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.