Garnet Bracelets on Parade

I've been working on garnet bracelets along with the other work that I need to get done as well as playing with one of my new Christmas presents: Adobe Photoshop. The garnet bracelets are going well, the Photoshop less so, but DH got me a great book to go along with the software so that I can try to learn the way that I usually learn best (reading a book!). Some of the pictures are okay, but nothing special yet. I do like the photo of the triple strand garnet bracelet above, and the close-up of the garnet, iolite, and lampwork below.
The bracelet below features different garnets, not just faceted and smooth or different shapes, but different colours as well including Hessonite garnets, green grossularite garnets, and rhodolite garnets. The lampwork beads are by one of my favorite lampwork artists - Lynn Nurge. They are great little swirly shaped nuggets full of opal-like colours in burgundy and amber. If you scroll further down, you will see that the other picture of this garnet bracelet is a bit too light - I haven't gotten the light and colour features quite right yet.
Another double-stranded garnet bracelet (below) features the lampwork beads of Robin Weber. These shell lampwork beads are gorgeous, very naturalistic with a soft finish. Karen Hill Tribes silver is always special (such high quality sterling) and the little shell charm and a sand dollar charm which is hidden here makes this one unique. The toggle clasp has cabochon garnets set in each end of the toggle bar.
For me, one of the biggest difficulties when working with garnet beads is that it is hard to find lampwork beads that I like to match, blend or even contrast with the gemstones in a way that is pleasing. The other difficulty with working with garnets is that I can never seem to get enough good quality garnet gemstones that are large - when I can get any that are actually large at all!All of the bracelets in this post can be found on the Garnet Bracelets page on the Cluny Grey Jewelry website.

jewellery accessories jewelry fashion shopping braceletsbeads handmade beaded jewelry beading helmi gioielli smykker tak? juvelen lampwork beads The Jewelry Blog jewelry trends accessories garnet birthstonegarnet bracelet

Italian Vogue: The Black Issue

Naomi Campbell shot for Italian Vogue by Steven Meisel.

It's finally here! Italian Vogue has stepped up and produced the first ever all black model issue! Expect to see some household names (Naomi, Tyra, Liya) and some up-and-comers (Jourdan Dunn, Chanel Iman, Toccara Jones - yes, from ANTM!) in this ground-breaking issue. Of course they don't neglect those that paved the way. Iman, Pat Cleveland and Veronica Webb are also featured.

One source of inspiration for this issue was actually the phenomenon of the Obama campaign. In the spirit of "change" I'm guessing editor, Franca Sozzani and photographer Steven Meisel, were ready to go out on a limb. Meisel says of the shoot, “I thought, it’s ridiculous, this discrimination... It’s so crazy to live in such a narrow, narrow place. Age, weight, sexuality, race — every kind of prejudice.” Italian Vogue editor says of her publication, “Mine is not a magazine that can be accused of not using black girls”. Some of the models in this issue have graced the cover of Italian Vogue before (Alek Wek, Naomi Campbell and Liya Kebede).

The famed photographer was given 100 pages of the magazine for this spread. Other faces you can expect to see are Alex Wek, Karen Alexander and Sessilee Lopez. The issue hits European newsstands next Thursday and will be in the United States soon after. Until then, feast your eyes on the images below, including the four collector's covers featuring Liya Kebede, Sessilee Lopez, Jourdan Dunn and Naomi Campbell.

Left to right: Liya Kebede, Sessilee Lopez, Jourdan Dunn and Naomi Campbell.

Congratulations to the Winner of Contest 4!

Congrats to notjustanyprincess for winning Customized Girl's Fourth Design Contest! She wins $200 and her design will be featured in the May 23rd issue of US Weekly.

We like the design because it stands out, with very big text and nifty use of the soccer ball clipart to replace the “O”. We also like the personalized touch with the name and jersey number. Very nice. On top of all these cool qualities, it also happened to coincide perfectly with our “sports” theme this week. If you're joining a rec league or just cheering for your favorite player, you've come to the right place for custom shirts!

Thanks so much to all who entered! You guys are doing a terrific job on these designs, and we are very happy to continue with these contests.

And with that, Contest 5 is launched. Simply create, save and tag your design “contest 5″. Please see our post about Contest 4 for more details.

Thanks again, and congrats to notjustanyprincess.

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Edited to add:

Contest 5 ends on June 16th! The contest winner will be displayed in the June 27th issue of US Weekly.

The contests are now on a monthly schedule. A new winner is announced in the middle of every month. As soon as a winner is announced, the next contest begins.

The winner should appear in US Weekly two Fridays after the announcement.

Thanks so much, a lot of the Contest 5 entries are looking super fantastic!

Pleated Colorblock Tunic

This tunic is less than $20–but we could see designer versions of it retailing for well over $200.

$17.80 ; at Forever 21.

