Viktoria's Blog

Long Time No Post

2010-04-13T12:04:00.005+10:00

Well it is 9 months since I last posted an entry in my blog.
Not too much has happened but here are the highlights.....
In October we attended the first ever Hublot dinner in Australia. The guest of honour was of course Mr Jean Claude Biver from Hublot watches. We helped get a few people for Hublot(well about 30people) and the rest of the guests were from the three Sydney dealers(J Farren-Price, Hardy Brother's, and The Hourglass Sydney).
The event was held at Quay restaurant and was a wonderful evening. Beautiful food and the most fantastic cheese from Mr Biver's own cheese farm.

So After the excitement of the Hublot evening we left Sydney on the Sunday and headed for Tokyo. What a wonderful week we had there. We stayed at the Park Hotel in Shimbashi again and Rene used some of his Hyatt points and got us a free night at the Park Hyatt Tokyo. Here we had a own little Lost in Translation moments. Swam in the pool dinner in the New York Grill, wandering the halls. Fabulous hotel!!
Mainly we just wandered around having fun and trying to visit areas we hadn't been to before. When we were in Meiji Jingu we saw a japanese wedding, was great to see. So here are some photos from Tokyo.

If we took a holiday....(or two)!

2009-07-14T11:40:00.009+10:00

We started our holiday by having an eight night break at Hayman Island. Fabulous time resting and relaxing. Beautiful sunshine days every day, just a little on the cool side but still nice. We flew into Hamilton Island and were then shown over to the boat to get out to the island. We enjoyed some nibbles and bubbles on our way over. Got shown to our room and set about exploring. So beautiful on the Island.
First night we had a fantastic seafood extravaganza for 2, considering I don't eat a lot of seafood I really enjoyed everything on the plates. Scallops, prawns, oysters, Lobster, crabs, grilled prawns, 4 types of fish. Definitely no room for desserts!!
All the food we had was absolutely fantastic, which isn't surprising considering it is a luxury resort.
So a few shots of the resort.....

We also took a day trip to go snorkeling at Knuckle reef. What a great day. They have a semi submersible which gets you closer to the reef than a glass bottom boat does. We went snorkeling twice, enjoyed a lovely buffet lunch and had a quiet night.

While we were checking out we decided that seeing as we still had 6 days of holiday left that we would check out online specials for other holidays. So we booked for Hong Kong for 4 nights. This meant we could catch up with some friends and get away from the cold. We stayed at the Harbour Plaza Metropolis which is a great hotel on Kowloon side that we stayed at last time we went to HK in 2006. Beautiful and hot 30C when we got off the plane. Thursday night we were taken to dinner by a friend to a restaurant in ONE Peking building called Hutong. Fantastic food and breathtaking views from the 28th floor of HK side with the light show. Then it was off to the 30th floor for cocktails at AquaSpirit.

Friday night found us catching up with some friends of Rene's from a forum he is on and having a local dinner. So we trekked down to Causeway Bay for Typhoon Shelter Crab at Underbridge Spicy Crab restaurant. WOOOWWWWW what a feast!! Razor clams, Mantis prawns, welks, Mudcrab, congee. All delicious!!

After dinner we had a local dessert at Yee Shun Milk Company. All sorts of custardy creations, hot or cold.

Saturday we woke up to very windy day. After breakfast we headed across to HK for a trip up the peak. At the terminal we noticed a sign warning that Typhoon Signal 1 had been hoisted. so up we went looking for Hard Rock Cafe up the top, but no more proper Hard rock Cafe just a shop. So we had Bubba Gumps instead. That was delicious!! After lunch we wandered around and then found a sign advising that Typhoon Signal 3 hoisted. As we were making our way down in the tram the rain just burst from the sky. By the time we got from the terminus to the cathedral we were drenched. But that didn't stop wandering around the shops.

Sunday found us wandering the shops again with a long walk down Nathan Road. Then it was back to the hotel to finish packing and check out for our flight back to cold Sydney.

Thanks for having a look!!
Catch you soon

New Knives!!!

2009-07-14T10:54:00.003+10:00

Okay so these are a few weeks old now but finally got time to post them. Bought these Macusta knives from THE CHEF'S ARMOURY in Sydney during their recent sale. Fabulous knives to work with. I have a preference for fine Japanese knives and love to buy them when I can(tax return will hopefully allow me to buy a few more!!

I guess it is a bit silly to carry on about knives but quality and sharpness are inmportant when using them!
Catch you later
V

De Bortoli Wine Night at CHPRSL June 2009

2009-06-05T11:26:00.006+10:00

Last night we had a great time doing another well received wine dinner at work This time we had De Bortoli wines which we matched 5 great courses to. If anybody asks me to make pastry any time soon I am going to kick them hard!!LOL 3kg of puff pastry which I haven't made since TAFE and 3kg of short crust for tarts. The tarts looked great as we decided to grate the pastry and then press it in to the tins so it had this wonderful textural look to the cases.

Shortcrust tart filled with Jerusalem Artichokes, Baby Leek and Baby Fennel.

Prawn Bisque with Quenelles of Lobster.

House Smoked Duck on Celeriac Discs with a Broad Bean Puree and Tamarillo Jus.(one of my ideas)

Slow Cooked Beef Cheeks with Seasonal Root Vegetables and Red Wine Jus.

Tarte Tatin of Apple and Rhubarb with Vanilla Bean Icecream(my other idea).

Assorted before and during shots.

