Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Color Report: Bamboo

Today we're kicking off our second color series of the year by looking at Pantone's top 10 colors for Fall 2011. It's never too early to start thinking about the hot colors for the upcoming season, but since most of us are just starting to enjoy the summertime, we will start with the colors from this list that are easily adaptable to a summer outfit as well. Today we look at bamboo, a darker, but still quite rich shade of yellow.






So, are you ready to get a jump on your outfits for the fall? Future posts in this color series will include clothing and other fashion accessories so that you can create the perfect fall ensemble. 

All jewelry items featured above were created by members of the Starving Jewelry Artists Team. SATeam members create handcrafted jewelry and beads. More information about our team and its current shop owner members can be found at SATEAM.etsy.com and here on ArtFire.

Monday, June 27, 2011

Who writes poems?

“It is the formidable character of the species to routinely seek the improbable, the difficult, even the impossible, as a source of pleasure and self-justification. Who would try to write poems, or novels, or paint pictures unless he is an optimist?”Lionel Tiger

Sunday, June 26, 2011

June Blog Carnival

I can't belive it's already the end of June.  Where did the month go? 

Since it is the end of the month, it's time for the SATeam blog carnival.  Our blog carnival is when members of the team blog about the same topic on their personal blogs.  All the links are posted here so that you can easily find what different members have to say about the topic.

The topic for June is "Do you use other artists' work in your designs?" 

To find out what our members have to say about this, please follow the links below.

Lynne from Island Girl

Caron from BeadSire

Sylvia from Galadryl Designs

Dawn from Jewelry Art by Dawn

Jeanne from J3 Jewelry

Angela from AMDesignsbyAngela

Bonnie from The FamiLee Jewels



The SATeam members create handcrafted jewelry and beads. More information about our team and its current shop owner members can be found at SATEAM.etsy.com and here on ArtFire.

Saturday, June 25, 2011

Saturday Style: 1970's Fashion Influence



Do you remember the maxi dress?
Was your closet full of flare leg jeans?
Did you own a jumpsuit?
Or does your only exposure to 70's fashion come from reruns of Charlie's Angels and Three's Company on Nick at Night?

Yes.
The 1970's are back.
Influencing fashion that is.

2011 fashion trends are feminine and ladylike featuring wider pants and flowing, silky fabrics. Floaty fluid silhouettes are paired with platform shoes and bold chunky jewelry in a girly style called boho chic.
This years wonderful color palette that includes honeysuckle pink, coral rose and beeswax are wonderful in vibrant prints, horizontal stripes and geometric designs.

Let a little retro chic into your life.
Still love your skinny jeans? Add a top with a asymmetric neckline and your big Foster Grants.
Can't let go of your favorite fitted top? Pair it with a pair of wide leg linen pants and some glam dangling earrings.
Maxi dress? Let it shine with heeled sandals and a long chain necklace.
Embrace fringe on your big purse and layer on those bangle bracelets.

Welcome back 70's.
I don't know if I am ready to wear pajama pants out in public, but if I have to see people wearing them in the grocery store I would rather they be satiny and luxe than flannel and covered with cartoon characters.

Thursday, June 23, 2011

Sun Kissed


Summer has officially arrived...the weather in some places may contradict that, while elsewhere you may think summer arrived weeks ago.

I really enjoy wearing color and in the summer I like my colors hot, bright and sunny...as well as cool, bright and aquaeous...but, today I'd like to focus on hot, bright sunny colors featured in the jewelry designs of the Starving Artists Team.

Any of these beautiful creations will look great with your favorite summer whites and a sun kissed tan!

Catswire




Studio DTQ

Erika Price

Popnicute

Bead Origami


BeadSire


Featured jewelry is handmade by members of the Starving Artists jewelry team. SATeam members create handcrafted jewelry and beads. More information about our team and its current shop owner members can be found at SATEAM.etsy.com and here on ArtFire.

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

An Arabian night

Night had fallen on the palace like a thick black cloth, and once again Sheherazade entered the king's chambers, clad in a flowing blue skirt, the veil covering part of her long dark hair.

Blue and silver belly dance set by Out of the Mists

Every night he was waiting for her, not for her beauty, but eager to hear the tales she had started to tell him so many nights ago. "Where have you been? Quick, sit down! This night will not last forever."
Sheherazade set down the candle holder she had been carrying, smiling at her king almost mischievously.

