October Birthstone: OPAL and Pink TOURMALINE

The name opal is derived from the Sanskrit word "upala," as well as the Latin "opalus," meaning "precious stone." Opal is a gemstone of much variety.

October's birthstone treats the eye to an explosion of shimmering colors, not unlike those of a magnificent rainbow following a summer rain.  The Opal derives its name from the Latin word "opalus," meaning precious jewel.  Prized for its unique ability to refract and reflect specific wavelengths of light, the Opal was called "Cupid Paederos" by the Romans, meaning a child beautiful as love.  One legendary explanation for this gemstone's origin is that it fell from heaven in a flash of fiery lightning.

 

Ancient monarchs treasured Opals, both for their beauty and for their presumed protective powers.  They were set into crowns and worn in necklaces to ward off evil and to protect the eyesight.  These gemstones were also ground and ingested for their healing properties and to ward off nightmares.

Most of the world's Opal deposits are found in Southern Australia.  Other sources of this gemstone are Brazil, Mexico, Czechoslovakia and Nevada.  Quality Opal is very expensive, made more so by the caution that must be exercised in cutting, polishing and setting it into jewelry.

  

A gift of Opal is symbolic of faithfulness and confidence.  And the powerful energy radiating from this fiery gemstone will surely illuminate any occasion!

Pink Tourmaline has the seemingly magical property of pyroelectricity.  Scientifically speaking, this means that when heated, the gem takes on a static electric charge, making it capable of attracting lightweight objects. No wonder this gemstone was revered for its mystical properties centuries ago!  Considered the "stone of the muse," it was believed to stimulate the creative process of its wearer. Pink varieties of Tourmaline range in color from pastel pink to ruby red and are mined in Brazil, Afghanistan, Burma, and India.  A gift of this stone is symbolic of hope. 

1.- Bubble Girl Romantic Delicate Whimsical - Follow your dreams Print by teconlene 

2.- Toddler Ring Pink blue and white Clay Flower Ring by Yayahandicraft 

3.- Lace Scarf - Pink - Handknitted in Merino Wool by branda 

4.- Wedding Earrings - Freshwater Coin Pearls by gabeadz 

5.- Rarest Watermelon Tourmaline Slice Top Grade by gemsbeads 

6.- Vintage Gold plate ring with three light blue opal stones and diamonds by Klassic 

7.- Vintage Sakura Earrings by MissBird 

8.- OPAL DIAMOND Faceted Crystal Quartz Point Necklace by AstralEYE 

9.- Necklace resin and ceramic beads by emeeme 

10.- Opal Green Antique Style Wash Basin with Matching Pitcher by kimbates79 

11.- Tenderness - handmade delicate earrings on sterling silver by LAccentNou 

12.- Floral Large Clutch by 464Handmade 

Opal se dice para mejorar el conocimiento y disipa el temor y es conocido como la piedra de octubre. Opal tambien figura como un regalo de aniversario de boda de 14. Obtiene de Opal nombre del griego trabaja «opallus», que significa un cambio en el color. Esto es evidente porque opal tiene la capacidad para reflejar las longitudes de onda de la luz de una encantadora vision. Hay diferentes colores de mas de una docena de opalos.

Opalos son extraidos de yacimientos situados principalmente en el sur de Australia, pero todavia hay areas donde se pueden encontrar pequenas cantidades como Nevada, Mexico, Brasil y Checoslovaquia.

Opal es realmente un silice cristalizada no que es un mineral encontrado cerca de la superficie terrestre en las zonas donde fueron una vez antiguas termas. Romanos que se refiere esta gema como «Cupido Paederos,» que significa a un nino tan exquisito como amor. Los romanos tambien pensaban que opalos caen a la tierra de los cielos en un flash de iluminacion.

En coronas opalos simbolizan esperanza y pureza de edad. Desde el siglo XIV, ha habido algunas culturas que hayan pensado que esta gema era un ojo de piedra que vigila las familias reales. Pensaban que el opal era el rey de gemas todos porque tiene el rango de todos los colores en el arco iris.