New favourite song

2009-06-05T11:13:00.002+10:00

So after watching the finals of Eurovision I have to say Malena Ernman was AMAZING!! Loved the song she did called La Voix with it's blend of pop and opera. Such an amazing voice Malena has too. Managed to Google the lyrics too:

La voix/The voice
Can you keep a secret?
Can you keep a secret?
I'm in love with you
Can you make a promise?
Can you make a promise?
Stay forever true, oh...
Then I'm forever yours

Je t'aime, amour, quand j'entends la voix /I love you, my love, when I hear the voice
Je t'aime, ma vie, c'est jamais sans toi /I love you, my life is never without you
J'vis ma vie pour toi, c'est l'univers pour moi /I live my life for you, it's the universe for me
Je t'aime, amour, quand j'entends la voix /I love you, my love, when I hear the voice

Tell me what you're feelin'
Tell me what you're feelin'
I just wanna know
Tell me what you're dreamin'
Tell me what you're dreamin'
Let your feelings show, oh...
Stay and don't let go

Je t'aime, amour, quand j'entends la voix /I love you, my love, when I hear the voice
Je t'aime, ma vie, c'est jamais sans toi /I love you, my life is never without you
J'vis ma vie pour toi, c'est l'univers pour moi /I live my life for you, it's the universe for me
Je t'aime, amour, quand j'entends la voix /I love you, my love, when I hear the voice

(Je t'aime, amour, quand j'entends la voix) (I love you, my love, when I hear the voice)
(Je t'aime, ma vie, c'est jamais sans toi) (I love you, my life is never without you)
J'vis ma vie pour toi, c'est l'univers pour moi /I live my life for you, it's the universe for me
Je t'aime, amour, quand j'entends la voix /I love you, my love, when I hear the voice
J'entends la voix, la voix... /I hear the voice, the voice
(Je t'aime, amour, quand j'entends la voix) /(I love you, my love, when I hear the voice)

Check out her official video and her performance at Eurovision in the video bar to the side.
Catch you soon
V

Been a While...

2009-03-09T08:53:00.004+11:00

So what have I been up to?
Well I had my birthday at the end of January and got a Hibachi from my sister in law and her husband. Unfortunately the first day I wanted to use it, it rained. So out came the umbrellas...

Kept most of the rain off until dinner was cooked.

Also learnt to make an easy cheese called Labne/Labna. Made from yoghurt and a little salt and then left to drain. I found the recipe for it on the following blog....http://cookalmostanything.blogspot.com/2006/09/making-labne.html Lots of other yummy recipes on there too!!

In December we attended the Sydney cocktail party at LK Jewellery (in the Sheraton on the Park) for Boucheron. It is wonderful that there is a stockist in Australia of these wonderful jewels. Having been to the Tokyo boutique last year it was a wonderful surprise when Rose told us that they were going to stock Boucheron. The evening was fantastic I got to try on LOTS of jewels. I also got to meet one of Australia's best performers Maria Venuti. A truly lovely lady who is a well known charity supporter. Hope Maria has some performances this year as I would love to catch her live.

Anyway that is it for me today Catch you soon
Ciao!!

Videos From Nan's Party

2008-10-22T12:30:00.006+11:00

So here are a few videos from our camera that I took at Nan's party.....

Lighting wasn't the best for the next one, we really should have turned the spotlights on...

Nan's Birthday

2008-10-22T11:06:00.006+11:00

Well hasn't it been a while since my last post!!! What has been happening?? Rene went to London, Dublin, Edinburgh and Prague for 2 weeks at the end of August and back in September. I haven't really been up to much lately just the usual daily stuff. On the weekend we went to Nan's for her 88th birthday. Who was there?? Quite a few family members actually got there: Ian and John Jan Mum and Dad Marilyn Sue and Zeeanne Nathan, Jerry, Kyle and Larni Sefton, Karla, Chloe and Keith Rene and myself. It was great to catch up with every one as it has been a while. So here are some photos.....
The birthday girl with Mischka

Ian and John

Marilyn, Ian, Sue, Mum, Jan and Nan, just before Ian and John left

Kyle, my nephew

Nathan, my brother

The cake, yummy sponge!

Marilyn, Jan, Nan, Mum and Sue

More to come!!!

Catch you soon
Viktoria

Videos From Tokyo and Kyoto

2008-06-11T10:35:00.005+10:00

Here are a few videos from our trip to Japan...

Kyoto Part 2

2008-05-06T11:19:00.010+10:00

So after our woodblock printing lesson we noticed that there was a temple across the road. So we thought we might take a walk around and have a look at it. Turned out to be Heian Jingu. What a beautiful place. We had been told about a special garden within the grounds but unfortunately being spring there was a very large queue to enter. Oh well next time. So here are some shots of Heian Jingu.

While we were at Heian Jingu this group of elegantly dressed young ladies were very much in demand for photographs. Not Geisha or Maiko just ordinary girls out for the afternoon in their kimonos.

Then we headed off for the nearest subway. On our way we saw many stores selling beautiul hand made items so we bought a pair of chopsticks each and a pair of sake cups all made from a beautiful golden coloured wood. We caught the train back to the main line and then went back to our Ryokan for a quick rest. We got up refreshed from our Nanna nap and headed back in to town for a stroll and to find somewhere for dinner. On our way we found the Kyoto International Manga Museum. Inxpensive entry fee, Manga every where in book and Video format so you can sit and read(HMMM okay if you have Japanese reading skills as there was only a small selection in english) But very interesting none the less, heaps of stuff and interesting exhibitions.

Then we took a walk down Shijo-dori. WOW what a street, all the major Depato, and so many more shops, then there were covered sreets with heaps more shops. We were really working up an appetite with all this walking. So we headed back to Karasuma-dori to an Italian restaurant we had spotted earlier. What a fantastic find. The restaurant was named FLOWING, wonderful service and ambiance. Open kitchen, superb wine list and great menu. We had the Y3500 4 course selection and a bottle of french wine. All up for the 2 of us it cost about A$115. The food was really good, so if you ever go you have to try them. We enjoyed it so much we went again the next night. Here is a night shot of Flowing:

After dinner we caught the train back to the Ryokan and had a wonderful sleep.

