A little poem for all those who had been there.. I wrote it this morning. And thought all my friends would be able to relate to the feeling I am trying to convey here.. We all, at some point, go through this path. Emerge being more beautiful than we already are, and whether we are acknowledged by the world or not(world can be hostile at times) we are on a journey well travelled!

I see me in the mirror
Like a full moon in the river
Scars - there are of a fighter
As has the moon if you look closer!

The shallow paths of fear and doubt is over
Now- the thick lush path of love and honour
Tears they say - of joy, not of pain
I must agree there wasn't anything but joy

Stories made to believe - was not of any good
And to find out with shudder- white lies told
Yes it evolves from under every rock in deserts
That striking color of knowledge inherent!

Show the path the footsteps, just one time
The other foot just limps-marking a line
Where? they might ask- is your mark on earth
"Here, here" I say- pointing to people's heart..

I see me in the mirror
Like a full moon in the river
Scars there are of the journey of a lover
Of nature- of a land that dint exist ever..
                                                  (~Sumi)


And, Never Give Up! Have a great week ahead..

Trials, error, error, and a little success. But still, Thankyou!

Aaah!, I know this will be much better the next time I do it.. I mean the riveting thing. As in here:

And here:

The idea of riveting was 'riveted' in my head, the first time I saw beautiful riveting by Tracy Smith of  CinnamonJewelry! I contacted her. She was VERY kind to address my doubt- I dint know that the connection she used was called rivet, then, I had got a big time confusion with grommets and rivets, she saved me. Thankyou Tracy! 

And for other 'what I am upto' : I made two earrings for the AJE Challenge, both got sold before I could even take pics! So much for the contest - I am off to make another pair. I havent been a regular there, I earnestly wish to, but when I think of the quality of creations being presented there, I check and double check mine, and sometimes just decide - no, not this one. 

And for Miss.Sally's photo contest, I havent been a regular there either, but this time not my fault - my browser frowned whenever I click her site. But that is overcome now, and I will be presenting a 'take' on life this week for sure. I need a 'walk' very badly. And I have a plan. *wink*

Here is what else I made for the last couple of weeks- the ones I managed to click pictures of!

My Etsy shop is stocked up too!!

Another take on riveting! PS:I antiqued this one later. Jumbled steps, but came out gorgeous. No pic though. Later, maybe.

A Birthday gift for my lovely neighbor.

Just to please the Spring Goddess.

African Silver, Indian glass and leaves and dewdrops and rainbows and a turtle, and much more..

A splash of color. Indian. Summer.

Remembering all lovely moms. For Mother's Day.

How can I ever ditch Boho? That never-never land that always keep me mesmerised?

Just to remind myself, I can still do some classic stuff! - Jade and freshwater pearls. Can  belong to a gorgeous mum out there too..

So I guess, thats enough of inspiration for a hump day. Keep your spirits high and keep it beautiful! Smile.

BSBP - First Reveal

7th Bead Soup Blog Party - First Reveal! AND my Goofed up Design AND "My Challenge Reveal"


Without further words, let me show you the soup which my partner Lori Bowring Michaud sent me, and the pieces I created with it. Then I will show you a design I created first and took apart. Why? See the pics and then I will tell the story behind! After that I will show you what I had created with the duplicate of the soup I had sent her!

The soup Lori sent me!

I created a necklace and 2 pairs of matching earrings(One with my components and other with hers!)

BSBP:  Necklace

I used two stoneware beads with a primitive pattern from my stash to reflect mud / earth element, without which no living thing - human or otherwise, can bloom! And also, for me it shows the raw and extremely realistic life, where I am blooming right now. A little personal connection there! 

Pendant handmade by Lori, with a custom bail by me.

                           

Matching Polymer Clay earrings by me. Used metallic silver and copper effect clay to match the pendant she made.

The almost stud-like earrings, paired with the necklace.

