Fall in Rome

Hi there!
Hope everybody is well :)
As you can see I changed the location on my blog profile..it's now Rome and not London anymore.It feels a bit strange, but..hey, that's life,and changes are just part of it! There has been a lot going on lately.I lived at my mum's for a while, started a new job, drove a car again (!)..but most importantly I have my partner here, now.Permanently.And I can tell you that this feels weird!He's been here with me before, of course, but it's just funny to plan a life together here!It's not for few days, this time..we're trying to settle down, it's real life!it's job hunting, it's food-shopping, it's....real. And I love it, and hope he does too.Just so you understand..I never had to find a room to live in, here.I had my room,I actually had a flat,once! I don't have a clue about how things work in Italy..like job hunting,supermarkets (which one is good, or expensive,etc..).I know I lived here before, but it was a different life, at home with mum and dad.Anyway..
We're having a couple of rough weeks now; my partner is at the hospital, he had an emergency operation and he's now awaiting the doctors to decide whether he's got to stay a bit longer at the hospital, to have another operation, or to go home.
It must be really a dreadful moment for him..he had just arrived, he was looking for a job and suddenly..he's in the hospital,in a foreigner country, all alone all day with nobody who speaks his language. And in pain. I really hope we'll pass through this quickly.
For who's in or around Rome I've got a great news: I'll be at the Piazza verdi Market on Sunday 28 November!!! It would be good to see you there ! I'm making some new lines of jewellery, mainly leather and pearls, in addition to my chain jewellery, of course.
Well.. I guess it's all for today.
I wish you all a great week end,
love xxx

Long time... and time for changes.. :)

It's been over a month since my last post, I've just realized.A month full of things, events, strong emotions and many other things.
I'm leaving.I'm leaving the UK for a while and moving back to Italy.I don't know what is going to happen once I'm there, but I really needed to do this moving.So..I'll leave,while my partner will stay here, so PetiteChacal will double.It will add Rome to London and New York, let's see it this way.I'm trying to understand how I feel about this.Mixed feelings, I guess..I'm thrilled, curious, excited..and sad and heartbroken, and worried. I reckon it all sums up to the natural process that goes along with great changes.I tried to write down pros and cons,I came up with the silliest things, and somehow found a little relief.Let's see the bright side:I'm going to have fantastic food and great wine (;)); I'll leave in the sun! I'll have at hand Italian silver and lampwork beads!!Great supplies!!!! I'll see the sea often!I'll finally walk again my lttle dog, I miss her so much! I'll be somewhere else, and changes are always good (well, changes of this kind,at least), they bring excitement,inspiration,different perspectives.
I'll see my very self in a different perspective, for the simple fact that I'm going back to where I supposedly belong after six years, and I know that I've changed , but just can't measure these changes living the same life as ever.
Being back will help me understand what I've become, as I'll be facing something that in my mind, and in my life, have stayed the same.
So...this was the big news.Concerning PetiteChacal, things won't change much, at least for the moment.Only the shipping may vary (only location-wise,I reckon). I actually think that it'll be good for the business too, to have some different input.Anyone has had a similar situation?What were/are your feelings about it?
I leave you reaching for your handkerchief, and I leave you with some pictures of one of my latest work..
Love you all!
xx PetiteChacal

 

Ring Tutorial

I've just come across this tuto to make a silver ring out of a coin.Thought you may like it..enjoy it!!
xxpc

http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/2DUI44/www.instructables.com/id/Make-a-silver-ring-for-25-cents/

Little preview..pearls again..

 

Just wanted to show you a quick preview of one of my last works..
I'll tell you the story very soon, it's amazing..
Night you all,
xx

Selfish T-shirts !!

 

 

 

 

TA-DA..!!!!!
New T-shirts online!!!! I've finally released this new design, the "Selfish"T-shirt..not many people got the wordgame straight away, but I've still received many compliments and sold two Tees..I love them!
This time I wanted something more feminine for my girls,so I chose a nice,casual sleeveless top from Continental clothing; I threw in few spaghetti tops from American Apparel and few boys and girls' classic T-shirts always from American Apparel.Oh, and teo long vests/tops, from Continental, in extra fine jersey..I love these two dearly!I can picture them on a pair of jeans or leggings,with a chunky belt and a nice long necklace..aaawww!! :)
Also the colours are different this time:hot pink and the uber-trendy aubergine!
I'm still struggling to find the right place to sell them.For now you can find them on Folksy, together with my lovely bags (http://www.folksy.com/shops/PetiteC) and on my website :www.petitechacal.com
Guys,will you give me some feedback?Do you like them?If not,why?
Have a lovely eve,
xxPetiteChacal

Preview..cute handbags from PetiteChacal!!

