Pantone’s Colors of 2016: Rose Quartz and Serenity Blue

The experts at Pantone already announced the annual Color of the Year. It’s not one, but a combination of two shades, for the first time ever  - Rose Quartz and Serenity Blue - they are shades of pale pink and baby blue. Pantone described these colors as “a harmonious pairing of inviting shades that embody a mindset of tranquility and inner peace.”
Rose Quartz evokes a sunset, budding flower, or flushed cheek, while Serenity conjures an expanse of bleached blue sky. Worn separately, they don't have the same power of calmness as they do when worn together.
The pairing offers a variety of lip, cheek and eye palette options, as well as hues for nail color. Flattering against many skin tones, beauty looks pairing the lighthearted, healthy glow of Rose Quartz, with the cool, refreshing tone of Serenity, create a soft and natural statement. Done with a natural, light touch, the flattering pink that enhances the lip, cheek and eye, can be blended with a hint of the cool blue tone that contributes to a beautiful, neutral-based eye shadow palette, accented by classic solid nails or creative nail art that incorporates both shades in the design.

After this news I decided to see if I have something in my shop in these colors and I found!
Here they are:
Rose Quartz

Serenity Blue

Interview with Tomka Sorokina from YaTomkaStore

Today I present you talented artist and my friend who work with polymer clay and other matherials. Her creations alwasy remind me about fairy tails, they are so airily and magic! 

-- Tell me a little about yourself

Hi,  My name is Tomka Sorokina and I live in the most beautiful place on the world near the sea with amazing nature. I love my husband and my two children, I like ice cream and rain, I like to leap over the plashes like a child... 
I like child’s books and illustrations and once I will learn to draw, I promise! But now I happy to create jewelry, teach my husband and being taught by my children. Thanks for them I discover something new in this world every day.

-- What types of items do you sell? What's your favorite material and techniques to work with?

I’m a very compulsive personality. From my childhood I always got lessons of something but after short time lose interest. But since I saw in internet polymer clay jewelry, and it was more than 7 years ago, I hold true to it. After my son was born my creations became something more for me then a simple hobby. It became a job that I like and I dedicate all my time to my shop, of course, time free from my family)

I like to work with polymer clay, mix it with glass, glaze and I always try to invent something new and creative. 
Now my favorits are bracelets with miniature flowers and handmade glass, pocket mirrors with drawing made from polymer clay and transparent butterfly wings.

I enjoy when my people like my creations. I think from this point the story of my store had a beginning. First I gifted my creations, then somebody asked me to make to order and then my shop YaTomkaStore was born. This is small shop with my creations – handmade jewelry and accessories.

-- Where do you get your inspiration?:

Every weekand me and my family we are making little trips. My junior girl is almost a year old that’s why we can’t go far but our trips are always intensive and interesting. I like a see and mountains. The nature around our town is so various that every time I find something new and it inspire me. Often I inspired by my family, my husband is my main critic and encourager. It is thanks him and his backing that I began to make polymer clay jewelry. 

The advantage of being self-employed is that I’m a law unto myself, I control my schedule. It allow me  to give as much attention to my family as they need and also much more)) I can wake up at 5 AM with new idea and began to turn it into reality… I can be awake till very late  until I won’t finish a piece and next day stay with children all day: slug in a bed, see cartoons, read books… Creativity became an essential part of my life and also if I don’t keep my tools in hands, in my head deas are tumbling about 


--  Are there other places on the net we can find you?
I have a small Etsy shop: www.YaTomkaStore.etsy.com

My Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/YaTomkaStore

Long sleeve t-shirts with vintage crochet back applique

Summer is over ... Yes, even here in the south of Italy)) Now It's time for T-shirts with long sleeves!

Knotted cord bracelet DIY

Today I will show you how to make a wonderful knotted bracelet. I like these bracelets in white, red and blue, probably because these are nautical colors. But for the DUY I decided to choose a nice pale pink cord)

You will need:

•      pliers
•      cord about 0.5-0.7m/20-30"
•      cord ends
•      2 jump rings 5mm/0.2" diamete
•      lobster clasp
•      if it's possible, the chain-extension
•      ruler
•      scissors

  

So, lets begin. Take the cord and divide it into two halves. Then, from one half make out the knot shown in the figure below.

Pass the second cord besides the first one. Here's what you should have.

Tighten the knot.

Measure your wrist. Cut out this length from the the cord with knot wrapping the place before with scotch tape. You can put a drop of glue. Do not be afraid that the bracelet will be small - we are still going to add the lobster clasp and chain extention, at the end the length increases.

