Red poppies are still here

Despite the fast that Remembrance day is behind the image of a red poppy is still exciting many minds. It seems to be a timeless classic now ad it is a shame that there are such sad associations with this othewise cheerful and summery flower.
Here is the freshest treasury on Etsy featuring one of my intense red poppies

'Red poppy' by elenasilimyankina

Poppy hairclip/brooch - x1 p... CharlotteAlexa... $5.95	Pleated Bag // Shoulder Purs... lireca $35.00	Giant flower,Large paper pop... adornflowers $18.00	Retro Style Red Poppy Corsag... madebylolly $7.99
Red poppy brooch, handmade p... PresentPerfect... $19.00	Felted brooch Red poppy- Fl... jurooma $21.00	Felted wool flower brooch R... wool4dreams $20.00	Original oil painting Red Po... PrankePainting... $240.00
Red poppy flower hair clip o... itsashorething $5.95	Gorgeous Vintage Poppy Butto... mnbuttonlady $4.50	Brooch silk needle point lac... guldemirdinc $45.00	MADE to ORDER - CUSTOMIZABLE... GiadaCortellin... $20.00
Cyber Monday Sale - Red Popp... HelenSilkFlori... $48.00	Felted purse with giant popp... oprisanalina69 $115.00	Felted Bag Poppy Bag Handbag... filcant $189.00	Poppy flowers-Set of 2 bobb... HansHolzkopf $12.00

Treasury tool supported by the dog house

Black Beauty Treasury and Cyber Monday SALE

My black silk and lace butterfly fascinator has been featured today in this gorgeous treasury by Stacy on Etsy! What's more, you can purchase it now with a 15% discount as part of my Cyber Monday promotion. Just use BLACKNCYBER15 promocode at the checkout :-)

'Black Beauty' by StacyRenee09

There is beauty in darkness.

Black Knit triangular shawl-... Sissta $80.00	Handmade paper flowers Black... ilovethis $6.00	The Black CAT black lace cuf... angelinadesign $21.90	Black Butterfly and Oxidized... sweetpomegrana... $20.00
Black skeleton leaf earrings... KimMcCallJewel... $12.00	Dress Murcia, victorian, edw... SomniaRomantic... $249.00	Black Rose Earrings, Black F... mlwdesigns $15.00	Bound Black Lolita Corset St... ZenAndCoffee $26.00
Womens Shirts Top Tank Tuni... jewellerybijou $46.00	Onyx Necklace Black Necklace... DoxyDame $22.00	Skirt Alicante black lace, v... SomniaRomantic... $129.00	Cyber Monday Etsy Gothic wed... Attractive1 $50.00
Black Jewelry Black Rose Rin... LimonBijoux $15.00	Black Lace elegant gothic vi... DarkDestiny $18.00	Cyber Monday sale butterfly ... PresentPerfect... $60.00	Black delicate lace shawl. 4... noavider $45.00

Treasury tool supported by the dog house

BLACK FRIDAY & CYBER MONDAY

Tomorrow is the fourth Thursday of November which means it is Thanksgiving Day in the US. But what a lot of people are waiting for is Friday, or as it is called Black Friday, which  traditionally marks the beginning of the Christmas shopping season. To make shoppers even more excited  since 2005 on-line sellers have got their own version of brick-and-mortar Black Friday which is called Cyber Monday. Cyber Monday is a marketing term for the following Monday after Black Friday, the Friday following Thanksgiving in the United States, created by companies to persuade people to shop on-line.
Etsy is running a huge campaign for both, Black Friday and Cyber Monday, supporting sellers’ site-wide promotions throughout the 11/23 – 11/26 weekend.
I am pleased to offer a 15% discount on a ready-to ship range of accessories at my ETSY SHOP , not including the items which are currently on sale. To get your 15% discount use  BLACKNCYBER15 coupon code  at the checkout between 22 and 27 November 2012.
It is a very good chance to purchase something you have liked and always wanted to get ☺

This headband is on promotion and can be purchased here

1 year later: how to measure my progress?

I made my first ever flower about a year ago. In fact it was not even a pure silk flower as I started with a so-called "soft technique" which presupposes the use of polyester fabrics with a completely different set of qualities. That first rose seemed to be so beautiful and wonderful at the time and I was very proud of it. But now I would like to talk about poppies, by far my best-seller and a very popular flower here and back in Russia. So let's compare my first poppy made of stretch satin (polyester) and my last poppy made of pure silk and cotton velvet to see how much progress can be made in a year.
Here is my first attempt, which again looked perfect at the time and  I wore it with pride:

And this is my last one, hand painted silk and velvet + a bit of fairy dust ☺:

So which one do you like most? Or maybe you like both? They are very different after all...

Preparing for Christmas. Not long to go

Now only lazy can ignore all the preparations for the coming Christmas: decorated shops, Chrtistmas cards everywhere, butchers taking order for Christmas turkeys etc.
Despite Remembrance poppies,a couple of craft fairs and some orders I need to work on Christmas designs have not been forgotten. So far I have tried two iconic Christmas plants which are holly and poinsettia. And yes there is a way of making fur trees out of velvet but I am not just sure I will have time to try it ☺ It looks a very time-consuming adventure!
I created poinsettia out of pure silk satin which I hand painted in rich reds and hot pinks. The flower is rather big (about 15 cm across) and is finished with a brooch base.

For the holly corsage I used cotton poplin in dark green and some hand painted pure silk satin for the little berries. The brooch looks very sweet and immediately reminds you of Christmas!

I am thinking about making other fantasy flowers which can decorate festive outfits at parties and corporate celebrations. Should stock on beads and feathers then! :-)

Remembrance poppies

Welcome to November :-)

And as we all know in 10 days, on 11th November, Britain and other countries of Europe and Commonwealth are observing Remembrance Day, which is also known as Poppy Day or Armistice Day. 

Remembrance Day is observed to remember those who died as a result of World War I.

The red remembrance poppy has become a familiar emblem of Remembrance Day. Red poppies are worn on blazers, shirts, jumpers and other items of clothing on Remembrance Day. Poppies were among the first plants that came from the battlefields of northern France and Belgium during World War I. Some people believed the popular myth that poppies were rich in their redness because they blossomed from grounds that were saturated with soldiers’ blood. 

Red poppy flowers are mentioned in one of the most popular and most quoted poems from the World War  I, "In Flanders Fields", written by Canadian physician and Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae. 

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

Both the poem and poppy have remained prominent Remembrance Day symbols.

Here are some of the pictures of red poppies I have created for Remembrance Day. For every poppy I sell I will donate £1 to British Legion 

Remembrance Day poppy pin

These two poppies have been made of synthetic rich red satin and can be purchased in my shop on Etsy.

But if you wish you can always order the iconic hand painted silk poppy  like this one:

With my best wishes,

Your Svetlana