Bejeweled

I have such a passion and fascination for jewellery and this week decided to take this passion a step further.  I have just spent the week learning Silver-smithing at Lancaster Jewellery school, where Delia and Janet taught myself and two other pupils the basics of silver jewellery making. I had never done anything like this before and was scared stiff on Monday morning.  By Friday afternoon I was going home armed with everything I had made; 2 pendants, 2 pairs of earrings, a bangle, a beaded charm bracelet and a new found confidence in the art of making my own jewellery.  I hope you are inspired by some of my favourite images, a few from Uno de Cincuenta, a Spanish company who make only fifty of each item (hence the name one of fifty).

This is what I've made

Cat power.....

There is such an attraction to Leopard skin or Leopard print.  It has been worn through the ages and exudes total glamour.  Season after season Leopard makes an appearance on the catwalk;  Betsey Johnson, Dolce and Gabbana, Christian Louboutin, Hermes, to name but a few.  Even men can't avoid it with Christian Louboutin's animal print high top trainer range.  Fake or real, the choice is yours, only don't end up looking like Bett Lynch!!

 

Jean Paul Gaultier

At nearly sixty years of age Jean Paul Gaultier has done it all.  From fashions for the catwalk, costumes for films, skirts (AKA kilts) for men, perfume, sunglasses to name but a few, to designing furniture for Roche Bobois.  Jean had no formal training as a designer, instead he persistently sent his sketches to designers, one being Pierre Cardin who was so impressed by him, in 1970 he employed him as his assistant.  His first collection was released in 1976 and I think he will be best know for the corsets he designed for Madonna, in 1990 for her Blond ambition tour and again in 2006 for her Confession tour.  Cone bra shapes have become synonymous with both Gaultier and Madonna.  For some reason, which I have never understood he also presented Eurotrash.   Nonetheless it didn't do his career any harm.  I particularly like his collaboration with Roche Bobois, perhaps somewhat impractical but still, like him, a lot of fun.  Hard to believe the 'enfant terrible' is nearly sixty!!

Religious art and objects used in Interior Decoration

In recent times it has become very popular to decorate and accessorise your home with religious art, objects or icons.  I've never thought about this as being controversial ie sitting a Buddha next to a Christian cross.  I find these type of objects comforting in a strange way and beautiful to look at.  The inspiration behind this post was a couple of pieces of artwork I found for sale on Etsy.  The arms with the thorns is called 'Blessed hands' and the Malagros heart interpretation is from the 'Blossoming heart series' both by Elizabeth Frank.