The next day saw us get up fairly early and head out to Fushimi Inari Taisha. We caught the train out as it was only 22 stops from Kyoto station. We were really getting the hang of the trains. Another beautiful place, but with a secret we were not prepared for....4km round trip hike up a mountain. we think this shrine is hinted at in the movie 'Memoirs of a Geisha', it is the scene where she runs through the Torii. So we had to go, 'Geisha' is a favourite movie. It was amazing to see so many elderly people taking a stroll up the mountain and many family groups too. So here are some photos.

So then we headed back in to Kyoto station and walked around some more. Our main mission was to find Aritsugu knives in Nishiiki Market. What an amazing experience walking through the market, this market is regarded as the supermarket of Kyoto. You could buy your groceries or buy something to eat on the spot. We found the knife shop and were both blown away by the range available plus all the other accoutrements used by Japanese households, chefs and restaurants. After a quick look we got some assisstance form one of the VERY helpful staff and found my first Japanese craftsman made knife. They even engraved my name on it in Japanese. I haven't run it over a stone and it is still as sharp as the day I bought it. Back to the ryokan for a nap(we were a bit knackered after the walk around Fushimi Inari Taisha) and then we headed to Flowing again for dinner. The next day we headed back to the bright lights of Tokyo for our final 3 days. That is it for the moment. Thanks for looking and will catch you soon! Ciao for now!!

Kyoto:The Old Capital of Japan Part 1

2008-05-03T10:44:00.010+10:00

Well on our 6th day in Japan we boarded a Hikari Shinkansen for our trip to Kyoto. We were very excited to be heading there as we knew we would see lots of old buildings and temples. On our approach to Kyoto station we were a little surprised as it was a lot more modern than we were actually expecting.
So we worked out how to get the train to our Ryokan, Aoi So Inn. This was a very handy spot to stay. 3 minutes walk from the closest subway stop and about 10 minutes travel time from central Kyoto. So our first day we hopped on the subway to find our pick up point for our 1/2 day Kyoto tour and then went exploring. Staying on Karasuma-dori we soon found a huge Shinto shrine called Higashi Hongan-ji, undergoing a massive restoration project. This meant we were unable to go into the main building but we were able to look around the grounds, where I found this beautiful purification area.

And here is the main gate:

Cherry blossoms were every where. Along the banks of the Kamo-gawa they were beautiful. This is the street outside Higashi Hongan-ji:

The banks of the Kamo-gawa.

So our first full day in Kyoto saw us join a tour which was part of our package. We were headed for two palaces and one temple/shrine followed by lunch at the Kyoto Handicrafts centre.

Our first stop on the tour was Nijo-jo, which was the family seat of the Tokugawa Shoguns. Unfortunately this is a very delicate building and photos of the interior are not able to be taken. This palace has the Nightingale floors as part of the original security. This was amazing to hear and then to see the costruction underneath. This floor was designed so that no one could sneak up and eavesdrop on conversations. In the more private areas of the palace the nightingale floor was not used. Here are a couple of shots of the outside and the gardens.

Entrance gate to Nijo-jo:

The pond in the garden:

Then it was on to Kinkaku-ji also known as the Golden Pavilion. Another stunning piece of architecture and landscaping. The top two floors of the building are covered in gold leaf. When the building was rebuilt after being set alight by an arsonist, the gold leaf cost US$7 million.

The bell in the garden:

The Pavillion viewed from across the reflecting pond:

Close up of the Pavillion

600 year old bonsai:

This bonsai was planted at the death of Yoshimitsu, the builder of the pavillion, as part of his instructions in his will.

Here is the small, elegant tea house built in honor of a visit by Emperor Go-Mizuno-o in the 17th century:

Third stop was the Imperial Palace. Absolutely beautiful!! We were not able to go inside the buildings but some had open doors that we coould peek in.

Main Public entry:
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One of the birch roofs over another entry:

Closeup of the roof:

These roofs are made in the same manner as they always have been. 70 layers of birch bark and bamboo nails.

Looking in to the throne room across the courtyard. This is where the Emperors have previously been crowned, now they have started to do the enthronement ceremonies in the Tokyo Imperial Palace.

Interior shots of the waiting rooms for dignitaries, noblemen and courtiers:

After the Palace we went to the Kyoto Handicraft Centre where we had lunch, took a woodblock printing class and bought a kimono/dressing gown for me and Rene bought a Yukata with the Tokugawa family Hollyhock crest on it.

I think that is enough for part one. Stay tuned for more of beautiful Kyoto in part 2.
Thanks for having a look and catch you soon!!
Ciao!

