open door at the T.N.A.

yesterday was open door day at school. this is when everybody who wants to enroll for next schoolyear comes down and hurries to obtain a spot for their favorite course.
(only 20 places were available for the course i follow now: goldsmithing/jewellery repair).

i was lucky, had been queuing with 3 other classmates since 11.15 (enrollments started at 12 exactly) but we got in. YAY

upstairs in our class, our teachers had laid out the displays of the work that was made by us during the past months.

naturally, i was very proud (and humbled, yes yes) to see that 6 of my pieces were there for everybody to look at.

my classmates work was also on display, and it was satisfying to learn from both our teachers that for the first time in many years it seems, we had apparently played around with the projects we were required to make and made loads of variations on the themes. so everybody s taste and preference came out very well, much to our teachers delight...

i couldn t not bring something else to the open door, so baked a krazy kake too.

it was a busy but fun day and i m definitely looking forward to seeing old and new classmates again next year.

from the deep

recently i had bought a few glass beads from a good friend of mine, whose work is so inspiring i just couldn t not make something.

the necklace i came up with is based on one of those glass creations he made for me, conjuring up in my mind images of the sea, hence the title.

i had to think of Hans Christian Andersen s little mermaid, and how she turned into sea-foam.

the rings are sterling silver, fabricated and soldered.

the blue bead is my favorite, but the necklace can be transformed by removing that one, and adding another, or even leaving the glass bead out, multifunctional...

a hollow ring

spring is upon us with balmy days and frostfree nights... a few more days and the Easter bunny (or rather, here in Belgium, the bells from all the churches in Rome) will be bringing the children their chocolate eggs and treats. and everyone, or most everyone, is enjoying a few days off.

just before this spring break, i started work on my third and final project at school. a hollow ring fabricated out of 3 different plates and set with a stone. doesn t look like much now, but i think it will work well. i took a few pictures from different angles (just to test my camera, hehehe) and i know it s only two plates formed now, but will post a pic of the third ring element as soon as my teacher tells me how i need to fabricate that one.

can t wait to get back to class again, and i don t care if you think i m mad...