July Birthstone Ruby and Friends from Team Elite

Finally summer is here and  I have this happy feeling of freedom, watching people stroll along the beach, going out with their kids ,outdoor shopping, fairs, out door swimming,etc.,  but with it comes, the sometimes hard to bear heat which causes us to  stay indoors with the air condition   avoiding  the strong UV rays and the humidity.

So - welcome July with your good and your bad! (and whose perfect?!) I accept you as you are! I love your Ruby red birthstone, and will show some items which have to do with your birthstone! All creators are members of the Elite team on Etsy which I have joined only recently.

I'll begin with my own stuff (yours humbly!)

I have handcrafted these Ruby Red Sea glass earrings. I simply picked two pieces from my beach glass collection box and set them in sterling silver bezels, soldered  the ear wires on their backs ,added hooks for the ear wires. They look like two raw Ruby stones hanging from the ears of the young lady who will wear them (this includes all ages of us ladies, as we are ALL young! -in our hearts at least that is!).

Ruby Red Sea Glass and Silver earrings by Riorita

 I have checked a few items among the Elite team members which would go well with July Birthstone and have found two more lovely items:

The first is this awesome scarf from seno's Shop . This shop belongs to Senem from Ankara Turkey, and includes handmade accessories. A mother of Ada who was born in 2009, she sells handmade beauties crafted by her aunt, sister and herself. I have entered her shop and loved each item. The photos are beautiful too!

Scarf by Seno

Now for a stunning photograph I found in the third Elite team member's shop named SassInc:
owned and run by Christy Harrisson from

Photo by SassInc on Etsy

I find that this dramatic romantic image fits perfectly into my July Birthstone post.

In Christy's shop  SennoInc you will find Fine art photography, invitation and stationery designs,candles, soaps and more.


Christy is  a freelance photographer, and takes photos of everything she likes as she believes in the importance of documenting moments in life with photography! She also designs card invitations and more. You will find a variety of her art in her shop.

So kind folks, until my next post - adieu!


http://etsy.com/shop/riorita

Once in a Blue Sea glass ring and Friends

It has been a long time since I've visited this blog of mine. I do not know why, I guess I wanted to take a small break, refresh the ideas in my mind or whatever...

Lately I've added a new Blue Sea glass and Silver ring to my shop:

Silver Metalwork and Blue Sea Glass Ring

I picked this unusual piece of glass from a collection I have in my studio and looked it over from all angles then decided to handcraft  a ring with it. Here's a compliment I received from one of my friends :"Everyone knows I hate blue, but this ring I would wear gladly!".... Funny girl. But sweet - don't you agree?

As it is rather boring to write only about my own stuff,  I looked around my Etsy favorites under the term "Blue" and found some gorgeous items which I believe you would love too.
I'll begin with this awesome blue card:

Blue Card by Dr. Batsheva Gillat

I picked it up from the Bold Folds shop run by Dr. Batsheva Gillat 
 As the shop owner tells us, her art began as a passion which became an obsession. She invests endless hours of love in her wonderful hand made cards.
She has been doing these amazing art works for no less than 40 years!

In her work she uses various techniques, such as Cut-out.Pop-up,Unit or Modular Origami and more.

You will find more interesting details in her shop page.
Personally - her shop is one of the most unique I have found on Etsy! Way to go Batsheva!

The second unique art piece was this Beautiful Ketubah

Ketubah birds of Paradise by Anna Kronick

I have found artist Anna Kronick in my  "On Fire for Handmade" team.
The Ketubah is a traditional document-agreement  written in Hebrew which every Jewish bride  receives from her groom upon their wedding, in which he commits himself to take care of her for the rest of their life together.

This papercut by Anna Kronick is a unique design which she  hand cut  from a single piece of silkscreen paper, then embellished it by a mosaic of colorful paper, Whimsical birds and traditional motifs. It is a beautiful work of art and a keepsake.

You will find this item and more beautiful ones in her Etsy shop.

Well folks, I hope you enjoy my choices for this post, at least as much as I did.

Double Sided Silver and Crystal Necklace

Every week I go to visit my sister's place in Tiberias. Her garden is one of the places which inspire me most, especially in Spring when it is still very beautiful and pleasant before the hot Summer arrives and dries everything up.
Of course I took a few photographs.

Did I promise you a Rose Garden? - Here it is !

These purples are beautiful. Wish I knew how they call them! 

Winnie, my sister's cat, enjoying his sunbath

 Winnie is king of the garden. I've never seen any other cats around beside him!

