Saturday, September 5, 2009

30 ways (and more) to wear a Brooch


Some of my SOLD Brooches

You can find more of my brooches in my Shop at
www.enchantedbeads.etsy.com

or at
www.enchanted-beads.com









What customers say about my brooches:

"I'm speechless!!! This is THE most gorgeous brooch I have ever seen. Incredible, intricate work!! Thank you so much!" (Elizabeth)

" Excellent quality brooch. Very, very unique. The work is very professional and the piece has a wonderful weight to it." " W O W ! ! A work of art!! The varied bead colors and textures combine to make a dreamy lavender heart." (Stacy)


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Glenda from Dax Designs www.daxdesigns.etsy.com recently published in her Blog a great post about many ways of wearing a brooch. I love everything about brooches so I asked her permission to publish excerpts from her post here.

The top 30 ways to wear a brooch

Dress, top, blouse, T-shirts
1. Tradition says wear it on the upper left of your blouse, dress or top.
2. Break tradition and wear several at once.
3. Wear it at lowest point of your neckline on a low cut dress or top.
4. Wear a plain shirt buttoned to the neck and pin a brooch over the top button.
5. Pin some matching brooches on a blouse like decorative buttons - pin in lines, make triangles or whatever takes your fancy.

Cardigans and Jackets
6. Use a brooch to close a cardigan
7. Follow tradition and pin a brooch to your label, break tradition and pin more than one.

Vests
8. Cover a vest with lots of brooches for drama.
9. Wear just one on a vest to make a statement – formal, fun or casual.

Shoes
10. Pin brooches on plain shoes to dress them up – match or not depending on your style.

Skirts
11. If you wear slit skirts a brooch at the top of the slit will highlight your legs.

Trousers
12. Pin brooches down the side of the leg of your pants. Apparently, it makes your legs look longer – but it is also fun.

Scarves
13. Tie a scarf over your hips and pin the brooch on the knot of the scarf.
14. Wrap a scarf or a pashmina around your shoulders and pin the knot or the overlap with a brooch.
15. Use your scarf as a bandana and pin the brooch to the front or to the knot at the back.

Hats
16. Create a signature hat (any style) with a brooch – fun, dramatic or stylish.

Bags or purses
17. Pin a brooch on a tote bag for effect.
18. Use a brooch on the fastener or use it as one.
19. Pin the brooch on the handle of a handbag at the point it rests on your shoulder.
20. Pin a brooch on the front of a clutch purse to change its look.
21. Add a brooch to a chain strap – co-ordinate with your outfit.

Necklaces
22. Pin brooches onto a simple chain and draw the draw towards your neckline.

Key chains
23. Put a small length of patterned or plain ribbon knotted around a ring keychain and add a brooch to it. Use durable brooches that won’t snag.

Gloves
24. Pin a brooch on the back of your gloves – just one, or both.

Belts
25. Pin the brooch over a leather (or fabric) buckle of a plain belt.
26. Pin a brooch to a cloth or chain belt for individual style.

Hair
27. Pin brooches on a headband. If it’s the colour of your hair they will pop out from your hair. 28. Pin a brooch on a plain fabric hairclip for effect.
29. Pin a brooch onto a leather thong tied around your hair.

Wrists
30. Pin brooches on a simple chain, cloth or leather wristband.


THANK YOU Glenda!

Please visit Glenda's Blog, here:

http://daxdesigns.blogspot.com/


Friday, August 21, 2009

Thanks Ruthie!

I am featured again, in the ByHand Gallery through Ruthie's selection.

http://byhandgallery.blogspot.com/2009/08/beaded-flowers-by-etsy-bead-weavers.html

Congratulations to all EBW artists featured:

time2cre8, SpringColors, gr8jewellery, Charmingthings, enchantedbeads, Fivefootfury13, SmadarsTreasure, thebeadedlily, ThreeFatedDesign



THANK YOU, Ruthie!

Ruthie's Etsy Shop:
http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5901528

NEW FRONT PAGE

What a pleasant surprise! Smadar's Treasury "Silver and Gold" hit the Front Page and one of my brooches was featured. It is Sea World Series - Venus Shell Brooch
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=26598749

Here is Smadar's beautiful treasury:



The August EBW Challenge Winner is...