Japan Part 2: Tokyo Shots

2008-04-21T16:50:00.009+10:00

Well the first part was largely photos of our trip to Fuji-san and Hakone. This part will be more about Tokyo and part 3 will be Kyoto. Part of our holidays is always spent hunting down watch and jewelry boutiques. We like to go and see things that we can't see here. We did of course go into some of the boutiques that are available here just for a look see and catalogues. One boutique that I have wanted to go to for a very long time is Harry Winston. I was very excited when I learnt there was one in Ginza. After booking an appointment we went and saw the jewels. Can't say that I was totally awestruck by what I saw....I will probably get in trouble here but a diamond is a diamond, sure the designs were pretty but where was the colour? I saw a 5 carat yellow diamond(of corse I tried it on) which was about A$1.5million and there was a very pretty cross with a pink tourmaline and diamonds, and that was about all the colour I saw. Felt a little dissappointed when we left. But I did score a couple of catalogues. Boucheron on the other hand was a mind blower. Such fantastic pieces and so much colour. Got a catalogue from them too. Went to Mikimoto and their rival Tasaki. Very lovely pieces. We missed the high end jewelry floor at both due to time. Catalogues from both. Did Cartier, Tiffany, Chaumet and Bulgari got catalogues from Chaumet, Tiffany and Cartier, forgot to get one at Bulgari. Any way how about some photos from Tokyo.... Day and evening shots from our hotel room Day and evening shots of Ginza Cartier Boutique Ginza Harry Winston Boutique Ginza Umm....let me guess...Bulgari Boutique Ginza Asakusa Shrine Meiji Jingu Shrine Shibuya...Remember this building from "Lost In Translation"? We also went to Roppongi (for the Hard Rock Cafe), Omotesando, Aoyama, Nakano and Shinjuku. A few people Rene knows who work or have worked in Tokyo are quite surprised by how much we got around. Suica cards is the best for getting around on the trains. That is it for part 2. Catch you again for part 3.

Konnichiwa!! Back from Japan Part 1

2008-04-16T15:59:00.008+10:00

On the 29th of May Rene and I left Sydney for our first visit to Japan. We flew in to Narita Airport for our first destination of Tokyo. We arrived in the evenign and just made the last Airport Limousine bus for our hotel with one minute to spare.
We stayed at the Park Hotel in Shimbashi which was very handy to Ginza and many of the train lines. Our first full day in Tokyo we went to Ginza, Nakano and Shinjuku. we were on a watch shop hunt. Once again Rene was armed with addresses of many watch boutiques while I was ready for the big jewellery boutiques.

Tokyo was fantastic with so much to see, do, eat and drink. The biggest surprise was that food wasn't as expensive as we were expecting. Breakfast was usually around A$12-A$14 for both of us, Lunch was from A$15-A$20 and dinner around A$40. You could spend more if you wanted to but generally prices were much the same as here. The big shock was the alcohol prices in bottle shops generally around 1/2 the price of alcohol here eg a bottle of Cointreau cost around A$19 and Dom Perignon Champagne was around A$125... We know what to buy next time

In one of the back streets of Ginza we found the best little coffee shop where on a very cold day we warmed up with a cointreau coffee and cake, not cheap but certainly warmed us up. This was followed by a trawl through Bulgari, Cartier Tiffany and more of the Ginza area.

On our 3rd day we woke up to find the temperature was -2 celsius but the day was clear and we looked out our hotel room window to see Fuji-San in full view.

Then we went down to catch our tour to Fuji and Hakone

After Fuji went to Hakone which is a hot spring area. There are hotels and Ryokans dotted around and a gorgeous crater lake(Lake shinoko) that we went for a short river cruise on before heading up Mt Komatagake and a cable car trip to the top. From the top we had fantastic views of the coast, the lake and Mt Fuji.

That is it for part one. More to come in part 2 including some short videos.
Thanks for having a look and catch you soon!!
Ciao!!!!

Swap Pendant for Carolyn

2008-04-16T15:46:00.004+10:00

Well finally here is the pendant that I mentioned int e previous blo. Have also included one taken by Carolyn of the earrings and the pendant together. The swap theme was include a pearl. The pendant is Argentium silver, Apatite, Aquamarine and a black pearl.

Thanks for having a look!! Catch you soon!

New Necklace!

2008-03-12T16:12:00.004+11:00

WOW isn't that a catchy title, NOT!! Well I have been a little more active with making stuff lately and managed to make a necklace with matching earrings(sort of), and a pendant for a swap. Can't show you the pendant yet because it has to be seen by the recipient first but I will put a photo in when it has been received by the person and when I get mine.
But here is the necklace and earrings. I am not sure on this, I think the chain is too chunky. Argentium Silver, Sterling Silver, Labradorite, Smoky Quartz, and Apatite. All the wire is argentium all the other is sterling.

Thanks for having a look. Catch you again soon!!!

Ciao for now!!!

Swap time

2008-03-06T15:16:00.004+11:00

Wow has it really been that long since my last post???!!!
Any way not much has been happening, booked our holiday to Japan which is now only 22 days away....YIIIPPPPEEEE
I recently took part in an earring swap on the Creative Wire Jewelry Forum for Valentines day. My swap partner was Dyan(Varuamoon)in the US and here are the earrings I made for her....
Argentium Silver, Green Agate(beautiful velvety green)and freshwater pearl.

Then the call went out for angels for people that didn't get something from their designated swap partner for any number of reasons. I was priveleged to get Carolyn(Cas) from here in Australia. So I got the wire out and whipped up another pair and here they are....
Sterling Silver, Argentium Silver, Apatite, Aquamarine, and Freshwater pearl

So what did I receive and who sent them?
These little stunners from Magdalena Borejko(her links are to the side in my favourites) Oxidised silver, Rubies, Spinels and Madeira Citrines.....

Thanks for having a look and I hope it wont be so long before my next post.
Ciao for now!!!

Paspaley Polo in the City

2007-12-09T15:42:00.000+11:00

Earlier in the week our friend Helena rang and asked if we would like to attend the Paspaley Polo in The City. We said yes and were invited along. Very interesting as neither of us knew much about Polo apart from it involving men riding horses and hitting a ball with a stick (and that Charles, William and Harry all play). We were guests in the Jaeger LeCoultre Marquee. We had a great day, wonderful canapes, great Champagne and interesting people. Must remember to wear a hat and sunscreen as I have some very interesting tan lines on my decolletage today. So here are a few photos of our Day at the Polo.

