Fashionably Friday: Office Jewelry

This week my TiVo nearly died. No, not because it was malfunctioning, but because Fall Prime Time is in full swing and my poor little DVR was quite overwhelmed! For the past few months we have been going out of our way to find something to watch when we are folding laundry or making jewelry; now we have to actually edit what we watch because there are so many options! One show both my husband and I REALLY love, especially since I now work in an office, is, well, The Office! And last night Season Six began, and the cast was looking better than ever (and seem to just get funnier and funnier!).

One character I just heart on the show is Phyllis. Can you guess why? That woman wears some fierce jewelry! Unfortunately, she doesn’t get the internet love as much as other characters, so finding pictures of her in her digs was a bit of a challenge (let’s just say that I didn’t completely mind having to actually watch several episodes to get a glimpse of her jewelry… oh, the things I do for you all!). Here are some of my favorites (click on any of the images for the source):

(Oh, and sorry in advance for the font sizes going all over the place, I am proud that I at least got the video embedded!)

Here’s Phyllis from last night’s episode. She rocked this funky necklace (and always seems to coordinate it with the solid color of her top – you go, girl!).

This seriously, seriously looks like both something I would make and something that I actually own! From the Disco Café episode.

Sportin’ the long and chic look. I would totally wear this, too.

Phyllis makes browns and dark purples look good!

Phyllis (her real name is Phyllis, by the way!) actually commented on her character’s jewelry when NBC gave her her own bobblehead doll! Of her her Bobblehead, she said "She's got the clothes, and the hair, and the beads. As you know, Phyllis always wears beads!"

You can watch it here.

Take a look at that sexy bobblehead, too!

And let's not neglect the other ladies of the Office. Here a few pictures I found of them strutting BEAUTIFUL jewelry off the set:

Love this necklace that Jenna Fischer (Pam) is sporting. I might have to make one (especially if it could get me lookin’ like THAT – wowza).

Kate Flannery (Meredith) at the TV Land Awards in Santa Monica. Holy mother do I dig that necklace. And it’s especially perfect with that dress! I know that if I wore it, though, I wouldn’t be able to keep my hands off of it (I tend to suffer from “Always Needs Something In My Hand” syndrome).

I’ve already blogged about how I love when clothes act as jewelry. Mindy Kaling rocked this beautiful ensemble at the SAG awards this year, glowing in what seems to be diamonds and a beautiful crystallized dress. Love it! (You can also follow her on Twitter - she makes some great tweets)!

Though Angela’s character (also named Angela) on the office doesn’t prefer anything too ornate, the real Angela sure does know how to accessorize! Here she is doing a Clariol commercial (I don’t care if it was the wardrobe department who chose this, she looks great!).

Whew! That took me longer than I had expected! Why don't the internet gods just categorize pictures according to what jewelry people are wearing? It would make this so much easier! So, what on-screen jewelry are you digging this season? Do share!

Have a great weekend, lovies!

I love you, Wednesdays.

Because, seriously, Friday is still 2 days away. I love you, Wednesdays is my bloggin' attempt at a.) shutting up about my products and sharing the love of others' with others! and b.) sharing sources of inspiration that often stands behind my jewelry and creative process. I have heard that checking out blogs has been deemed "Blurfing" (blog + surfing = blurfing). Not so sure I like the phrase, as it sounds like something I would do in my mouth when I hear a nasty piece of news or unfortunately eye something I rather would have not seen. Anyway, I was "blurfing" the other day and came across this great website: 26 Olive Street. It's essentially a website that sells sweet vintage stuff (especially numbers and signs). In addition to a visually stunning blog, the site also has a "Color Match" application. I think they must have known I was coming to visit, but I feel like this little feature must have been made with me in mind (much like I Can't Believe It's Not Butter Spray and Gerber Daisy's). You start with an empty watercolor tray and an open text box. You upload your own picture to the server and type in any key words that you are looking for in particular. Click "analyze" and voila! The server searchs Etsy items whose jpg's have the same tones and lists them all for you by color! So I uploaded a picture I took in San Francisco when I lived there and decided to see what we could come up with. I especially like this picture because it's bright and colorful, yet still warm and subtle and therefore also seasonally appriate as we approach fall. Here's the picture: And here's the color pallet the server presented for one of the yellow hues: So after clicking on each color, I choose a few products that especially stood out to me and which I felt cooresponded to the image itself. Here's what I made :)

luckykaerufabric, kerrybeary, angelafre

kerrybeary, ErniesStoneStudio, ThePaintedTiger johnwgolden, fraydknot, LanitaPhoto lindsaybellejennings, aephemera, arteest

Don't forget to visit their shops!

