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 .. !

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.

Another Entry to the Australasian Swarovski Contest ? Yes, absolutely.

Since I submitted Tubastrea to the contest I have been fiddling with more design concepts. I have a large collection of Swarovski triangle crystal stones in emerald, Siam and Cardinal? Cardinal is a discontinued purple in the Swarovski range so the purple of these triangles will need to be investigated. Anyway back to the musing ..I am considering a cuff of some discription using big bold crystal stone shapes as I am only able to use Swarovski components, no seed beads this is a giant challenge everytime. I am also fiddling with RAW around tubing to create a fluid form but this is still only a 'mental picture'. I suppose watch this space, the competition closes at the end of August so time is drawing to a close to have entires submitted. I ordered a massive amount of Swarovski today so that I will have components on hand to use at whim (not that I don't have a giant inventory already lol). One Swarovski item of interest was 3mm bicones in the colour Morion AB 2x. A colour I am not familiar with and have not heard of until today; I am eager for them to arrive so that I can examine the true colour of them rather than a photograph from the internet. I suspect they will team with purple perfectly. Happy Beading x

Tubastrea

Tubastrea has been submitted as my third and final entry to the Create-Your-Style Australasian Swarovski Contest, Open Division. I am more than pleased with her, she is terrific and everything I visualised before I set to work to complete her. I will wear her out this weekend, to a cocktail party .. must build some earrings to match. This submission sees my entry tally at 8, 3 in the Open Division and 5 in the Creative Challenge Division.

Tubastrea has been created using right angle weave, woven Swarovski crystal pearls in 'Coral' and various other sized Swarovski crystals in 'Jet'. The closure is a series of ribbons that have been embellished with beading. This piece has been created entirely from Swarovski elements, there are no seed beads in this construction.

Final entry for the CYS Australasia Comp ?

I ask myself this as I completed 'Tubastreae' today .. What is Tubastreae ? She is a largely right angle weave woven neckpiece. I really, really like this piece and I would have to say that she is my finest work to date. I usually sit on a 'completed' piece for a few days before photographing or publishing as the design has to be completed in many ways. The 'resting' of a design as I like to call it is part of the creative process for me. Tubastreae has been created using only Swarovski elements in two colours Coral and Jet. Coral crystal pearls in various sizes and Jet crystal beads in various sizes and styles. Photographs of Tubastrae will follow once the design has 'rested'. Why call her Tubastrae.. well I wanted something to tie back to the colour Coral so whilst wandering the web I found this link which gives information all about Orange Sun Coral .. in Latin "Tubastrea faulkneri". I love this .. thus my entry to the Open Division of the Create-Your-Style Australasian competition was named. I do hope she is my last for this years competition, to date I have submitted (almost) 7 entries. I find competition entries exhausting as so very much goes into an entry physically, mentally, financially and creatively ..

Oriental Blossom

Oriental Blossom .. Handmade Beaded Cab set from Melissa Ingram.

I would have to say that bezzeling cabochons is one of my fav ways to bead. This particular set Oriental Blossom is one of a series that I am working on.

The cabs are all complete, it is just the beading part that requires completion. I create the cabs from the ground up .. that is I use a brass vessel, inset a special image, seal the image, let it dry .. then apply multiple layers of 2 part expoxy resin. The resin part is tedious as you have to 'babysit' the resin whilst it cures. That is keep checking on it, run a hair dryer over it to get the air bubbles to rise, popping each one with a pin. I even check them with a magnifying glass so as to get the best possible finish. I have to wait for each layer to cure before applying the next layer. After the last layer has cured I will match the beads to the particular image colour and bead away ... The reverse of the cabs are always sealed with ultrasuede and have my makers mark tag 'Social Butterfly' sewn into the beading.

Social Butterfly Jewellery and SRAJD

Melissa Ingram of Social Butterfly Jewellery is a proud SRAJD member.