Cel Design Jewellery: November 2009

Saturday last, 14th November I had a brilliant day teaching up and coming jewellery designers, in Cahir Co. Tipperary, at Craft Granary. We started at 10.30 and after the inital explaning how we go about designing necklaces, earrings and bracelets the teenagers got started.

The teenagers ranged between the ages of 13 to 18 years, there was eight taking part. Not all girls one young man braved it out Edward "Eddie". They experimented with various beads and wire designs.

The one part that slowed a few down in the begining was trying to get the crimps to stay put and the wire wrapping! not to mention lots of beads having a mind of their own falling to the floor or taking off mid-air!

All in all the feed-back was that they all enjoyed it and now had new friends with a similar interest. The next thing on their list was to locate a good bead shop near them all.

To all the Mum's and Dad's of the teenagers that took part, "Sorry if they are now looking for beads online- maybe a christmas present this year will be easy for you"!

A big thank you to Kathryne at Craft Granary for all the help in setting up.

The Golden days of the Summer has left us and replaced it with the glorious dappling colours of Fall. This is the time of year the my inspiration starts to flow, at night I keep a sketch book beside my bed to sketch these images that I will later develope into a either a head-dress or piece of jewellery.

I have been very busy over the past few months with brides and girls attending their graduation balls, they have kept me on my toes with broadening my designs to include the vintage appeal that is now greeting us, by the many design houses across the world.

With these new designs and revamping the Glam and Glitz of the 1950's Hollywood icons of the bygone era, I too have been swept up into the frenzy!

What is impostant to me is that I still want to give the wearer of my 1950's inspired vintage collection a more wearable glitz. These pieces do not have to be kept just for evenings out, or special occassions.

So, now I can hear you ask, what have you done? Well the answer to this question is that I have bought (actual vintage pieces), and been given by friends and family broken vintage pieces of jewellery. From clasps to pieces of necklaces . earrings and brooches to name a few (even the odd bead has found its way to my studio).

With all these broken pieces and some not too broken, with loving care I have cleaned and restored them to their former sparkling glory.

Revamping them into once again beautiful pieces of jewellery and head pieces, that would easily look fabulous on any Hollywood Celebrity!

As the latest designs from Couture Bridal Designers, it is marvellous to see the styles of the glamours late 1920's, Art Deco and The Grace Kelly styles sweeping the bridal salons.

The choices of colour for brides are so varied that gone now are the days of white and "Off" white.

Choices are now from white, antique white( the palest cream), ivory and beautiful tones of champagne, that will suit any skin tone, even going to the tonal colours of Red!

All these beautiful tonal colours now give brides a winder choice of what to wear as asscessories. From gold to silver, but not plane, all these accessories can now compliment the wedding gown. Bringing out the bride's personality, her uniquenes.

The accessories, are no longer wearing a tiara, hair combs and hair pins.

The selection now open to brides-to-be and their bridesmaids is vast but at the end of the day a bride is looking for a piece that will not only compliment her gown but will not "break the bank"!

What a bride also wants is reasonable prices, a high standard of workmanship,a large of choice of designs and quality.

With my collection in vintage styles a bride-to-be no longer has to look for something "Old" for her wedding day, this is now in her hair accessory or her jewellery.

The mother-of-bride and groom are also catered for, with the Glam and Glitz on their necklaces, bracelets and earrings that add a touch of elegance to their special outfit.

As hats do not suit eveyone, there is no reason why a mother of the bride or groom can not wear a hair comb or abstract flower hairband.

I have in the past year made these with semi-precious gem stones in complimenting colours of their outfits, they were sophisticated and elegant which gave the mum's the confidence and wow factor for them on their child's biggest day!