El ópalo, con “el fuego del carbúnculo, el brillo púrpura de la amatista y el color verde marino de la esmeralda, brillando juntos en una increíble unión”, impresionó mucho a Plinio el Viejo (23-d.C.), historiador romano y autor de la primera enciclopedia del mundo. Los romanos habían llevado ópalos durante siglos y lo consideraban como un símbolo de esperanza y pureza, mientras que para los primeros griegos encarnaba los poderes de predicción y profecía. Los árabes, mucho más imaginativos, pensaban que los ópalos habían caído del cielo en forma de destellos de relámpago, adquiriendo así su juego de colores único u “opalescencia”. 

Como la turmalina se presenta en todo el espectro de colores, se la suele describir como la “piedra camaleónica”. No resulta extraño encontrar algunas turmalinas que reflejan la apariencia exacta de otras piedras preciosas, como son la esmeralda, el rubí y el zafiro. Algunos cristales de turmalina pueden parecer incluso un arcoiris cristalizado con diversas bandas de color, que van del rojo más intenso al azul más profundo.

Muchos hablan de la turmalina como la piedra de las “musas”, ya que se creía que sus imaginativos colores contenían poderes inspiracionales que permitían a la mente de los que la poseen ser fuente de una visión y una creatividad ilimitadas.

La turmalina se presenta en toda la gama de colores, siendo el verde y el rosa los más comunes. La variedad roja suele denominarse “rubelita”, puesto que su vibrante color rojo se asemeja a menudo al de los mejores rubíes. Una variedad poco común es la de color verde que se encuentra en Tanzania, pero existen sólo pequeñas cantidades.

September birthstone: Blue Sapphire

A deep blue cloudless sky. A clear mountain lake. The deep blue of a sapphire is one of the most beloved and intriguing colors known to man, a color men have spent thousands of years searching for in every corner of earth. In ancient times, people searched for a stone that would reflect the endless blue sapphire color of the sky. So its no wonder that when they found it in the sapphire gemstone, it was named the birthstone for September. September’s birthstone, in addition to being used to symbolically represent that month, is also one of the world’s favorite gemstones for use in every kind of jewelry, including engagement rings.

The ancient Greeks believed the sapphire to symbolize wisdom and purity, and reserved them for kings and priests. They believed the world itself was set upon a giant sapphire, whose color could be seen in the late summer sky. Other ancient cultures believed sapphires could protect the wearer from envious enemies and poisoning, and even that a poisonous snake could be killed be being placed near a sapphire.

Sapphire has a high degree of mineral hardness bested only by diamond, making it durable and secure enough for use in every kind of jewelry setting. It was set as the official birthstone for September by the American National Association of Jewelers in 1912, and is also commonly used to commemorate the 5th, 23rd, and 45th wedding anniversaries. A more rate form of sapphire, the star sapphire, is used to mark the very rare and special occasion of a 65th wedding anniversary. The star sapphire is one with tiny inclusions shaped like needles, which give it an optical property known as asterism, or a star-like appearance. This star shape appears most prominently in a cabochon cut and can have between six and twelve rays or even a cats-eye effect with a single thin band of light down the middle of the stone.

Sapphires have been popular since ancient times, but they have never been as hot as they were this year. When Prince William of England, son of the beloved late Princess Diana, proposed to his longtime girlfriend, Kate Middleton, with his mother’s 18-carat diamond-studded sapphire engagement ring, the world went wild for sapphire. Of course, sapphires had also shot to popularity when Princess Diana first wore the ring in the 1980’s, but Kate Middleton’s status as an international fashion icon, as evidenced by the royal-blue Issa dress she wore to highlight the gorgeous blue color of her ring, has catapulted sales of the gemstone to never-before-seen heights. No longer just the September birthstone, the sapphire is now one of the most popular and sought-after stones for necklaces, earrings, and engagement rings. As the stone represents the important but old-fashioned qualities of sincerity and faithfulness, it seems only right that it receive its rightful turn in the spotlight.

1.   Sterling silver and lapis lazuli by aforfebre

2.   HAND Knit Unisex Zig Zag Scarf by twoknit

3.   WINGS Leather Earrings by underanewlight

4.   Baby boy Blue Crochet Booties by Yayahandicraft

5.   Undo Print by teconlene

6.   16 Circle Die cut from Recycle Maps by CurlynChic

7.   Baby room Print art by zime

8.   hand knit scarf BRAID by ovejanegra

9.   Three Blue Beaded Beads in Leather by SarahRobinL

10. The Cowl that does it all by dualchocolate

11 .Sterling silver necklace by lunahoo

12. Between the blue Modern Decorative pillow cover by 464Handmade

Aunque cuando hablamos de zafiro pensamos en azul, es una gema que puede tener otros colores, puede ser incoloro, rosa, naranja, amarillo, verde, violeta y negro. Hacia 1800 se averiguó que el zafiro y el rubí representan al corindón como piedra preciosa, actualmente se llama zafiro a todos los corindones no rojos con calidad de piedra preciosa.

