another zahia workshop

Yesterday, I went to Zahia Brugge, to learn how to make silver clasps for bracelets, earrings or necklaces.

a nice cup of coffee to welcome me ! Great !

It was well organised, as usual at Zahia's.
We were invited to sit down at the table filled with all sorts of tools, even hammers !  (to be used when frustrated ?)

a complete toolset was waiting for us...

it was a small group, but very dedicated pupils

Sylvie is a very good teacher...

very patient...

and very funny !

see the tools ?  Verrry macho !

hammering on the silver

Sylvie showed us some pre-made examples in cupper.  A much cheaper metal, and also softer to bend.  So this was our practising material, before we could try our hands at the silver.

the cupper forms were easy to make

you need good eyes for this !

many ideas to choose from

We were so busy - time passed unnoticed.

We all did well, with the cupper.  And then we could choose any model we wanted...  I went for the design earrings, and had some silver left to from 2 nice clasps.

We could - of course - pick our choice in the many many drawers filled with beads, to use in our earrings.
The result can be seen here !

I made a red set and a blue set

I really enjoyed this workshop, it was not too difficult.  And at home I tried one of the clasps on my crocheted green necklace - it is just purr-fect !

the S-form is ideal for this necklace

these are watercolours - I love them

some new necklaces

In one of my previous blogs, I told you about my visit to Zahia in Gent.  I confess that I have (again) bought beads...  But on Monday we had a holiday and it was really lousy weather.  So I was stuck at home, and confronted with the difficult choice what I could do.  Ironing, or fiddling about with the beads. 

the sunlight reflects on the glass beads

this clasp is a little silver flower

in between the glass beads is a strap of rubber

I made matching earrings

amber and red, again with matching earrings

As this isn't about ironing, you will understand, dear reader,  that I choose the beads.  You can see a couple of my new creations.  I had a lovely afternoon, and the pictures were taken in the evening, when the sun decided to make an appearance.
Ironing is for tomorrow, unless my little invisible gnome friends will do that tonight, after they've eaten the rest of the cakes....

wwkip day in Gent

We did it !  And proud too !


We had an amazing day : knitting is hip in Belgium it seems.
there were 6 of us on the early train from Oostende to Ghent.

  After exchanging a lot of girl talk (you know...) and comparing knitting with eachother, we were very quickly in Gent.  There we took the tram to the beautiful shop 'Stoffenidee' and were welcomed there with coffee, home made cakes and a big table set out for us.

People from the Gent knitting club were there too, and we were happy to get to know eachother.  How funny it is to talk to somebody you meet for the first time in real life, and then they say they are followers of my blog.  I was so flattered and thrilled to meet kindred spirits.
Of course, I couldn't resist to have a look at the wool.  The Noro, the Rowan, the Debbie Bliss....  My heart went like a jungle drum  tonk -a-tonk-a-tonk  like in the song.

This is what I bought.

this is just amazing colours : don't know yet what to make with it, but I couldn't NOT buy it...

I already started with a chevron scarf !

And to our big surprise : the ladies of the shop gave us a pakket filled with 4 skeins as a gift, just because we went there on WWKIP day !  What a wonderful thought - one can never have too much wool to chose from, don't you agree ?

 (hmm, my husband doesn't quite agree there, but then again, I don't complain when he buys another guitar...)

In the afternoon we went shopping, and had a bit of rain.  So I had to buy this umbrella.  Doesn't it look like a parasol in stead of an umbrella ?  Anyway, the rain soon stopped and we could continue.

One of my favourite stops is Zahia.  They had an action : a bag full of pearls for only 5 euro.  I choose from these :

And then we had to go home....  tooo tired to knit on the way back. What a lovely day we had, lots of inspiration and memories to cherish. 

more zahia workshops

I haven't had the time to publish these images of another workshop I followed at Zahia.  But in December I made another set of lovely jewels.
This time it was all about working with old venetian glass beads called millefiori.  They were originally ment to be buttons, but never got to that stage.  Forgotten in an obscure Italian basement, they gathered dust untill one of the buyers of Zahia found this treasure and brought them to Belgium where we could have a go at turning them into lovely rings and earrings.
A very easy technique (involving a 2 component glue), a patient teacher and great results, as usual ....

a lovely pair of earrings

a matching ring

all presented in a nice box !

zahia workshop briolettes

Hi everybody,

Last Saturday, I was thrilled to bits.  I was going to follow a workshop at Zahia for the first time.  Zahia (*) has only recently opened a new shop in Brugge, and that's only a 20 minutes drive from my place.  I had visited their shop several times, and admired all the beads and necklaces.  Unfortunately, the prices are rather high, a bit much for my poor miserable wallet.  (That's one of the reasons I try to make my own stuff, it's much cheaper) But their prices may be high, their beads are amazing and inspiring.  Vintage glass beads, Venetian handmade pieces, mouthwatering colours...
The workshop I booked was all about working with briolettes.  Those are glass beads shaped like a droplet.  The tiny opening is in the tip of the droplet,  so you have to work horizontally.  The beads are also cut in facets, and sparkle in the light.  Sylvie was a very patient teacher, and we set off for an hour of diligent fiddling with tiny silver wires and tweezers.  I made a pair of lovely earrings, I'm quite proud of myself.  Here they are. 

I choose 3 big beads and 1 small, all in 'muddy' colours

(*) Zahia was started in 2001 by 2 sisters, they sell beads and give workshops.  They have several shops in Flanders now.   Check out their website on  http://www.zahia.be/