Friday, November 20, 2009

New life of old earrings


Recently a friend of my friend has brought me a pair of old vintage earrings (Sterling silver, labradorite and pearls) and asked me to create an unusual piece of jewelry using those earrings.


Create a new pair of earrings using the old ones? Oh, no! I decided to keep the old design, and put the earrings together on a blank beadwoven bracelet. I picked up seed beads matching labradorite and pearls for the bracelet, and added a few seed bead branches with amethyst rounds, pearls and some gemstone chips. So, here we are!

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Sunday, November 15, 2009

YOU KNOW IT'S GLITTER SEASON WHEN YOU SEE ALL THOSE SHERMANS LISTED ON EBAY!

Haven't had much to write about lately ... or rather, too busy with other things. But today I thought I'd slip over to Ebay to see what's going on there and wow...what a change from a month or two back. The Sherman listings have doubled! And there's only one explanation: Glitter season is here. This is the time of year that all the costume jewelry sellers, including myself, come out to tempt us with their sparkling rhinestone and crystal necklaces, bracelets, earrings etc. And of course, that makes sense. Unless you move in circles where attending galas and fancy dress events happen all the time, most of us, at least here in Canada, don't doll up in all that glitzy stuff just to go grocery shopping!

So what have I seen that's worth your time if you're shopping for Sherman? Well THIS SIAM RED SET was one to go for but that auction's over. The vendor started it at $199 and got one bid. I guess someone hoped that was the reserve. No-one else even bothered, probably because being a Siam Red Sherman, we know the vendor would want more than than opening bid. Well it'll be interesting to see if he/she lists it again. My guess is it'll be a "Buy it Now" much like we sell our jewels and Shermans in our SHOP AT RUBY LANE ... and I have some beauties listed there right now for those who don't want to be forced to bid higher than they really want to. But more about my latest later.

Pity I can't post photos of the eBay pieces anymore. Once those auctions are over, the links disappear in a week or two so you won't even know what I was talking about. Oh well...

So here's another really pretty set from a guy who sells lots of Shermans on ebay. I keep wondering where he finds so many lovely pieces. This one is a NECKLACE AND EARRING SET in red clear crystals with siam red navette accents ... a super pretty set. The earrings are gorgeous long danglers, 2" long in fact. Unfortunately only the earrings are signed. But I'd have to agree with the vendor that the necklace and earrings are a set. However, since the necklace isn't signed, this might not go as high as it would otherwise. Could be a good buy for you if you don't mind an "unsigned" Sherman. Auction ends at 2:43 on November 16th. Bidding is at $169 right now.

Now the same vendor has a 3-PIECE PARURE listed that is unlike any I've seen by Sherman and it's absolutely gorgeous. You've just got to look at this set. It comes with necklace, bracelet and dangling earrings in a shade that looks like teal and the stones are primarily baguettes. It's just so different. Bidding is already at $188 with 4 days still to go. No surprise there. This one is a keeper. Both necklace and bracelet are signed. Earrings aren't.

Okay, that's enough telling you about other people's Shermans. Now I'd like to suggest you take a look at the one I just listed today in MY SHOP AT RUBY LANE. It too is very different and a real head turner:






When I attended the Christies Antique Show back in September, I came across a Sherman similar to this one and couldn't believe it was a Sherman. I'd never seen a Sherman like this. That pendant hanging from the set above, and in the one I saw at the show, was such a heavy cluster of Swarovski crystals and the glitter was fantastic. But it was the design that caught my attention. So very different. I didn't buy the one at the show as I had only so much cash on me and had my eye on a ring I'd seen in another booth. I later wondered if I should have purchased the Sherman instead of the ring! So, when I chanced on the one above elsewhere at a later date, I jumped on it. I thought it was the same one but it wasn't. However this one was just as exquisite. I thought it ironic that I should find two so similar Shermans in a short period of time after never seeing one like it before LOL! Anyway, if you haven't seen one like this, please just CLICK HERE NOW and go take a look at this fabulous Sherman set available from my Ruby Lane shop and you don't have to try to win it either!