En el zafiro azul las sustancias colorantes son el hierro y el titanio. Las inclusiones de agujas de rutilo le dan un brillo sedoso, y si las agujas de rutilo están alineadas paralelamente causan el efecto ojo de gato o una estrella de seir puntas: un zafiro estrella.

Los zafiros de gran tamaño son verdaderas rarezas, y algunos reciben nombres propios. El American Museum of Natural History/Nueva York posee el "Estrella de la India", seguramente el mayor zafiro estrella azul del mundo jamás tallado (536 ct).
 

A principios del sXX se sintetizaron zafiros con propiedades muy parecidas a las de los zafiros naturales. Desde 1947 se conocen también zafiros sintéticos con calidad de piedra preciosa.

1.   Earrings Dark blue enamel by emeeme

2.   Ethnic porcelain blue white earrings by LAccentNou

3.   Brooch crocheted balls by idniama

4.   Everything Blue Swirls- Ceramic Necklace by SIKIU

5.   Blue Weeping willow with two birds and nest by Intres

6.   Sterling silver ring by maldonadojoyas

7.   Blue Glass Button Ring by gabeadz

8.   Necklace ...Love under the rain by Adictaaloscomplemnts

9.   Wood collection - Miss hat by Pizpireta

10. PRINT - Tea in the Sky by krize

11. blue china pair of patchwork pot holders by xxxRedStitcHxxx

12. Scarf - Cobalt Blue - Handknitted in Merino Blend Wool by branda         

UPCYCLING children wooden building blocks - RE-UTILIZANDO bloques de madera para niños

As a mum I often get surprised how fast our children grow and decide to exchange sim-ple and basic toys for more complicated ones.
To keep at least a memento of a long gone period I decided to up cycle a some of my son Lucas wooden building blocks, and I’ll think they’ll look lovely standing on the cupboards in his room.
Because he’s a little engineer in spe, it wasn’t difficult to choose a theme to “dress up” the blocks, you are free to use your imagination to make yours!

Siendo madre de dos niños muchas veces me quedo sorprendida de la rapidez en que crecen y dejan sus juguetes simples y básicos para cambiar-los por otros muchos más complicados.

Para guardar por lo menos un recuerdo de los períodos que han pasado he decicido re-usar algunos de los bloques de madera de mi hijo Lucas para luego ponerlos de adorno en su habitación.

Como ya tiene tendencias de ingeniero, no me ha sido difícil elegir un tema para adornar los bloques, ustedes son libres de elegir tema propio, por su puesto!

You will have to be a bit patient with me, I am really not familiar with the names of all the tools, I only know how to use them though!

I started with the front, making the eyes.
I used this drill piece to make them, they are not measured out, that will give more per-sonality to the face!

Les pido un poco de paciencia ya que en realidad no sé los nombres correctos de muchas herramientas, pero sé cómo utilizarlas....: )
He comenzado con el frente del bloque, hacienda los ojos. Los agujeros no han sido medidos previamente, yo creo que así el bloque tendrá más “carácter”.

 For the arms I decided to use two screws on this little fellow.
A fast way to be sure I drill the holes correctly is by using masking tape, I did this on the front and the sides of the block, so I could be sure the arms would be horizontal.

Para los brazos he usado tornillos, una manera rápida de asegurar que los agujeros estén más o menos alineados es usando cinta adhesiva

I drilled a 3mm hole into both sides of the block and screw the screws into them.

Con una mecha para madera he hecho agujeros de 3mm. En ambos lados del bloque. Ahora se pueden poner los tornillos

I decided to give the block a punk look by using some blue electrical cable.
Good quality pliers from my hus-band’s tool box come in handy to cut appropriate legths of “hair”.
I decide to cut 5x pieces of different lengths each.

He decidido que el cabello del robot estará hecho con cables de electricdad .