Rene enjoying a glass of Mumm Champagne

Me outside the Jaeger LeCoultre Marquee

Some of the polo action featuring the Jaeger LeCoultre team

Thanks for having a look!!

Ciao for now!!

GBR Swap item recieved

2007-12-09T15:24:00.000+11:00

Well my Great Barrier Reef swap item that I received is a very pretty pendant of sterling, coral and pearls made by Lily. Have to get a bit of chain for it to go on. Here is a photo of it.

Thankyou Lily for the lovely pendant!!!

Thanks for having a look!!
Ciao for now!

2 Forum Swaps

2007-11-21T18:25:00.000+11:00

Well I recently took part in two swaps on the Beading Forum. The first was the summer exchange where we had to make a non jewellery item. I made a bag charm for a handbag(obviously). Unfortunately I forgot to take a pic..D'oh!!!! Sterling chainmaille with swarovski and sterling dangles.

The second one which I have just sent today was for the metal/wire sections of the forum. We had a theme of Great Barrier reef and had to make a pendant. So I used some coral, aquamarines, apatite, opalite white and black pearls, sterling silver wire and goldfill wire. Here are some photos of it:

Thanks for having a look catch you soon!!!

Ciao for now!

Sydney Bead and Gem Show 2007

2007-10-15T17:08:00.000+10:00

Well the Bead and Gem show hit Sydney again last week. Unfortunately once again I only got to spend a rushed 1 hour there, but I did manage to grab a few goodies before meeting up with some of the Beading Forum girls for dinner. So here they are:

Freshwater pearls

Sterling Silver clasp with Amethyst

HUGE SmokeyQuartz

And here are a couple of photos from dinner plus a little video. We had a great Greek dinner at Orexi Souvlaki on Charles in Parramatta.

Sharyn and Anne

Abbey, Yvonne Bianca and?
.

Byzantine Variation

2007-09-13T18:02:00.000+10:00

Following on from my last post, this is now the completed necklace using the byzantine triangle. The triangle form the front and the rest of the chain is regular Byzantine. I finished it off with some Iolite stones with some aquamarine rondels on top and bottom of each stone. I was able to get a beautiful Sterling clasp with an Iolite cab from Rebecca at The stranded Bead.

I have now seen another variation of byzantine that forms a cross that will be something to try oneday. I saw it on a wonderful site called www.artthouglorious.com/ You have to go and have a look at Chad and Audrey's fabulous work.
That is it for this update. Keep well and catch you soon!!

Ciao for now!

Practice

2007-08-27T15:03:00.000+10:00

Well last week I spent quite some time looking for a tutorial for a Byzantine Triangle weave for chain maille. No luck. Today I managed to find a photo of the weave used in a chain, and thought that I may be able to just wing it. Well it worked and I am pleased to show a photo of it. Unfortunately it is slightly blurry for some reason.

So this week I cut some more rings and get cracking on a necklace incorporating these triangle segments.

Thanks for having a look and catch you later.

Ciao for now!!!

Beading Forum Swap

2007-08-03T19:23:00.000+10:00

Over on the Australian Beading Forum we have just had our first Metal/Wire Working Swap. We had a theme of Spring and had to make a pendant for around $5.00.
I made the following pendant for Alison(Pumpkinflower).....

It is made of sterling silver, freshwater pearl and a citrine.

I received from my swap sender, the VERY talented Erin Johnson, the following gorgeous pendant....

Latest Pieces

2007-07-04T06:53:00.000+10:00

Just some quick shots of a necklace I have been working on and a pair of earrings that only took me 10 minutes.

At the moment the necklace is a work in progress and the pendant part is temporarily hung on a Sterling Silver Chain. Turquoise and Coral:

Can be worn either side, so have not designated one as front and one as back.

And some turquoise drop earrings. Bit of serendipity with these, I had the cones already and they fitted the drops perfectly.

Thanks for having a look!!

Ciao for now!

Viktoria

IWC Cocktail Party

2007-06-26T15:36:00.000+10:00

Last Thursday Rene and I went along to the cocktail party for the launch of the new IWC Da Vinci watches. It was a fabulous night. It was held in the marquee where the current exhibition of Leonardo Da Vinci is being held at Fox Studios. The exhibition is of models made in Florence using Da Vinci's notes, drawings and ideas. Amazing workmanship in the models which are mostly made of wood.

Rene with the Helicopter Model

Rene and Mark

As for the watches....they were beautiful. Here is a link to IWC https://www.iwc.com/index-en.asp and about the Da Vinci watches here....
https://www.iwc.com/messepopup_2007/davinci/index-en.asp.
We met some friends there who also had invitations..Helena, Mark, Shaun, Julian and Christina, Teng and Robyn, Chris and more. We also had the pleasure of having a chat with 5 time World 500cc Motorcycle Champion Mick Doohan who we found out is the Australian brand ambassador for IWC. Great talking to him and being able to not only get an autograph but also a photo.

Rene, Mick Doohan and Me

Our Friend Helena with Mick Doohan

We had a great night despite the cold(only one heater unfortunately). Great canapes and lovely Moet. The real highlight of the evening was being able to hold and admire the new Da Vinci watches.

That is all for this time nice and short. Ciao for now!

Viktoria

Singapore and Hong Kong Holiday Part 2

2007-06-15T09:22:00.000+10:00

Well back again with another holiday post. This is edition is about everything except the beads and gems.

We left Sydney at 8am and arrived in Singapore at 2pm(Singapore time). Nice and hot there. We got our transfers to the hotel checked in, relaxed a bit, checked what time our friend Dave was picking us up and then decided to head in to Orchard road. Not much had changed in the 7 years since our last visit, just a few improvements and 1 or 2 new plazas.

