These sleek earrings from Australian designer Amber Sceats start our year with a timeless design element…the triangle. Amber’s designs are “Heavily influenced by her appreciation for art, travel and architecture; Amber Sceats is an ode to the abstract. The underlying ‘rock’ element throughout her collections make the pieces uncompromisingly contemporary whilst simultaneously timeless.”
Archive for the ‘jewelry’ Category
Angles are In
Posted in Design, earrings, fashion, inspiration, jewelry, we can do this, tagged amber sceats, contemporary, Design, earrings, fashion, inspiration, jewelry, laurie prophater, ornamental elements, polymer, polymer clay on January 8, 2017| Leave a Comment »
Channeling Your Inner Child
Posted in art, Design, inspiration, jewelry, tagged contemporary, Design, fashion, inspiration, jewelry, laurie prophater, ornamental elements, polymer, polymer clay, Van Cleef & Arpels on December 7, 2016| Leave a Comment »
There is something about the holiday season, that brings out the inner child in all ages. Van Cleef & Arpels’ animal clip collection for 2016 will be certain to bring a smile to your face. “With its glittering procession of animals, the Maison’s new High Jewelry collection takes an affectionate look at the tale of Noah’s Ark. These giraffes are up to their necks in emeralds and sapphires, offering a spectacular tribute to the wonders of the animal kingdom.”
Don’t forget to click on the ‘Historic Collection’ at the bottom of the page for more look back at some earlier pieces…love the lion and the cat!!!
Strictly Geometry
Posted in art, color, Design, fashion, furniture, glass, inspiration, jewelry, tagged art, black & white, contemporary, Design, fashion, inspiration, interior design, joseph hoffman, laurie prophater, ornamental elements, polymer, polymer clay on October 28, 2016| Leave a Comment »
I stumbled across this glassware by Joseph Hoffman in a Wall Street Journal insert entitled…The Future of Everything. His background is fascinating, but the scope of his life’s work is amazing…furniture, glassware, architecture, jewelry etc.
“With an eye that favored strict geometric shapes, Josef Hoffmann was in many ways anticipatory of the cubist movement. His fondness for the square was so well-known that the architect and designer earned the nickname Quadrati-Hoffmann (Square Hoffman) among his peers.
Hoffmann was among the rare breed of designers who could make anything. Coming to prominence at the turn of the 20th century, the Austrian creative put his mark on everything from lounge chairs and silverware to a modernist sanatorium. Hoffmann undoubtedly owed much of his success to good company—working alongside artists like Koloman Moser and Gustav Klimt, the young Hoffmann founded the Vienna Secession, an organization of artists that held exhibitions of progressive work as a reaction to the prevailing conservatism of the art world.”
Fall 2016 Fashion Notes
Posted in Design, fashion, inspiration, jewelry, tagged chanel, contemporary, Design, fall 2016 fashion, fashion, inspiration, jewelry, laurie prophater, ornamental elements, polymer, polymer clay on September 24, 2016| Leave a Comment »
The September fashion magazines are stacked in my studio with pages ripped out for scanning or dog eared for future reference. During a quick page through of Elle, I discovered that even the august house of Chanel has a playful side. The photo from the Fall 2016 collection features three designs with colorful resin emoji brooches scattered throughout. Another dominant element that appears frequently in designs this fall is the use of grommets.
More ‘notes’ in later posts as I work my way through the stack. Hmmm!!! I love this homework!!!
The Design Within
Posted in art, Design, inspiration, jewelry, tagged art, contemporary, Design, inspiration, Intuit, jewelry, laurie prophater, ornamental elements, polymer, polymer clay, totem poles on July 22, 2016| Leave a Comment »
The last few months have been filled with travel, most of it fairly mundane, with one notable exception…Alaska.
Our first port of call, Ketchikan, was a wonderful introduction to Native American Totem Poles, as well as, the interesting patterns that are an integral part of the overall design.
HMMMMM!!! My mind is spinning with ideas.
Design Team
Posted in art, Design, fashion, inspiration, jewelry, we can do this, tagged contemporary, Design, fashion, inspiration, jewelry, laurie prophater, lizzie fortunato, ornamental elements, polymer clay on January 15, 2016| Leave a Comment »
Twins, Lizzie & Kathryn Fortunato founded their eponymous line in 2008 with the intent of creating unique accessories that use unexpected materials. “Lizzie designs the line, while Kathryn, who got her start on Wall Street, oversees sales and operations. Lizzie studied Art History and English at Duke University (where Kathryn majored in Economics) and her interest in “dressing to tell a story” is reflected in the pieces she creates.”
