Exhibition Het Ontwerp, Leuven

Pleasant surprise.. got a call on Thursday, if I'd like to participate in an exhibition in Leuven, for the opening of an event and design bureau, where my friend Ben Nys was exhibiting his great paintings.

So, if you are wondering why my online shop is suddenly missing half the items there's your answer, half of my shop is on display in Het Ontwerp in Leuven :-)

 

 So, first about Het Ontwerp.

Het Ontwerp is a couple that design. Steve and Cathy. Wonderful people with a vision. They do graphical, but also full events and campaigns. They get you known. And opened an office in Beautiful Leuven. And to make a visit to their office worthwhile they started exhibitions, which will change every 2 months. And make their office a really pretty place!
Here's their facebook link.

So who's there?
I mentioned Ben. I love Ben. And his paintings. They are amazing. Down to earth, abstract, beautiful pieces.
I'm the very proud owner of some of his works. Here's one of his latest, they are getting better and better...

And here is his facebook link..

Then there is Liesbeth Goorelst. Didn't know her before, now I'll remember surely. Quality leather handbags. Beautifully made, classy bags. Here's her facebook link..

Then there's Insectorama. A really unique idea. These guys made plastic cut-outs of parts of insects, which you can use to draw your own creatures, using different parts to make exiting new beasts, with the fangs of an ant, the bottom of a catterpillar, and many more parts of a really large variety of insects.
Really, you'll just have to see it, and order the set (only 7 € I think!) and start playing with it.

See their facebook here..

So looks like I'm in really good & unique company there, am very happy to be included!

Big, bigger, biggest, huge!

Thought I'd share my latest creation and how it came to the world. I'm going to skip to the end, here it is!

For a while I had been making stock for my Etsy shop, with the sole intent of filling it up a little more, creating bracelets, earrings, things not too expensive so they would actually sell.
But every time I opened my box of amber all these shiny big nuggets were staring at me.
And I still wanted to make a match for my big raw bracelet which has been my personal favourite and the eye-catcher in my shop. It needed a fitting companion.
Not for now I thought. Not these stones. Not now..
And last week finally it was too much, and out came the stones, sandpaper, dremel, all in a big heap.

After 3 evenings of patiently sanding (starting with 400 grain, then 600, 800, 1200 and finally 2000) I was sort of happy. Then the polishing had to be done, this is such a grateful job, this is when the stones start to really shine! I apply a bit of special wax for amber to the stones so they will be protected and keep their shine for quite a while, wonderful effect!
And then the drilling has to be done, most carefully otherwise they crack!
Also there were a few stones with insect & moss inclusions, which are very valuable. You do NOT want to drill to close to these!

This spider and fly have been trapped in these stones for 40 million years..imagine..Granted, they are not the famous lizard in Amber which is on display in the amber museum in Gdansk, but all the same pretty special.
I had some discussion with my wife on adding these stones to the necklace, but I figured that if you are making a special necklace, you should not hold back. These just add to the beautiful majesty of the piece, just as below, moss entrapped pieces.

But I am deviating.. After spending 5 evenings and a day with the stones I was finally ready to string them up. On hemp. I like amber on hemp, it keeps it natural. And you can knot it easily, so the stones have space. These ones certainly needed space, every single one is beautiful. With the heap I had I needed multiple strings, to make it a full, majestic piece.

So, string them up I did. 4 strings full of gorgeous stones. 107 grams in total. Considering the weight of amber a huge amount. My bracelet weights 1/3rd of that..
The end of the strings I wrapped with more hemp for solidity, and put a shiny, big stone on one end for a button-closure, the other end was strung in a loop, and now it is done, finally. It is as beautiful as I had in my head. And a fitting companion for my bracelet. Over 50 stones, total length 59 centimeter (23 inch) the biggest stones are 1 1/2 inches long. It is absolutely beautiful, fit for a princess.

And yes, it is for sale. See my Etsy shop >>>>>>>>>>>>