Friday is my day: Toosis

The weather looks good in Istanbul today, I don't want to travel anywhere. So let's meet Pinar from toosis.etsy.com living in Istanbul. She makes silver jewelry using precious stones, sterling silver and gold. I am not a great jewelry person but I have to admit that there is something in her rings that makes my socks turn and rock...

What a difference a day makes 24 hours a day…


Hello, I was honored and exited when Heli asked me to prepare for her Fridays fun at her blog. I am an architect and work in my families’ business. I also design jewelry with silver and gemstones. I feel lucky to live in Istanbul where I can easily find any supply I need directly for the source. Friday’s are like my fun days because I work at my office Monday to Thursday and leave Friday’s for my jewelry designing process….

Today on my way to buy supplies I planned to stop at the exhibit of Miniature Rooms by Henry Kupjack at Rahmi Koç Museum

These rooms are 1/12 scale.

This one is a an old time pub.

when looked closely feels like a real room…

They are exhibiting 21 of these small rooms here… and I enjoyed looking in each and every one.

I couldn’t resist this Pink Cadillac at the museum.

I buy most of my supplies form KapaliBazzar in Sultanahmet / ISTANBUL

I need some turquoise.

And some onyx stones for my new designs. It’s hard to choose lots of different cuts and shapes to look at. Isn’t this fun….

I spent too many time shopping. Just grabbed a sandwich on my way to work.
Here is my office desk. After I check my mails, I usually browse my etsy shop http://toosis.etsy.com/

This is where I design and create… I admit that I tidied before taking the picture :)

These are my last three pieces. I can’t stop making more and more of these huge rings.

Can I wear all of them at the same time? Probably not…

A picture of Galata Kule on my way home…

And another beautiful siluet of Istanbul on my way back…

My boys are back from school and I have made home just on time… Now its play time for us until their bed time…

Lots of Love,
Pinar Sondal
www.toosis.com/english
http://toosis.etsy.com/


Happy weekend to you all :)

Friday is my day: Nanouke

Portugal, ah Portugal! Here we come! Today we are horoned to meet Nanouke, -the geologist doing her masters of engineering- who once said that when she has graduated and she has a fabulous job and lot money she will come to Etsy and buy all our handmade stuff! Come on Ana, study hard and study quick! :P

Besides studying she makes very cute and girly wire knitting rings, bracelets, necklaces. Please visit her etsy shop nanouke.etsy.com

8h10
This is me waking up, after 5 hours of sleep.
See how brave I am showing you this ugly face?
I’m not a morning person, I usually wake up really cranky.

But then, something miraculous happens, I pour some coffee into my sleepy body and I get OK!


8h30
I eat my breakfast in front of the computer, as all etsy addicts do, and I say hello to my fellow EST members

Browsing around etsy always make me lose my sense of time, so I find myself late again for work.

9h00
I pack my bag that I bought from
kraplap.etsy.com , (isn’t it gorgeous?) with my laptop and other stuff woman put on their bags, like needles, wire and stuff like that.

All dressed up and ready to leave home to work!
Aha, kidding, I didn’t go out looking like this!
But I sure look good.

I drive to work, and this is the car my dad gave me (it was his) when my Renault Twingo died (R.I.P.). It’s a Renault Laguna from 1998, it’s very big for me, but it’s a nice car and I get to work in 20 minutes.


I work at a brick factory, I’m a Geologist and I’m responsible for the Lab, the clay extraction and sometimes I get to do things that have nothing to do with geology. And that’s fun.

9h20
I arrive to work and spend all morning doing boring office stuff, I have a report due by next week and I have to review all the numbers referring to the quantities of clay we use.
I spend all morning doing this, with some peeks at etsy now and then J

12h30
It’s lunch time.
My co workers brought their lunch, but I was lazy, so I went to this little place I go sometimes, very quiet, to eat a burger.
I love my office pals, Sandra and Maria de Jesus, we get along great and I love them both.

13h00
I get back from my burger and it’s such a sunny day! We have been having so much rain and grey days lately, that seeing the sun makes me happy. It’s very cold today though.
Down there is where I work.