One of a kind hand painted candle holder by Art on Porcelain by Dorisse

Then she sat down on the pillows, resting her head on her hand, the crystals in her earrings catching the soft light of the candle. She felt the king staring at her, could feel his impatience. She also felt however how his looks had begun to change in the course of all those nights when he was listening to her, how his voice had become softer when talking to her.

Verdigris hoop earrings by MC Stoneworks

"Last night we left off when the Princess Parizade asked the speaking bird what they should do to please the sultan. 'Good mistress,' replied the bird, 'you have excellent cooks, let them do the best they can; but, above all, let them prepare a dish of cucumbers stuffed with pearls, which must be set before the sultan in the first course.' 'Cucumbers with pearls!" cried Princess Parizade, in amazement."

Peacock pearl necklace by Bead Sire

Let's leave Sheherazade and her king alone now for him to hear the ending of "The Story of the Speaking Bird" and for the beginning of another story after that .... until the one thousand and first night arrives ....

Book key chain with exotic bird by Ignis Fatuus

By Cat's Wire

This little story has completely sprung from my imagination and doesn't have a relation to the real "Arabian nights". You can find the full story of the speaking bird here, though.

Featured jewelry is made by members of the Starving Artists jewelry team. SATeam members create handcrafted jewelry and beads. More information about our team and its current shop owner members can be found at SATEAM.etsy.com and here on ArtFire.

Monday, June 20, 2011

Favorite Tool - Opening Skylight

As the weather gets hotter I really do appreciate my opening skylight. I have it behind and above my glass work bench and it really helps with the air flow in my studio. My out take air is directly behind my torch and with the fresh air intake being behind me it really makes for a "clean air" studio. We are often windy here so there is usually a breeze too. Look into opening skylights if you are building a studio, or for that matter any home.

Sunday, June 19, 2011

Stones with Personality

Many people are familiar with diamonds and the "big three" coloured gemstones (rubies, sapphires and emeralds) that are very common and popular in traditional jewelry.  While these stones are beautiful with their intense colours, brilliance and clarity, they only represent a small fraction of what the world of stones has to offer. 

I have been drawn to polished stones since I was a young child and given the opportunity to pick out a couple of pieces for myself from a friend's stash.  What fascinated me was the range of colours, the patterns and the shimmery effects some of the stones displayed. 

These are those first two stones I selected as a child - an amazonite and a tiger's eye.

Now that I design and fabricate jewelry, I have found that fascination with stones has become even more intense.  But it's not the typical coloured gemstones that make my heart go pitter-patter, but rather stones with multiple colours and interesting patterns.  "Stones with personality" as I like to call them.  And these "stones with personality" are often jaspers or agates.

a slice of agate from my personal stash

some jaspers cabochons from my stash

some orbicular jaspers, again from my personal stash
colourful jasper cabochons

Jaspers and agates are a group of quartzs in which the crystals are so tiny that they appear like a solid mass. There are many different varieties of agates and jaspers. Some of them are found in only one small location, while others are found in many different countries.

Agates and jaspers are available in a wide range of colours and have many different patterns, from bands, to orbs to patterns that appear like landscapes. They are also often available in large sizes and are frequently used as the focal of a piece of jewelry.

Jaspers and agates and not typically found in traditional jewelry that is mass-produced.  If you want pieces that feature some of these beautiful stones, they are easier to find in the handmade market, like these pieces, created by members of the Starving Artists team.

Mookaite Jasper Pendant by BeadSire

California Poppy Jasper Wire Wrapped Pendant by Ava Designs

Sterling Silver and Dragon Skin Agate Pendant by Colla

Black Onyx and Sterling Silver Pendant Necklace by Shiny Adornments

Silver Wire Crochet Leaf Pendant with Moss Agates by Cat's Wire
   
So what about you?  Are there any particular stones that make your heart go pitter-patter? 


Featuring artisan handmade creations by the Starving Artists Jewelry Team.  The SATeam members create handcrafted jewelry and beads. More information about our team and its current shop owner members can be found at SATEAM.etsy.com and here on ArtFire.

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Swirls and Spirals

Do you love spirals as much as I do? The SATeam makes loads of 'em in many different types of jewelry. You name it; cuffs, earrings, pendants, even tutorials! Click on the links below the images to learn more about the item. 









