Cross-Angle Weave 102: Desert Rose Class | Saturday June 25

In February 2010, Bettina took a day trip visit exploring the area around Bubyan Island and the desert we so rarely get to experience nowadays due to urbanization and lack of preservation measures.  Here is what she had to say:

In the absolute moment that a question was asked, “Is there anything that inspires you while your designing a piece”? My immediate reply did not give justice to the moments I experienced last week in the Kuwaiti desert. Like a little child, I rushed around the desert marveling at strangers I was meeting for the first time in my life! Flowering shrubs and cacti stood proudly and exerted their new presence throughout the Northern desert.

Life had returned to the desert with fragrant purple flowers and masterfully and heavenly created succulents/ cacti breaking through the earth reaching to the sky, relishing the sun. Thanks to the unusually heavy rainfall this season, our desert is turning into a garden. In tribute to the new life given to those fascinating desert “acquaintances” I have encountered, I dedicate the 

“Desert Rose”.

The first inspiration and colorway for Desert Rose

With shear joy and in awe of Bettina's new “friendships”, the Desert Rose Bracelet has been developed and designed using an intricate yet simple technique called the Cross-Angle weave. Several varieties of color palettes will be offered in our up-coming class. Please do join both Bettina and myself for this rewarding class.
 
  
Technique:  Two Needle Cross Angle Weave/Embellishing  
Level:             Advanced Beginners                 
Date:              June 25 Saturday
Time:            9:30 AM - 1:30 PM
Venue:          Jabriya Block 9 Street 6 (Side Basement Entrance)

Pre-registration at our Shaab el Bahry store location is recommended. You may contact us for more details at info@lbojzazz.com for information regarding materials and tools required, class fees and any other questions or place a comment below.

As Dunes Unfold

Just as the wind playfully creates beautiful artistic stokes of sand lines with every gust of its whistling winds, so does my playful spirit embroider beads on special canvas. ‘Dunes’ is my journey through unforeseen paths of desert sand dunes which I began several months back. This is my 2nd attempt at a bead embroidery necklace and I am finding it surprisingly more peaceful and pleasant a process this time around. As this journey is in its early stages, I have decided to share the ‘Preface’ to my story with you.

Stage 1: (inner conversation between “Me, myself and I”)

Ok, I think its time I take the plunge and embark on this painstaking, two-by-two bead picking challenge. The time to face my fears, head on, by applying this technique on a necklace project has arrived. This fear, or rather challenge as Lubna would say, I have been avoiding for over a year reminds me of the old Energizer battery advertisement that so eloquently and positively describes its strength to “keep going and going and going” comes full swing. Barricaded in my cozy little studio, I decide (again) that our beloved desert would be the theme behind selecting my color palette of gold, off-white, grey, beige and shades of cream. Something that is neutral in tone and can be matched with almost any color dress, darra3a, gown, or blouse one might feel like wearing. Elegant, simple and almost “jewel”-like in its overall design was the direction I decided to go with.

Now I have a secret to share. On one of our (Lubna and I) many buying trips, I invested HEAVILY on an exquisite personal collection of stones which were masterfully selected, cut, and finished by Gary Wilson, a guru in Lapidary work. And I have just waited for the right time to use one of those stones on a worthy piece. The Bali Star Coral cabochon was the focal piece of choice for Dunes. Now let the wind currents begin.

With the template created and the focal cabochon attached, the ‘Preface’ and beginning to my Dune-forming, wind blowing journey is underway.

Radiant Suns and luminescent Moons brighten and present mesmerizing, almost hypnotic depth and intrigue to Dunes with the use of Swarovski Crystal Rivolis, Preciosa crystal cabochons, Mother of Pearl cabochons, Toho seed beads, and many other goodies.

May the journey continue and may the birth of Dunes be swift and glorious.

To be continued…

Desert Rose Bracelet Class Moved to March 6th

In the absolute moment that a question was asked, “Is there anything the inspires you while your designing a piece”? My immediate reply did not give justice to the moments I experienced last week in the Kuwaiti desert. Like a little child, I rushed around the desert marveling at strangers I was meeting for the first time in my life! Flowering shrubs and cacti stood proudly and exerted their new presence throughout the Northern desert.

Life had returned to the desert with fragrant purple flowers and masterfully and heavenly created succulents/ cacti breaking through the earth reaching to the sky, relishing the sun. Thanks to the unusually heavy rainfall this season, our desert is turning into a garden. In tribute to the new life given to those fascinating desert “acquaintances” I have encountered, I dedicate the “Desert Rose”.

With shear joy and in awe of my new “friendships”, the Desert Rose Bracelet has been developed and designed using an intricate yet simple technique called the Cross-weave. Several varieties of color palettes will be offered in our up-coming class. Please do join both myself and Lubna for this rewarding class.
You may contact us for more details on info@lbojzazz.com or place a comment below.