Paper Jewels

Silver is beautiful. It’s also - how to put this politely - okay. Call it a Challenge to photograph

I have some lovely vintage glass jewels in my Jewelry Supplies Shop on Etsy:

I’ve recently gotten some silver plated settings for my pretty vintage jewels - and I’d forgotten what a challenge silver can be to photograph! If it’s clean and shining (like these settings) - it reflects nearby colors almost like a mirror. Place the settings on a wood background - which is usually a good choice - and guess what? The silver looks tan, beige or bronze - the color(s) of aged brass! Well brass is wonderful - I use (and sell) a lot of it - but the point here is to show the silver!

I’m working on it. The composite above shows some of the pics that worked - and as you can see, those silver settings are highlighted by a lot of colors besides just “silver”.

This is going to be an ongoing project - better pics, more silver (plated) settings, more silver all around - and more of a learning curve. So - stay tuned, this will be continued!

I found another great example of wallpaper-as-art and wanted to share it, especially because there’s an extra bit of food-for-thought here. First, here’s the inspiration photo:

Wallpaper as Art - Inspiration from Style-Files.com

Now there’s a point to all this. First off, this is (part of) a great-looking room (and Style Files is full of inspiration, truly, go look around!) But even more - here’s the bear-with-me idea.

I happen to think this is a great looking vignette. I also think that the wallpaper they’ve used in this pic is totally unremarkable - in and of itself. It’s okay. It’s not fabulous. But the way they’ve used it, as a strong graphic statement, framed AS ART, really does look terrific.

Okay, that’s Idea Number One. It doesn’t have to be priceless art. It has to say something to you, or be a color you love, or whatever. Treat it as art, be bold with it - and it IS art.

Which leads me to my second point. I took the photo from Style Files and fiddled with it - excuse me ladies, it was just to try something out. What I did, was grab what I consider a totally inappropriate graphic from my own files (inappropriate meaning, it ain’t “art”, it’s just a graphic). This particular graphic is of a pair of earrings on my site - and yes, I do think the earrings are terrific (you can find them here). But as wall art? No, I wouldn’t choose this graphic.

But in my doctored-up-photo, I took the earrings image. I copied it a bunch of times - just like you could do if you took any image you liked and made 20 copies at your local copy shop. Then group the images together on the wall (put pasteboard or something behind them if you don’t want to paste directly on the wall) and presto: you’ve got strong wall art.

See what I mean? This isn’t priceless art. But because it is a strong image, and the repetitive idea makes it even more graphically interesting, and because it’s framed on the wall like “real art” - it works. It looks good. It makes a statement.

It costs practically nothing if you use images from magazine pages. Or maps. Or wallpaper samples. Whatever. Use *recycled* images, that’s even better.

Try it. It works.

I’ve started doing “pet photo jewelry” lately and people are so enthusiastic about their pets, furbabies, fuzzy kids, whatever you call them - I have a feeling these are going to be fun!

There’s a twist though. I don’t just use straight pixel-for-pixel photos (well I can, but that hasn’t been the focus so far) - instead, I make a sort of portrait of your furbaby, and use that as the basis for the earrings (or pendant). For example, look at these sweet beagle earrings:

Custom Pet Photo Earrings or Pendant

These would be fun anyway, because this is a much-loved pet and her human really cares about these earrings - and the extra fun part is that, these aren’t copied from an “exact” photo. At my customer’s urging, I played with the photo a little, I changed it, stylized it, turned it into a mini-portrait. (Yes, I photoshopped it!)

I think it’s going to be interesting to go down that road a little more

The earrings are a great conversation starter, if you’re into that. And they’re a great keepsake gift for someone you love (hmm, can we can “paper anniversary present”?) For someone who loves their pet!

PS I’m going to be putting up some new and different examples soon - stay tuned for further developments!

It’s not really a catch though - it’s a question. I’m having my first Free Earrings Giveaway at Paper Jewels. All you have to do to enter the Giveaway is send me an email telling me what pair of earrings you’d like to win AND (this is the “catch”) tell me one thing you’d change

You want those earrings - but in another color? Or, you’d make them in silver, not gold? Or you wish they were smaller (or bigger)? Or - well, you tell me.

You could win these pretty paper earrings:

or these:

Or, well, you pick your pair! Just tell me the one thing you’d change Hint: these CAN be made to match your bridal gown / wedding party. Or you can choose your honey’s favorite color - and use these for the perfect First Anniversary Gift or Mother’s Day earrings

The Giveaway runs until April 15, 2010 - so we have something nice to look forward to on Tax Day.

Good luck!

There’ve been tons of studies on how color affects us, and I’m no expert on any of them. What I do know is that color makes us happy, gives us a smile, and is a great way to add a little boost to our spirits (especially right now when it’s still so cold!)

So I’m specially happy to be able to offer some lovely vintage jewels in yummy colors in my Artfire jewelry supplies shop and also in my Etsy shop. Like these pretty jewels:

and

They feel like Spring to me - and that’s of the good

Or, okay, your husband. Say you’ve been together for a year, and you want to get him a little something, and you don’t want it to be related to a big truck. Or maybe you already got those tickets.