 

 

NEWS!!!!!!!!!!
Petitechacal's handbags!!!!!These lovely bags are hand-sewn by a French designer, M.lle Delphine Ragonnaud, who has previously worked for important French maisons the likes of Dior etc.She's so young and very talented, and she kindly accepted to realise some models for me, given that I can't sew (yet!!;)).
So, these are the products of our collaboration..together with the cubes necklace (see my Etsy Shop), and some bracelets that I haven't posted yet. She's working at her own website at the moment, it will be up and running soon! In the meantime you can see her here:http://goldshands.blogvie.com/ And, of course, we'll give her some space for a lovely feature once she's set up everything.
So..the bags are not finished yet, I must add the chains and a few details, but..hey, this is a Preview!! :)
The fabric comes from a very famous stores in central London, Peter Jones..hope you like them, but wait to see the final versions!!
Wish you all a beautiful eve and we, enjoy this glorious sunshine (and don't drink too much Pimms... !)
xx Petitechacal

Pandora bracelets

 

 

 

..Today's bracelets..simple, fast, easy..absolutely wearable..and cute! Two Pandora-style bracelet in shades of pink/mauve and blue/aqua..refreshing!!
You see the thing.. I love to make things with my hands..I mean, really make them.Working with silver paste, with polymer clay, or wrapping wires and studying the design..these bracelets are just strung beads.Yes, you get to choose the colours, matches, combinations..you get to choose the style, in one word. But I always thought (and I still think it, somehow) that they don't give you back a great deal of satisfaction...unless you make the beads, of course, which I did, but ..I'm kind of changing my mind lately. I like this simple style, and also the possibilities are not that little.Maybe I'm just tired and I make myself happy with smaller things, but..I appreciate this style a bit more.

Maybe I'm just starting to understand that I can't do everything.. ;)
What kind of craft/technique makes you feeling satisfied the most?
I'd love to hear your thoughts on this.
xxPetiteChacal

Second bracelet/necklace for my friend

 

 

 

Here is the second bracelet/necklace for my friend Romi.She asked me this one for her little brother's girlfriend, saying that she's a "tough girl"who doesn't wear much jewellery (she's only a teenager, about 15 yo);she wanted something that could tempt her but at the same time that was easy and young.
I thought that she may like something sort of romantic (hey,she's discovering her femininity,let's give her a hand!!;))but not cheesy..and this is what I came up with.I love it to bits!!!!
All sterling charms and fittings, and a simple,yet playful double leather cord..I may make one for me too!
Have a great day,
xxpetitechacal

Today's necklace

Here's today necklace..wooden squared beads in two colours and sizes and indian silver plated spacers.
I love the way it turned out! I love long necklace, much more than short ones, and this can be worn in three different ways:
long, double strand and as a bracelet..what else can you ask for, when you've got 3 pieces in one?
And these days I really am into wood, silver (well..this is not new!),hemp,leather..everything that gives you a natural feeling..I love, about this necklace, the fact that it is a humble, unpretentious piece, yet it is very pretty, to me.
Understatement.. or bold statements.That's me, the humble and the fierce, no middle tones..:)
Hope you like it, have a wonderful weekend!!
xxpetitechacal

Work in Progress...

