Winning is inspiring too!!

Can't help but smiling :-)
My piece "The Enchanted Circus" will be exhibited along with all the art works that won or where short listed in the V&A Museum till the 21st of November.

Press Coverage

Inspired by... Victoria and Albert Museum

The Victoria and Albert Museum in London is an incredible pool of objects that can bring you closer to aesthetic history and history in general.

Inspired by... is the annual competition run by this museum for ceramics, glass and jewellery students.

You have to get your inspiration from of the -trillion- objects in this superfascinating museum and follow it to through the journey it takes you to a final piece. I was happy to take that journey for the 2010 competition that started with an object from the British Galleries, a tunnel book from the Great Exhibition of 1851.

I found this object very exciting and inviting with it's little peep hole which suggest that an intriguing little perspective world will open up to you if you come closer and have a look.

I enjoyed the promising movement of this accordion shaped object and the playfulness of it's optical games.

I wanted my final piece to have all these elements of the original object.

At first came the Eureka! of the idea I was happy with and then came a lot of: playing around, thinking, trying out test pieces, getting annoyed, making samples, drawing, biting my nails, sweating, cutting copper, cutting silver, running around and consulting lovely classmates and wonderful tutors at Kensington and Chelsea College.

And it all came together in my piece the "Enchanted Circus". It's a silver necklace with 5 riveted circles, each with a little figure that move and construct a perspective view of a circus:
a little acrobat balancing on her ball, with the help of her umbrella under the flags and spotlights of the circus.

It can be worn either open or closed with it's separate chain. The chain has a small dancer at the end that slides through her hula hoop to keep it hanging.

I've left my miniature circus in the V&A for the time being as it will be exhibited from the 3rd October till November along with all the pieces that were short listed for this competition so if you want to see it you can go round there and tell me what you think.
Hope you do and hope you enjoy

Materials: silver, 18ct yellow gold plate, 9ct rose gold plate
Techniques: hammering, fussing, oxidizing, riveting, engraving

Moving Circus

the Moving Circus collection is my latest project inspired by travelling circuses at the beginning of the century. Trapeze, jugglers, freaks and elephants blend up to make a collection with delicate balance of modern jewellery forms and romanticly nostalgic images. Each piece has movement and it's own hidden surprise.

Trapeze Miriam Necklace : Silver, red coral beads, image from vintage circus poster. Designed and made after practising the perfect balance combination of elements.

ShoWow at RcA

This is a piece of jewellery art by Marta Mattson that I was lucky to see at the Royal College of Art final Show. She herself was wearing two little bow studs on her ears. Cute little bows right... or are they?coming closer and reading the materials you are quite amazed by her witty game. They are made out of calf skin and her statement says it all... " My jewellery deals with the tension that lies between attraction and repulsion". The result is beautiful and refined combined with subtly dark and spooky qualities.


This was my other favourite from the show. Meri Takala had a wonderful concept to present through her jewellery. Every necklace was a series of knotted strings, fabrics or other materials and represented the time taken to produce by little tags with numbers ... 16 min, 70 hours, was written next to every piece hanging from the wall. A very convincing way to present the relentless progress of time through a jewellery piece indeed.

All lost beads deserve a home

There are so many lost beads out there in the world that need a new home... So many single earrings that deserve a second chance! The clasp is from a broken necklace I found on Brick Lane one day. It fits wonders...

I've found tons of little bits and pieces on the street and it makes me happy when they finally klick to their right piece of jewellery. ((I almost got hit by a car on the bike today coz I saw a sparkly sparkly little fake plastic diamond on the street...(squeeeke break sound...) I saved it and soon it will have a place to sparkle sparkle again. :-) ))

Baby gems :-)

Yeah!!! new baby new post!! baby bracelet... pink, soft, tiny and fluffy... yes it's a girl!
Happy New Baby xxx

Gem Spots... in Athens

Athens is a pure paradise for jewellery lovers.

There are many shops full of silver jewellery from young designers (makers, crafty/arty people, registered, unregistered....or how you call them) The special thing about silver jewellery in Greece is that they are full of colour, ribbons, enamel and photos are used by many or oxides that bring out colours in silver.