Nancy Goodenough Jewelry

Glass Artist and Jewelry Designer

Nancy Goodenough's trademark Dichroic Glass FireStones combine luminous color and otherworldly texture. The artist marries the ancient glass-forming technique of pate de verre with an innovative process that she developed. Nancy's glass has been exhibited in juried shows and craft galleries worldwide. She has also been featured in leading craft, bead, and lapidary publications, and in the definitive Collectible Beads by Dr. Robert Liu.



Handcrafted Glass and Sterling Silver Jewelry:



Dichroic Glass Pendants

Nancy integrates her lovely glass creations into a distinctive line of jewelry - incorporating precious metals, and using a variety of metalsmithing techniques such as fusing, fold forming, hollow forming, and surface treatments.

$40



Nancy is best known for creating hypnotic, luminous glass, where reflective colors play against other textures. She produces these magical effects by integrating ancient glass-forming methods, space-age dichroic glass, and her unique kiln-casting process. Using lapidary equipment, Nancy bevels and shapes the glass, giving it added depth, color, and an organic surface. The result is much more complex than standard dichroic material.





Yoyo-Z Dichroic Earrings

Brilliant fuchsia pink with cobalt blue highlights

Vibrant earrings with 1/2" dichroic glass circles

Handcrafted zigzags of sterling silver wire

Resin beads and Swarovski crystals

$45



Says Nancy, "My technology background leads me to experiment with ways to marry metal and glass. I try to find a balance between my artistic side and three decades in technology and business. Being of Bohemian decent may well have had an influence on my intense interest in glass."





Dichroic Glass & Sterling Silver Pendant

Dichroic glass Firestone pendant with cast sterling silver spiral finding.

$45



Systems engineer and world traveler, high school teacher and mathematician - these aren't the typical credentials of a glass artist. But with Nancy Goodenough, both life and art reflect the unexpected. Nancy resigned from IBM in 1999, and now lives with her husband among the redwoods on the Russian River in Northern California, where she also creates her jewelry.

See full article.





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Stephen LeBlanc Art Jewelry - 27 May 2008

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Don't Show-cha Your Chocha, Volume XII

There's nothing like a triumphant blogging comeback, but it's even better when it involves chochas (sidenote: Has a rapper trademarked the phrase "Everything's better with chochas" yet or can I snag that for a confusing, sexually charged blog slogan?), and, more specifically, Don't Show-cha Your Chocha!

I think the first photo and caption perfectly sum up this feature, so I'm gonna jump right in:

Says Jeni: The way she's standing she looks like she's trying to hold something in...perhaps her modesty.

From Jennifer:

I can't tell if the bottom is shorts or a skirt, but either way, I'm worried.

Says Nicole: I came across this tonight while trying to purchase overpriced linen pants from J.Crew and immediately thought "Don't show your cha-cha!"
[Editor's note: My mom and her group of friends also use the term "cha-cha" interchangeably with "chocha," and, like in this case, I can't tell if it's an intentional, charming alternative or a mix-up. I sort of love it.]

From Laura:

It makes me feel embarrassed just looking at it!

Beth found what is perhaps the most artful Don't Show-cha Your Chocha on record:

Says Beth: It looks like she's trying to hold down her dress AND hold her hair on. yikes! (In other news, the next time my friend Katelyn complains about how hard it is for her to find a long enough inseam, I will print out this picture and give it to her. I mean, good god, I would be able to make eye contact with this girl's kneecap.)

From Tessa, via Betsey Johnson:

The perfect dress for girls who like to stand...a lot...no, seriously, like, all the time. Would you like to try to sit down in that thing?

Jo-Anne brought my attention to this fantastic photo, and provided a fantastic description of the subject, Phoebe Price:

Hey saw this hilarious post of this wannabe celebrity phoebe price on dlisted. She goes to that same restaurant and poses out front every day. She gets a scrape on her car and poses with it!!! Anyways look at the dress! She's coming a little too close to showin' it.

Diligent DSYC officer Amber tracked down these next two offenders:

I titled this image "velvet chocha," and felt quite dirty after typing it.

You know how they say eyes are windows to the soul? Well, that triangular cut-out there seems to be a window to the chocha.

So, this "dress" being eaten by the model's crotch, courtesy of our old friend Shopbop, was featured in the last installment of DSYC, but I've gotten so many emails about it, and it's just so strange/horrifying, that I feel compelled to post it again, along with some choice reader commentary:


Anne: This is so horrible. I hope the $319 buys you a little black "censored" box to put in front of your ladyparts.

Livia: The description says 'Chicly sophisticated with a distinctly modern vibe'. Distinctly modern vibe? I say it's a distinctly chocha vibe.

Ashlee: GAAAHHH!!!