21. Royal Blue - Marie-Antoinette - StudioAnnieVeillette

SECOND: 1. Nefertiti's Treasure Beadwoven Choker Necklace - RachelesOriginals

THIRD: 9. Bright Young Thing - copperwaycrafts

FOURTH: 10. Luthien - MadeByOlga

FIFTH: 6. Shades of the Southwest - beadsandblooms

SEVENTH: 30. Montana Sapphire - beadwoman3

SIXTH: 15. Brigid Flower Necklace - SpringColors

EIGHTH: 28. Alexandra's necklace - CieloDesign


NINTH: 19. Lagoon Lustre - sutkibeads

TENTH: 12. Mademoiselle Coco Couture Wrist Cuff - gypsyeyesjewelry



CONGRATULATIONS to the winners and to all participants!

Sunday, August 9, 2009

EBW August Challenge


AUGUST 2009 Challenge
FIRST LADIES OF STYLE
1. Nefertiti's Treasure Beadwoven Choker Necklace - RachelesOriginals

2. All That Glitters ... Is Not Gold - beadsforever

3. Gaia Goddess Beadwoven Bracelet - cigarboxbeads

4. Punk Rocker Bracelet in Blue and Black - roseworksjewelry

5. Peyote bracelet for Queen Maud of Norway - PFordCustomJewelry

6. Shades of the Southwest - beadsandblooms

7. Black and Gold - ArtfulAr

8. The FIRST Lady of Style - BettyStephanBeadwork

9. Bright Young Thing - copperwaycrafts

10. Luthien - MadeByOlga


11. Black Beauty jewelry set - BeadCatcher

12. Mademoiselle Coco Couture Wrist Cuff - gypsyeyesjewelry


13. The Elizabethan - daynamiles


14. For Sofia - Choker - triz



15. Brigid Flower Necklace - SpringColors

16. S.W.A.L.K -'Sealed With A Loving Kiss' - Astersadler


17. Just Our Style - 1BeadAtATime


18. Coco Chanel Inspired Cuff Bracelet - GinjaGirlDesigns


19. Lagoon Lustre - sutkibeads

20. A Necklace for Michelle - BeadazzledofOregon

21. Royal Blue - Marie-Antoinette - StudioAnnieVeillette

22. 2 in 1 Multi Strand Silver and Blue Iris Necklace - SmadarsTreasure

23. Princess Jezebel's Jewels - Fivefootfury13

24. Memories IN Style - trinitydj

25. Victorian Cameo Brooch - enchantedbeads

26. Aphrodite - GreenEnvyDesigns


27. Classic Celtic Braided Bracelet - AmethystRavenstar


28. Alexandra's necklace - CieloDesign

29. Turtle Dream Weaver Necklace - kraftymax


30. Montana Sapphire - beadwoman3

Wednesday, August 5, 2009

August EBW Challenge - My Entry


My artistic soul was always fascinated by Cameos. They are witnesses of elegant styles for many great Ladies in history.

To create this beautiful, one of a kind brooch I used a vintage Victorian Cameo found in a antique store. It did not have a frame or a setting so it was the perfect object for me to embellish with love. I framed it with small coral beads and size 15 gold and copper seed beads from Japanese Miyuki, sewn one bead at a time, in a design that would enhance its natural beauty. The brooch measures approx. 47 mm x 45 mm x15 mm and has a strong, good quality pin back. It is beautifully finished with leather (see last picture) and my initials IM are stamped into the sterling silver palette that is applied to the back of the brooch. A lovely conversation piece!

I created this Cameo Brooch for the August 2009 Etsy Beadweavers Challenge. The theme is 'First Ladies of Style' and the Cameo Brooch is a tribute to the feminine beauty.

Cameos held a very important place in history from the ancient Egypt, Roman Empire, ancient Greece to the Renaissance revival and 19-th century France, where Cameos became the "most sought after jewel by Queens and Princesses throughout Europe".

SEARCH EBW Team and EBWC for other unique beautiful beaded creations.
Please visit the EBW Blog at
http://etsy-beadweavers.blogspot.com/
to see more entries. Between August 9th and 15th, you'll be able to vote for your favorite.

Project 2009 Breast Cancer Quilts

Bead-It-Forward Project 2009 Breast Cancer Quilts


Presenting the 2009 Bead-It-Forward beaded quilts. Auctioned at the Bead Social during the Bead and Button Show in June 2009, each quilt combines 100 squares from bead artists around the world. Jeanette Shanigan is the founder and organizer of this annual fundraising project, which began in 2006.

Fire Mountain Gems and Beads purchased three of the nine 2009 beaded quilts. The Bead Artists Against Breast Cancer auction brought in over $14,000, with the proceeds benefiting the Medical College of Wisconsin Cancer Center.

Learn more about the Bead-It-Forward project here.

Quilt #6