Crochet Fringed Necklaces in the shop

 

I have two new necklaces in the shop.

 

These are my side project necklaces :)

Let me explain. Whenever I work on something big, I always have small things as side projects to take my mind off the big one if I grow tired of it, and they serve as a nice filler.

 

I was experimenting with a fringe pattern and the design of both necklaces was actually completely different - I wanted to have the fringes stacked one on top of the other - but this fringe pattern allows no playing around so in the end I ended up having two necklaces instead of just one.

 

Miho Fujita - minute crochet artist

 

 

 

These exquisite jewelry pieces are created by an amazing minute crochet artist Miho Fujita. Although I tried to find more about her- the internet does not reveal much about this artist - information is scarce if not almost non-existent.

I have always admired her intricate and delicate looking creations breathing with elegance and richness of expression. Although they are monochromatic she manages to make them appear lively and vivid as if splashed with colors.

More here.

The Bronte and Austen Brooches - Victoriana Collection

I am happy to show you my first brooches of the small Victoriana collection. Inspired entirely from the gorgeously romantic clothes and jewelry of the Victorian era that were based on generous amount of laces, ribbons, flounces and layers with soft touches of flowers, beads and pearls.

The Bronte Brooch
The Austen Brooch

Casa Batlló - Barcelona

 

 

 

 

One of the buildings that was on the top of my list of places to see was Casa Batlló. It is one of Gaudi's masterpieces and it was really breathtaking. I couldn't help but be amazed with his genius and extraordinary creativity and imagination.

The house itself was originally built between 1875 and 1877. In 1900 it was bought by the rich industrialist Josep Battló i Casanovas who commissioned Gaudí to tear down the old house and reconstruct a new one. Gaudí however convinced Battló to remodel the existing building. Between 1904 and 1906 Gaudí redesigned the façade and roof, added an extra floor and completely remodeled the interior.

From the outside the façade of Casa Batlló looks like it has been made from skulls and bones. The "Skulls" are in fact balconies and the "bones" are supporting pillars. So it also goes by the name "The House of Bones". While the enlarged windows on the first floor look like yawning faces and that brought another nickname to the house: "The House of Yawns". The facade of the Casa Batlló is made of sandstone covered with colorful trencadis (which is a Catalan type of mosaic). Typical of Gaudí, straight lines are avoided whenever possible.
Gaudí used colours and shapes found in marine life as inspiration creating the interior and exterior of this house.

 

(The effect of the tiles when seen through glass captures the underwater feel)

The house's interior is as fascinating as its exterior. Gaudi designed the wooden doors, stained glass windows, colorful tiles and carved out fireplace having in mind his sea world.

 

 

The colorful scaled roof recalls a reptile skin. According to some knowledgeable people on Gaudí architecture, the roof represents a dragon; the small turret with a cross would symbolize the sword of St. George stuck into the dragon. The bones and skulls on the façade represent all the dragon's victims.

The house is always swarming with tourists and it was really hard to snap pictures - someone was always in the way, but I am happy I managed to have certain places all to myself to make some memorable photos. I hope you like it as much as I did.

 

Crochet Inspiration Boards

 

 

 

 

Last week we got home from our fantastic trip to Barcelona and were immediately caught  into the grind mill of everyday life and work. I kept telling my husband we really need a rest from the holiday :)

 

 

 

 

 

So I didn't have much time to dedicate to my crochet projects and to tell the truth - I wanted to cling on the beautiful memories we brought back and enjoy them a bit more.

Today, however, I returned to my normal activities and a couple of brooches are already finished, ready to be shown.

 

But first, let's start the week with some inspiration.

 

 



You can see what else inspires me here
 

Poble Español

 

 

We are back and I finally had time to work through my pictures and document parts of our amazing trip and visits. As I mentioned last time, this post is all about Poble Español and I highly recommend you visit it for a unique and unforgettable experience. 

 

The Poble Español, or Spanish Village, is one of the Barcelona's most popular visitor attractions: a unique combination of architecture, contemporary art, traditional crafts, shops and gastronomy, in a pleasant setting free of traffic and noise.  Situated in one of Barcelona's most iconic areas, just a short distance away from the Montjuïc Fountains, the Poble Español was built in 1929 for the International Exhibition and resembles an actual village with replicas of 117 buildings from different Spanish regions. You'll find a typical Andalusian quarter, a section of the Way of Saint James and examples of Romanesque monastic architecture, among others.

 



 

The village is also a unique place to shop, with more than 20 crafts workshops that open every day so you can see the craftspeople working on unique pieces of pottery, glass, leather and jewellery.

There are restaurants in some of the authentic houses so you can stop and enjoy a traditional Spanish meal and refresh yourself with a glass of homemade sangria. Many of the shops had (central) gardens inside the shop - transformed into cafes which were are real pleasure to discover and enjoy.