Timeless Style…Modern Expression
Posted in art, color, Design, enamel, fashion, inspiration, jewelry, tagged art, art deco, color, contemporary, Design, diamonds, inspiration, laurie prophater, nc rocks, necklace, ornamental elements, polymer, polymer clay on January 6, 2016| Leave a Comment »
The Mother-Daughter team of Nadine Hammoud and Cherine Altobaishi design jewelry that is inspired by their Lebanese heritage and their travels to exotic locales. Timeless in style and modern in expression, NC Rocks creations recall the abstract musings of artists like Al Held and Pablo Picasso, Wassily Kandinsky and Piet Mondrian. They honor the stylized ornamentation of art deco, the contoured fashions of the 30s and 50s, and the liberal, versatile vibe of the 70s.
My New Years resolution to post on a timely basis was foiled by technology…our internet connection evaporated on New Years day and did not return until today.
Simplicity & Power
Posted in art, color, Design, fashion, green design, inspiration, jewelry, re-purposed, tagged art, color, contemporary, Design, inspiration, jewelry, kyanite, laurie prophater, monique pean, ornamental elements, polymer, polymer clay, rings on December 20, 2015| Leave a Comment »
As you scroll through the work of Monique Pean, you may be struck by a simple yet powerful design aesthetic. “MONIQUE PÉAN uses environmentally responsible procedures to source its materials, and uses 18 carat recycled gold and platinum, conflict and devastation free precious stones, diamonds and fossils, which are gathered with no mining involved. MONIQUE PÉAN is a member of the No Dirty Gold campaign and a supporter of the Too Precious to Wear campaign.”
The stone in this dramatic ring is Kyanite. Some believe kyanite is a calming stone, helping to quiet the mind and dissolve feelings of anger and frustration.
“Like a Lion”
Posted in art, color, Design, inspiration, jewelry, tagged art, color, contemporary, Design, diamonds, fashion, inspiration, interior design, jewelry, laurie prophater, ornamental elements, polymer, polymer clay, rings, rug, solange azagury-partridge, wall street journal, youtube on December 13, 2015| Leave a Comment »
Solange Azagury-Partridge has a rather eclectic mix of inspirations…Berbers, Rubies, the Moon, Gargoyles etc….but first on the list “LIONS”. “I feel a huge love and affinity with Lions. My star sign is leo, my hair is big and frizzy like a lion’s mane, I’m a carnivore, I’m from Africa, I’m sociable and lazy”
Like the inspirations, her work encompasses a wide variety of styles and several categories. Rings, in the jewelry category, move from refined to playful and then into edgy. I was attracted to the stairway in her London showroom. Each step is carpeted in a different pattern, creating a riot of color. HMMM!!! I wonder if I can talk my husband into that for the stairway to his loft office!!!
A recent article in the Wall Street Journal featured Solange and highlights of her work over the past 28 years. The 1999 ‘Nature Ring’ for a mere $24,500 caught my eye…but the 1996 ‘Hotlips’ ring is still a best seller…$9,600.
Illuminating Inspiration
Posted in art, Design, inspiration, jewelry, lighting, tagged art, bec brittain, calder, contemporary, Design, fashion, hilda hillstrom, inspiration, interior design, ladies & gentlemen studio, laurie prophater, ornamental elements, polymer, polymer clay, wall street journal magazine on November 14, 2015| Leave a Comment »
The latest issue of the Wall Street Journal Magazine features a series of ‘Calderesque’ light fixtures. The dramatic arrangement of the elements in the fixtures would translate well as pendants, suspended on a cable necklace.
The photo on the left features a fixture from Ladies & Gentlemen Studio. “Ladies & Gentlemen Studio is a bi-coastal based design studio operating between Seattle and Brooklyn and embracing the best of both coasts. L&G Studio’s aesthetic and design philosophy is a balanced blend of warm minimalism, playful austerity, and simple sophistication.”
The photo on the right features the Helix Variant from lighting designer Bec Brittain & sculptor Hilda Hillstrom and ” pairs LED lights and brass forms with pigmented jesmonite, illuminating the relationship between planar forms and volume.”
Ornamental Elements 