WINTER WONDERLAND

While the winter of 2011 has been difficult for most of the United States, no one can deny the pristine beauty of fresh-fallen snow. It gleams in the sun, sparkling from stark tree limbs denuded of summer’s leaves.

Nowhere has it snowed quite as much as in the Berkshire Hills of Massachusetts. Gazing out the windows of our house in the forest there, the sparkle of new snow was nearly blinding. It reminded me of Swarovski Elements crystals that are specifically faceted to flash brilliant light from each bead or stone.

When Artbeads issued a Winter Inspiration challenge, I knew immediately what to make – a lariat of Swarovski Elements. I began by choosing three types of Crystal Yarn (www.artbeads.com/swarovski-crystal-yarn.html): cream mohair woven with 4mm bicone Elements in crystal; white cashmere with 3mm bicone Elements in crystal, and black cotton studded with 3mm crystal pearl Elements in the mystic black shade. To me, these represented the different shades of tree branches during the course of a day in their various coverings of snow -- sometimes bare and black, sometimes fluffily coated with new snow, and sometimes crystal hard with icy snow – but always with the crystalline sparkle of winter.

Then I selected a variety of Elements to embellish the lariat:

• A 14mm Ceramic Cosmic Ring in Marbled Black (www.artbeads.com/swarovski-crystal-rings-4139.html) to collect the strands in the front; and a selection of crystal pearls and pendants to drip from the ends of the Crystal Yarn. The ring is cut with small facets angled to catch the light and create a soft reflection.

• The Elements that I felt were the most appropriate to grace the ends of the lariat are the 20mm Column Pendants in Crystal (http://www.artbeads.com/6460-cry20.html). These beautifully faceted columns remind me of the huge icicles that hang from our eaves, shimmering in the light, as do the 18mm Aquiline Pendant in Crystal (www.artbeads.com/5531-aqualine-swarovski.html )


• My impression was that the 24mm Silver-Plated Graduated Drop in Crystal AB flashed the look of sunlight off new snow (www.artbeads.com/4139b-miv14.html).

• For a contrast in color, finish and feel, I included some 10mm Baroque Pearls in Platinum. Swarovski Elements Crystal Pearls are designed to imitate the irregular shape found in naturally occurring baroque pearls. With their leaded crystal core, Swarovski Crystal Pearls have a heavier, more realistic feel than faux glass pearls and are resistant to perspiration, UV rays, perfumes, and scratches. (www.artbeads.com/swarovski-5840-baroque.html)

• Lastly I chose several 6mm Silver-Plated Channel Drop in Jet and in Black Diamond to represent the end of the cycle, here in the Northeast: the old snow becoming sprinkled with dirt as it awaits either melting temperatures or a fresh coating of snow. (www.artbeads.com/swarovski-channel-drops.html)

What Elements would inspire you to design a necklace representing winter?

PANTONE® fashionCOLOR REPORT fall 2009

As I’ve said in past posts, I love color – working with it, looking at it, playing with it. So I naturally was delighted to hear that the new report was released and I went directly to it for a look.

In February 2009 at New York Fashion Week, Pantone asked designers “to identify the 10 most directional colors.” The result, for Fall 2009, offers a wide and diverse color palette reminiscent of painter’s masterpieces in the subtlety of the tones presented.

Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute® feels that “Designers recognize the desire for fundamental basics that speak to
current economic conditions”. You can view the top ten colors for 2009 here: http://pantone.com/downloads/articles/pdfs/PANTONE_FCR_FALL09.pdf

Typically, “Iron” is the “new black” but whenever is black replaced? The designers surveyed in the report all identified black as the “color” to buy and wear to get through difficult economic times. The timeless, seasonless “little black dress” can be updated with colorful accessories – such as a shining cuff made of sparkling Swarovski crystals http://www.msturman.com/collection/triple%20cuff.htm?

Which of these new colors appeal to you most? How would you accessorize them?

FASHION'S BOLD FALL JEWELRY STATEMENTS

After a salad lunch with a jewelry colleague last week on W. 57th Street, I suggested we have “dessert” at Bergdorf Goodman – specifically a leisurely tour through the jewelry department. We were amazed and delighted at what we saw: Statement Necklaces! Bold bracelets and earrings! Huge Chains! Chunky textures! Layers! Triple Strands! Bibs and Collars! Lots of large beads, stones and Swarovski crystals, some prong set, some sewn on and appliquéd with seed beads.

Since both of us are designers of hand woven jewelry, we were interested to see that many jewelers represented in this department are using ribbon ties in place of the usual findings as closures for their necklaces – nothing new actually, but now the silk ribbons were holding up large weighty necklaces and so added an airy femininity to the pieces!

Most of my work is also large and bold, incorporating large, rough-cut stones and natural beads, such as the 19” Ebony and Chalcedony necklace with a modern sterling silver clasp, chunks of chalcedony and ebony beads, three of them with woven “jackets” of chalcedony lozenges http://preview.tinyurl.com/n4v7t7 . Such a blend of materials and textures works well with any of the new fashion trends in the upcoming season.

My particular passion is for vintage beads and Swarovski crystals, such as the 24” chain of vintage Swarovski crystals http://preview.tinyurl.com/mcsa5o that can be worn with any dress for any occasion or the bold bib style necklace of vintage Swarovski cabochons http://preview.tinyurl.com/myoowu that would fill the plunging neckline of any little black dress. Can you see it?

Will you make a bold fashion jewelry statement this fall?

"Artisanal Treasures" Indeed!

