Shopping blog featuring products made by people not factories.
Sakurako Shimizu: Custom made wedding bands with waveform of couple’s own voices. “I Do” Ring offers a unique opportunity to own a timeless representation of your partner’s voice. Any words can be recorded to make a ring. Available in platinum, 18K white/yellow gold, and silver. 100% recycled gold and precious metals are used for the rings.
The holidays are right around the corner and it’s time to pull out the holiday decorations. Every year, I pick a new color theme for my Christmas tree and hand make the garland and a few ornaments for it. This year, I decided on a purple and silver theme, with just a little bit of red. I want to the tree to have a handmade feel to it, but with a little bit of sparkle. But glitter isn’t just for decorating, it’s also a great addition to your holiday wardrobe.
Sparkling dresses are the perfect way to make a splash at holiday dinner parties and celebrations. This mini dress by KaliOseano has just the right amount of shine and flair. With layers of fringe and a definitive flapper feel, this dress would be perfect with a pair of patterned tights, layered long necklaces and simple heels.
When you want to add a little bit of sparkle to your outfit, shoe clips are a quick and easy way to make a big impact and still look sophisticated. These white glitter tulle clips with silver polka dots by Mari et Femme Bridal would be a great addition to a holiday outfit and the perfect stocking stuffer for a fashionable family member or friend.
If your personal style is more low key, you can still add a bit of shine to your outfit without necessarily drawing a lot of attention to your clothes. This stylish triangle shawl by pak yumak is the perfect shade of gold. It would look stunning over a simple black dress and closed with a brooch.
While my tree is dressed with glitter this holiday season, I will be too. I’ll be wrapped in silver with touches of gold, and, hopefully, at an equally glamorous party.
The beautiful photo featured at the top of this post was taken by Jill Katherine.
Jewelry artist Dawn Benedetto calls her colorful line of jewelry her “fun and clever alter ego.” The petal ring, the signature Poppi product, is made from glass and sterling silver, and is literally a burst of color that refuses to be ignored. Poppi rings are sure to turn any wallflower into the belle of the ball.
In addition to the explosive petal rings, Dawn uses the same technique to create bracelets, earrings, and necklaces. Whether you choose the rounded, “roe” beads or the sharper, “flake” beads that make the petal rings, your Poppi jewelry is definitely going to pop.
Dawn began her life as a jewelry artist at the tender age of fourteen. Although she ironically does not wear much jewelry, it has been the focal point of her creative endeavors. Her portfolio that got her into college was mostly jewelry. Even though she also studied ceramics, sculpture, crafts, art history, and a host of other topics that intrigued her, most of her time in school was spent on jewelry. Her first job out of school was teaching other people how to make jewelry…you might say she’s an expert!
Although the brightly colored glass rings are now her most popular items, Dawn still works with her first love, silver and gold metal work. She began her career as a metalsmith, and still creates one-of-a-kind rings in gold and silver, as well as teaches metalworking classes.
The splashy and colorful Poppi line was born in 2000, when Dawn came up with the design for the petal ring, which instantly became a hit. Customers love them not only because of the enticing color and eye-catching design, but also because they miraculously fit pretty much anybody.
The Poppi line has since expanded to include vintage lucite jewelry, which is just as colorful and fun as the original petal rings, but with a slightly more retro feel to them. These are perfect for collectors, since production on this type of lucite was halted in the 1980s.
Dawn has been making jewelry for most of her life, and she still loves every bit of the process. From the design stage down to each minute phase of production, she’s unable to choose a favorite part, because she loves all of it!
Although her business has expanded to the point of needing several staff members to help with production and business management, you can still find Dawn in her studio making pretty things nearly every day.
Visit Dawn in her Torpedo Factory studio to see her at work, or find her jewelry in a number of local and national retail locations. Her colorful glass and lucite work is also available online at www.poppishop.com.
Zoa Art consists of the combined artistic efforts of husband and wife team Tony & Lisa Blackwell. Tony does glasswork and casting, while Lisa works with PMC, silver designs and completed jewelry. Lisa also teaches classes about her work. Newer work includes forays into Shibuichi, and thoughts of other metals are blooming.
jessi taylor: i make a lot of things, but what really gets me going is when i can make a PILE of something… collaged cards, oatmeal cookies, sterling silver rings set with typewriter buttons… then i like to lay them all out and gloat over my hoard!! i hope some of you share my love of piles, and that maybe you have a pile of pretty things already…
everything you see here is handmade, individually, and that means that no two things are ever exactly the same, and nothing is “perfect”. i love that!