When I came back home I had this necklace in my mind so I handcrafted it, with red wine facetted crystals. It is double sided, so they can be worn according to ones state of mind.

Double sided silver and Crystal Necklace one side up - smooth surface

Double Sided silver and crystals -Smooth side up

Teardrop Pearls and silver Flower earrings

Pearls of all sizes and shapes have been some of women's most favorite objects. History shows us jewelry endowed with pearls worn by majestic figures - queens, princesses and even ladies from lower social ranks of historical ages.

I have recently "discovered" a painting by 16th century Scottish artist Adrian Vanson, of Queen Anne of Denmark, wife of  King James the VI. and as I viewed her in admiration, I observed the  expression in her eyes, the high forehead, her beautiful hair jewelry , and.....her earrings.

Of course this was a source of inspiration to me, and as I have recently acquired a pair of beautiful classy teardrop pearls, I have set to work, and this is the result:

I hammered a piece of silver to shapes of small flowers, had them cast, then polished the silver and oxidized it, added the studs and loops, finally hung the white  teardrop pearls to dangle.

Made with Love!
https://www.etsy.com/listing/100037837/silver-and-pearl-earring-studs-dainty

Silver Coin Necklace with Goddess Athena

I have recently listed a sterling silver necklace with an ancient coin reproduction, showing Greek Mythology  Goddess Pallas Athena. I always use only AUTHENTIC ancient coins for my sterling jewelry designs, but as  an EXCEPTION I have decided to set this replica silver coin  in a silver pendant. I hung it on a “snake” sterling chain to be worn  as a necklace.
On the back of the coin you will find the image of an OWL which is Athena’s symbol of the way she arrived into this world:

When I was very small , I asked a neigbour of ours who had lived upstairs, what all kids ask:

"where do babies come from"?
She looked at me, with a little smile on her face, pointed at her forehead and said:
"From here! This is where they come from!"


 Well, according to  the Greek Mythology, Athena was the daughter of the mighty Zeus. She was not born from a woman, but- no more, no less - leaped out of Zeus’s head, clothed with all of her armour!!! 

Replica silver coin necklace with the image of Athena

The owl symbolizes Athena's birth

To continue the story , Zeus’s first wife was  METIS.  She was wisest of all beings. When she was about to give birth to  Athena, Zeus, who was aware of Metis's destiny to give birth to the most brilliant children, and wished to prevent them from taking over his place,  assimilated her into his own body. 

The city of Athens is  named after her. She is the patroness of civilized life,  art, and of agriculture.

As she was Zeus’s favorite daughter, he let her use his insignia: the terrible shield, the aegis, and his ray, the most dangerous and fearful  weapon.

 She was "nicknamed" in the Mythology as "The Bright Eyed". 
She is the first of the three virgin Goddesses, also known as Maidens (PARTHENOS - Athena, Artemis and Hestia).The famous  Parthenon temple was derived from this. 

In poetry Athena  is described as the symbol of Wisdom, Reason and Purity.
She created the OLIVE TREE, and the OWL is a symbol of her unusual birth.

One of the reasons I used this reproduced coin, inspite of its  being only a replica,  is its beauty , but there is another reason –  I have always admired the Ancient Greeks for choosing a female figure as a symbol of wisdom. Unfortunately, for our world, even today in the 21st century,  we think of ourselves as more modern and smart than humans were ever in the past, but women's contribution to our world still sadly underestimated.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/99440193/silver-coin-necklace-with-goddess-athena

Yankee Burrow Creations: My Besteam Monday spent in Israel

Yankee Burrow Creations: My Besteam Monday spent in Israel

Aquamarine beach glass and Silver necklace with Mint and Sage leaves

Saturday the sky was clear and it was nice and warm, I let my cat Mazie out to her balcony and saw that the mint and sage in the window box  have returned to life during Spring. As I was holding a piece of Aquamarine colored beach glass in my hand, I realized I knew how I wanted  to spend the rest of my Saturday.

Inspired by the freshness of the leaves, I sat at my work table at home and handcrafted this necklace:

Riorita - Aquamarine beach glass with silver,brass and copper Necklace

To make it, I used a flat peace of silver of 0.6mm thickness, and soldered on it sawed and hammered leaves from brass and copper pieces I found in my metal box.


When I finished it I was rather satisfied, as it was made with love! With a necklace like this decorating your outfit, who needs Gold?! - I definitely don't!