Did our initial reconnaisance of some watch shops and discovered that Van Cleef and Arpels had moved in to Ngee Ann Plaza. Yippee!! A new store to visit. After our whirl wind visit to Orchard Road we returned to our hotel to get ready to meet our friend Dave who lives in Singapore. We went for a fantastic Chinese dinner at The Asia Grand. Amazing food! Really delicious bean curd with mushrooms in it and garlic and oyster sauce, So much food but all delicious. After that we went for a coffee in a cafe in Raffles city and had dessert too!

Monday and Tuesday we mainly spent working our way through two pages of watch boutuques that we had to visit and found one or two that we hadn't anticipated. We also looked inlots of other shops too. Tuesday night we went to an American steakhouse called Lawry's which was fantastic, beautifully decorated like in a grand house, and great steaks(good wine too).

Rene and I at Lawry's

Wedesday and Thursday, Rene went to work for a bit and I got time to myself(see post for Part I) and got to explore on my own a bit. Wednesday night we had dinner with Rene's new work colleagues and then Rene and I went to Raffles for a Singapore Sling. YUMMO!!!! They even let you throw the peanut shells on the floor....how decadent!

Rene enjoying a real Sling!

Me at Raffles

Thursday night our friend Dave took us out for another delicious meal followed by cocktail at the Sentosa Resort. We went to Jumbo Seafood over on te east coast and hed real Singapore chilli crab, pepper crab - the crab is cooked in a wok with black pepper, hot but a different heat to the chillies in the chilli crab. Satay chicken and noodles rounded it out. We also had a late afternoon tea at Vivocity of Singapore style tea and toast with an amazing Singapore spread on it.

This was about the best photo we were able to take of Jumbo Seafood

Me at the Sentosa Resort

Friday morning we checked out of the hotel got our transfers to the airport and took the plane to Hong Kong. This was our first time there and it was a great time. We didn't do much. Lots of wondering around, took the funicular(sounds rude doesn't it?) up to Victoria Peak. Went to watch boutiques and jewellery stores. Just did a reconnaisance of the main area really. Had dinner at Hard Rock(yes we got souvenir glasses), Japanese in our hotel for lunch was great, dinner at Ruth's Chris Steakhouse, amazing steaks and fantastic service!! Saw a movie(Pirates of The Carribeanpt3) and then after that had afternoon tea at the Peninsula Hotel. So much food for afternoon tes that we didn't need dinner.
Next time we go to Hong Kong we will definitely be going for longer 3 nights was not enough. Anyway here are a couple of photos from Hong Kong to finish this post off.

Me at Victoria Peak

Me waiting for the Peak Tram

View from the Peak Lookout

Me enjoying a cocktail at Hard Rock Cafe

That is all for now. Catch you soon!

Ciao
Viktoria

A Couple of Little Videos from Hong Kong

2007-06-13T22:11:00.000+10:00

Well I have just discovered how to put videos on to my blog(I am rather techno challenged!!!) So here they are. The first one is me on the Star ferry which I still have to email to Mum and Dad.

This next one is one Rene did when we went up Victoria Peak(wasn't it nice of them to name it after me except they got the spelling wrong!LOL)

Here is Rene at the Hard Rock Cafe when we went for a cocktail.

And here I am at the Peninsula Hotel before we had afternoon tea, but after spending some cash!! As you can see I went to the same school of presenting that Belinda Jeffries (From BHG) went to....have to learn not to smile while talking!!LOL I think a bit of lippy might have been a good idea too! At least I wore some jewellery I made myself.

Ciao for now time for bed!!

Singapore and Hong Kong Trip

2007-05-31T15:32:00.000+10:00

Well we got back on Tuesday morning after having 8 nights away from home. We spent 5 nights in Singapore and 3 in Hong Kong. It was nice and hot over there and now we are back to the cold.

Anyway while in Singapore I had plans to go bead/gem shopping. I had a nice list of places to visit but unfortunately left the list at home. So I went to the drawer in the hotel room and looked through the Yellow Pages( I have some good ideas occassionally) and jotted down a few addresses to check out. So here is my list of shops that I was able to get BUSI cards for, arranged by loation within Singapore. They are all easy to get to via the MRT or take a taxi(cheap as!).

A note on Addresses: eg #03-39... the first part(#03) means third floor and the second part(after the hyphon 39) is the shop number Building number and street comes first and then the above. B means basement.

Chinatown:

These are only a couple that I visited I had a few more addresses but ran out of time to go to them.

For gem stones:

YL Jewellery - Mr Choi
1 Park Road, People's Park Complex
#03-40A
Ph +65 6220 6206

Mason Jewellery Manufacturing and Trading
1 Park Road, Peoples Park Complex
#03-K75
Ph +65 6538 1126

Swarovski and general beads and findings:

Mix and Match Merchandise
101 Upper Cross Street
#02-69 Peoples Park Centre
Ph +65 6532 0181

Hearten Beads House
101 Upper Cross Street
#B1-72 Peoples Park Centre
Ph +65 6226 3440

Peoples Park Complex and Peoples Park Centre are two different buildings.

Tools:

Kwong Seng Hardware
28 Mosque Street
Ph+ 65 6533 6951
This small looking shop has a good range of jewellers tools at great prices!

My purchases from Kwong Seng Hardware: ring mandrel, small anvil and wire gauge, this cost me SGD$59(about A$47).

There are another couple of tool shops in the area if you check the phone book.

Orchard Road and around:
Orchard Road is one of the main shopping strips in Singapore with block after block of shopping malls.