So, what inspires you today?

Reasons to Celebrate

Well, friends, it's been a busy few months in the Bead Up world. Lots of custom orders, lots of creating a cohesive Fall Line, and lots of sales :) Here's a little re-cap of things to celebrate: Wedding jewelry I made custom pieces for some friends' weddings this summer. I blogged about making Roni's custom bracelet back in May, and had a hard time waiting for her August wedding to arrive so we could see pictures of the combination! Her pictures not only turned out beautifully, but I must say, I am super please with the combination (thanks for taking the time to take these great shots, Roni!).

(Photo by Lisa Leigh)

Back in July I also blogged about making a pearly bracelet for a high school classmate's August wedding. At this point I have yet to see any of the professional pictures I hope Sarah took of her bracelet and dress combination, but I did manage to find a few thanks to Facebook stalking ;) Finally, my child-hood friend Chrissy asked me to make her several pieces of jewelry for an Indian wedding extravaganza she was in last month. After going back and forth on the design in my mind (and blogging about it here), I am happy with how the pieces turned out (and that Chrissy was happy, too!). Custom Necklace I have been amazed with how powerful homemade advertising has gone in my little Bead Up journey. For example, I have made a point to only wear jewelry I have made as a means of showing off my products in person. This method has worked at work, in stores, at parties, and especially at church. A few months back a friend named Sue asked me if I could make her a custom necklace for a blazer for which she just couldn't find a matching necklace. Sue said that she especially liked a Red and Black Glass necklace she had noticed me wearing, but wanted it to match the hues of a very colorful blazer, particularly the pink and navy of her coordinating belt. I took mental note of the colors and was really disappointed with what Michael's had to offer, but bought a few matching tones and went with what I had. Thankfully, Sue was really pleased with the end result. Here is the necklace and her blazer, in addition to a picture of Sue and me (with respective husbands in between) in her new necklace and me in the original inspiration piece (purely coincidental!). Pi Necklace So I made this "Pi Love" necklace a month or so ago in hopes of gaining Bead Up exposure among my Sorority Sisters. Though I sent out about 200+ messages on Facebook promoting the items to my gals, I only sold 4/6 of the necklaces to ADPi's. A gal in Spain bought the 5th necklace to give to her boyfriend who, according to her, was a math student and loved Pi (I of course suggested I take off the crystal bead and replaced it with a silver bead, instead!). The last necklace I had available sold last week to a gal in Texas. After she got the necklace in the mail, she wrote: "I got the necklace today and it's soo beautiful. Just like my friend. I can't wait to give it to her. She has done so much for me in the past it's insane. Our relationship irrational and never-ending just like the digits of pi." What a great interpretation of the necklace that I had made for a totally unrelated reason - thanks, Priya! Reasons to celebrate! Bead Up has experienced several milestones in the past, but last week's was a most highly anticipated one: my 100th Etsy sale! (Don't get me wrong, I have sold more items than that since I do alot of sales off-line, if you will...). A special thank you to my dear friend Cheryl for buying the 100th item - make sure you check out her FABULOUS Cupcake Blog while you are at it! I also noticed on my map widget the other day that I had people on 5 continents visit my blog within a 24-hour time frame! Sweet! Cupcakes, Cocktails, and Creations And speaking of Cupcakes and sweets... a friend of mine from church has offered to throw me a JEWELRY PARTY! The vibe I am getting is that it's kind of like a bridal shower, but without the giving of gifts. Almost like a Tupperware party ;) My gal Marla has offered her home and her food so long as I bring the goods for an October 24th afternoon get together, entitled "Cupcakes, Cocktails, and Creations." This will (hopefully) be a great way for me to both gain exposure, sell some items, and hopefully get rid of some older items and make way for newer ones! I have never had a jewelry show before, and deciding what new items to post to Etsy and what to save for the party has been a bit of a dilemma. I anticipate having at least 50 products at the event, in addition to samples of things I can custom create and order forms for such creations. I have asked my sorority sister, Mary Ellen, to design a postcard for the event, and have asked my 100th customer Cheryl to help provide the cupcakes (she's LA's up-and-coming cupcake critic!). I'll keep you updated as to the progress of the event - let me know if you would like an invitation in the mail :) Fall Line And last but not least, I have been working hard at creating a cohesive and thematic Fall Line for this new season. I made 10 necklaces on Saturday afternoon alone, and have lots more materials within the color and material scheme to make more! As mentioned, I am torn between posting them all at the same time to Etsy, or saving some of them for my Jewelry Party. Since I am not good at keeping things to myself, I just had to post a few - more to come, of course! Here are a few that are new on Etsy. What do you think?