Remember, the next time you're browsing online and catch yourself thinking "Egad! [admit it--you totally think "Egad"] If that model so much as reaches for a tortilla chip, she's doing full frontal!," email me--daddylikeyblog@gmail.com

Core to the floor

In lieu of my muddling thoughts about my new job, (muddling in a good way...) I thought I'd retouch on some issues that though has spawned from my switching career fields into fashion, probably applies in a more universal way.So I have broken free of the work dress code. No more confusions over the ambiguities of 'smart casual'. No need to dress 'appropriately' for clients (again, the limits of 'propriety' - what are they?). No need to have that emergency suit (yes, i have one and no, I'm not wearing it here...) for VIP meetings. It was a pretty relaxed dress code as it was and I pushed the boundaries as much as possible but now, it's a proper free country. I could come in wearing a literal potato sack and ballet pumps if I wanted to. How about my giant scrunchie? Or a hat or two or three....?

The fact is where I work, everyone is pretty low key. Even the fashion team. That ol' chesnut about the fashion front row dressing with subtlety and the fashion students going all out and crazy at the back rows has some truth to it. It's something to do with the mentality that 'Well, I'm a paid employee of this magazine and thus I've proven my fashion credentials so I don't need to (literally) wear it on my sleeve.' The fashion interns around here seem to make more of an effort which again asserts the previous two sentances. It does make sense especially in an environment where everyone is knuckling down to proper graft (yes, it is a LOT of graft...) and really, who has the time to look like a Christmas tree decoration when you're up against the clock with deadlines, meetings etc.

But even more of a factor that contributed to my initial ultra low-key dressing is the fact that it is a new environment, new people to make eye contact with and wanting to prove myself work-wise first. So, greys, less layers, navy blues, a higher concentration of my quality designer pieces and flat Oxfords or pumps. All of this of course is still a certain facet of my style. I'm not JUST a walking overly layered and messy ornament as I've said before. Still, it's sort of being reluctant to kiss/hug someone when you first meet them. In the way that it takes me time to come out of my shell, to start saying the Susie-isms that the people who know me are familiar with, my style also has to build up gradually. A print or two has started sneaking in. The layers/headpieces are on their way. The pink PVC skirt has now made an appearance. I'm getting comfortable saying things like 'That is REALLY HID-eous!' (pronounced 'HID-A-OUS') or 'Oh-my-god-I'm-so-hungry-I-could-eat-my-imac....'. These are the superfluous things of course. The bigger picture is getting over the initial pleasantries and getting down to the interesting core beyond that. So the fussier, fancy clothes will come out to play eventually because at the end of the day, it was never my calling to be a nonchalant mag editor but rather a starry-eyed, ruffled-up, hat-wearing, asymmetric jacket, PVC leggings, glitter platforms (that is all at once by the way....) girl who likes to preach about the evils of cheese and join my thumb and index finger together to make a circle around my eye and peer into this fashion circus.

Jewelry Bargains at Diamond International

Diamonds International was established nearly two decades ago. What began as one store in St. Thomas has now blossomed into more than 125 locations. Diamonds International is now one of the largest jewelry retailers in the world. They have more locations in the Caribbean than any other fine jeweler, but their network stretches from the company's New York City headquarters into Mexico and as far as Alaska.



14K GOLD TANZANITE & DIAMOND PENDANT

Tanzanite set in a heart of pristine 14k yellow gold accented by diamonds.

Pendant is 1/2" tall (not including bail) and comes with a matching 16-inch chain.

$157





18K WHITE GOLD PERIDOT & DIAMOND RING

Fancy-cut peridot prong-set in a modern 14k white gold band.

Accented with sparkling diamonds.

$571





SILVER TWO-STRAND FRESHWATER CULTURED PEARL BRACELET

Silver beads and two strands of multi pink pearls are strung with a stretch-cord so that the bracelet can easily slide onto the wrist.

$45





14K WHITE GOLD PERIDOT EARRINGS

Five graduated fancy cut peridot set in gleaming 14k white gold.

$175





SILVER MULTI-STONE CIRCLE PENDANT

This trendy circle pendant is crafted from sterling silver and features a colorful display of brilliant oval cut amethyst, citrine, garnet and peridot. Comes with a matching 18-inch silver chain.

$44





14K GOLD TANZANITE RING

This modern 3-stone ring contains oval-cut Tanzanite set in elegant 14k gold.

$315





14K GOLD TOPAZ BRACELET

Five oval-cut gold topaz are set in a 14k yellow gold link bracelet.

$199





MOTHER OF PEARL STARFISH PENDANT

Mother of pearl in a starfish design.

Suspended from a 17" rubber cord.

Measures approximately 2" wide.

$40





14K GOLD EMERALD EARRINGS

Elegant 14k yellow gold earrings feature three emeralds alternating with round diamonds.

$270





14K WHITE GOLD MENS HEMATITE & DIAMOND RING

14k white gold ultra modern mens ring boasts a hematite gemstone accented by brilliant round diamonds.

$416



The founders of Diamonds International are both graduates of the Gemological Institute of America. They personally oversee every aspect of the daily operations, and source stones from the world's largest diamond mines, allowing them to offer beautiful jewelry - at the best possible value - directly to the public.



Have a great week!

Maggie

See full article.





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