My cat Mazzi and the Eye of the Storm

For the last two days it has been stormy here, with heavy rains and howling winds. It was impossible to get to my jewelry workshop out of town . The roads were covered with water. At home, The rain was banging on my closed shutters, and the winds begging to barge in, making a terrible screamy noise.
This morning there have been a few bright  hours of peace.  So I have opened the windows to let in some fresh air into my apartment.
I have a small balcony which I ordered  especially for my cat Mazi ("Mazl"  means Luck) so she can enjoy the sun and her grass out there.It is attached to the wall under my living room window. I grow herbs there too during Spring and Summer, and there is a lot of space on it for her to bask in the sun and enjoy herself without falling off. Now, during the winter, the leaves have dried and flown away in the winds. I suppose the herbs will grow back again in the spring and it will all be green again.
This morning  during what I call " the eye of the storm" , I let my kitty out so she can enjoy the clear air and as you may see she looks rather content.

Mazzi taking a break from the storm

Oh No! Now - the winds have begun to howl again and the skies are filled with heavy dark  clouds!! That was a break too short! ..."Come back inside Mazi! You'll get wet, and your favorite heater is nice and warm!"
Hope I'll be able to drive to my workshop to design some new jewelry  tomorrow. The storm has wasted too much of my time!

Naomi's Ceramic Hanukka Lamps

Naomi Yahel is a friend of mine. we share a wall in the Artist's workshop area. In her studio, Naomi is a creative ceramicist and potter of  beautiful and outstanding ceramic items.
In the mornings I drop in to say hello. I am always searching for new items she may have created the day before.
All her pottery is handcrafted with love. I believe you will agree with me when you view these photos. Every year, around Hanukka, she creates new Hanukka lamp designs.I bought one last year, and yesterday, bought another one,  I collect them and they decorate my home all year round.

Naomi Yahel's Hanukka Lamp Blue version Added to my collection Yesterday

Naomi Yahel's  Hanukka Lamp added to my collection last year

Namoi's work table with soup bowls and Hanukka lamp

The lamps are very special .  They warm my heart whenever I look at them.
As tonight is the first day of Hanukka, I cannot wait for evening to come when I will set the candles in and light up all of them!

Thank you for watching!


My handcrafted artisan jewelry:
http://etsy.com/shop/riorita

My Besteam promotion blog:
http://rioritabesteam.blogspot.com/

New Handmade Jewelry Design - Curls with Twirls Earrings

About a year ago I had a dream about my sister TalTal  (it is her nickname in Hebrew "taltal" means - a curl) when she was a young girl. In that dream she had long beautiful curls. When I awoke, I realized that what I was going to create that day would be "Curl Earrings". Under this inspiration I drove to my jewelry design workshop,  and went right ahead and handcrafted them by sawing two flat pieces of silver to curl shapes, hammering them and adding  ear wires. I loved the result. Then I started to think of more designs based on these earrings and followed, but a short while after, moved on to other jewelry designs.

This week I looked at the first design, and decided I could add round spirals to them, so I did exactly that. I have realized I could build up a whole collection with  this idea.
There will be necklacea, pendants, other variations...you'll see (if you will be interested enough - of course!)

Silver spiral earrings, curls with twirls, handmade sterling jewelry

unique silver earrings handmade hammered silver shaped as curls

Double Curl Earrings goldplated sterling silver with Peridot beads

More handcrafted artisan jewelry:
http://etsy.com/shop/riorita

For the Love of Olives

As you may know, I handcraft silver and gold artisan jewelry. I was about to show off with a new Opal ring I've handcrafted a few days ago, but I will do this tomorrow maybe.I  could not resist posting  about my love for olive trees.
Along each side of  the road, when approaching my  handmade jewelry design workshop, there is a row of beautiful olive trees standing there,  watching me go by, every day of the year.

As I get closer to my  workshop I take an appraising look at these trees. This time of the year they are laden with beautiful olives. They seem to call out to me: " Please pick my olives"!  So that's exactly what I do. I collect quite a number of beautiful black olives into a small bylon bag and then drive off happily on to my workshop.
I do this every year and fill about 5 jars with olives. We eat them all years round.


Here's how I pickle them:
First I put them all in a bowl of water and cut through each one of them with a knife.
Then I fill about 5  glass jars ( I use empty coffee jars for this) with the olives and pour fresh water over them.
I change the water every day for abut 4-5 days. This gets out the bitternes out of them.
On the fifth day I add a few slices of lemon, to each jar,
 a slice or two of a green sharp pepper,
 about 10 garlic cloves, a soup spoonful of rough salt.
 I fill up the jar with water,
and add some olive oil on top!
Then I place the jars in a cupboard, away from daylight.
Within about 10 days, the olives are ready.
I do this once a year and we have delicious olives at out  table throughout the year (if we do not finish them earlier!)

As I am a new member to the Etsybloggers team, I have chosen a few favorites' items from the  team. I hope you will like them as much as I do:
http://etsy.com/shop/ayalaart

http://etsy.com/shop/FaerieGardenFancies

http://etsy.com/shop/PacificphotoArt

Handcrafted artisan jewelry:
http://etsy.com/shop/riorita