Don't Cross Me

"Don't mess with me fellas. This ain't my first time at the rodeo!"

— Joan Crawford

Inspired by a combination for the penchant I have for all things Rock Chick that still need to work with the rest of my wardrobe (ok, so maybe my slightly more feminine take on Rock Chick), the eternally upcycled Sacred Heart leather pants and these Jet and Crystal Swarovski pendants I saw on a lava stone hunt, Don't Cross Me was born.

Simple yet edgy, this 48 cm necklace is so versatile. Wear with denim, woolens, plains and stripes depending on the look you want to create.

Strung on chain, lava stone and upcycled leather (from the fames Sacred Heart leather pants), the 38 mm Swarovski crystal cross, contrasted with jet, catches light in the most amazing way without being too overwhelming.

Hand created, this unique piece is a great addition to any outfit.

Available at Etsy and MadeIt (for those wanting $AUD)

The Biker Pants Live On

 

Did you know it takes approximately 208 gallons of crude oil to raise one feedlot steer? And that's just raising the cow, not to mention the amount of energy that goes into creating the hide.

By upcycling materials, this 7cm wide by 13 cm long cuff, created from the pocket of an old pair of leather pants - (probably, given the opshop they came from, once the pride and joy of a bikie)- would be saving at least 2.6 gallons of crude oil in the raising of the cow alone....

Not to mention, the materials were purchased from the op-shop run by the Sacred Heart Mission in St Kilda, Melbourne.

Who would have thought reducing your carbon footprint could look so good?

Fully adjustable via the lace up chain system at the back, this cuff is edgy yet feminine.

Made from the to of the pocket of that infamous pair of leather pants, this is a narrower cuff with antique gold findings & fittings.  The chain on the front is sewn on with copper wire.

Both available at Etsy and soon at MadeIt for Australian buyers.

Inspirations

There is so much to get inspired by in the everyday world, from the way the light hits a window in the evening to the patterns created on the wall as the light filters through the trees; from the tactile nature of this seasons richly coloured silks to the chunky textures of winter knits. Even the smell of my coffee in the morning somehow manages to inspire jewellery designs for me.

So here are some of the things I'm inspired by right now....

Coffee in the morning (the colour and texture of the creme, the shape of the glass, the smell... oh that smell!)

The creamy texture and colour of milk

Miss sixty chunky eggplant knitMiss Sixty mesmerizingly coloured dress in a heavy silk (this photo does the colour NO justice)!

This gorgeous scarf in my favourite colour combo (with a dark royal purple/eggplant/plum) from baboom on Etsy


This satiny coffee cup holder from gabriellamistral on Etsy.

I could just keep going and going with this post!

Birthdays

What a great birthday present! I made my first sale on Etsy today... Ironically, I'm guessing it was a birthday present for fellow DUST team member Incalesco... So Tin Man has gone to a loving home! Hoorah!

As for birthdays, I think for me my birthday is much like New Years Day... while some people approach the New Year as a time to assess and, quite frankly, judge the successes and failings of their year, for me it's my birthday. This usually leads to Birthday Eve being a not so pleasant experience.

This year however, the little downs of tonight are peppered with anticipation for the day my friend Mish has planned for me tomorrow. Here are my what to wear instructions:

So princess Mary,

Here's the low down ...

Please bring:

1) 1 pair of sexy bikinis and a big towel

2) A good book

3) A pair of boots that are comfy for hiking up big mountains and dont matter if they get dirty

4) 1 pretty top and something warmish to put over the top

5) 1 pair of sexy jeans (yeah you know the ones i mean)

6) Some nice shoes that you feel happy in

7) A pair of pants like leggins that are comfy and warm enough to do cartwheels in a chilly meadow

8) A top thats warmish but can be taken off quickly in our pillow fight and doesnt matter if it gets duck down on it

9) A plain comfy t-shirt

10) wear some undies

Please put on 3, 7, 8 & 9 on to leave in ... oh and of course 10 hehe

Love you xx

Hmmm... so what do you think she's up to...??

*****Spoiler alert******
I suspect something involving a horse... (sorry JD, no pillow fights!)

Things that make you go mmmmmmmmmm......

Some jewelery pieces fill a need: you need a necklace for the dress you've just bought, the latest fashion says put so many bracelets on that you can't lift your arm or perhaps its time to give an old dress a new lease of life with updated accessories.


Other pieces, however, sing to you as soon as you lay eyes on them. I found one of these pieces recently as I checked out the work of a fellow Melbourne jeweller Erica who markets her wares under the branding Incalesco (which incidentally means "glow" in Latin).


Trilogy

I love the strange power in this piece (perhaps that feeling is the one I'm talking about... the singing) and I can't help but feel that there's a hidden meaning in there somewhere!

On a design level, I love the slightly unstructured nature of the silver balanced out with the structure of the stone.


Another piece from Etsy that I discovered and really enjoy the simplicity of and the meaning I add to the design is this pendant titled Stitched Moon by JuJubySarah, a US seller.

Incidentally, JuJu also has a meaning:
Juju, n: A word of West African origin, referring to the supernatural power ascribed to an object, fetish, charm or amulet. Aura or other magical property, usually having to do with spirits or luck, which is bound to a specific object; it is also a term for the object.

Funny, I have a friend who always uses that word ("Ooooh, that's bad Juju") and I thought he was making it up! Blogging... fun AND educational!

And last but not least, is the piece that inspired this post... unfortunately there are no images because it lives on in my memory as the one that got away! It was a crudely made silver piece set with 3 raw, brilliant, pulsating aquamarines and a few cut and polished ones at Living Energies in Southland. Set in a snake/branch like pattern, the pendant was about 10 cms long and sat beautifully right on my chest.... *sigh*

Off to bed with me so I can dream sweet, sweet dreams of the pendant I'll never have (and how I can generate money for the ones I can!!)

It's been an elephant like preganancy...

... but my jewellery baby is finally born and we have called it Kreated! I pity the poor elephant whose pregnancy usually lasts for about 22 months!

Kreated has been, well,created to play with this sense of wonderment, this thirst to try everything once, and turn it into accessories which help express any which side of ones personality. Be it Astronaut; Fireman; Sumo Wrestler; Pop Diva; Mother; Belly Dancer; Lion Tamer.........

As for me, my workspace could best be described as the “House of Stashes.”

There are stashes of fabric, piles of cookbooks, a box full of teddies (with various arms, legs & heads missing, displays of finished work,random notes & quotes fallen on the floor,bundles of wool that never quite made it to their intended jumpers, coloured pencils, paper, metal findings, semi precious stones in abundance, as well as drawers and boxes crammed full of nostalgia. All of this is inspired & driven by an affinity and obsession with texture & colour.

When exploring my background, it is evident that I have the vocational attention span of a child who, just because they still believe that anything is possible, one day wants to be an Astronaut, then a Ballerina, next a Mud Wrestler & then her best friend’s uncle’s pet cat. I have studied Journalism, Multimedia, worked as a Photographer, worked retail, managed an office and flipped burgers. And I still think I may want to try my hand at the Astronaut thing.

Having said that though, at some point in your life you discover which path it was you are meant to follow.... the path that lights you up and drives you like a steam engine! So now it's all about caring for my Kreated and watching her grow, influence and bring joy and self expression to the world around her!