 

 

 

Happy Sunday everybody!
Today is a glorious day here in London, plenty of sunshine, nice smells and..hopefully of BBQs, later on..!
So..yesterday it's been a "stay at home, don't move, do what you have to do" day.
I didn't go out at all, but I'm very happy, as I started, and nearly finished, three pieces I was asked.
One is a bracelet/necklace for a dear friend of mine; she saw something she liked on the web and asked me if I could do something of that kind, same stile but personalised.It's a simple but pretty bracelet made of a leather cord and a bunch of charms.I think you call them "friendship bracelet"..?anyway, I picked a Hill Tribe tiny silver heart, stamped with flowers, a "evil eye", as the person who will receive it needs some good luck and protection these days,a nice (semi-precious?) bead and I strung the charms along with a lovely silver plated barrel bead.It's not finished yet, I'm awaiting a small pendant and I have to replace the closing with some Bali silver hooks.
The other piece is a bracelet I made to match my Knotted Chain Necklace..the same style..they'll be given to an online boutique in Italy that sells creations form independent crafters/artists/designers..all made in Italy and very detailed items.I'll write a post soon about this boutique, so stay tuned, if you like Made in Italy!
The third piece it's what I've been working at for most of my day.It is a custom order from a lovely lady on Etsy;she saw one of my necklaces and asked me to customise it and to add/change something..well, that's how we started, but now we are heading to something completely different!So have a look at the necklace now, because today it will be undone again and changed..:)It's proving a bit draining to do and undo this piece continuously, but it's challenging at the same time.This lady is lovely and she is so passionate about what she's going to wear, that is a real pleasure to "explore" with her all the possibilities (and to try them!).
So... a little bit of my weekend here for you.Today I'll go out and enoy the sunshine,finally.
Have a great day!:)
xxPetiteChacal

Fragments from petite chacal

This is what I see from one of my windows..I took this photo a while ago, I was simply stunned at the unlikely mix of colours and shadows and the sharp "golden" strike that stands out from the dark.
You see, I sit at this very same window nearly everynight, when I go home after work.
I pour myself a glass of wine, I lit up a cigarette and I sit quietly on the floor, looking out from the window.
I love it.It's a tiny "me time".One of the few I allow myself to indulge in (the other one is my candle-light bath!!). It's my time to think, to let immagination have its say into the rest of my very normal life.I love to look at other people's windows, and lives..and wonder if they are happy, if they're having a good time, if they are in love..if they are here to stay or are just passers by,as it often happens in London..It's just simple and simply irresistible for me: you look at someone's window and you can see a life!Well..in all honesty I don't get to see much my neighbours, most of the times I just stare at the windows, or at the street,or at some detail that cought my attention.. :)It's still nice and relaxing, though..
So, just for a change, I'm not talking about my jewellery, instead about some fragments of life!;)
And you guys? What's your favourite "me time" moment..?

Long time...

I know,I know, it's been a long time..can't make time for lots of things,these days.I've got so much going on lately, my head is about to blow..I'm planning a lot, which is not like me, I'm trying to understand what the next step should be like and..I'm keeping up with some lovely custom orders;All of this just on the top of my everyday life and full time job.I'm not complaining, but I'm feeling the strain,I want more time to create and to look after my site,my blog,my everything..so bear with me, I just love this too much..:)
Anyway, I've made a few things lately, but couldn't even post them, it was too much rushing around.
These three pieces are from this last weekend. I want fun, I'm longing for colours and freshness, for light-hearted things, for joy and romance, for everything that can hit our senses in a positive way.Hard,with some grace, or just joyful, playful and careless.
Here you go, colourful wood and Zchech glass pearls, enjoy it!
xx petitechacal

My last necklace! I so love pearls!!!!And chains, of course...these are beautiful Swarovski pearls in three different hues, and I think they are just show-stoppers! The chain is plenty of sparkle and the triumph of pearls at the bottom just makes it look stunning! I may do another one with brass or gunmetal and white pearls..I love contrast!have a great day!

NYC!!!

This morning I woke up and had a great news, the sort of things that give you a gooood start of the day.. I sold my first ring in New York!!!!!!!
Yey!!!! I'm so thrilled! I sent 10 rings to this newly opened shop, STOOPHER & BOOTS, the brainchild of the lovely Stephanie Goldstein. Well.. not even 10 days and I've got my first sale!!Stephanie, thanks so much!!!
It's really awsome to think that someone at the other end of the world, who doesn't even know you, can have something you'd made out of love and passion...Awsome,really. I can't get used to this beautifully funny feeling!!So.. If you happen to be in NYC, why not popping- in and have a look? The shop is in 385 Amsterdam Ave NYC, and it is packed with lovely handmade goodies..for babies/kids..and for the grown-ups!!
Stephanies makes these amazing T-shirts, onesies, etc..absolutely adorable!!And what about the super-cute trainers for little "street-styled princesses", encrusted with strass,swarovski &co.?Aaawww..I want them!!Have a look, she's running a shop on Big Cartel..you can also visit her FB page!!
here you go:

http://stoopher.bigcartel.com/

http://www.facebook.com/stoopherboots

Enjoy!!!!!
xx

Pearls!!!! Bettina Necklace

 

