Paige Bluhdorn

I recently discovered Paige Bluhdorn. As I learn, she is a former dancer and a high fashion model who has recently become a textile print designer.

After a break from modeling and from the public eye to raise her beautiful twin girls, Paige is slowly emerging into the fashion arena with her textile designs inspired by pop-culture iconic images. Her work is contemporary and printed on a range of high-end fabrics that give it that uptown meets downtown flair. The prints feature repeated images of iconic figures such as Michael Jackson, Bill Gates, Andy Warhol and even Britney Spears. One wouldn’t be able to identify the actual imagery straightaway without closer inspection.

This 5 foot 11 statuesque beauty attends several galas and charitable events around New York City. Cleverly, Paige uses these printed fabrics to make beautiful dresses for herself and perplex audiences with these one-of-a-kind frocks at fabulous events such as the benefit for American School of Ballet.

I will be sure to follow this stunner to find out what she will be up to next …

 

Paige wearing her own design at the American School of Ballet Benefit

Paige on her modeling days...

This is Rio.

To me, one of the most beautiful, inspiring, alive and unique cities in the world. I have traveled a lot, but Rio de Janeiro is something else. If you haven't seen it, you must. If you have, then you know what I'm talking about. 

Here comes the tiara!

Miss Catherine Middleton stepped into the Westminster Abbey on the morning of April, 29 to became  HRH The Duchess of Cambridge and our new favorite Princess. Price William's wife looked like what a Princess should look like. The Alexander McQueen dress was stunning and perfectly matched with a breathtaking tiara.

Catherine's "something borrowed" was a GORGEOUS 1936 Cartier tiara that belonged to The Queen's Mother. The diamond beauty was Elizabeth's 18th birthday present, given to her by The Duke of York.
Her earrings were a gift from her parents and framed her face beautifully.

Manuela

Jewellery designer Annoushka has teamed up with sculptress and life long friend Manuela Zervundachi to create "Manuela". I have only seen a few pictures from the collection so far, but I cannot wait to be there tomorrow when they open their show to see the beautiful jewellery they have created.
Each of the 24 pieces is a unique piece and signed by both Manuela and Annoushka. Based on Manuela's sculptures, the earrings, rings, necklaces and bracelets have a unique but simple organic feel to it.
 Created in 18 ct gold and micro pave diamonds, the jewellery will be presented alongside Manuela's sculptures and sketches from Wednesday 28th of April to Friday 21st of May.
You might wanna write this down:

41 Cadogan Gardens
Sloane Square SW3

 

Between you and me.

I do know the feeling of being drawn to every jewellery display or window at every single shop in town. I can't stop myself. I also feel like sometimes I'm leaving behind something gorgeous and feel sorry for not taking home with me all the gorgeous jewellery I like, simply because a lot of times they cost a lot.
It hurts. Sometimes I go back to a shop just to visit a ring, I kind of almost miss it. The shop attendants are bored with me wanting to try it one last time, every time. Well, can't have it all and life goes on.
Then, there is Orelia.
Orelia is sold at many places, like Topshop and even in the airport's duty free, and you can go for it, guilt free. They make the loveliest pieces of jewelery at affordable prices, quite important, when you feel the need of getting a new sparkler every week.
What's even better, is that at the moment Orelia's website has a bit of a sale going on and some pieces went from £25 to £5. The vintage style earrings below are priced at a fiver, and the beautiful Layla ring goes for  £10!
I also think we should keep this a secret: www.orelia.co.uk

Tia Earring

Layla Ring

Les Marchés

I love a market, and if it is a french one, even better.
Last weekend on a trip to Aix-en-Provence to celebrate my boyfriend's birthday, markets were one of our favorite things to see.
Under a gorgeous sun, in a beautiful city we browsed the antiques and other amazing things on display.
My eyes, naturally, go straight into the stands where lovely jewellery was being sold.
I now share with you, a few snaps of the pretty things I saw.

 

 

Still Life.

My lovely silver box, result of very hard labour, sweat and tears, has got what it deserved.

I wasn’t very happy about the awful picture I took of it with my phone, so I thought it was fair, not to say mandatory, to have a better picture.

Also, this picture will be part of my portfolio, so it is really important that is a good one.

Kingsley,  the photographer I worked with today was kind enough to take this proper still life shot of my box.

Jewellery of the people

Padaung girls in Burma.

 Jewellery has come a long way. Used to adorn or to denote status, as an example, jewellery helps telling the history of people and of civilization. Different cultures have used all sorts of materials to produce their jewellery. Bones, ostrich beads, gold, silver, stones, cooper, animal teeth, shell, wood and feathers. The first signs of jewellery were found in African civilizations. Here, a few pictures of people around the world and their adornments.

A member of the Masai tribe, in Kenya.

A member of the xavante tribe from Mato Grosso-Brasil

A bride from India.

     

 American Indian adornment, mainly produces with silver and turquoise.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Love makes the world go round.

This pictures make my heart sing, I LOVE them.
Nicky Emmerson is a photographer I have worked with many times over the years. She is a sweetheart and I adore her work.
Here, a few of Nicky's beautiful snaps...

