Goethe quote necklace

These last few weeks have been rainy, stormy, cloudy, windy or, in the best case dull. So yesterday I was looking outside the window, thinking about what an unhappy day Valentine's must have been for some people. I remembered a book from one of the top shelves in my library, about young Werther. It was in Greek, quite an old publication. And I began to read.

This is the book in its original German publication, the first print, in 1774 (image from Wikipedia). So, I suppose, if I wanted to make a jewelry piece with a quote from this book, it wouldn't be special if it was in Greek, or English. It would have to be in German, the language that Goethe wrote it in.

This is what I came up with. It is a gold heart locket, hanging from a black beaded choker. The locket reads 'Mein Herz habe ich allein', the phrase that struck me as quite strong and which I felt like using for this piece. The necklace is available here.

The Hobbit

As December 14 approaches, the day when The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey comes out, I happened to watch a trailer on the Tolkien fan Facebook page. Every Tolkien fan is excited, it seems, and I am no exception. If you want to go to the movie site, where there's a lot to do, it's here.

My favorite image was this:

Naturally, I went back to the book. I wanted to find the exact lines that epitomize the whole book, so to speak. This is what I came up with:

This line is from Chapter 18, from the Thorin's last words: 'There is more in you of good than you know, child of the kindly West. Some courage and some wisdom, blended in measure. If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world.' How can anyone beat that?

These words are so important to remember and so comforting, for when we have lost faith. What an inspiring line to wear! It is a 31 inch long chain necklace, so it matches all the current fashion trends perfectly, and I used a locket instead of a plain setting, to imply that all you have to do to find faith again, is to search in your soul. The treasure is in the soul. If you like this piece, it is available here.

Gold fever

Metallics are definitely in fashion at the moment, but what amazed me was the presentation of totally gold outfits from Fall 2012. As I look through these images, I can't help but think of Thorin's last words, from Tolkien's The Hobbit: 'If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world'. If fashion values gold, doesn't that mean that the human race is once more confused about what brings happiness? Food for thought...

 

Elie Saab (photo: IMAXtree)

 Prabal Gurung (photo: IMAXtree)

 Michael Kors (photo: IMAXtree)

 Paco Rabanne (photo: IMAXtree)

 Giambattista Valli (photo: IMAXtree)

Feel like your eyes hurt? I know... And yes, I am pretty much obsessed with The Hobbit these days... Prepare for the next post... Kisses!

Not for timid bodies

In a room—empty, small, four walls only,
covered with green cloth—
a beautiful chandelier burns, all fire;
and in each of its flames a sensual fever,
a lascivious urge, glows with heat.

In the small room, radiantly lit
by the chandelier’s hot fire,
no ordinary light breaks out.
Not for timid bodies
the rapture of this heat.

Translated by Edmund Keeley/Philip Sherrard

(C.P. Cavafy, Collected Poems. Translated by Edmund Keeley and Philip Sherrard. Edited by George Savidis. Revised Edition. Princeton University Press, 1992)

A few weeks ago I discovered some links from a vintage gold gilt chandelier. They were bright gold and just way too beautiful to be thrown away, they had this wonderful palmette decorative motif, so I put them inside the box for when the inspiration would be right. And a couple of days ago, I came across this poem by Cavafy, called 'Chandelier'. If you read Greek, here it is in the original:

Σε κάμαρη άδεια και μικρή, τέσσαρες τοίχοι μόνοι,
και σκεπασμένοι με ολοπράσινα πανιά,
καίει ένας πολυέλαιος ωραίος και κορώνει·
και μες στη φλόγα του την καθεμιά πυρώνει
μια λάγνη πάθησις, μια λάγνη ορμή.

Μες στην μικρή την κάμαρη, που λάμπει αναμένη
από του πολυελαίου την δυνατή φωτιά,
διόλου συνειθισμένο φως δεν είν’ αυτό που βγαίνει.
Γι’ άτολμα σώματα δεν είναι καμωμένη
αυτής της ζέστης η ηδονή.