This is my last necklace, just finished it today. It is a custom order, a friend of mine wanted a long, double-stranded pearls necklace with a celebrity-style look. Here it is, inspired by a famous necklace that drove most girls crazy..!!
I added an ethnic touch (eehh..that's me!!)and some..how would you say nowadays.."whimsical" charms, the dragonfly and the key. I named this necklace after my friend, Bettina. I hope she's going to love it! I really do!And these pearls are very nice, nearly flawless and with a pretty lustre.Well.. back to work, other orders are on the way and I really have to put myself to work.
Enjoy the long weekend! :)

Update : T-Shirts are finally online!!!

Yeay!!! The Logo T-shirts from PetiteChacal are finally online and up for grab!!
I've just opened this new online store, still have to finish all the set-up and of course I must list more items, but I've decided to only list a handful of creations for the time being..so a couple of T-shirts for each colour and size available (only listed 2, so far..!!But I opened only yesterday!!) and maybe a few pieces of jewellery..mmhh..still deciding.
These are the T-Shirts from our previous stock, with our Logo..two new designs are now finished, just awaited to be printed, so..stay tunes for more news to come soon!!
I can anticipate that..mmhh..shall I..?Well, ok ,the only thing I'm going to tell you for now is that the new T-shirts will be very young and they'll come out in very small runs, about maybe 10 for each designs..
For now check out Logo Tees out:
http://www.shopflick.com/stores/PetiteChacal

Enjoy!

News from PetiteChacal- Back to our roots

Hi everybody, I've got a few good news, and I'm so thrilled as things start to shape up! I've decided that I'll let you know little by little, and today I'm starting with... T-SHIRTS!
Probably not many of you know that this has been our starting point; we have been designing and printing a stock of T-shirt with "The Face", which is just PetiteChacal Logo. We had a stock professionally handprinted and we hand-printed quite a few T-shirts by ourselves too.Gosh if it was fun! But then we realised that doing that in a small London flat wasn't really ideal, in terms of space, time and health and safety regulations.So we went back to our printer.Results: people liked our T-shirts!We sold a few through a shop in Soho and the rest of the stock was gone by word of mouth, friends of friends of friends..a couple of people stopped us on the street too!They were intrigued by the design, as not always you get that it's a face straight away.So they asked us, they took our details and we gave them the T-shirts that are now happily somewhere in USA.
So.. This came before the rest;before the jewellery, the accessories, the canvases..
So now you can probably guess how happy I feel at the very thought of starting this again!
We'll soon put for sale the rest of our stock and on the top of this two new designs are being finished these days, so.. stay tuned!!We also asked our customers if they'd like to send a pic of them with our T-shirt..what's beteer than a real-life model, someone who's actually bought( or won, as we ran a competition too!) the garment?
So here you go with one of them, the guy who took PetiteChacal to NZ.. Thanks Mat, you're a star!!
Come back soon to see the rest.. :)



Mathieu Deshors, NZ

Weekend with friends

Last weekend I had some time off from crafting and I must say that, if one one hand I missed sitting quietly at home among my beads and chains, on the other hand I really enjoyed just hanging around with friends, care-free.
In all honesty, Saturday it was a half-day off..I met up with my two girlfriends and we had a photo-shoot with my T-shirts and my necklaces...It was so much fun!!!!!!!We also had a BBQ, and we celebrated my birthday,wich had been last week.On Sunday we went to meet a friend who was passing by London for a day or so, and we had a walk along the Regent Canal from the East London side.It was nice.
I haven't listed much lately in my shop, except this pearls and quartz set. I'll list other items soon, but I'm just adjusting my focus on what I want to create,lately. I have ideas, but it takes time to find the supplies you want and to "translate" your ideas into something, sometimes..maybe I'm being too perfectionist, but I'm awaiting for the "perfect moment"and the "perfect idea",sometimes..Anyway,here you go: my friends and my last addition to the shop.. enjoy!
xxpetitechacal