Our love affair with Liz.

Today the world lost one of the most iconic women of our times.
Elizabeth Taylor has enchanted the world with her violet eyes, amazing life story, acting career and her work as a philanthropist.
Liz had an unmatched love for jewellery. She believed that she never really owned any of those pieces of jewellery, she  only considered herself their guardian. Today, I pay tribute for a woman whose story will be continually  repeated over many years to come.

Her best selling book "My love affair with jewelry" tells the story of her passion for jewellery and showcases her most exquisite pieces. An example is the Taylor-Burton ring presented to her by Richard Burton.

“As I look at some of my jewels I realize what a very lucky girl I am. Sometimes I wonder what will become of everything, because just like the Duchess of Windsor’s collection, they will all be up for auction one day. They will be scattered to the four corners of the world, and I hope that whoever buys each piece loves it as much as I do and takes care of it and realizes that having jewelry is a temporary gift. In truth, we ‘owners’ are just the caretakers. Nobody owns beautiful paintings. Nobody ever owns anything this beautiful. We are only the guardians.” – Elizabeth Taylor, My Love Affair With Jewelry

It's a box!

After about 30 hours of hard work, my silversmith course project is done!
I have managed to transform sheets of silver into this lovely box and I'm really proud of myself!

This is the final result and I hope you guys like it!

through his eyes...

For being there everyday ♥

Royal Blues

London is feeling the Royal Wedding buzz.
A little over a month to go until the country stops for the celebration, there are souvenirs everywhere.
Tea towels, mugs, plates, t-shirts and  Kate Middleton's engagement ring replicas.
Even Primark has a version of the jewel.
The ring once belonged to Princess Diana of Wales.
It is an spectacular oval blue 18-carat Sapphire and diamond ring which had an estimated value of
£ 28,500 in 1981, when Prince Charles proposed to the late Princess.
Now, speculators believe the jewel is worth around £ 250,000.
Well, for mere mortals that don't have that much to spare, there is Primark.
I might get one for the sake of it, so I can sport it while having a picnic and a glass of bubbly in the Hyde Park fields come April, 29th.
Just kidding.

Hatton Garden

Hatton Garden is the London's Disneyland for jewellery designers.
Known as the city's quarter for jewellery, the area is also known for being the United Kingdom centre for diamond trade and has being since the Medieval times.
This week I will make my first trip to the area as a "jewellery designer", I need to get my tools kit ready so I can design and make pieces at home. I think I'll feel very professional when I get a torch, hard solder, silver sheets....
I am so excited!! Can't wait to start putting my ideas into gold and silver and to see them coming to life!
Soon, I hope to have a finished piece that I can post a picture of so you guys can take a look and tell me what you think!
I have done handmade jewellery and beaded pieces for a while, but this time I am actually making proper precious metal bits and I'm over the moon with joy!
Thank you to all of you that have been visiting the blog, in less than a month I've had almost 800 visits!
I hope everyone has a wicked week!
xx

Fashion + Function

Canadian designers  Nathan Lee and Trevor Coghill at Contexture Design have created a rather pretty bracelet.
Pretty, but if it wasn't for its "double life", it wouldn't have made it here.

The environmentally friendly bracelet below not only adds a clean touch of elegance to a simple outfit, it is also molded from reclaimed architectural veneer offcuts to double as a coffee sleeve.

Yes, coffee sleeve.
Just like the cardboard ones we pick up at the coffee shops so we don't burn our fingers when holding a hot cuppa, but prettier. The heat-resistant Coffee Cuff comes in different types of wood, the pictured one is Black Walnut with Anegre.

Bright summer ahead!!

While people in Brazil are enjoying their hot summer and colorful carnival we can be hopeful, we are set for a blinding bright summer (fingers crossed, a warm one too)!!

Not only fashion brands like Jil Sander (pictured below) have their colors popping out for their summer collections, the colors are also coming in gold...

Central St. Martins trained, jewellery designer Hattie Rickards first collection is an example of how jewellery and fashion are on the same trend page.

The dazzling ring above called Rubix Ring is a collection of colorful precious stones set in 3 rotating gold rings.

Oh, summer days.... :)

Linda

Third week into my Silversmith Course and I love it even more! My silver box is coming together and so far I'm happy with the results. My teacher Linda Robertson is brilliant. She is very particular about how she wants things done, and also, because she knows I want to make jewellery she gives me so many tips, I love her. As I am a little ahead with my box, while the other students get to the same stage, she has helped me making a ring. It is still early stages, but hopefully it will come together nicely.

Linda is originally from the Isle of Bute, Scotland. One of her very special creations is the inventive handle-less teapot. The pot is held in both hands to be poured. Such gesture is remindful of Japanese tea rituals and also a sign of friendship when serving tea to a companion. To keep the tea hot and the hands cool, Linda worked hard with an engineer to perfect the thermal insulation.

She used sterling silver, 9c white gold, 3 microns hard gold plating and insulating thermal plastic.

My London

Here, a few pictures of my home away from home and from moments I lived here.
London inspires me.
London has given me so much and everyday it surprises me with something new and unexpected.
Thank you London.
I ♥ you.