The Fig sign

Fig Sign
The "fig sign" is a gesture where the hand is in a fist with the thumb poking out between the index and middle fingers. It's either a wonderful good luck charm or the worst insult you could ever give someone, depending on where you happen to be at the time.

In ancient Rome, an image of a hand in the fig sign (mano fico) was worn as an amulet to protect against the evil eye. It was affiliated with female genital reproductive powers, as the Italian word for the female vulva, fica, means fig. In modern Portugal and Brazil, many people still wear fig sign trinkets as jewelry. The fig sign's repulsive power could also account for its use as an obscene gesture. In places like Indonesia, China, Russia, and some Mediterranean regions (particularly Turkey), the sign can have an insulting meaning roughly equivalent to "screw you." Before you think you would never make such a gesture, one wonders what the locals think when visiting American parents play the "I stole your nose" game

 with their children.

Working with wood....

Yes my friends...with these instruments...I will attempt to dismemberrr...uhh...I mean attempt to create my new line of jewelry 

Back from Amsterdam....Inspired

Silver experimentation

It has been a long time since I have worked with silver, and I forgot how much work it is...so after quite a few frustrating attempts at making a bezel and sawing my croc, I was quite satisfied with the result, albeit unfinished!

Croc on the workbench

A lot of polishing still to do

I think I like it!

packed and ready to go to their new owners!

I will miss them though...

Jewelry and fantasy, The exhibition

What an amazing night, a big thank you to Petros Sakelliou http://www.myspace.com/petrospno who played the piano for us and http://jazzmastersinathens.blogspot.com/2011/12/jewelry-and-fantasy-xciv-soundtrack-of.html for the rest of the wonderful music and support and of course http://e-d-w.gr for hosting the event! Thank you to everybody who came  and all the compliments they gave which have kept me smiling since friday....my cheeks hurt!!!!! ;)

The Garden of Eden Tent installation, where the jewelry was displayed.

Red butterfly with orange agate, coral, gold stone, amethyst, garnet and glass beads

Night Butterfly, agate, swarovsky, murano beads, antique buttons and glass beads

Art nouveau blue butterfly, Malachite, turquoise, aventurine and glass beads

Siver crocodile tears, Glass beads, swarovsky crystals

Green crocodile tears, Glass beads

Malachite gecko, malachite and glass beads

Pink and black Gecko, glass beads

Malachite twisted snake, murano beads, malachite, swarovsky and glass beads.

Dark matter with black spider bib, Murano glass beads and old broken spider brooch.

Je t'aime choker, bronze tama, silver je t'aime vintage piece, bronze mermaid and glass beads.

Tangled octopus, chain, vintage enamelled octopus broken brooch, glass beads. 

Romance and Mother, mother of pearl, pearl, rose quartz, silver pendants and glass beads.

Aztec premonitions, Silver hand beaten antique chain, silver decontructed bits and pieces
and glass beads.

lucky, selection of semiprecious stones,vintage silver enamelled lucky charms and glass beads

Hand of temptation

Hand of temptation

Chess snake cuff, leather, agate, quartz and glass beads

Twisted snake brooch, gold stone, agate, swarovsky and glass beads

4 solar plexus pendants, glass beads, and glass silver backed stone.

Becoming, chair leg and glass beads