Hong Kong Chronicles and Studio News: French Country Giveaway Winners

I'm not going to be a very good judge. I like BOTH of the designers who entered the French Country bead giveaway. Since I have enough beads for both, both Mel P AND Hilary won the beads. They both have different design styles and I'd love to see what they do with the beads. I think I'm going to start a Flickr group for these Inspiration and Design Challenges...I'll post the name of the group and invite y'all to join when it's ready. Mel - I'll drop the beads in the mail today with your other win...Hilary, I know most of your address...just need the street and number.

And on to other amusement

Occasionally I think I need to change the name of this blog to...The One-Woman Three Stooges show. Featuring me! and sundry, unsuspecting Hong Kongers. For the uninitiated, I am a klutz. Let me clarify: I am an uber-klutz. My family and friends know this well. Now, I share this aspect of my life with you.

Today's topic: How rain adds an extra layer of danger adventure to Life in Hong Kong.

THE EYE-POKE


Okay. The dog has nothing to do with tonight's topic. I just had to get a picture of the random dog walking in the random crowd outside of work.

Back to the subject at hand. Does anyone see the danger here? ANYONE?

Okay, maybe pictures do not do the situation justice. Let me 'splain, people. I am taller than 50% of the people here. To give you a picture, three of the ladies I eat lunch with on Mondays come up to my armpit. (I know. Not that pleasant for them. I do try to use strong deodorant.) But, coming back to me...do you see where that puts their umbrellas? And consider that 50% of the population is shorter than me?

It's already narrow and crowded.

Add rain (umbrellas) and you shrink the walking space further. Therefore,

I often have to float my umbrella over other people and duck and weave to avoid the umbrella points that are coming straight at my eye.


THE BANANA PEEL FALL


What do you get when you combine ceramic tiles and rain? A Buster-Keaton-Laurel-and-Hardy-Charlie-Chaplin-Three-Stooges-Marx-Brothers banana peel slapstick fall.

Yep.

Did that last Wednesday.

Before I give you the rest of the story...why, oh why do they use ceramic tiles as the OUTDOOR ENTRY to the homes in my village?
The rest of the story: When I picked up Molly from the dog-sitters on Wednesday after my trip to Shanghai-Beijing (pictures coming), I went to get her in between rain bursts. I was walking Molly and her box with food, bedding and water on a little trolley. Instead of going the long way, I walked through the village along the front of my apartments. They have CERAMIC TILE in front of their patio entrances. Does no one see a problem with this?

All I know is, one minute I was walking. The next minute, I was laid out flat on my back, dog food spilled everywhere and Molly sniffing me and asking, "What's wrong, Mama? Why are you lying down?"

I have a sneaking suspicion that is the reason why my back has been hurting me since Wednesday.

Studio Time: Urban Kiwi Necklace and Earrings

A cheerful, spring-y burst of color adorns this Urban Kiwi necklace and earrings. Who says Urban has to be serious and grown up? The pink is a cheery CiM color called Rose Quartz, paired with a juicy Vetrofond Odd Lot called Kiwi. The chain begins with some hand-coiled and cut jump rings, mixed with handmade eye-loops. The rest of the chain is finished in hand-made eye-loops with sterling silver balls. The necklace is 18 inches long with the drop, an additional bubble cluster of 1.5 inches.

The earrings are an even smaller cluster of 1-inch drop earrings.

Juicy and summery. Available in my Artfire shop.

Studio News: Urban Lavendar Earring Giveaway

Mel P over at Kookie Designs is the latest winner. Mel, email me with your contact info. Congratulations!

Studio News: French Country Bead Giveaway

I'd like to do a design challenge. I'd like to give these beads away to a jewelry artist. My ideal artist is someone whose repertoire of skills and style is different than mine or someone who wants to challenge themselves along a different design track. I've already done a simple design in French Country. Anyone else want to try?

How to win: comment on this post with a link to your gallery of work. I will choose a designer and announce the winner on Friday, May 29.

The French Country bead set
warm, pale, earthy yellow reminiscent of color-washed country kitchen walls
deep, transparent, sparkly Sapphire blue

Provence, France in the summer
Bicycling through the countryside
Imprinting lavendar fields on your mind
Sipping wine in a warm, cozy cafe
Nibbling on a plate of cheese and fruit

The hearty laughter of close companions

The deep friendship of kindred spirits

Studio News: Banana Folk Berry Winner!

The winner is: Shaiha over at Life on Ash Street. Congratulations, Shaiha and send me your address and I'll pop these in the post ASAP!

Also, check out what Kristin at KS Jewellery Designs did with the Kiwi Beadberry giveaway from last month. I bought her tutorial on the wire flowers she does. I'm very impressed with her wirework. Her tutorial helped me refine some of my wirework and continue to put the silversmithing off for now (yay!).

And one more quick note: Mel P at Kookie Designs is doing an earring giveaway as well. Check it out!