Collection Ithemba

 Ithemba signifie espoir en Xhosa (Ethnie du Sud de l'Afrique).

Série limitée

Une collection de boucles d'oreilles artisanales pendantes, aux accents nomades et bohèmes. Leur inspiration est ancrée dans les traditions africaines. Elles rappellent  l'explosion de couleurs et de senteurs qui émanent des étals des marchés d'Afrique et des Caraïbes. Cette collection est une invitation à se découvrir, et s'ouvrir, intensément. 

Ithemba means hope in Xhosa (South African ethnic group).

Limited serie

A collection of handmade earrings with a nomadic and bohemian touch. Which inspiration is anchored in African traditions. Reminescent of the explosion of colors and scents that emanate from the market stalls of Africa and the Caribbean. This collection is an invitation to discover oneself, and to open up, intensely.

Celles-ci sont disponibles en plusieurs couleurs:

- Multicolore

- Bleu saphir

- Jaune vieilli

- Marron foncé

They are available in several colors:

- Multicolor

- Sapphire blue

- Aged yellow

- Dark brown

                                                                   Sapphire blue

                                                                          Multicolore

Teintes chatoyantes, rappelant les étals d'épices et de fruits tropicaux//reminiscent of spice and tropical fruit stalls.

Couleur café et cannelle// Coffe and cinnamon

Banane et christophine//banana and christophine!

Retrouvez toute la  collection dans ma boutique shopify.

Merci :)

Find all this collection and many other items in my shopify store.

Thank you for stopping by! 

Cowries series

Hello there,

It'is been a while and I hope everyone is keeping well!
Never has such a small object been so important and powerful!
Although the cowrie has been used as currency and an object of exchange as far back as 13th century in China, its use was not only limited to monetary functions.  It is also used for spiritual practices and is said to have powers over fertility.  It is also found in decoration of: ceremonial objects, clothes, buttons, and even attached as decorations on our braids to make ourselves more beautiful. 

 Cowries have always been part of my culture and so it was quite natural to integrate it into my creations.  I feel connected to the cowries.  Even beyond cowries, I feel deeply connected to all those little things that have been part of my existence and that have made me the person I am today. I think my jewelry is connected to my memory

The cowries were also used by fortune-tellers to read the future. This is still practiced today, even here in the Western countries.To the wise eye, there are different kinds of cowries. Obviously, the real ones are the ones that are dull, and those are the ones that I have always known. Because later, other more brilliant cowries have appeared on the traditional African markets.  Made in China, it would seem!  Of course these are polished and waxed and some are even dyed.  However, in reality, cowries come mainly from the Maldives, but they are also found in the Pacific Islands. It would be the Arab merchants who would have introduced them in Africa.
 Here, in my "cowrie series" the cowrie is used as an object of decoration to promote a feeling of well-being, a spiritual approach to return to my roots.

 The cowries transmit the strength, the power, and the beauty of the oceans along with an anchoring towards the Mother Earth, for better communication and understanding of her.  Through this interaction, both spiritual and aesthetic, it brings peace and pleasure to the soul which helps us feel good with both ourselves, and with others.

These cowries have been carefully selected by me, and my niece's cousin.
 Around this series, I associate the cowries with objects that speak to me and some with whom I had a connection to create these unique pieces.  Both for visual and pure beauty, but also for the comfort of the soul.
 With you, these cowries will continue to tell their story.

Refine style with these: Nepalese beads + vintage amulet tube

Handmade from dark clay combine into a simple stylish tribal earrings all topped with ammonite gemstones

Adorned with handmade ceramic weathered looking egg shell crackle bead caps, vintage tribal tube,natural linen, wax by me with organic Beeswax

Amazing combination,here with a little dotty triangle ceramic dangle made from soft South African clay.

 If one day you are ever in Brussels, and you are in the mood to visit a museum, stop at the museum of  bank.  There, you will find cowries on display to show one of the many forms of money that was used long ago.   Back in the old days a bank would have been full of cowries. 