How’s this: a handmade necklace that says “Honor”, in Japanese kanji. It’ll appeal to his inner warrior, and it’s in a dog tag shape so it’s manly and like that:

Japanese Kanji “Honor” Dogtag Necklace

Of course it can be made in his color - charcoal, navy, denim blue, bronze, black. And if that color just happens to also go with your favorite tee, well, that’s just sharing and all.

So, the first year anniversary is traditionally considered the “paper anniversary” - well, except in Great Britain where, I’m told, the paper anniversary is the second anniversary. Not sure why the diff there. (And, “modern tradition” as opposed to “traditional tradition” says the first year present can be clocks. …Clocks??)

So I’m thinking most people go with the “paper anniversary” tradition. And all you first-year-marrieds out there? Have I got a gift suggestion for you

Guys - this is the perfect answer for your “what do I get for her, she loves jewelry, she loves flowers, yeah, and I’m supposed to do that paper thing” anniversary-present-that-I-need-to-order-TODAY problem.

Paper Jewels, of course. Even more specifically (if you’re not sure what to get) - these gorgeous paper earrings:

… or .

These flower earrings are very pretty, they’re comfortable (I promise!), they’re feminine and affordable and yeah, they’re made with paper. So. You’re getting her artist handmade paper earrings, that also feature Swarovski crystals (the finest in the world) and gold (okay, gold-filled earwires). She’s going to love them.

And you, of course.

Okay, I totally fell off the edge of the world for a while there, and I am super later with this rec than I meant to be. (And am apologizing big time for that.) But it’s totally worth waiting for.

I was fortunate enough to be a sponsor for several Totally Tutorial projects through my jewelry supplies shop on Etsy. And I am blown away by the excellence of the tutorials submitted to me.

Case in point: this is probably the best tutorial for Chain Maille I have ever seen. I have some skill making jewelry, but maille has always eluded me - and this tutorial made me WANT to try it. The artist and author Clair (of the wonderful Obstinate Pursuit blog) has given us a delightful, witty, comprehensible tutorial on how to Maille.

Check it out and let me - and her! - know how totally irresistible it is! And send her some congrats, too - she did a great job in creation *and* explanation!

PS Check out the Totally Tutorial Blog too - lots and lots of goodies there!

Would you like to win FREE jewelry supplies - create a jewelry tutorial - and get your name out there? Keep reading!

One of the hats I wear is proprietor of Weekend Jewelry1 on Etsy - you already know I sell my extra supplies there, and some lovely vintage glass jewels, vintage chain, and other goodies that I find in my travels. Like these:

and

I just learned that a charming lady on Etsy has started a blog that is all tutorials - Totally Tutorials Blogspot. Her blog is full of techniques we can learn, and new goodies we can make ourselves!

Now this is a generous and lovely idea anyway, and then she came up with one even nicer - she’s asked some shops at Etsy if they’d supply goodies to make the creations in the tutorials. So - an artist gets to play with new (free!) supplies, AND teach us how she made her creation! And of course, the vendor gets credit too.

If you have a skill you’d like to share, and you’ve always wanted to make a tutorial and get your name out there - this is your chance! Go to Totally Tutorials to learn more about the tutorials. Or read this post to learn how you can win

Of course I couldn’t resist. Weekend Jewelry1 on Etsy is going to contribute FREE supplies to three winning artists!

How To Win!

There will be three, count ‘em, three lucky winners!

You have a week to apply - all three winners will be chosen Thursday night, August 13, 2009. The only requirements for winning are that you make jewelry, can take clear photos of your work and create a tutorial, and that you have a blog or site (such as Craftster) where you can post the tutorial.

To be eligible, please post a comment on my blog here, or send me a convo through my Etsy shop telling me you want to be a Tutorial winner! Tell me what goodies you would like to win. You can select any supplies I have, up to a $12.00 retail value!

Please also include a link to the site where you will post your tutorial.

One note - if I’m almost out of something, I may ask you to make another selection. Or, if the winner before you selected exactly the same components, I’ll ask you to choose other pieces.

You don’t even have to pay for shipping. And yes, international artists are eligible!

I’ll contact the winners late Thursday night on August 13, 2009. If I don’t hear back from you by Saturday, August 15, I’ll pick another winner. So if you’re not going to be reachable, please tell me AHEAD OF TIME so I know why I haven’t heard back from you.

Please make your jewelry - and your tutorial - as soon as possible after receiving your supplies (no more than a couple of weeks, please). Post the tutorial, and include a link to my shop in the tutorial, letting people know where you got your supplies!

Send me the link to your new tutorial, so I can link to it from my shop - and show off the creation made with my supplies.

Please also send the link to Totally Tutorials Blogspot so she can post it too!

I think that’s it. Remember, there will be three winners - at no charge, even for the shipping. It’ll be easy peasy - and fun - and a cool way to get your name out there!

Still have questions? Visit Totally Tutorials Blogspot or my Weekend Jewelry Etsy shop and ask!

Thought I’d give a little peek at some of the yummy jewels (and brass, and pendants, and findings) I have in my Weekendjewelry1 Etsy Shop: