The Ladybug and Red Bunny, A Tale of Christmas Magic (laser-cut rabbit on silver wide-band ring setting, wooden ladybug cameo)

On a cold dark dawn,
Amidst a snowy dell,
There appeared a crystal tree.

Along came weary Ladybug,
In search of a place to rest her head,
For she was lost and bitterly cold.

As she paused to catch her breath,
She saw the tree glistening with the morning dew.
She exclaimed "Oh my!" at the wondrous sight,
And settled under the tree.


Along came Red Bunny,
With a skip and a jump,
And a hippity hoppity hey!

She skidded to a halt,
When she saw poor Ladybug,
All tuckered out beneath the tree.

Red Bunny sang a soft lullaby,
As she spun warm Yuletide magic around the tree.
Then lo! The branches shimmered with rainbow colours,
A star descended from the heavens,
And shiny crystals appeared in the snow.

Rose au Clair de Lune (Rose by Moonlight)

Filigree rose pendant with jet black Swarovski crystals, pewter rosebuds, rhinestone rondelles, clear confetti beads, black glass beads, faux pearls, vine leaf clasp & toggle.

The Tsarina.

Floral filigree setting, petite matt black rose, Swarovski crystals, assorted beads (resin, plastic, faux pearl), large ornate filigree rhinestone & jet floral pendant, hand-rolled & dyed silk strings, metal hook fasteners.

"To see the world in a grain of sand and a heaven in a wild flower ..." (William Blake)

Macasite watch face, bronze and silve crucifix connectors, glass pearls, hematite beads, Czech glass beads, pewter rosebuds & Celtic knots, silver and brass toggle fasteners.

Rosy summer offerings to the Lord of all creation.

I went to gather roses and twine them in a ring,
For I would make a posy, a posy for the King.
I got an hundred roses, the loveliest there be,
From the white rose vine and the pink rose bush and from the red
rose tree.
But when I took my posy and laid it at His feet
I found He had His roses a million times more sweet.
There was a scarlet blossom upon each foot and hand,
And a great pink rose bloomed from His side for the healing of the
land. (From "Roses" by Joyce Kilmer (for Katherine Bregy).)

Bracelets with red polymer clay roses, red resin roses, black Czech glass beads and brass rose toggle fasteners.

Bracelets with pink & aqua resin roses, plastic beads and silver-plated toggle fasteners.

Elasticised bracelets with assorted plastic rose beads.

Yellow rose cameo, ornate silver bracelet setting. Dark green on white rose cabochon, ornate pewter bracelet setting.

Cabbage rose cameos on wide-band silver ring settings.

From the soft pastels of a cottage garden in spring, to the soothing blue-green waters of a rock-pool, to the warm rich tones of high summer, what better way to describe the seasonal changes than with these gorgeous silk strings and ribbons, each strand hand-made by artisans who value true craftsmanship. (Special thanks to Heidi of Jamnglass on Etsy.)

 Talking With God In His Garden. (Large ornate filigree cross with rhinestone centre, faux pearls, miracle beads, resin beads, simple hook & figure-of-eight fastener.)

Talking With God In the Ocean Deep. (Large floral cross with Swarovski pearl centre, faux pearls, resin beads, simple hook & figure-of-eight fastener.)

The Heart Of Arcadia. (Ornate fleur-de-lis heart pendant, faux pearls, resin beads, pony beads, butterfly connectors, simple hook & figure-of-eight fastener.)

Summer In Marseilles. (Large resin pendant with sweetwater pearls and diamonds, faux pearls, miracle beads, pony beads, simple hook & figure-of-eight fastener.)

By The Shores Of Avalon. (Rose cameo on lace-edged patina ring setting. Large floral filigree pendant setting with Swarovski crystals, silver toggle & hoop fastener.)

Every once in a thousand years, when the planets align in conjunction with the Sun and the Moon, in a hidden Carpathian vale the Abbey of St. Istafan reveals itself to those who are pure of heart. (Special thanks to Heidi of Jamnglass on Etsy, and to Angela Clark of Boutique Beads in Melbourne.)

First the braiding with hand-rolled & dyed silk string to attach the bronze crucifix-shape stamping onto the Chinese silk collar. Additional elements: brass hooks, European Panda style beads.

Next, the serious business of adornment, using only Swarovski elements.

The Crucifix of St. Istafan.

Comfort food morning, stoking up for long day, blustery rainy day ... Eggs Atlantic @ Home Of Delicacies in Tunstall Square (Donvale, Melbourne), expertly made by chef Peter (you should try his Caesar Salad), plus coffee to go by Speedy Sammie!

Crucis Auallonia (The Cross of Avalon)

Large vintage silver setting, black rose cabochon, Chinese silk collar, ornate sterling silver plated brass crucifix, petite matt black rose, hand-rolled & dyed silk string.