Since I have 1 hour left to spare, I take some pictures of my new stuff

It’s feels really good not having to go to Lisbon to classes, the semester is over, now it’s exams and papers time, so I just have to study and I take all the little spare time I get to do that.
I’m taking my Masters on Geological and Mining Engineering, and there’s a lot of Math going on there.

14h
I’ll spend my entire afternoon on the Lab, doing lab things, like creating new clay monsters and developing mass destruction weapons.

I get to walk around the factory, and I have to tell you, I love working at a factory.
I also have some great co workers that saw me taking pictures and wanted to say hi to you:

See the dust? I get orange after a day’s work..

At 18h30 it’s time to drive back home.

19h00

I get home and I take a shower. Back then, when I didn’t work at a factory, I always took my showers in the mornings.
Now there’s no point on doing that, I get all dirty and orange.
So I take my shower and put on my pajamas

I have to study, so I study until dinner (21h00) and then I just lay around in the couch watching Law and Order and browsing the internet.
No crafting today… too tired.
At 00h I go to sleep, ready for another day!
Bubyes!

Friday is my day: Dindi

Today let's travel to Germany and meet Erna aka Dindi, the quote queen. Dindi makes handmade and reworked jewelry and usually you will find a very wise or fun quote handstamped on them. Now please sit comfortably, have your coffee/tea/light coke(hi Renate) /water or whatever and watch Dindi's day from her video (and watch carefully there is tiny surprises).

dindi.etsy.com


Weekends don't count unless you spend them doing something completely pointless.
~Bill Watterson

Go and have a pointless weekend :)

Friday is my day: Pamela Angus

Today we meet glass artist Pamela Angus from France on her Christmas day. Makes me just a little envious to see all that beauty in her place...
Pam makes the most cutest Dandy birds in the world and other beautiful glass art as well :)

PamelaAngus.etsy.com

8.15 am
Wake-up slowly as we don't set the alarm clock these days.I leave
Aaron and the cat sleeping and go downstairs and switch on the
computer.I check my Etsy shop, emails, blog and networking sites,
meanwhile Aaron gets up, showers, empties the dishwasher and brings me
some coffee (it takes me awhile to actually get started in the mornings!)

9.30 am
I get dressed and go to my studio to package some stars that need to be
sent to Germany today

I take a look at recent supplies for some garlands and write a list of
ribbons and beads I need for them.I'm going to the city today so I
try and fit in a little supply shopping each time I go there.

10.15 am
We set off for Grenoble (about 40 kms away) via the post office at St
Pierre d'Allevard.   I still need to buy christmas pressies for Aaron
and some friends, I spend my time on the journey wondering what to buy...

11.10 am
In Grenoble, and I hurry off on my own to shop..... what to buy? what to
buy??    I get easily distracted by the pretty shop windows ....

12. 15 pm
Aaron calls me whilst I'm sneakily buying myself a new skirt and top for
Christmas ...feel a little guilty I've only purchase 2 little gifts for
him so far....we meet for lunch in our usual haunt, the Cafe de la
Table Ronde (http://le-guide.com/restaurants/cafedelatableronde.html).
It's the 2nd oldest cafe in France, relaxed and unpretentious, and
reminds me of an old Irish bar.It's busy already but we get a cosy
little table at the back of the cafe.

2.00 pm
The shopping continues....again I get distracted a little too much by
shiny things in windows :)

I find time to buy ribbons and visit my favourite little bead shop in
old Grenoble-it even has a grotto with a fish pond at the back of the
shop (makes buying sequins more fun !)

4.00 pm
Some frantic panic buying later and I'm all done.I call Aaron and we
meet up for hot chocolate before going home.

4.40 pm
On the way home, and the Belledonne looks pretty in pink wintery sunlight.

6.00 pm
Home to peace and quiet, the fire is lit, I switch on the fairy lights,
relax with a glass of bubbles and wrap a few of the presents.

7.40 pm
We grab some bottles of champagne and  hastily arrange party food and
drive over to our friends Franck and Janine's  house on the other side
of the mountain.This will be their little boy's first Christmas:)
They leave us a note on their door..

8.05pm
Cheers and Merry Christmas!!we eat, drink, and exchange presents :)

12.05 am
We arrive back to a snowy and sleepy hamlet, pretty with fairylights and
I make a mental note to decorate our own house next year!.Time for
bed.Merry Christmas!!!!

have a dandy weekend :D