The tool you see on the left are great to skim off some of the blue plastic …… and leave some shiny copper fore some more detail.
If your child is too small, though, I wouldn’t recommend it, they have sharp points.

He cortado 5x pedacitos de diferentes tamaños y con la herramienta de la izquierda he sacado un poco del plástoco azul
cobertor del cabe, para darle un poco más de sabor....

Decide where the cable pieces will go and mark on top of the block before you drill the holes

Antes de taladrar los agujeros, he marcado los puntos en la parte de arriba del blque para guiarme mejor

First I drilled holes of 2mm and then of 4mm on the previous hole, this is far better than drilling 4mm all at once, the wood is quite hard (wood grain side of the wood!) and I might hurt myself , so be careful!



Esta vez he comenzado por hacer agujeros de 2mm y luego de 4mm en los agujeros de 2mm, es mejor agrandar los agujeros de a poco, la madera es fuerte y uno se puede lastimar!

AUGUST BIRTHSTONE - PERIDOT

The peridot, a typically green gem, is the birthstone for August. Peridots are derived from the mineral olivine and are mined in several countries around the world and U.S. states. A symbol of nature and strength, the peridot was an important gem to the ancient Egyptians, who believed that it helped link them to nature.

El peridoto, una gema típicamente verde, es la piedra del mes de agosto. Los Peridotos derivan de la olivina y se extraen en varios países alrededor del mundo y en  Estados Unidos. Símbolo de la naturaleza y la fuerza, el peridoto era una gema importante para los antiguos egipcios, quienes creían que les ayudaba a vincularse a la naturaleza.

Peridots are most often green, but they can range in color from a light yellow-green to a dark olive green. 
Los Peridotos son normalmente verdes, pero pueden variar en color desde un  verde amarillento claro a un verde oliva oscuro. 

The peridot is closely associated with nature. It symbolizes strength and vitality, and is considered a guard or protector against evil.
Se les asocia estrechamente con la naturaleza. Simboliza la fuerza y ​​vitalidad, y es considerado guardia o protector contra el mal.
 
Olivine, the mineral name for the peridot, was formed by volcanic activity. However, olivine, which is made up of magnesium and iron, is not an official mineral.
La olivina, nombre mineral del peridoto, se formó por actividad volcánica. Sin embargo, la olivina, que se compone de magnesio y hierro, no se considera un mineral oficial.
 
Mining for peridot is done in several countries, including Burma, Norway, Australia, and in the states of Hawaii and Arizona.
La extracción de peridoto se lleva a cabo en varios países, entre ellos Birmania, Noruega, Australia, y en los estados de Hawai y Arizona.
 
Peridots were first mined on St. John's Island, which is close to Egypt, in 1500 B.C. At this time, Egyptian priests often drank from cups made of peridot hoping to become closer to the goddess of nature, Isis.
La primera vez que se extrajo peridoto fue en la isla de San Juan, cerca de Egipto, en el año 1500 aC.
Los sacerdotes egipcios a menudo bebían en copas hechas de peridoto con la esperanza de acercarse a la diosa de la naturaleza, Isis.

1. 2 in 1- Green Round Earrings-sterling silver and copper by mujoyas
2. Blythe Summer Photography by Adictaaloscomplemnts  
3. Green Nature filigree. Sterling silver. Earrings. by lunahoo
4. Turquoise Grass necklace  by iomiss
5. Green and Flower Beaded Beads Earrings by SarahRobinL
6. Stencil earrings - Green and Green enamels- Sterling silver and copper by aforfebre
7. Olive green ceramic handmade ring on adjustable sterling silver base by LAccentNou 
8. Bunny Brooch - I have a Green Heart by krize
9. Earrings Enameled oval hoop and green faceted beads by emeeme 
10. Toddler Green Butterfly Set of Three -Pin set and Ring- by Yayahandicraft
11. Necklace - Natural Freshwater Pearls and Swarovski Crystals by gabeadz
12. Sterling silver earrings with color and texture - green eyes by maldonadojoyas
13. 4 yd Green Gingham Ribbon by CurlynChic 
14. Fruta de Pan. Breadfruit Cotton Crochet Necklace by dualchocolate 
15. Print art - Frutos - 6x8 from Original Painting with acrylics on watercolor paper by zime

 Alternate August Birthstone

The sardonyx, a type of quartz, is an alternate birthstone for August. The sardonyx, which symbolizes happiness, is commonly polished and made into beads and cameos.
El ónice, un tipo de cuarzo, es la piedra alternativa para agosto. El ónice, que simboliza la felicidad, es comúnmente pulido y se convierte en cuentas y camafeos.