Two shops on Bencoolen Street which is close to Orchard Road:

Bead Hub
91 Bencoolen Street
#01-17 Sunshine Plaza
Ph +65 6223 3662
Website www.beadhub.com

EGems
91 Bencoolen Street
#01-10 Sunshine Plaza
Ph +65 9730 3789

Blue Chalcedony from Sancy and Peridot(3.5carats) and Citrine from EGems. SGD$185 for this lot!

Lucky Plaza has an amazing number of small jewellers shops that have ready made jewellery, unset gemstones and semi precious bead strands.

Sancy Jewellery
304 Orchard Road
#B1-102 Lucky Plaza
Ph +65 6734 6832

Gems & Gold Jewellery
304 Orchard Road
#B1-62 Lucky Plaza
Ph +65 6738 4018

Jen'sJewellery
304 Orchard Road
#B1-158/157 Lucky Plaza
Ph +65 6235 7551

Eng Tai Jewellery Trading Co
304 Orchard Road
#B1-86/83 Lucky Plaza
Ph +65 7327831

Diamond House
545 Orchard Road
#01-16 Far East Shopping Centre
Ph +65 6235 2395

Scotts Road off Orchard

Swan Jewelry Pte Ltd
14 Scotts road
#03-117 Far East Plaza
Ph+65 6734 5159

Sollani Jewellers Pte Ltd
14 Scotts Road
#03-109 Far East Plaza
Ph +65 6235 1292
Web www.sollanijewellers.com

Goldie Jewellery
14 Scotts Road
#03-68 Far East Plaza
Ph +65 6734 2725

Traders Gems Pte Ltd
1 Sotts Road
#03-09 Shaw Centre
Ph +65 6235 1789

For more addresses on Singapore bead shops visit Battra's web site/blog. Here is the link: http://www.battra.org/category/beads/singapore-beads-stores/

This was the list I forgot to take with me, I will not forget it next time!!!

This is it for part one of my holiday report
Catch you soon.

Ciao for now!!!

No Wolves on the Way to Grandma's

2007-04-05T09:48:00.000+10:00

Had a quick trip up to my Nan's to visit her and Dad and to drop birthday presents for Mum and my Aunt. Stopped in at the fabulous LAKES FOLLY Vineyard for a taste and to pick up our box of vino. We had a bottle of the Cabernets with dinner last night and it was fantastic!!!

Ended up making a bracelet for my Aunt and put the pendant with the bracelet for my Mum as they matched really well. So made my Aunt a Euro 4 in 1 three row bracelet in Sterling and Gold Fill with a Bali toggle. Here it is:

Had coffee with Nan and Aunty Pam and heard all about Aunty Pam and Uncle Hunter's trip to Vietnam. Then went to Sue's for a few hours chatted, got to see some of the pottery pieces she is working on. Teapots of all different shapes a fanastic looking boat, a violin and some helms inspired by ancient warriors complete with "damage" from weapons. These were all in the drying stages and I can't wait to see them fired.

Also got to meet her Pugs, Don and Mrs Bourke. They were so cute!!

Mrs Bourke:

Don (on Right) and Mrs Bourke:

On the way home stopped in at Binnorie Dairy and tried some of their fresh cheeses, yummy.Bought a bottle of Labna which is a cheese made from yoghurt.

Anyway have to get ready for work. Ciao for now and hope you have a happy, and safe Easter with family and friends. Don't eat to much Chocolate!!!
Catch you later!

Busy Making Presents

2007-03-29T10:20:00.000+10:00

Well have been busy getting some presents ready for Mum and Sue(my Aunt) for their birthdays next month. Still have to find the right clasp for Mum's bracelet and I think I might embellish the bail on Sue's pendant with a bit of wire weaving and maybe a pearl or something. I'll see what happens when the muse hits me(hopefully not with a baseball bat!!LOL)

This particular chain maille weave is called Parallel Helm. I have made these in Sterling silver and GF so they have a nice two tone look.

Not much else has been happening. Settling in at the new job and enjoying it very much.

That is it for today and hopefully Mum and my Aunt don't have a look here before their birthdays!!
Ciao for now, catch you soon!!

Last Day, First Day Plus a New Pendant

2007-03-07T10:44:00.000+11:00

Well my last day at RSGC was on Monday. Bit sad to go as they were a great bunch of people to work with. It was nice to work in a place that has some real history behind it. Any way here are some photos I took of some of the people I worked with. I do have a few more but they are on my mobile and I have to work out how to load them onto my computer.

Amy, Alanna, Roxanne, Me and Arianne

Patricia, Nam, Amy, Alanna, Roxanne and Arianne

Loryn and Viet

Gary, Leanne, Tony and Me

Belinda, Ryan, Me, Gary, Loryn, Charlie and Leeanne

First day at the new job at Canterbury Hurlstone Park RSL yesterday was good. Had a short day (9am to 2pm) met most of the guys and gals in the kitchen. Today I start in the Fernhill Bistro which will be interesting part a la carte and part ready cooked in bain marie.

And lastly here is a pendant that I finally finished last week, I did it in stops and starts over two weeks. From a tutorial from Remy at http://www.studioheath.com/tutorials.php. I really learnt a lot while making this and look forward to making another one. Here it is:

Little Miss Stormy: Sterling Silver and Labradorite cabochon......

Thanks for having a look!

Catch you soon, ciao for now!

Resigned And Other Stuff

2007-02-20T17:04:00.000+11:00

Well yesterday I officially resigned from my current job to start a new one in two weeks. I will be taking a step up the cheffing ladder to a chef de partie position. New work place is a lot closer to home (10 minutes away) and will save a lot of travel time and I will generally be home by 930pm, YIPPEEE!

