Helmikuu

Helmikuu, means 'Month Of the Pearl' and is the Finnish for February. 'When ice droplets melt and then freeze again, they form small pearls of ice on the branches of trees'. February is my favourite month because I was born then and I feel a connection. It is a cold, dark and often overlooked month in the course of the year. Despite this, it has always held something special for me.

I felt that the images conjured by the Finns' description of February deserved a little project in their honour as they have so beautifully captured that magical essence of February. I decided to create very delicate earrings, during February, that encorporated pearls in an almost transient way to honour 'Helmikuu'.

Thin delicate silver lines support a little pearl droplet.
Read more about Helmikuu at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/February

Small but important steps forward.

   

It was a bit of a challenge to make the interior structure for 'Papillions De Nuit' as I wanted to embue an industrial feel to the light frame, yet not distract from the activity and the graphics of the butterflies. The result is very sparse and minimal.

The stainless ´Papillions de Nuit´ have arrived.......

Yesterday the stainless butterflies arrived, and today I've literally bled for my work. Three plasters later and a pile of butterflies to file. What is it that they say? You've got to suffer to succeed, so the prognosis looks good for the outcome of this light! In some way I always find the 'leftovers' interesting. They are always overlooked unusual shapes that could find a new life?

I hope we're going to Belgrade so that this light will get a chance to shine. Maybe tomorrow we'll find out.

Pure white flower necklace

A tiny silver necklace with small pine diamonds like dew drops. Apparently I like working tiny scale, and lightness and delicacy are all the rage at Norra Agnegatan just now. I'm even trying to translate these themes into larger scale objects. Will this be possible? Only Belgrade will tell.

Titanium.

I'm working on some rings based on this model, with a few adaptations. They have a rounded profile, softer and smaller and will exude quite a different character when they're finished. That'll be interesting, but until then a word or two on these. Titanium is a lovely metal, light, strong and with an ability to be almost silky when matt. Combine this with a jet black stripe and the result is somewhat striking.

A little word of thanks to the talented stone setter who I work with on my more complicated settings and who allows me to design within the smallest of margins to achieve exactly the right results with stones. There's always some interesting settings on the go at his workshop which makes life just that little bit more inspirational. Have a little look - http://www.juvelsfattare.se/.

A place of solice with a silver necklace

I like the calmness of this beach in Stockholm. It is a place for quiet contemplation and I like to go there off season so that I can savour the atmosphere of the place. The stillness and the emptiness reign allowing for the perfect photo conditions on a cloudy day.

An oxidised silver necklace with a white pearl.

A little leaf to mark the beginning of springtime

I'm busy right now with rings, but I did catch two minutes to photograph this little leaf necklace. Fitting, as spring seems to finally won through the winter snows.