Thank you for stopping by! 

Change

Changes in life are inevitable!
We just can't believe that our apartment were sold with in just two weeks, when we changed the real estate company! We moved to a big city, where I feel I belong.  I know more people in this city right now than I ever knew the entire time that I lived in eastern France. I feel excited and happy about this new adventure, but I also have some moments of fear, frustration and irritation. Not because of the disruption of what was my routine for the past 11 years, but because of my state of health that made every single detail of the move difficult and caused everything in my entire body to hurt.
We arrived in Lyon during a heat wave!
I felt awful, so very bad with no energy to think, much less move my own body!
I needed to find a new doctor, physiotherapist, acupuncturist and osteopathy in order to get on my feet, because, the pain level has become intolerable.
Even though we hired professionals to handle the move, I still wanted to take care of some of my personal belongings.  
We’re almost finished unpacking our boxes of belongings. My tiny studio here, in which I now share with my family’s computer, is nice and very bright.
My bench is already messy, full of raw brass sheets.
Not only have I moved, but I have made some significant changes in my jewelry.
As jewelry makers, we like to constantly freshen up our designs, and  keep exploring, and this requires both a sustained and a lapse of time.
I took advantage of this period to finally use my brass metal sheets and other brass findings that I have been hoarding for a longtime!
Brass has been said to have the ability to attract health and wealth.  It is also has significance for good communication with others.
Here are a few brass pieces that I patinaed naturally with vinegar and salt.

Quirky,unique and eye-catching.

Rugged treasure for free-spirited beautiful adventurous soul.

Moon & Cat

Feminine essence, fertility, abundance and perfection of transformation.

Antler & copper. A magical Energy.

Half moon &  paper collage style.

Dedicated to the crazy cat ladies in our lives.

Modern & Contemporary, Boho Hip Earrings.

Rich & Mysterious.

As always, thank you so much for stopping by.  

Merci beaucoup.

A tribute to women

I have finally made my sister a necklace !
I don't really like malachite gemstones, so when my sister purchased malachite beads for me to make her a necklace, I told her that it might take me sometime to get inspired to make something with it.
Well it took me 3 years to work with malachite ! I even bought this handmade long drop brass bezel pendant and recycled Indonesian  glass beads, so it would help to inspire me to use these malachite beads. I came across the bag of malachite beads from the place which I hid them long ago when I was rearranging my studio.  And since my teenage son decided to visit my sister over winter break, I knew that was the opportunity for me to finally make her necklace so he could deliver it to her in person.
Well to my surprise, it only took an hour to finish ! Surprise!!!  On the other hand, unlike earrings, necklaces are very easy for me to make. But for some reason I take forever to achieve the perfectly, imperfect earrings.

Nakia, will love this green malachite necklace!

I really love these earrings. I made them with handmade charms with  a unique finish that is a mix of colors, including bronze, burnt copper, gold.

Handmade long bezel brass pendant

  A statement piece of tribal lucite beads, beautifully etched on each side are the perfect earrings to walk proud on the streets of Wakanda! 😊

A series of handmade earrings to brighten your Spring and Summer, that I called  Yellow Line Collection.

Arizona petrified wood, African fish vertebrae beads, raw citrine crystals that had a rough and wild cut, inherent with imperfections and a non-symmetrical shape which I wrapped and soldered. There is a very beautiful combination of color and materials on these rugged, untamed style of earrings; for the wild side that sleeps in your beautiful soul!

A statement pair of earrings with vintage silver Turkmen beads with a long geometric shape and a  flower stamped in the center as the focal.

Yellow Line Collection

If you haven't seen the movie Black Panther yet, you should go see it ASAP. There are so many reasons to see this movie!

Black panther has a feast of colors, and is a beautiful homage to many African cultures, by people of African decent!