What a word: Artisanal. Artisan. Artist. .... The article in today's New York Times Style section, by Tim McKeough, page D4, is entitled "Artisanal Treasures" and subtitled "Valuing the personal in an era of mass production". Yes! Amen and Hallelujah! Not a concept as compelling as it should be today, especially in this down economy.

"Valuing the personal" -- knowing that an artist's eye was captured by the materials and compelled to create from them; knowing that an artist's hands produced the treasure, rather than a machine; knowing that the treasure is a unique object -- perhaps one-of-a-kind or of limited production -- rather than having been mass produced.

The profiled entrepreneur, Stephen Burks, begins by saying: "Modern manufacturing processes are good at churning out one identical product after another. But shoppers in search of a little more character are increasingly drawn to objects handmade by artisans around the world." Are you in search of “character” in what you buy?

Each piece of jewelry I produce is personal, each has a history of some sort, each piece is handmade painstakingly -- an investment of time and love. Everyone asks how long it took me to make the statement piece "Be Mine" (http://www.msturman.com/collection/0671.htm)-- but how can I begin to quantify the wealth of energy and commitment, no less the pleasure, inherent in its creation, or the ease of simply wearing it with something simple and black and standing out in the crowd? I assure you: I did not churn it out.

Mr. Burks continues to talk about treasures “having that immediacy of making, and that direct connection to people and community groups” – isn’t that what we are searching for these days with our Facebook and Twitter postings and connections? So why not in the treasures that we buy, wear or live with?

Gamble on Vintage

-- vintage jewelry that is! I adore vintage beads and cabochons of all kinds. I seek them out wherever I am shopping for beads, anywhere from online to the Paris Flea Market, and everywhere in between. It awes me that they are old -- sometimes older than I am!

My absolute favorite of all my vintage pieces is called "Games People Played" which you can see at http://msturman.com/collection/d16.htm. This necklace is perfect for the big spender, with a big strong ego! It's a large, double strand necklace formed with a bolo and fringe, completely made from vintage beads representing all types of gaming pieces -- cards, chess pieces, dice, horseshoes -- plus vintage Japanese plastic red beads and vintage French silver beads (from the Paris flea market!) -- all crocheted by hand into a magnificent, one-of-a-kind, showstopper! The colors - white, black, red, silver -- can go with anything you would want to pair with it, so while its large, it's versatile.

Do you love vintage jewelry as much as I do?

HAVE FUN WITH FASHION

I was stopped dead in my tracks, so to speak, when I came across the article and pictures on the front page of the Times’ Sunday Style section. My roving eye for color and for jewelry fixed on the images of women wearing huge pieces of jewelry. I wished the article contained more information and so was surprised and delighted when I went online and found a narrated video version of it by Bill Cunningham, the Times’ On the Street Photographer, entitled “Fashion Fireworks”
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2009/07/02/fashion/20090705-street-feature/index.html?ref=fashion# .

The narrative was delightful and there were more pictures in the video then in the newspaper. Cunningham tells about the gigantic fake stone necklaces made of light weight plastic that he found perfect for this holiday, hence “Fashion Fireworks.” The flash of the jewelry complemented the fireworks in the sky and I couldn’t agree more.

Cunningham points out that in the current economic climate women are not buying clothes as they used to but are adding sparkle to what they have with this big jewelry. He further urges women to put on all their jewelry at once, as shown in a few of his photos. His message is that, despite the poor economy, women should nevertheless have fun with dressing, not be inhibited about it and not think such pieces are too much. YES!!

While the pieces I make cannot be completed with old spare jewelry parts while sitting on a beach as Cunningham suggests, I definitely “do” gigantic and sparkle. I’m currently working on a new line of pieces featuring rough stone medallions and more rough cut beads, pearls and colored stones. I’m very excited about them and can’t wait to complete them, have them photographed and put up for sale on www.msturman.com.

So I definitely agree with Cunningham that women should update their wardrobe with jewelry, new or repurposed. How do you have fun with fashion these days?

Why Color?

I’m a visual person, my husband is an audio person. Like Jack and Jill, together we make a great team: when we went to a Broadway production of La Boheme a few years ago, he raved about the music of this classic opera. I responded “what music?” because the production was staged by Baz Luhrmann and was so resplendent in colorful imagery that I was completely, visually, enchanted. He hadn't noticed!

Likewise, the striking opening images of the film “Frida”, the purple/pink hues of the mesas in the morning in Tucson, the shades and shapes of Dale Chihuly‘s glass installation at the Phoenix Botanic Gardens – all of these get me to raving about the overwhelming magnificence of color.

I could never understand women in my early beadwork classes wanting someone else to pick the colors of beads for their projects for them – they felt incapable. We were clearly in different places! Maybe this is because early on, in one of my early careers learning flower design and arrangement, I was required to take a class in color theory. I was so turned on by this class - when we had to make our own color wheel for credit, I nailed it! Likewise, when I tried my hand at oil painting, I had the best time mixing the tints and hues of the paints to achieve the exact shades of the still life set up by the teacher.

A friend of mine has always said that any color of flowers look good together, no matter their color. While that may be true, why not play with the colors for sensational effects? The colors available in nature are always spectacular and all wonderful. Natural, untreated colored stones and iridescent natural pearls offer amazing potential for combination and the flash in Swarovski crystals offers innumerable possibilities for stunning colorways. How can one go wrong? – the possibilities are infinite and deliciously challenging.

I have my favorite colors and color combinations: sometimes I love neutral palettes or sometimes I’ll pick up a hint of blue in a rough stone; I love pairing oranges and purples, browns and blues; I always love greens, but I’ve never appreciated yellows.

What colors do you love?