Featuring artisan handmade creations by the Starving Artists jewelry Team, the SATeam members create handcrafted jewelry and beads. More information about our team and its current shop owner members can be found at SATEAM.etsy.com and here on ArtFire.

Monday, June 13, 2011

We are all gifted

“We are each gifted in a unique and important way. It is our privilege and our adventure to discover our own special light.”Mary Dunbar

Saturday, June 11, 2011

Saturday Style: Biker Chicque

Biker Chique

2011 fashion trends are combining lovely feminine colors with boldly dramatic motorcycle related accents.  The military style influences of the last few years have evolved. Enter Biker Chique.
I am seeing black leather in vests and bags, big chunky boots with fun accents, and belts with studs and rivets. Zippers are making a statement as fashion accents and quilted fabrics are new again.
This is not the grungy motorcycle look of a previous decade but a more sophisticated way to express your fashion. You don’t have to be a Biker Chick to be Biker Chique.

Your motorcycle jacket doesn’t have to be made of black leather. Be adventurous with style in a tan organic cotton twill motorcycle inspired jacket like this one designed by  Reifhous.


Forget about the black leather pants. You can rock these handcrafted black leggings with your kitten heels.
The leggings are available at Duende74 . They are made to order so you can choose whether to have the detailing on the back or the side of the ankle.


On a recent visit to New York we saw an incongruous combination of girly dresses and chunky footwear. It worked! Try adding these upcycled boots to an ensemble that includes your favorite flirty skirt. They are available from WithoutBustles.


A great way to incorporate biker style into your wardrobe is through the use of accessories.
I fell in love with this rich chocolate brown holster bag. It is called the Peacemaker and is available from the designer,  MadCapClothing.


Or warm your hands with biker style on those cool Summer evenings with these lacy fingerless gloves available from ZenandCoffee.

Don’t forget the jewelry. This hammered cuff by Colla could grace the arm of the fiercest biker fashion.


This silver chainmaille bracelet with black and red crystals by Galadryl will add some glam to your black leather.



So what do you think readers? Is Biker Chique in your future?

Friday, June 10, 2011

A Story of Diamonds: Cuts through the Ages - The Point Cut and the Table Cut

From the ancient times to the 16th century, one would generally set a perfectly octohedral diamond crystal. Sometimes the faces might be polished slightly if the means were available. This is called the Point Cut. With the advent of glazed windows, these were called Scribble or Writing Rings, as the noble and rich would scribble all manner of things on these new glass windows.



With one such ring, the imprisoned Princess Elizabeth (later Queen), inscribed on a window at Woodstock:

Much suspected by me,
Nothing proved can be,
Quoth ELIZABETH prisoner.

Around that time, the next innovation came. Diamond cutters added a new table facet to the point cut. This yielded a squarish stone with a familiar looking table facet. Here are some typical variations:






One of the most famous table diamonds no longer exists. The Great Table Diamond described in 1642 by the French traveler and jeweler Tavernier was a huge, flat pink diamond from Golconda weighing 242 5/16 old carats.



In 1969, a team of gemologists went to Iran to inventory the crown jewels. Knowing of the Great Table Diamond, the existance of two smaller diamonds of identical color and clarity piqued their interest. Research revealed that somewhere between 1794 and 1834 the Great Table Diamond had broken. Further investigation strongly supports the theory that the Darya-i-Nur and the Nur-ul-Ain are what remains of that great gem.

A computer model of how these two smaller gems could have been fashioned from the larger:



Replicas of the Darya-i-Nur and Nur-ul-Ain next to a carefully estimated model of the Great Table Diamond:



The Darya-i-Nur resides in an elaborate setting surrounded by diamonds and rubies. The exact weight is not known, as it cannot be unset. The weight, estimated by the GIA, is somewhere between 175 and 195 carats.



The Nur-ul-Ain weighs about 60 carats and graces a tiara made by Harry Winston for the Empress Farah's wedding to the the last Shah of Iran.

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Supplies: Focals and Pendants

Looking for that perfect focal bead to define your next piece of jewelry? Check out these gorgeous pieces from the talented members of the SATeam. Click on the links below the images to learn more about the item. 









Featuring artisan handmade creations by the Starving Artists jewelry Team, the SATeam members create handcrafted jewelry and beads. More information about our team and its current shop owner members can be found at SATEAM.etsy.com and here on ArtFire.