Forever Linked Necklace - $26

Ring Around the Copper Rosie - $14

In Bloom - $15

Happy Fall, Y'all!

Fashionably Friday: Statement Necklaces on "Sale"

So in light of last week's post on super chic, yet super pricey, Padma Lakshmi's new jewelry line, I wanted to dedicate this week's post to something a little more affordable. I originally intended on talking about some of the fun finds on Target.com, until I came across this interesting article from "Stylelist.com" --- "Statement Necklaces under $150." "$150?" I thought to myself. These better be some darn niiiiiiiiiice statement necklaces for that amount of money (this is coming from the gal who just "splurged" on a $9.99 purse and a pair of boots for $16.99 at Ross!). So I took a look. What I found? Some Good, some Bad, and some just plain Ugly. I'll tell you my thoughts if you tell me yours! The Good:

Black Chiffon Flower Ribbon Necklace

A garland with a Goth aesthetic, this necklace is made of grosgrain ribbon accented with chiffon flowers. Flowers have raw edges and black gem centers.

$16 on Torrid.com

"OOOooooooooooooh," I literally said when I saw this necklace. Me likie. I can see this as a great accent piece to any simple white t-shirt or even formal dress. And the best part? It's only $16! I have seen similar necklaces for sale at Forever XXI, yet had never heard of this "Torrid" shop. I sent the link to a friend and told her to check it out (since she likes affordable trendy jewelry, too). She later snapped in shock: "Woman! It's a plus size shop!" Woops! Totally didn't mean anything suggestive by it, Nicole!

Ranuncula Necklace Tightly packed cotton voile petals, inset with gilded gems and strung between mixed chains. $42 at Anthropologie

The second necklace that the Stylelist originally listed wasn't available on Anthropologie's website for some reason, so this was the next best thing. And best indeed. I like it - ALOT. I wish I had thought of it - the combination of colors, the chain, and the delicate and beautiful flowers. And for $42, I think it would be an excellent Christmas wish-list item.

Floral Grid Necklace Acrylic, Base Metal setting, silver plated $125 at Banana Republic

Though I don't think I would buy this on a normal day, I certainly wouldn't buy it for $125. Especially since it's made of base metal and acrylic (in other words, fake stuff). Oh, BR, you do know how to over price yo' stuff. Don't think you can fool me for a second. However, that doesn't mean it's not totally cute. Especially in comparison to the following...

The Bad:

Stamped Circles Necklace Gold look stamped circles layered neckwear measuring 66cm in length. 100% Metal. $25 from "TopShop"

Arugh, me hearties. Bin turned me facebook settin's on to scurvy pirate mode this day hearty thanks to 'tis treasure chest 'o a necklace. Never run out 'o doubloons fer th' parkin' meter again! (translation courtesy of this website - hilarious)!

Cluster Necklace A modern cascade of interconnecting golden chain links and smoky lucite hexagons. 17"L with lobster claw clasp. Was $39, now $34 on Spiegel

Makes me want to eat the 80's-tastic Honeycomb cereal. Looks like a bulls eye for stingers!

Carmen Cabochon Necklace Faceted cabochon-style stones with rhinestone accents. Hematite-colored chain. $58 by Guess by Marciano

This isn't a total fail... totally... I feel that it's trying to be statement-y yet is lacking a "ka-pow!" element to it. In fact, it looks a little cheap and tacky, if you ask me. And for $58, well, you probably already know where I stand...!

Antique Gold Manor Necklace A wonderfully lush necklace, dripping with dozens of various-size resin beads hand painted in metallic hues to evoke an antique glass effect. 12K shiny, textured gold-plated double oval ring brass chain. Signature spring clasp closure.

$128 from JCrew

I really, really, really don't like the first necklace. It looks like seaweed or some kind of growth from the underworld. However, when I noticed that they also offer it in a bronze color, my heart softened a bit. Then it went back to cold thanks to the $128 pricetag. Ugh.

And the Ugly:UO Mixed Media Necklace Short bib statement necklace with braided fabric and faceted stud detailing. Finished with a lobster claw clasp. Exclusive to Urban Outfitters. Imported. Wipe clean. Was $34, now $19 from Urban Outfitters

So I went back to the 80's and brought back this poop brown piece of rope from when rope bracelets were cool. Then I added some poop brown beads in between, ya know, to give it an urban flair. Then I used the most plain and boring imitation silver clasp I could find to, ya know, give it some chic. And of course it's exclusive to Urban Outfitters because, well, no one else wanted it. But no worries! We've put you, the customer, in mind and lowered the price to $19! That's $15 in savings - you can buy one for you AND your friend! And all you have to do is "wipe clean!" Makes a great dog leash or boating accessory, too!