The below one shows a more ornate and long earrings, for a dressed up look!

Lucite leaf and swarovski crystal earrings.

And now, a bit of details into the handmade loop from which the 'garden' "Flourishes"(My word for 2013!)

I added a little garden with a pool concept on top left side of the 'Bloom' pendant by making a loop in copper, wire wrap it on one side with swarovski crystals to resemble water droplets shining in the sun and the other side with the lucite flowers. I added a little detailed golden swan charm and a glass butterfly in purple, to add interest! I used blue waxed cording  to make it feel like water. 

Some more...

Now, I will show you what this necklace looked like in my first attempt!

Here:

Well, it looks good. But it had a design flaw. When I wore it, the lampworked disc beads would never lay flat! Sometimes one lay flat, and one lay perpedicular to the body, making the design look lopsided!! But I am happy I took it apart. Now its wearable, and wont get to the dark corners of a jewelry box! You can see the long earring here also, but the final one has some crystals as addition, if you noticed!

And now, my version of the soup I sent to Lori!

I must say I went wild here!

The only difference is: She got an 'OM' pendant instead of the Budha! I also used a piece of polysilk (NOT SILK - my experiment) wire wrapped with twisted copper, in the focal section.

More details:

The FOCAL - a lovely tassel too, with tiny danglers out of  coral and beetel  nut discs.

The CLASP - Handforged and completely wrapped- colorful!

The wire-wrapping on the chain

A little forged and stamped bar by me, an element to add to the theme. The other side says SEEK. I have stuck the metal bar onto stamped polymer clay.

The other side of the bar component. Aubergine colored clay, to match the polysilk ribbon I had.

The custom bail, with a silver headpin, to add some mystery. 

Agate bead - orange 

Agate bead - Yellow

The overall idea behind the design was - Seek and it will "Reveal". More aspects of this necklace is yet to be included, but the more you look at it, the more gets revealed, than I had told you. Exactly the same way we look into our own souls. Or our loved ones' souls. SEEK WISDOM!

Hasnt it been my loooooongest post ever????? But hope you enjoyed!

Lets also check out what others did with their soups at Pretty Things Blog.

AJE Earring Challenge, (and a challenge I posed for myself!)

PART 1
My entries for this week's AJE Challenge:

Rolled clay rustic beads by me. Discs  I shopped from SmallAndBeautifulBeads, @ Bead Bonanza, Michigan.

Beads waiting!

Foldformed, Flame Patinated Copper Charms made by me, wire wrapped with a ruby rondelle.

Charms waiting! 

I have these components up for sale in my Etsy shop, if you want to buy a pair, and support me in maintaining my business!

PART 2

And once upon a time I had challenged myself with a task. A task somebody faraway has also taken up, and that somebody might reveal it according to her design 'sparks' tomorrow, on BSBP 7!! And that someone is Lori Bowring Michaud. And what I am posting below, is my version of the design, with EXACTLY what I had sent her in her soup. (She got an OM charm, I had a Budha charm, only difference, but I think both resonates the same feeling.)

Sneak Peek!

NOPE!!! Nonononono Sumi.... You are not supposed to take away the fun behind a reveal. But hey this is my very own challenge. To make the same soup twice, and then to make something with the exact same soup I had sent to my BSBP partner, and share it. But I think it will be more fun, if you guys could go directly from here to Lori's blog and check out what she did! For that, I should wait for her to reveal her creation. For that, it should become Saturday-tomorrow! So, until you wait, this is one more teaser from me. Be sure to check back tomorrow, to see what I have done with the soup she had sent me! 

Also, I will share a goof-up I had with the soup she sent me, but that will be the second part of the suspense tomorrow. 

For now enjoy this - A custom clasp in the above 'something'! 

C'mon, I know you guys are smart enough to guess it is a necklace! Do come back tomorrow.. Until then,

Keep it beautiful! I too have learned to say- XOXO!! (Namaste!)