Portrait: retroattack

It makes me smile when people call me Retro because they only know me by my shop's name, and I'm not particularly retro nor nostalgic nor conservative, such as worshipers of the past usually are. I am interested in products of mass culture in all ages, but I admit that half of the 20th century was particularly interesting and rich, so this is the aesthetic where I find the inspiration for my buttons.

The fact that, along with my partner, we are collectors of kitsch postcards, magazines and records of that period, is what motivated the birth of Retro Attack, to show and share all those images that fascinated us.

Me hace mucha gracia que la gente que sólo me conoce por mi tienda me llame Retro, ya que no soy una persona especialmente retro,ni nostálgica, ni conservadora, tal como suelen serlo los adoradores de otras épocas. A mí me interesan fundamentalmente los productos de la cultura de masas de todas las épocas, pero hay que reconocer que la mitad del SXX fue especialmente interesante y rica, por lo que es la estética en la que hallo la inspiración para mis buttons.

El hecho de que sea coleccionista, junto con mi pareja, de postales kitsch, revistas y discos de ese período es lo que motivó el nacimiento de Retro Attack, para dar salida de alguna forma y compartir todas esas imágenes que nos fascinaban.



I started collecting magazines when I was 16 and a neighbor had a bunch from the sixties that she wanted to get rid of. She gave them to me and I used some of the pages to line a folder with images (I think it was the first "RetroAttack" action of my life). Since then, every time I return to browse my collection, the colors, fineness and candor of those images always inspire me with new ideas.

Comencé a coleccionar revistas cuando tenía 16 años y una vecina me regaló un montón de los años 60 de las que se iba a deshacer, algunas de las que yo destripé para forrar una carpeta con imágenes (creo que fue la primera acción RetroAttack de mi vida), y ahora cada vez que vuelvo a hojear mi colección el colorido, la delicadeza y la ingenuidad de esas imágenes siempre me despiertan ideas.



Something similar happened with the postcard collection (almost 2000!) but in a different way. As they are kitsch they have an underlying lecture and are fun, I enjoy  cutting them, taking them out of context, and observe their irony.

Algo parecido ocurre con la colección de postales (casi 2000!) pero de otra manera, ya que al ser kitsch tienen una doble lectura divertida, me gusta recortárlas, descontextualizarlas, ironizar sobre ellas.



My third inspiration comes in the way of music. I have a weakness for girls vocal groups from the sixties, their innocense and the role that girlsplayed in those years are adorable.

And tremendous songs they are!

Mi tercera inspiración es la música, siento debilidad por los grupos vocales de chicas de los 60, la ingenuidad y el rol de las chicas de esa época me resultan entrañables.

Y menudas cancionazas!

AfrikaansAlbanianArabicArmenianAzerbaijaniBasqueBelarusianBulgarianCatalanChinese (Simplified)Chinese (Traditional)CroatianCzechDanishDetect languageDutchEnglishEstonianFilipinoFinnishFrenchGalicianGeorgianGermanGreekHaitian CreoleHebrewHindiHungarianIcelandicIndonesianIrishItalianJapaneseKoreanLatinLatvianLithuanianMacedonianMalayMalteseNorwegianPersianPolishPortugueseRomanianRussianSerbianSlovakSlovenianSpanishSwahiliSwedishThaiTurkishUkrainianUrduVietnameseWelshYiddish⇄AfrikaansAlbanianArabicArmenianAzerbaijaniBasqueBelarusianBulgarianCatalanChinese (Simplified)Chinese (Traditional)CroatianCzechDanishDutchEnglishEstonianFilipinoFinnishFrenchGalicianGeorgianGermanGreekHaitian CreoleHebrewHindiHungarianIcelandicIndonesianIrishItalianJapaneseKoreanLatinLatvianLithuanianMacedonianMalayMalteseNorwegianPersianPolishPortugueseRomanianRussianSerbianSlovakSlovenianSpanishSwahiliSwedishThaiTurkishUkrainianUrduVietnameseWelshYiddish

Detectar idioma » Hungarian