Ok, now that I've gotten that outta me, I am off to enjoy the weekend. Hope you have a fabulous one, too!

I love you, Wednesdays.

Because, seriously, Friday is still 2 days away. I love you, Wednesdays is my bloggin' attempt at a.) shutting up about my products and sharing the love of others' with others! and b.) sharing sources of inspiration that often stands behind my jewelry and creative process. First of all, happy 9.9.9! (so less creepy than 6.6.6, huh?). I was all ready to make this I Love You, Wednesday's report about how I spent all of Labor Day catching up on some long overdue scrapbooking. About how I used to work at a scrapbook store and have invested more money than I care to admit on scrapbook supplies throughout the years. About how I take pictures FOR my scrapbook, not make the scrapbook for the pictures. About how I have yet to finish my scrapbook for a trip I took to Italy two years ago this week, and the last two years of school, and all that was our wedding. And about how I put all my jewelry making stuff away this weekend and got cozy in the craft room again. About how I started making a dent in my scrappin' again this weekend! I was going to blog about scrapbooking, until I stumbled upon this super fabu website: morecloth.com/. I swear people create this stuff with my addictive personality in mind. The website is a host for fabrics listed on Etsy, all listed by color range, like color swatches. So if you are looking for a pink-ish color that has some green in it, just click on the hue of color you dig and voila! There are a bunch to choose from, and in single, double, or triple color combinations, all posted neatly on a black background. Needless to say, I spent more time on this site than I am willing to admit :) Though I do have a sewing machine and a mad addiction to Project Runway, I am not much of a seamstress - YET. And all the while I was looking at these fabrics, I couldn't help but notice how I was attracted to bold, chic, yet somewhat retro prints (much like my love for Marimekko and Amy Butler prints!). And that the combination of lime greens, teal blues, and magenta pinks seemed in tune with what I have been going for this fall in terms of new jewelry creations. Here's what I came up with:

mountainofthedragon, fabricpalooza, sewlovefabrics rainbowfabrics, afabricoutlet, fabricsupplies fabricsupplies, cottonthreadfabrics, cottonthreadfabrics downshadowlane, fabfabrique, mountainofthedragon

I never realized the depth and scope of the fabric industry on Etsy until this super-fun search! And the more I looked at these swatches, the more I couldn't help but think how FABU they would also look as scrapbook paper! Now if only I could justify buying more scrapbook paper...!

So, what inspires you today?

Fashionably Friday: Padma Lakshmi

There are several advantages of summer fading into fall. Back to School stationary aisles in supermarkets. A lower electricity bill thanks to <100 degree days. Pumpkin and Cinnamon flavored candles. New Fall Lines (as discussed on Wednesday). Having every intention of shopping for others for the upcoming Holidays buy slipping and buying something for yourself (opps, what?!). And best of all - PRIME TIME SERIES! I tell ya, I am so happy to be reunited with my friends on Bravo, Fox, NBC, the CW, and now, apparently, Lifetime (Project Runway, of course). Most of the shows I like to watch make my husband want to curl up in a corner and curse humanity (though I feel the same way about his large doses of ESPN). One show we can both agree on, and even look forward to, is Top Chef. I've watched the series since before it was cool, and was SO relieved when they got rid of that weirdo judge on Season One and replaced her with the classy and gentle Padma Lakshmi. I could write a thesis on why she and fellow judge Tom Colicchio make such a great team that is not only knowledgeable, but a pleasure to watch. Not only are they cordial and unbiased in their judging, but, best and most interesting of all, they are some lookers! While Padma's style as seen on Top Chef has evolved over the years (Bravo has even made a slideshow of Padma's fashion evolution), one things hasn't changed: her love of jeweled accessories. This girls knows how to perfect an outfit with her dainty, yet often bold, jewelry. This season has been no exception, to the point where I was finding myself up close to the TV screen trying to figure out that magic behind some of her super dainty and charming necklaces and dangle earrings. (The above picture, for example, shows her and Tom at the judges table while she sports a gold bracelet/ring thing. Love it). All season she has been wearing beautiful gold chained necklaces adorned with little tags or beads, in addition to some great dangle earrings of the same material. For this reason, I've been planning on doing a Fashionably Friday blog entry about Padma for sometime now, and when I was looking for pictures of her on the show featuring her jewelry, I stumbled across an article revealing the designer of her jewelry - HERSELF! Turns out she just launched her own jewelry collection! Her website is BEAUTIFUL and displays both detailed images of her jewelry pieces as well as a gallery of her wearing the stuff and making it look GOOD! Padma's jewelry is currently on sale online at Bergdorf Goodman, and will also be available at Neiman Marcus, Mitchells, and Richards later this month (to be honest, I have only ever heard of the former two, which means that clearly these pieces are out of my price range - but that doesn't mean I can't admire them!).