I currently have a really nice assortment of Shermans in MY SHOP AT RUBY LANE that are just perfect for the glitter season and they are all reasonably priced. Apart from my FAUX ALEXANDRITE set mentioned in my previous post and which comes in an original Sherman box, my current favourite is this glorious necklace below:



What a work of art this one is! I swore off clear crystal Shermans a while back but hey, how can you pass up a spectacular necklace like this one? I had a customer over last night to look at some fine jewelry and after she'd tried on this and that ring, I showed her some of my Shermans. When she saw this one, she gasped! She wasn't familiar with Sherman and had never really tried on vintage costume jewelry. But she just had to put this one around her neck and look at it in the mirror. It was so funny watching her reaction, let alone her fiance who, typical male, said he just considered this kind of thing "junk jewelry". Yeah right! He nearly keeled over when my customer turned to him sweetly and said "Wouldn't this go great with my wedding dress!" How right she is! This Sherman would go well with a wedding dress, or any evening dress where classic designer jewelry by Sherman is the finishing touch. You can read all about it and see more photos of this necklace in MY SHOP AT RUBY LANE.

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Lady Winter Necklace


Here is another Russian pendant, handpainted on a piece of black onyx and featuring a small part of the whole painting Winter, by Alfons Mucha.


And here is my another necklace featuring Russian pendants, its style completely differs from my Picasso's Dream Necklace. Not only shape, but technique and materials are different: I combined free-form and Russian leaves, as media I used seed and bugle beads, and a lot of Swarovski crystal pearls.


At last, here is a close-up of my lovely Lady! Maybe, too much gold, maybe I needed to add some silver color pearls, who knows, what would be better!

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Thursday, November 5, 2009

Tropical Blossom Necklace


I had a dream - to create a necklace using mostly Swarovski crystals. Of course, with seed beads together! Artbeads.com declared October as their month of Swarovski, and I didn't want to loose such a great opportunity. They have over 5,000 different items from Swarovski including beads, pendants, rhinestones, buttons, chain and more. In other words, everything you need to design the most dazzling jewelry!

I received from Artbeads.com different Swarovski crystal beads (Margarita Bead Jet and Margarita Bead Siam of different size), rivolis (Rivoli Siam, Rivoli Padparadscha, Rivoli Black Diamond), and amazing Aquiline Pendants, added bicones I've already had, and started working.


I must confess, it was a pleasure to work with Swarovski! Though I'm not a fan of bright sparkling beads and elements, I can sometimes afford to work with such materials, right? The name was born easily: Tropical Blossom! I think, it's fine for my necklace.

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My daughter as a model


It can happen not very often when I make pictures of my jewelry on models. Here my daughter Ivanna is serving me as a model. At that time she was just back from the Burning Man Festival, she grabbed my necklace and put it on! I called that free-form necklace Southwestern Taste because of its color combination.

Burning Man website: www.burningman.com

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Alexandria Festival of the Arts


Annual Alexandria Festival of the Arts is voted one of the top 100 art festivals in the country by Sunshine Artist magazine. As usual, it took place in September.


More than $15 million in art was on display, and more than 200 juried artists have displayed and sold fine art ranging from paintings, sculpture, prints and photography to pottery, glass, jewelry and ceramics. This year we noticed less sculpture artworks, but much more jewelry of any kind. Anyway, festival made a great success!

Pictures: Festival of the Arts

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Art Activated at the TFAC


I had to post that at least a month ago, but better late, than never! A great event took place in September at the Torpedo Factory Art Center, where visual art came alive during the Alexandria Festival of the Arts. Artists demonstrated throughout the day pottery on the wheel, drawing, bubble glass making, beading, spinning, weaving, knitting, limestone carving, etching, and much more. Visitors could try their hand at different art techniques including clay throwing, sculpture, and fiber art at special "Try Me" stations.


Hands-on projects also included Champagne Cork Chairs workshop, Bubble Gum painting, Create Your Own Button workshop, Screen printing workshop, Mask Making workshop and so on. Lots of fun for both, adults and kids!

Pictures: Art Activated

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