(Από τα Ποιήματα 1897-1933, Ίκαρος 1984)


Then it suddenly struck me. I had the finished piece in front of me in a few seconds. And I got to work.

I think the result looks sultry and provocative, just like the poem is. I love how an architectural salvage, like this chandelier chain link, gives this piece its character and is then quietly complemented by the black brass chain and the black Czech glass bead. Its provocative element is thus even more stressed! 'Not for timid bodies' indeed...

What do you think?

Nike Victorious

Nike Victorious by amoronia featuring a hard case clutch

Antigone's Love Ethics

Available here.

Lord of the Rings Tolkien quote crown necklace in gold brass

'The crownlass again shall be king' is the last line of the famous Tolkien poem from The Fellowship of the Ring. This necklace is very versatile. You will want to wear it every day, because it's such a precious thought to be carrrying with you always, but it may also serve as a great piece to wear with a wedding dress. After all, one of the meanings of a wedding is that the couple is actually made King and Queen in their own home, which is interesting!

 Available here. Magnificent!

Here is the place where I love you

When I first read the plot of The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (Scholastic, 2008) I couldn't help thinking about the Greek myth of Theseus, only to discover that the writer actually had Theseus, among other things, in mind. That, and discovering what her other influences might be, was the main reason why I wanted to read the book.

At some point in the story there is this 'Mountain Air', that Katniss sings to Rue while she's dying. It goes like this:

Deep in the meadow, under the willow
A bed of grass, a soft green pillow
Lay down your head, and close your sleepy eyes
And when again they open, the sun will rise.
 
Here it's safe, here it's warm
Here the daisies guard you from every harm
Here your dreams are sweet and tomorrow brings them true
Here is the place where I love you.
 
Deep in the meadow, hidden far away
A cloak of leaves, A moonbeam ray
Forget your woes and let your troubles lay
And when again it's morning, they'll wash away.
 
Here it's safe, here it's warm
Here the daisies guard you from every harm
Here your dreams are sweet and tomorrow brings them true
Here is the place where I love you.

This last line was too strong for me to pass by. I just had to make something, something ethereal, warm and shiny, like the sun beams at sunrise, as I think this place has to be real, if only for all the innocent. I came up with these:

I will admit that had it not been for the film, I would not have heard of the book, since I am not a 'young adult'! But I really liked Sting singing 'Deep in the Meadow', as a bonus unlisted CD track:

Disco and Bohemian!

I can definitely see someone wearing these on New Year's Eve! They are the perfect disco and bohemian earrings! But really, they make for the perfect four season pair, to add a touch of glamour to your outfits, from party season to summer holidays!

Available here. What I like most, though, is the fact that I have recycled wooden hoops to make them. First impressions?

Gold Crocheted Hoops, Lightweight Statement Earrings

Hoops are classic, yet they are also funky and tremendously hip at the moment. I was inspired by the late 60s and 70s and created a design which you will absolutely adore!

Gold crocheted hoops, lightweight statement earrings

These earrings are lightweight and also flexible, so your earlobes will love them -plus you can wear them in another way, if you like: simply use some pressure to bend them and form long leaf shapes! How cool is that! Available in my Etsy shop, here.

Something New for the New Year

My grandma says we should always buy something new for the new year, even a small thing. So I made these lovely pieces that combine gold and silver, basically raw brass and pewter, along with coral and peridot.

Pomegranate Two-Tone Necklace

Red Heart Two-Tone Necklace

I wouldn't tell my grandma this, but only the chain in those is new... The rest of the components come from old and broken jewelry. But hey! If you get one of those necklaces, you get old and new in one! Cool!

Emerald Oz - OOAK Necklace

I found this remarkable gold and rhinestone piece that reads 'OZ', so I couldn't resist turning it to a really fabulous piece of jewelry!

Emerald Oz - Elegant OOAK Necklace with Gold and Rhinestone Found Object, Vintage Green Velvet Button and a White Pearl

I combined it with an emerald green velvet vintage button and a white pearl, and then I mounted it all onto golden brass chain.

One of a kind - means you are going to be the only one who has it!