On to other news.

Made a gorgeous GF Byzantine chain bracelet as an order for Rosalind at work. This is the same as Mum's that I made for Christmas and forgot to take a photo of.....so here is the photo(still can't take a good photo of jewellery LOL)......

Work has started on the front of our house with cracks in the mortar being refilled and the corbel being straightened out. We will also be having some pretty lace work put on and some steel bars(brick stitching) placed in the wall to help it not to crack anymore. Will take some photos of the work as it goes along.

Well that is it for today catch you soon!! Ciao!!

BIG Month of dining out

2007-01-29T10:03:00.000+11:00

Well we have had a great month so far. We have tried a few new restaurants and went to Opera in the Domain on Saturday night.
First cab off the rank was Tabou restaurant on Crown Street in Surry Hills. Fantastic food and service. Tried pigs trotters stuffed with quail, YUMMY. Rene had duck terrine. Mains I had duck breast and Rene had boudin noir. I tried the boudin but not my cup of tea, it was nice very fluffy rather than firm.
Next to try was Doyles at Watson's Bay. We had heard a few bad reports aboutDoyles but we have been wanting to go for a long time and that night we wanted somewhere with water views so that decided us. Seafood platter for two ($98) cheap as, with a nice bottle of Louis Roderer champagne. Big surprise was that not only did I eat the seafood I do like(prawns, lobsters, calamari) but I also ate the very fresh fish and the crabs. Still not keen on smoked salmon but ate it anyway(prefer gravlax). Great night, great service and great food and the champagne wasn't too shabby either(actually it was fantastic and a reasonable price).
Then we went to one of our favourites Wood and Stone in Surry Hills just for some nice gourmet pizzas and a bottle of the sparkly stuff.
Australia day saw us trek into the city. We saw lots of lovely vintage cars at the NRMA motor fest in Macquarie Street. Walked down to the rocks couldn't get a table at another of our favouries The Waterfront, so we kept walking and ended up at Nick's Seafood at King Street Wharf. Food was good but a tad on the high priced side for what you got. Wine was an okay price but it was one of our favourites(Tyrell's Vat 1 semillon if you must know), service was a bit so so, decor and ambience made you feel like you were in an up market fish and chip shop. Glasses were a bit of a let down. If you are going to have a $65 bottle of wine you really want some good glassware to dink it from, not something that looks and feels like it comes from Ikea.
Saturday night we saw Turandot under the clouds in the Domain. Wonderful night with our picnic and a bottle of wine. We had wanted to see Turandot last year before we left for our holiday but unfortunately they were booked out but we finally got to see it on the weekend. Tried Dutch Poffertjes which are like a little pancake, you select a topping(played it safe and had maple syrup) and cream or icecream, YUMMY. It was a bit chilly during the evening so Rene poked a hole in one of the garbage bags and put it on like a poncho, I just sat there and braved the chill. Next year we will make sure to throw jackets in just in case.
Last night we trekked over to Manly. First time we have actually driven over there. We had a lovely dinner at White Water restaurant on the beach front. This has to have been one of the best value meals we have had in a while.2 entrees, 2 mains, dessert to share and a bottle of wine $150(and that includes Sunday surcharge). Everythign about this restaurant was fantastic, food, ambience, service etc. We will definitely be going back again!!
Anyway that's enough for now.
Ciao, and catch you soon!!!

Sunny Saturday in Sydney

2007-01-06T10:55:00.000+11:00

Well here we are again. It is looking and feeling a bit more like summer today. Not a cloud in the sky, just blue and more blue.

Thought I would post some photos of jewellery I have made over the past few months.

Let's start with things I have made Mum.......

Rutilated quartz, Sterling and Bali Silver...

Rhodolite Garnets, GF wire and a little bit of 18K chain...

Nan......
Antique brass and amethyst coloured czech crystal...

And other bits and pieces for me and for other people...

Pearl's Garden, Serpentine, Quartz crystal drops Bali silver and sterling silver...

Sodalite and Black nickel chain and findings, with a few vintage clear crystals...

Lisa's...
Cinnabar beads and black nickel, one of the first sets I made...

Then Lisa had a friend who wanted the same style but blue stones. This one I called Mermaid warrioress..Black nickel, Blue Chalcedony, Blue Calcite and Vintage clear crystals...

My first go at stringing, onyx beads with a glass starfish...

Any way I think that is enough for today. Now I have to get ready to do my real job that finances my hobby. Have a great weekend!!

Ciao till next time.
Viktoria

my first blog post

2007-01-03T11:30:00.000+11:00

Well I have finally got my very own blog.
Had a good christmas and a quiet new year's eve. We went to my Nan's for Christmas day and surprised her as she was not expecting us. We made up for my parents not being able to make it. Was really looking forward to seeing Mum and Dad as we didn't get up the coast to see them last year. Maybe this year we will get there. Christmas eve was spent with my sister in law and her husband on the central coast. We celebrate in the European tradition on Christmas eve and then have usually have an Aussie Christmas on Christmas day.

Here are some photo's of jewellery I made for christmas presents:

Nan...amethyst rounds, antique brass components, resin butterfly cameo

Nieces, Yvonne and Sue...Sterling silver chain maille with Swarovski Crystal Butterflies

My cousin Zeeane...sterling silver bali hearts with Swarovski Crystal bicones

My nephew Kyle...PVC necklet with Soo Chow jade axe

My niece Jerry-Lea...Tiger eye drop, sterling silver bail, PVC necklet

Yvonne's big present( the earrings above were stocking fillers) Antique brass and Swarovski Crystal

That's it for today. Now to catch up with a friend for some coffee. Catch you soon!!!