Arcadia aeternum (Arcadia forever)

Large cast metal antique silver round filigree, large cast metal black resin & antique silver butterfly pendant, Chinese silk collar, hand-rolled & dyed silk string.

From the darkest depths of winter, to the first soft breezes of spring, and thence the long hot days of summer ...

Floral filigree setting, petite matt black rose, Swarovski crystals, assorted beads (resin, plastic, faux pearl), hand-rolled & dyed silk strings, metal hook fasteners.

Pastel flower cabochon pendant, resin & miracle beads, hand-rolled & dyed silk string, metal hook fasteners.

Brass bunny pendant with flower & rhinestone adornments, faux pearls, miracle beads, resin beads, hand-rolled & dyed silk strings, brass floral toggle & clasp.

Hamish ... He may be small of stature, but let not his size fool thee, for deep within him beats a courageous heart and mighty spirit, as befitting a true hero of the Scottish Highlands.

Brooch: black laser-cut Scottie.

The chanticleer crows at the crack of dawn, heralding the rise of a brand new morn ...

Brooch: laser-cut red rooster and black doily cameo.

Multi-cultural comfort food day at Masak Masak on Smith Street,Collingwood (Melbourne)

Best ever Hainan chicken rice outside Singapore/Malaysia, genuine Italian San Pellegrino chinotto.

There's a magical land at the end of the rainbow, where bluebirds arabesque and unicorns play ...

Brooch: laser-cut blue mirror swallows and unicorn, pink doily cameo setting.

In the Midnight Garden of Avalon, there lives a pretty blue owl ....

Blue & magenta floral lampwork glass focal bead, blue & white lampwork glass owl, faux pearls, antique silver filigree pendant setting, black rose on white cabochon, lilac Chinese silk collar, blue hand-rolled & dyed silk string.

Les Lapins Noirs d'Avalon Chinoiserie Part Deux

Black jade double rabbit pendant, bronze filigree setting, vintage-style cream flowers on black cameo, red Chinese silk collar.

Her Serene Highness, Grand Duchess Olga, of the Southern Lakes Rabbit Kingdom

Ornate bronze filigree pendant settings, lime green silk ribbon, cream & chocolate rabbit cabochon, Swarovski crystal rhinestone flatbacks, large bronze hooks.

Dreams of Yesteryear, of riding in a rickshaw along the Bund of Old Shanghai under a starry summer's night

Vintage copper medallion pendant, black Chinese silk collar, black hand-rolled & dyed silk ribbon, red glass pony beads, gold-plated fancy toggle & clasp.

Caramel doughnut @ La Niche (Smith Street South, Fitzroy, Melbourne) and my third skinny latte within 3 hours ...

A comfort food kind of day, starting with a skinny latte and raspberry-white-chocolate muffin @ Home Of Delicacies (Tunstall Sq., Donvale, Melbourne), and then Nasi Telur Belado @ Es Teler 77 (Cardigan St., Carlton, Melbourne). Sorry, no pic of said muffin, but here's the Nasi Telur Belado in glorious technicolour ....

I reckon that Es Teler 77 on Cardigan Street does the best Telur Belado outside Indonesia. Their hard-boiled eggs are only deep-fried when there's an order, unlike at other places where the eggs (simply hard-boiled) sit for ages in the sauce and turn all rubbery ... Add to the mix are veges & deep-fried chunks of tofu, and a proper Belado sauce. Accompanied by steam rice, clear chicken broth, and black dipping sauce.

CORONARY ON A PLATE (a.k.a. Nasi Telur Belado)

Celtic Spring

 Pewter Celtic eternity knot pendant, Swarovksi green peridot & diamond flower cabochon, floral antique scarf bail.

Her Imperial Highness, Princess Lilifani of the Eastern Cloud Rabbit Empire

 Bronze filigree setting, cream & chocolate rabbit cabochon, Swarovski crystals (jet black, red siam & garnet), Chinese silk collar, dyed silk ribbons, bronze rose toggle & clasp.

Celtic and Chinese rabbits, can anything be more similar in symbolism and mystic lore? In both cultures, the Rabbit (Hare) represents creativity, intelligence, intuition, longetivity, rebirth ... the list is seemingly endless.

Imperial glass beads, Czech glass beads, faux pearls, pewter rosebuds & Celtic knots, acrylic beads, pewter Celtic rabbit pendant, gunmetal toggle clasp.

Swarovski pearls, lapis lazuli beads, TierraCast pewter triquetra pendant, vintage Chinese porcelain rabbit pendant (Nanjing, circa 1988), silver-plated hook & filigree toggle.

A Mid-Winter's Night Dream of Fresh Spring Mornings & Balmy TropicalNights (yes, it's mid-winter where I am!)

