Much ado about nothing.

This Tuesday I had an exam for my jewelry design class. There were many concepts to study, it was not difficult but still, I was nervous, so were my classmates. After the exam we had to show our sketchbook to the teacher with the works we did in class and the homeworks; one of them was to show two sets of three pieces of jewelry drawn by us and a more elaborated design  with colour.

A few days before I was scratching my head and biting my nails thinking on the seven pieces of jewelry I had to draw.  I was in blank. There was nothing, nada, zero. Extremely worried about this homework. Then I had a moment of enlightment when I saw my sketchbook: I found a design for one of the sets! I was watching telly/tv when my second moment of enlighment came: abacus. Now I had the other set. 

For the last design I took a rough amethyst stone and imagine a ring. In between all this I was reading/studying the copies from class.

The day of the exam everybody was nervous, studying at the last minute. When we got the exam, which was only two questions, everybody was relieved. It was something like this: "How would you apply the concepts you learnt in class? Which ones would you use to improve your designs?" . I think I heard I unanimous "phew!" from everybody....

When it was my turn to show my sketchbook I was a bit nervous, the teacher was very nice, she corrected my drawings and designs, it was all so simple and nothing to be nervous about. 

That day I woke up with a headache going to migraine, after the famous exam, it was gone!

This is the design of my coloured piece:

That's all for now.

Thank you for reading this,

Vivi.

San Pedro y San Pablo

Wednesday was Saint Peter and Saint Paul's day, it was a holiday here. My dad has been willing to go and follow the procession (?) of Saint Peter for many years, so we went to Callao, the main port of Perú and set sail on the small vessel called as one of my sisters. It was interesting, there were fireworks and a band playing in a boat close to Saint Peter's image (on a boat).

It didn't last long but it was nice to go away and be in the sea, balancing from one side to the other and sadly, smelling the petroleum of the boats. Otherwise, it was a good day, doing something I never thought I would.

The procession, boats of all kind following Saint Peter's image.

Father and I.

I was worried about my homework, I didn't finish it, I was lazy that day, it felt like a sunday. 

There's more to tell specially about  my design class, which was very interesting. 

TTL,

Vivi.

The goodies

Yesterday arrived the package from Annica. I was so happy when I saw the stones! I have amethysts, aquamarines and watermelon tourmalines!

I still don't know what I will do with these precious stones, but something willl come to my mind.

I got the shark tooth necklace that Edi made for me. I love it! I will take pictures and post them. She does an amazing work. And she was the perfect person for the job.

Back in 1987 I made a class trip to Ica, Paracas and Nazca, in the south of Peru. There's a place in the middle of the desert you can still find shark teeth or whale bones. 

Here are the pictures:

To keep you updated, I just came back from the ER because of a migraine and I missed a dinner with my friends from school...

I should go lay down and hydrate.

Thank you for taking your time reading my posts.

Vivi.

I forgot to mention Edi's shop on Etsy: http://www.etsy.com/shop/EdisLittleTreasures you can see the beautiful work she does with wire.
I can't stop saying that I am very happy with my necklace, after all I waited fourteen years to wear the tooth!

Weekend, homework, beginnings.

I can't believe how fast days are passing. I'm going to start my second month of jewelry classes next Tuesday. It includes drawing (or drowing?). I have my sketch book, my pencil, eraser, and many rules: I don't know how do you say "escuadra" in english. It's the rule with a 90º angle. I have my compass also and I am very excited to start this new part of the course.

The classes end on september and by then, we will have to make a jewelry collection with at least eighteen pieces, in paper of course! 

For the first time in my life I am going to do a proper jewelry collection.

I like this classes, the teacher is very young but passionate about what she teaches. I had to stay at home on Tuesday because of a dog emergency and I was feeling uncomfortable with missing a class, just the class I didn't want to miss! 

Anyway, the dog is fine and for the first time in my life I am happy to do my homework  with a week of anticipation.

The homework for this week (last Thursday) was creating a piece following a subject we did in class. I chosed Art Deco. Personally, I love Art Nouveau but I wanted to do something different, something geometric. And also I did a piece I have never thought of doing: a brooch. 

The teacher has the homeworks so I can't show you what I did, which was a combination of Art Deco fabric designs but à la Vivi style. I added a barroque pearl to put a little of my liking of the Art Nouveau, but it looks eclectic as the teacher said. Otherwise, my homework was fine.

Oh, I forgot to mention I was the second in explaining my piece to the class. Usually I am very shy, extremely shy, when I was at school I would hide or get sick before standing up in front of the class; I don't have that problem anymore.

Treasury

Hello! Today I got a message from a friend telling me I'm in her treasury! Nice way to start the day!
www.etsy.com/treasury/4ddce48c55238eefccca85d1/jewelry-display
Oh, and I got my first Artfire sale yesterday! Yay!

I love these earrings and I'm happy they found an owner who would appreciate them as much as I do.

I started going to my Jewelry Design classes yestersay. The teacher is good, she's young but passionate about jewelry. We did History of Jewelry, very interesting and it opens your mind to new designs and techniques. So far, I like very much Art Nouveau, it's very organic and it has this movement that flows all over the piece.
I had the chance to go to the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris a couple of years ago. I visited the jewelry section of course. It was overwelming to see these works of art and trying to figure out how they did it. There are techniques that can not be duplicated today! I was amazed to see with my own eyes the jewelry you see on films or in tv documentaries or pictures. I still regret not having bought a book about Art Nouveau jewelry. Well, that would be an excuse to come back to France!

I am so glad to taking classes again, I love to learn and I missed my school.

Oh, I dont know what's wrong with my camera, some settings must have been changed by mistake and I can't post new pictures, I think it's the pixels but I don't know how to fix it. I feel very frustrated, it's like having a handicap.

That's all for now, I hope you have a good week!

Blessings,
Vivi.

Help! Socorro! Au secours!

Yes, I do need help. I have been trying to add the etsy mini thing to this blog but I don't know why I can't. I am pretty sure I followed the instructions (copy-paste the code) but nothing happens....

I really have no idea what could be wrong. If someone does, please let me know!

Thank you,

Vivi.

May is here!

After a long time I am posting again. Next Tuesday I will start a jewelry design class. I am curious about it because as I mentioned before I barely design, I just play with what I have on my bench.

I have been buying stones from Superior Agates and Magpie Gemstones. Many of them are.....labradorites! I have aquamarine, rhodonite, labs and a brown cabochon, plus some agates. I want to make a sculpture with one of the labradorites but I have the sketches in my mind! I've been feeling a bit lazy to put them into paper. The other cabochons will become rings or pendants.

From Magpie I've got iolites (love the color, it's kinda between purple and blue), marquise labradorite briolettes, free form labs, green amethysts and......4 sea urchin spikes (I don't know how they are called in english) which measure around 6 and 8 cm. They called my attention since I have never seen one and I find them interesting for a jewelry project.

That is all for now. I will go back to classes next week after a long time....I feel a bit nervous, as if it was my first day of school!

Wishing you a nice weekend and a good month,

Vivi.