Shopping in Kadikoy

I was off to Kadikoy this week to look for art supplies.  I wasn't the only one out on the streets, this cute crocodile was also out.  I don't recall seeing him before, but he does look like he is part of an important marker in Kadikoy.

 One of the first bead shops I patronized in Istanbul is "bijuland".  They have all sorts of base metal beads and findings as well as beads made of glass, plastic, wood, stone, felt and crystal.  Lots of completed projects are displayed for inspiration.  Beads can be purchased individually or in small packages for seed beads.

 The metal beads come in all sorts of designs, some of which are Turkish designs and Istanbul landmark designs.

 bijuland's original shop is located at Nailbey Sokak No. 40, ...

 and their second shop is just up the same street at number 13.  It is best to stop in both shops to make sure you have seen everything possible.

 A new shop in Kadikoy is "More Than Soap", which has a nice selection of handmade soaps utilizing natural ingredients.  A key is available to help you determine which of the interesting scents meets your needs.  I went for the soap named "Turkish hamam", which is the Turkish bath.  It has a very clean scent.

On their website, www.morethansoap.com you can enter your age, sex and type of skin and receive a list of recommended products.  

 And I did make it to the art supply shop, "Guven Sanat" and found the correct paper for my art class.  They have a great selection of papers, canvases, paint, pastels and anything else artsy that you can think of.  www.guvensanat.com

Bead shopping

On yesterday's list of things to do, was a stop in a bead shop to purchase additional chalcedony beads for a necklace I am making.  Also, I wanted to find some similar, smaller and rounder beads to be the pomegranate seeds of a recycled tin brooch that is forming in my mind.  There are many bead and silver jewelry shops just outside Istanbul's  Grand Bazaar.  The jewelry shops can be wholesale only, but the bead shops are open to all!    

                             

I went to Onur Inci to find my magenta chalcedony.  They did not have the size I wanted, but did have a smaller diameter, which I decided was just fine.  And I found a dark pink chalcedony to use as the pomegranate seeds.  In another shop, I was attracted to a bright, light green strand of beads - calcite, which has been colored using laser technology.  Not sure what that means, but all shops are now saying that all beads are sourced in China.  It looks like stone and feels like a stone, but only the Chinese know for sure.

The Grand Bazaar is an old, massive, covered shopping area which will be featured another day, but here is one of the many entrances and the one by the bead shops.  Yucel Bufe offers fresh squeezed orange and pomegrante juices as well as hot sandwiches.

Another vendor has cut open some pomegranates to entice patrons to order the delicious juice.

I am pleased with the pink beads for the pomegranate brooch.  They look very close to the real thing.  But now that I see the beads I bought for three seperate projects, I like the look of them together - coloring of a fushia plant.  Possibilities are endless when it comes to beads!