The materials marked with an (*) were provided as part of the Nina Designs (USA) blogging program. The author of this blog has not received any payment from this company. This post only represents the personal opinion of the blog author.

Special thanks to RushCreations of Sydney for their speedy delivery of the light green & ivory (oval) Swarovski crystal pearls!

Antique-style bird pendant with filigree edging & diamante inlay, lime silk ribbon*, black satin ribbon, large copper hooks.

 

Large diamante filigree cross, turquoise silk ribbon*, hand-rolled pink silk ribbon, faux pearls, miracle beads, acrylic & plastic beads.

Light green & ivory (oval, large round, petite round) Swarovski crystal pearls, gold-plated spacers. Small natural bronze lotus charms*, small natural bronze stamping charms*, large natural bronze marquis-shaped earring tops*, medium natural bronze oval balloon clasp*, large natural bronze abstract links*. Yin-and-Yang gold-plated box-clasp with 6 Swarovski crystals.

Old school fish & chips with a twist of tempura

I've been walking past the Tank Fish & Chippery (Lygon Street, Melbourne) for several months now, and finally decided to lunch there today. So glad I did :)

Ordered their "old school fish n chips", and very good it was too @ $9.90: 2 slices of beer-batter fried fish plus a generous serve of crispy golden chips (a pleasant change from the usual stodge at other places). The batter is very light, think "tempura". Their fish is guaranteed caught-the-same-day freshness. Good vibes too, French & English indie blasting from the overhead sound system.

 

Les Lapins Noirs d'Avalon Chinoiserie

Hand-carved black green jade double rabbit pendant, resin red rose cameo, red Chinese silk collar, black hand-dyed & hand-rolled silk string.

Summer & Winter Roses

Large rose cameos on ornate resin frames. These are rings (with wide-band silver-plated ring settings) from my private collection. I love wearing a statement ring (better known as "cocktail ring") as a focal point instead of a necklace. The same rose cameos and ornate frames are available as brooches in my Avalon range, but I'm happy to customise a ring upon request.

Two cheeky squirrels, Pipkin & Squeek, sharing an acorn lunch ...

Laser-cut acrylic pieces -- two red squirrels and a black doily cameo frame. Brooch or ring (with wide-band silver-plated ring setting).

Un mélange de fraises (A mélange of strawberries).

I love fresh strawberries. To me, they're the quintessential essence of a perfect summer's day. During my student years on continental Europe, having a small budget was no obstacle whatsoever. At the height of the strawberry season, I spent many a blissful Saturday morning at my local market, browsing  the tables laden with mountains of ruby-red deliciousness. After buying my weekly ration of two punnets, I would trot over to the ALDI supermarket because their vanilla ice-cream was (and still is) the cheapest. Back at my studio, I washed and sorted the fruit. The softest berries were sliced and diced for a strawberry vanilla ripple. The firmest ones I rolled in white sugar and chilled in the freezer. My tiny abode had an even smaller balcony, nestled in a sheltered alcove overlooking the enclosed courtyard of a centuries-old church. As soon as the sugar had crystallised into a crunchy layer on the strawberries, I would bring out the whole bowl to the balcony and settled down to watch the lengthening shadows of the setting sun over the church roof.

STRAWBERRY VANILLA RIPPLE:

Best made with soft fruit. Cut up the berries into small bits or thin slices, put in a glass bowl with a spoonful (or more!) of strawberry jam. (Given the acidic nature of strawberry juice, I avoid using plastic and metal containers.) Then add vanilla ice-cream and mix well.

CRYSTALLISED STRAWBERRIES:

I always use fruit which is firm to touch. Roll each berry in icing sugar or castor sugar. But if you're on a tight budget, normal white sugar works just as well. Chill well before consumption, preferably in the freezer compartment.

FRAISES AU VIN BLANC (Strawberries in White Wine):

Approximately 10 berries per 500 ml of wine. Tip the wine into a caraf or jug. Cut the fruit into quarters and add to the wine. Chill for several hours. This recipe works best with firm fruit. I learnt from my 1st attempt that the softest berries have the highest alcohol absorption rate ... 

Strawberry cameo brooches, strawberry short-cake clips (lined with quality grossgrain ribbon) and bobby pins.

Flamingo Retro

Think of those colourful "Hawaii shirts" which your dad or grandpa might've worn in the 1940s ...

Gorgeous pink flamingos daintily picking their way across wetlands, on a blue or hot pink ornate settings. Brooch, hat ornament or ring (on a wide-band silver plated ring setting).

His Lordship Cream & Chocolate Fudge Bunnykins

Brooch or large ring (with wide-band gold or silver-plated ring base). Rabbit cabochon on ornate black resin setting.