Saturday Style: Beachwear

Is there anything as enjoyable as spending and ending a day at the beach?

Thinking of friends in the Southern hemisphere and an end of Summer vacation in Ocean City, Maryland have inspired me to celebrate Beachwear this week.
I am taking the flip-flops, tank tops, sundresses and crop pants on one more trip before putting them away for the Winter.
Beach fashion is fun.
It is comfortable.
It is colorful.
And yes it is stylish.

Why stroll the boardwalk in your shorts and a beach tee when you can throw on a beautiful yet comfortable sundress like this one created by etsy seller GoGothic from Toronto Ontario. 


Own the boardwalk in this cornflower blue sundress.

 Perfect for a day in the sand these handcrafted copper sea star earrings by etsy seller RedBirdJewellry of Dorking England will complement your bikini or your sundress.


Don't forget your jewelry like these textured starfish earrings.

Flip flops don't have to be boring shower shoes. Check out the colorful ribbons and flowers on these by etsy seller PetalnPearlBoutique of Worcester, Massachusetts.  


Fun and funky these bright flip flops will make make your feet as happy as the rest of you.


Don't forget the bag to carry all  your beach goodies in. I love this over sized, strong and beautifully styled tote by etsy seller MeilingSketchbook of Moorpark, California.


Pack up your towel, sunscreen and waterbottle. You are ready for a day at the beach.

This fantastic lampwork necklace by etsy seller MelissaBeads of Colorado reminds me of a day at the beach. Looking at these colors I picture beach umbrellas, kites and surfboards dancing in the waves. 


Vibrant and fashionable beach ball necklace.

At the end of the day get ready  for cocktails and a beautiful sunset by adding a cover to your swimsuit. Consider this powder blue wrap by etsy seller SLCSLC of Great Britain. 

Cover your suit and find a deck, a Margarita and a view of the sunset.





Color Report: Phlox

Today in our continuing series on Pantone's top 10 colors for Fall 2011, we look at Phlox. Like its flowery namesake, this rich shade of purple contains a great deal of magenta, tipping it close to the warm side of the color wheel. It's noticeably warmer than the deep purples of the amethyst gemstones, but both amethyst and purple glass will complement phlox-hued fashion accessories for a fun purple-splashed outfit. 

Textile Cuff Bracelets Pair XVII Black Purple Cranberry Nuno Wet Felt with Merino Wool Silk and Metal Snaps by gwenbeads

Preserved Rose Necklace/Sterling Silver - Natural, Purple by mcstoneworks

VIOLET DREAM PHLOX Shoulder Bag by ikabags

Sterling Silver and Amethyst Wire Wrapped Bracelet by TheFamiLeeJewels

Nuno Felt Scarf Fall Preview Design by eneefabricdesign (Check out Nancy's blog on nuno felting tips and tricks, with tons of Pantone colors!)

Handcrafted Deep Purple and Peach Crystal Beaded Earrings by beadorigami

Silk Origami Butterfly Brooch Broach Corsage Vibrant Plum and Purple Mauve by SewSmashing

Wire Wrapped Purple Mohave Turquoise Pendant by AvaDesigns

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.

Color Report: Emberglow

Continuing our series of the more summery colors of Pantone's top 10 colors for Fall 2011, today we look at emberglow, a warm, but not overly loud shade of orange. Perfect for the fall, this color speaks of changing leaves, rich sunsets, and tasty tangerines...

SALSA Cubic Zirconia and Sterling Silver Earrings by WickwireJewelry

Diamond Ivy Times Echo Top in Vivid Sunset by dyedianadye

Lampwork Button - Lazy Days by NicoleValentineStudio

Real Rosebud Bird Earrings - Peach, Natural Preserved by mcstoneworks

Pressed Penny Carousel Horse Necklace by TheFamiLeeJewels

Mini Ruche Bag in Emberglow Leather by jennyndesign

Australian Solid Opal & Mexican Fire Opal Pendant by TJRJewellery

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.

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?

Geometry

I was pretty lousy in geometry. Actually I'm not a math hero at all. There is this embarrassing story ... 8th grade ... nope, it better stays untold. Just let me say that most of my math teachers were lovely men and it was not their fault that my interest was way below zero. Now if the Count von Count had been my math teacher - who knows? I'm sure however even the Count wouldn't have been able to teach me more than the very basic of geometry.

When I stumbled upon this beautiful quilted wall hanging by Evening in the Garden I thought that being so clueless is a real pity, but then again I'm lousy at sewing, too ...

A while ago while changing channels I ended up in an educational programme for kids, though. Wanna know what I've learned?

The circle is a simple closed curve. Not at all simple is this circle with content aka the beautiful Kaleidoscope pendant by Dianne Karg Baron.

The triangle is a polygon with three corners and three sides. MC Stoneworks doesn't stop at the triangle with these earrings, she also includes spirals. Spirals are curves which emanate from a central point, getting progressively farther away as they revolves around the point. Ok, I guess I'm not allowed to call them swirly thingies then. That's still not all, though. There are cubes, too. Or should I say three-dimensional solid objects bounded by six square sides?

When trying to explain basic geometry with team members' items, I can't leave out Bead Origami and Gwenbeads.
While Bead Origami brings you this beautiful octahedron - a beaded pendant ......

... Gwenbeads uses words like icosahedron and dodecahedron and makes it look so good! See for yourself. Hm, maybe she could teach me.

P.S. Ok, it's true that I was never brilliant at math, but I have to admit that I exaggerated about the shapes a bit. Actually I was very good in the early stages of set theory in elementary school. We had the little shapes in all colors and with different textures and it was fun. So call it artistic freedom and don't sue me. Thank you ;-)

By Cat's Wire

Featuring artisan handmade creations by 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.