An other trend going on quite some years in Greek jewellery (and i think it started from Thessaloniki acctually) are the really hand crafted ones with stiches, beads, fabrics, buttons, newspapers (and so on... from woodpegs to barbie heads) that are 100% one offs. No duplicate found! ... And even at the flee stools at Thision or Gazi you can spot out some worthwhile shopping.

So if you find yourself in the streets of Athens jot these spots on your map for a gooood treasure hunt.

Elsa's Wire Ideas: 7, Perikleous st. Syntagma, tel: +30 210 3243130 - a very colourful shop with upcoming Greek names like Joanna Cave and Lillian Syrigou and many many others

Fuga: 35 Themistokleous St. Exarheia +30 2103844413 - Dina has the workshop inside and makes beautiful bags, shoes, jewells, but also chooses all the jewellery that goes in the shop from the makers and she has a really great eye for things. All one offs and very very special :-)

Homofaber: 7 Voulis St. Syntagma + tel: 30 210 322992 - This is an extremely small little shop filed up to the top with jewellery. Its a little cube out of nowhere in the middle of the pavement on Voulis street. And while you're there, drink a beer at Jockers on your right...(the waitress has earrings from this shop over here... Comme il Faux: 6 Plateia Karitsi tel :+ 30 210 3314004)

Ihnos: 6 Kydathinaionst. Plaka +30 210 3227995 - A nice clean and calm shop with great silver jewells

Arxipelagos: 142 Andrianou st. Plaka +30 210 3231321- It's in the middle of Plaka and under the Acropolis but not too touristy and you can find some hand made silver jewellery with stones from 70 euros.

Gems... from far back and far away!

Cool Jewells they had at the Kingdom of Ife, the ancient thriving city in today's South-West Nigeria.

Two beautiful pendants that date back to 800-900AD found at the village of Igbo-Ukwu East of Ife. One represents a human face and the other a highly decorated elephant head (about 10 cm high) The fact that they come from a casting process means that they knew their technique well and well before Europeans set foot on the land at the end of 1400.

And... a brass and copper bracelet with crocodiles, leaves and snails from 1400AD that makes me wish I was an Ife Queen at some point of my lives!

Check out the sculpture exhibition in the British Museum till 6th June 2010

(and sing s'th happy...)
(and watch s'th sad)

Rainbow Necklace

Inspiration... a rainy day in London, a beautiful e-mail describing a cloudy sky somewhere far away and a song....

I've got sunshine on a cloudy day
When it's cold outside I've got the month of May
I guess you'd say
What can make me feel this way?
My girl
Talkin' about my girl

I've got so much honey the bees envy me
I've got a sweeter song than the birds in the trees
I guess you'd say
What can make me feel this way?
My girl
Talkin' about my girl

Inspiration... Kelly

This is a silver bracelet made for my sister baring in mind her style and taste. She loves delicate, feminine and pretty little things (and she always ends up preferring my bracelets) so I can't think of a better present :-)

ooops... I'm probably spoiling some surprises here with this post... or just stimulating expectations, soon to be on your wrist Sis!!

(silver cut out leaf, silver chain and oxidized chain, silver plate with "K" stamp and a little red coral)

Inspiration... Julia Griffith

Julia Griffith's work is amazing and amazingly playful, colourful, detailed and feels like its made with a patient affection.
But i really appreciate her welcoming website. She has a story to tell for every work of art she makes and she shares it inviting you to follow the journey behind those wire and stitches dresses. Love the titles also!

make you understand them and see more in them :-)

makes me think of One line.... of wire, thread, pensil

and makes me make my "playing around with wire yesterday 3D rings"



love twists and colour

Bubble Broach Aproach

Goin' back to my good old leather and beads. Add some Sugar Alphabet and have a god Sunday everyone :-)

Tech Neck... there's more to it than wires

Last week I came upon Jon Dunleavys new short film called Crash! Bang! Wallow!. He's got cool personal style, wits to respect and surely knows how to use his good old British dark humour. His 2006 "The Technical Hitch"

apart from giving me someone to blame for all the shameless disrespectful gadgets I usually handle, also reminded me of the Tech Necklace I made and you see in the photo.

Made from ex-connect-laptop-to-lazy-modem-wire, under that grey plastic you find flexible copper, funky colours (just the way I like it), and a way to ease my eco-concience.

If it ain't working just take it apart, Crash! Bang! and you got yourself first class material.