One good reason to see the movie is that the women in the movie are so strong and empowered.  Especially at this time in the world when women are daring to speak loudly, it is good to see women that show their strength, power, tenacity and confidence. Ladies, here is another good reason for you to see the movie. If you are a jewelry designer, you will surely enjoy the visual effects but also because you will recognize some of the beads you use (or have used) in your jewelry making journey.  Or some of the African artifacts you have in your decor. 

I think I am going to go see it again! Lol. 
I am happy, I am proud, I am beyond ecstatic about black panther! :) I am so grateful to the wonderful people who made this possible!

Thank you

Happy New Year / Bonne et Heureuse Année!

Happy New Year to you all ! 

Good health first, foremost, and then all other things will smoothly follow!

To start out my New Year, I have decided to free myself of some of my beads that I have been hoarding for the last few years.

So here are different kind of destash of  beads  made up of handmade lampwork, ceramic, and even some Nepalese beads that I will list to my shop slowly. If you see any beads you would like to have, please contact me. I will be glad to make you a custom  listing for you. 

Let your imagination run wild with these fantastic beads.

Ocean Inspired Aqua teal Paua handmade lampwork and antique brass finding

Handmade boro lampwork.Borosilicate glass is known for it's mysterious color spectrum, clarity and strength, which makes it unique!
The colors in borosilicate glass tend to be more earthy while indoors and they pop and come alive in the sun.  Very beautiful shape! 

Handmade ruby red boro glass and Nepalese beads

Handmade boro lampwork

Handmade lampwork, ceramic beads and fluorite gemstones

Handmade beads made from earthenware.They have been hand painted with matt glazes, building up the layers to highlight the detailed texture. 

Would look great in a bracelet or earrings

Funky beads 22mm lentils and 7 by 10mm spacers with 2mm hole size done in southwest colors with stringer, dot and goldstone decoration. Each bead slightly different but great as a set. The Artist own handmade murrini accent the beads for that extra special look. 

Handmade glass beads are made with ivory and brown frit then pressed and hand shaped.

Bead size:  from 22 x 20 mm to 21 x 19mm and are 8mm thick with a 2 mm hole.

Sea star lampwork are made with Effetre glass in ivory, Aquamarine blue, raku frit and silver glass..

Measures; 19x23mm; 24x31mm ; 14x15 mm ; 15x17 mm

Gorgeous solid brass leaf stampings! They are the most realistic of stampings that I have seen. They have a natural copperish patina. Some have darkers spots of patina which just adds to them looking like real leaves. Beautiful veining and a slight inward fold. These beauties measure 47mm long and 15mm wide.

A wearable collection of 2 lentils in black and pale green with an abstract pattern.

The beads are smoothly etched, and left  with  black lines on the green beads shiny for some extra contrast. 

Would look great in a bracelet or necklace.

Color: black, pale green

Size: 20 mm in diameter

A pair of beautiful sea inspired handcrafted glass beads created with reactive silver turquoise glass, fine silver and ivory, with murrini.

Bead size approx 13mm x 14mm - nuggety in shape.

Thank you for being a part of my life journey !

Earrings

Bold, beautiful

Simplistic, Sophisticated !
Need I say more ?
No, I will let you enjoy the beauty of "la magnifique" Frida Kalho.
She was  so beautiful, fierce, and talented.

Looks like these obsidian black base with surface flowers lampwork beads, along with abstract murrine under big bumps were just waiting for Frida to pop up!  I bought them a longtime ago, and had even forgotten about them.

These long drop earrings with Frida Kalho decals will be sure to brighten someone’s day.

This other pair of earrings are filled with nature’s beauty. The peacock feather has the most intense and beautiful colors that nature has to offer. They provide depth, texture, delicacy and gorgeous rustic feel on them!
I can't believe that christmas is just around the corner !
I just wanted to let you know that I will be taking part with the Etsy holiday sale from November 20, 2017 to December 1, 2017.
So, if you are looking for gift ideas, you can always shop with me. :)

As always, thank you so much for stopping by.  

Merci beaucoup.