Attach cord ends to both ends of the bracelet.

At one end attach the lobster clasp, at another end - the chain-extension.

Your bracelet is ready!

This bracelet needs a little time and materials and you can make them in different colors))
I wish you good luck!

Double Chain bracelet DIY

You can make a lot of these wonderful bracelets for your summer jewelry collection!

You will need:
Chain, twice the length of your wrist
3-3.5 yards suede rope or atlas cord (as I used here)
1 lobster clasp
adjustable chain 
2 jump rings 0.7-0.8mm/0.3 diameter
pliers
crochet hook

Thread the cord through the links connecting both ends of the chain and knot.

Take on end of the cord and pass it through the link of one half of the chain, then through other. Continue till the end. Take second past of the cord and make the same thing on opposite direction. So you will have like zig-zag. Repeat until you reach the end of the chain.

When you pass cord through the last link of the chain make a knot. Using crochet hook pass ends of the cord inside bitween cord and chain as shown.

Cut ends about 2cm from the knot. 

Take one jump ring and logster clasp attach them to the one end of the cord. Take other jump ring and adjustable chain and attache them to the second end of the chain.

Your amazing bracelet is ready! You can make a lot using cord of different colors. I made mint, blue and salmon)

I'm a featured artist

I'm so excited to write that I was featured on the one wonderful site : http://cottonridgellc.com. I't so nice site and has articles about many interesting artists, some of which are my friends )

This is article about Yelena Turetsky Merener - she make wonderful jewelry.
And this is article about Irina & Eugenie Muminova of Mulberry Whisper. They are living in Uzbekistan, country which I always dream to visit! They create amazing handmade clothing, pillow covers and accessories made of natural silk and cotton fabrics with ikat pattern.

Interview with Aleksa Torri

Today I present to my readers interview with talented handmade artists Aleksa Torri. She has a shop on Etsy called CitrusCat.

- Please tell us a little bit about yourself

What can I tell about myself?
I'm 23, I have a young, ambitious and full of hope for a brighter future
By education I am a psychologist, but psychology does not attract me as a profession.

I'm a self taught handmade artist trying to turn my favorite hobby into life style and profession.

I create unusual jewelry. But sometimes I move in the other direction. Spontaneously I can start making greeting cards or decorative items for the home. In short, I am a creative person and quite unpredictable even to myself. I guess that's my trick.

- How long have you been creating? How did your journey in art and creativity begin?

 I loved to make things since I was small. As far as I can remember as a child I drew a lot, asked my grandmother taught me to embroider. Then I wanted to make clothes and I wanted to be a designer.

My path to the creation of jewelry was long. At some point I started to sew felt brooches.

After a while I realized that I like to make jewelry and I started trying different techniques and materials.

Now I’m fond of creating resin jewelry. I chose this material and technique because it allows me to create different things without limiting the imagination. 

In future I want to try to use other materials and techniques.

-What is the most important about your work?

I can identify several aspects that are important to my business. This is a good mood, inspiration, and support of my family

In my work I like the fact that I’m the owner of business and can do what I want.
No doubt, it creates a good mood which I put in my work.

One of the most important events for my business was opening a Citrus Сat shop on Etsy. This was a good incentive for me.

 - What would you say makes your shop unique?

The original approach to the creation of my jewelry is making them unique.

I am a self-taught and eclectic artist, who works with a variety of techniques.
My jewelry is a world full of colors of life.
With my jewelry I want to make the world more beautiful and colorful.
I hope you enjoy my creations, as much as I enjoyed creating them!

Please come to my CitrusCat store. And get a portion of happiness ))

Desert Rose

Now arrived the most hot time in south Italy.  Temperature varies from 33°С to 38°С (91,4F to 100,4 F). Last year on my birthday July 13 was 42°С heat (107,6 F). All the grass has dried, there are no flowers in the fields. And the only oleanders bloom with their strange beauty along the roads. 

All around me have beige color  - It's color of dried grass, golden-beige color of the sand on the beaches... Also town is beige because all the houses here are made from beige stone from Lecce.  All this golden and beige dilute splendor has inspired me to create this ring. I called it  "Desert Rose". It remember me about the sand, the desert and dry wind. 
I made crochet flower from sand colored cotton thread and decorated the center with vintage glass bead. Then I connected it to beige leather flower. Together these two different textures make this ring similar to dunes of Sahara with their dark and light splashes.