Beaded Eggs & Greeting Cards

Beaded Eggs by Vira Pavlova-Witkowska, Lviv, Ukraine

as seen in "A Conversation on Ukrainian-Style Beadwork with Maria Rypan",

BEADWORK, Oct/Nov 2009

Best wishes for a Happy and Blessed Easter full of peace, health and God's blessings. May you enjoy a springtime full of creativity.

Last week I created a greeting card with the above image as an Easter/note card. There were a lot of people to thank in the past two months of travel and presentations, bead shows and workshops. Alberta Council for Ukrainian Arts (ACUA), Edmonton and all the museums; Kule Folklore Centre at the University of Alberta, Grand River Beads and Gift Gallery, OH; Beads N'More and Hall of Fame Bead Guild, OH; GLBG, MI; Canadian Oasis Shows to name a few.

If you'd like to purchased beaded eggs or cards, please let me know. I have a few of Vira's eggs, as well as cards for sale. This just could be a start of a new line...

Happy Easter,

Maria

Frosty Magic in Edmonton

Have you ever seen anything like it? This is Mother Nature's handiwork outside my hosts Sonia and John's home. It happened on a bright sunny morning in the north end of Edmonton. It's hoare frost on the weeping birch tree and the mountain ash with a bird feeder. Amazing... what an inspiration for beaded Twig Cascades and Twig Willows.

Upcoming "White Aster" Photo Album

Maria & Iryna Senyk review fashion sketches, 1990

I'm strolling down memory lane while putting together a Photo Album of Iryna Senyk's “White Aster of Love” Book Project by the UCWLC St. Demetrius Branch, Toronto (1989 - 1992 and beyond).

This will be an on-screen photo show which will retell the story of how the Project mushroomed from simply designing dresses from smuggled fashion sketches of a former political prisoner from Ukraine in 1989 to having her poetry translated and published in a deluxe art book. I was the fashion designer of the “Iryna Senyk” embroidered dresses, did the layout and design of the “White Aster of Love” book, produced a Gala Premiere Book Launch at the Marriott Hotel in 1992 and subsequent travelling "Tribute to Iryna" slide show. I will be presenting the Powerpoint "Album" Monday, Feb. 8th, 8. p.m. at the UCWLC meeting at St. Demetrius Church in Toronto. I hope my tribute to Senyk, whose poetry, fashion sketches and miniature embroideries inspired the bilingual "White Aster" book, will remind the ladies how the League's involvement brought Senyk's poetry and embroidery to the world.

Folks will be amazed by the scope and breadth of this project. All welcome.

Art of Gerdan - Edmonton

From Feb 11 to 15th I'll be doing my own mini Olympics in Edmonton as guest of Alberta Council for the Ukrainian Arts (ACUA) “Art of Gerdan”.

I'll be giving two presentations and beading workshops at each of three cultural venues. Looking forward to visiting the Kule Folklore Centre at the University of Alberta. The Ukrainian Catholic Women's League of Canada Edmonton Eparchy at Josaphat's Cathedral and Ukrainian Museum of Canada at St. John's Cultural Centre both have Museum Tours included with the "Art of Gerdan" event. Everyone interested in beading is welcome to come. Be sure to register for workshops. Click for brochure. For details by date, visit Canadian Events.

Christmas Concert

When in Toronto, I sing in a church choir. Sunday, Jan 10th, St. Demetrius Ukrainian Catholic Church Choir and Musicus Bortnianskii had a Christmas Concert of the most beautiful, rarely heard carols in N.A. Our conductor, Myron Maksymiw, manages to find rare gems and works hard to get us to tell the stories with our voices, intonations.

We were joined by the "Zoloti Struny" (Golden Strings) bandurist ensemble. Special guests from Ukraine played ancient carols on the "tsymbaly", a dulcimer-like instrument, and the "sopilka", a wooden wind instrument. They too were wonderful!! Each group had a little girl, who like an angel, rang a little bell perfectly! Every one was in awe. The evening was an absolute success!

Our modern church was beautifully decked out for Christmas. The choir ladies wore embroidered blouses, each one a work of art. I'm second from the right and here is my "sorochka" up close.

"Sorochka", late XIX-early XX century, Ukraine

Wool thread embroidery and seed beads on homespun even-count fabric.

The blouse has an added plain underskirt meant to be worn with an overwrap and finished with a wide "krajka" sash.

Close-up of sleeve head. "Kucheryavyj" (curly stitch) embroidery with seed bead embellishment

Christmas Beaded Tree ornament

This is a great ornament for Ukrainian Christmas Eve! As you can see, the Beaded Tree looks great when it's hanging freely. Beads were playfully strung on fine wire inside a metal cut-out attached to a burnished copper shape. A large bead above the tree serves as the topper and connection to the hook for hanging this fun ornament.

To those who celebrate according to the Julian calendar, best wishes for a Blessed Christmas.

Радісних Свят Різдва Христового та Щасливого Нового Року!

Веселих Свят!

Jo-Ann's Snowflake ornament

This Snowflake was a gift from my friend and samplemaker Jo-Ann. It's netting, beadweaving, at it's best. The little red stars are a R.A.W. detail which makes this snowflake one-of-a-kind.