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My name is Ann Braginsky; I was born and raised in the beautiful city of Kharkov in Ukraine. Since 1997 I have live in Israel, and I believe it's my second homeland, beautiful and inviting.

I grew up in a family of handmade lovers. My mother and grandmother always sewed, knitted and embroidered, and from my childhood I gradually have taken over their knowledge. To tell the truth, I've never thought that one of the craft types would become my profession.

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In 2006 I was fascinated by beading. Prior to that, even using beads in embroidery or knitting, I thought of beads only as of things, which can be applied when decorating other handmade works and didn't dare to start learning beadweaving techniques. Once a friend of mine who has long been involved in this craft area helped me saying, "Just give it a try and you'll like it!"

Many bead artists say that beads look like small bricks. A large number of techniques, different methods and variations make it possible to create something new each time. The flexibility of beads as material with its variety of colors and the ability to create different textures helps me to embody the diversity of my creative ideas.

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Except different types of crafts, I always loved to draw, was interested in the history and culture of the peoples of the world. These hobbies help me get inspiration and ideas for my designs; you will find their influence in many of my beadworks.

Since 2007 I've been working in a store for handicrafts, now as a teacher and designer, I design and create collections for the classes held in the store. 2012 was a milestone for me: my necklace "Stormy Petrel" won the Second Place in the Bead Dreams contest in the Seed Bead Jewelry Category and my necklace "New Age Valkyrie" won the Second Place in the international Battle of the BeadSmith tournament.

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I've got a lot of plans for the 2013th. The themes "Stormy Petrel" and "Valkyrie" will continue in new collections. I'm preparing publications that will be released in books and magazines, there are also a few exhibitions and competitions in my schedule. One of my goals is to show that beaded jewelry is not things from grandmother's trunk or for a narrow range of enthusiasts, or museum exhibits, but that using them you can create a new image and transfer the mood - at work, at a meeting with friends and at a party - every time.

That is why I launched a joint project with the well known Israeli stylist Alona Stoev, where beaded jewelry will be combined with fashionable clothes. Several other projects are under discussion and preparation. I hope that all this will come true!

My gallery on MyLovelyBeads.com

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