Thursday, September 2, 2010

Etage Boutique a new Outlet for SBJ

Exciting news for Social Butterfly Jewellery, a new outlet ! SBJ has found a new home for a custom range at Etage Boutique, 52 Tunstall Square, Doncaster East in Melbourne Australia. I must get busy straight away as this range is due in a week .. !

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

Juxtaposed Jewels - A freestanding Cuff Design

Juxtaposed Jewels is my 4th entry to the Open Division of the Create-Your-Style Swarovski Australasian Contest and my 9th entry in total, as I have 5 entries in the Creative Challenge Division as well. I submitted this entry with 5 hours to spare before the contest ended, which was midnight last night. I had no intention of a 4th entry, time was running out, but despite this began fiddling with ideas and Juxtaposed Jewels was created. I spent the weekend, working on and off all day then late into the night. Beading continued on Monday and through Tuesday reworking and fiddling with the components. I snapped about 4 needles, snapped 6lb Fireline as I worked it through the crystals about a dozen times, popped only 1 bicone which I then had to replace. Then there was the design of the cuff clasp .. I eventually settled for one of my wire wrapped butterfly catches using gold filled wire and created a toggle clasp. The design is created entirely using Swarovski crystal elements, seed beads are not allowed to be used in the contest. This was such a challenge for me as I love to use seed beads. My option was to use Swarovski 2mm rounds & 3mm bicones as my 'seed beads' thus I was able to bezzel the (15) 18mm x 13mm Swarovski stones, plus the very large Article 1201, 27mm flat, faceted crystal round stone. I used so many colours in this design .. Montana, Siam, Pacific Opal, Morion AB2x, Erenite AB2x, Erenite, Emerald, Copper Crystal, Diorion, Silk, Light Peach, Fern, Chrysolite, Jet, Capri, Rose, Padparadscha, a Limited Edition Gold & Green, Violet, Vitrail Medium, Tanzanite, Aquamarine, Violet Opal, Fuschia, Indocolite and Silver Shade. I was so pleased with both Juxtaposed Jewels and Tubastrea (entry #3 in the Open Division) that I boldly submitted them to Bead&Button magazine as a possible for a future project/s within the pages of this illustrious magazine.
Copright 2010 Juxtaposed Jewel & Tubastrea Design - All Rights Reserved Melissa Ingram of Social Butterfly Jewellery.