Wishes for 2009

New Year's eve. It's still dark, a bit before 6AM and I'm making soup. Red pepper soup. Tonight we will be having a progressive dinner with friends from the neighborhood. The first course is at our home. This is a fun gathering, it includes children, and that makes me happy.

This year the holiday celebrations were so plentiful and we are all feeling a bit tired. But we don't always have reasons to celebrate, so when they come along we need to embrace them.

So to you, my friends, I wish many reasons to celebrate in this coming year. Many opportunities to be with family and good friends. Time for creativity and time to pamper yourselves,

and Peace.

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philosophical reasoning.

My philosophy has always been ... what if on Christmas day you should decide you desperately need a mauve pearl . . .




or you feel you may burst without a gold-filled roundel . . .




or, my goodness, you can't live another minute without a teal colored Delica bead?




My point being that you must be ready for any artistic craving at all times!




You have peeked at my "what-if-in-the-middle-of-the-night-I-want" fiber stash,





and now I'm giving you just a tiny peek into my "I-must-be-prepared" jewelry making cache.

That's my philosophy and I'm sticking to it!

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Happy whatever!

Whatever you celebrate,
Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa,
family, love, peace,
whatever you celebrate,
may all your hopes and wishes
come true.

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a river runs through it...

Last night, while watching Top Chef, I did a little cooking of my own. In the pot I put river stones, beads of peridot Jasper, gold-filled wire and chain and out came a delicate pair of earrings.

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AND THE ...

is...

First I would like to thank all of you who participated in this blog giveaway! The response was amazing! You came up with great ideas for How To-s. You will keep me busy for quite awhile.

CONGRATULATIONS to Marilyn!

We are working on a new How-To (which we started before the giveaway). Next we will tackle the definite, overwhelming, absolute majority request for a How-To which is color.



Oh, and BTW, this has been so much fun that we've decided to have a monthly giveaway. Stay tuned!

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Alexander Calder's Jewelry

Looking at jewelry made by Calder in the 1930s-1950s makes me think that we have no stake on modern. Look at what this man did seventy years ago!

Visiting the exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in fabulous New York is definitely on my "must do" list!

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WIN WIN SITUATION!!

Welcome to our first ever Contest Giveaway!

So here's the deal:

On my website (here) we have a "How To" section. We will be adding new "How to"s regularly but we would like to know what YOU would like to find there. Is there a technique you would like to learn or refine? Is there a stitch you are dying to try? Send us a note explaining what you are interested in and guess what? ... not only will we look to produce a "How To" on the subject, we will also enter you into a contest to win a complete kit of my design Lavender Silk Bangle which I designed for Kreinik. It's a great kit, it comes in it's own box, has instructions, charts, threads, UltraSuede, needles and closures.




The winner will be chosen randomly, not dependent on your suggested "How To". Just 'cause you care enough about needlepoint, jewelry making and us!







You can send us your suggestion in the comment section of this blog or just write to us at orna@ornadesign.com. Please add your email address so we can contact you for sending prize or if we have questions about your suggested "How To".

(We promise not to use it for anything else).

The deadline for this contest is December 17th, 2008 @ noon.

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Playtime.

It's been too long since I played around with color. My worktable is stacked high with papers, charts, threads, jewelry tools, it's a mess. I find this is when it is most appropriate to play.
I bought these William Sonoma plates years ago. They are bright and carefree. Perfect for playtime!

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Quick, quick, quick

I'll be back later today but I HAD to show you a blog I came across this morning (Nina will be late to school if I don't get up off my computer chair...)

Check this out: AMAZING

Helle Jorgensen, you are an amazing artist!

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It's been a year.

I can hardly believe it has been a year since I lost my father. I may not burst out in tears as often, but the loss becomes harder to bear with each day. I miss him so very much.

After he died last year, I came home and sat down to design a piece for the Virginia Stitch For The Cure event. It was quite profound, designing for the fight against cancer after having lost my father to this disease. The design poured out in one day; it just came right off the needle. I called it GIBOR, hero, in Hebrew. The workshop in Virginia took place last month.

Today I am bringing the design to you.

It will be available on the website (here). It comes in four colorways. I also designed a little extra piece, A Flower for the Cure, which is included in the instruction package and in the kit.

Reuben Borenstein 1930-2007

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