Of her collection, Padma has said, “As I traveled through my life, I gathered many baubles and coveted those gifts passed on to me by my Indian family. My life in the West, America, and Europe, heavily influenced my tastes. I found that while I loved those pieces, I wanted more delicate, modern versions of them to wear with everything from jeans to gowns. Jewelry that serves as a talisman for all the different parts of me. And now every part of you."

Let's have a look! (all product and corresponding images can be found at padmalakshmi.com)

Tiered Pod Necklace

14k & 10k brushed yellow gold 4 tier necklace with pod drops and adjustable hook closure

According to Bergdorf Goodman, this item prices at $3,500!

Dangling Pod Bangle, Citrine Pod Bangle, Simple Pod Bangle

10k brushed yellow gold

Two Row Pod Hoop Earrings

14k & 10k brushed yellow gold two row hoop earrings with pod drops

Pod Hand Piece

14K & 10K brushed yellow gold hand piece with pod drops and adjustable hook closure

A smart jewelry seller knows that she is her own best advertising campaign. I now know from where, and why, Padma is wearing all these fine pieces! She's a smart cookie!

(from Left, Padma at the "Valkyrie"premier in NYC, at an unknown location, and at the CFDA Fashion Awards in NYC in June).

So check out her website and take a look at all she's sportin'. The site has a really chill yet sophisticated vibe and even some ambiance music in the background. And also check out her "scrapbook" section for some fun inspiration (click on the image below to see a close up of a collage featuring sketches and pictures... whether or not these were part of the creative process is not the point, but seeing the items in their original context is rad!).

Happy long weekend, y'all!

I love you, Wednesdays.

Love it or hate it, fall is nearing. Yellow school buses are circling the streets, the air has a little bite to it (well, not here in LA, the air lately has had ash and smoke in it), and football season is taking our men ransom (bleck!). The love it part includes new FALL LINES that are launching right and left! Since I am still rather new in this whole jewelry business thing, I am trying to approach my Etsy site and products from a professional and business-model point of view. Thanks to my little trip to LA's Jewelry District over the weekend and some of the sweet products I found, I have been working on many new items with materials I have never used before. In the past I have been so rushed to put up products that I never gave myself the chance to do anything thoroughly or with real cohesion. Rather than posting my new items on Etsy piece by piece, I am trying to do the whole "Fall Line" thing and hope to present them officially within the next few weeks (it's actually the Hubs who came up with the idea. We were shopping a few weeks ago and he came up to me with a new jewelry component and said "This would be great in your Fall Line!" He's a thinker, yes-sir-e!). I am especially working for cohesion in my pieces (something that my creative, smorgusboard tendancies often prevent). I keep hearing the judges from Project Runway in the back of my mind stress "Where is the cohesion? How are these pieces part of a 'line?'" "But Christyn!" you declare! "I can't wait a few weeks to see your new stuff! Oh the humanity!" No worries, friends! I have, and will continue to, post new items as amuse-bouch's for your Bead Up-Lovin' eyes :) Here are the first few pieces:

Pretty Green Shrubbery Gemstone Necklace

I love the color of this crazy little rectangular bead. I used black beads as accent pieces to match these itty bitty little black speckles on each very unique bead. It's defiantly a statement necklace, that's for sure!

Double Luck Brass Necklace

I bought these wishbone charms long before I even knew where I would find coordinating brass components. Now I have exploded with brass items and can't get enough! If I were to summarize this "Fall Line" of mine, I would characterize it with earthy colors (bronze, brass, browns) along side bright colors (magenta, lime, emerald, purples) and hammered and brushed textures. While browsing through Etsy, here are a few inspiring pieces I stumbled across that I think act as a perfect amuse-bouch for my Fall Line!

DecemberLeaHandbags, RibbonsAndLace, E2SSupplies, TheaCphotography

ShySiren, rosalba, ogdenarthaus, carrieWdesigns stilettoheights, lovelytallulah, lilliannamarie, tandscreations Make sure you visit these Etsy shops for more color inspiration!

So, what inspires you today?