Project Runway Jewelry Challenge: Sparkle, Shimmer & Shine!

Feathery Earrings

Last week's project runway was fun. The designers were to create a glitzy stage costume inspired by Bob Mackie's designs. An over the top garment that would stop the show. The EtsyMetal Jewelry Challenge was streamlined to simply create something with sparkle. I wondered what Mr. Mackie had done with jewelry so I did a search and didn't find much - some Christmas pins was all I found, but Bob Mackie did design a line of furniture, and I've always thought that hardware on furniture is quite jewelry like. There was one piece that I found especially show stopping. Just look at the inlay of wood surrounding the simple hardware on this chest. Very Cher and feathers, right?

I will admit that I left this until the last moment, so my entry may not have pushed the envelope outside my comfort zone, as those projects tend to take time. The feathery earrings do have shine. Using the feather motif, I've attached six pieces of hand cut patterned brass feather or leaf shapes to strips of sterling silver as if they were sequins, pinned with a bit of fine silver. They move freely on their pins and catch the light nicely. I am letting them dangle from ear wires so they can swing with the wearer's movement.

Other Sparkly, Shimmery & Shiny things:

MetalRiot

RubyGirlCreations

Mike&Mary (Rachelle)

Alisa Miller

Sara Westermark

BethCyrJewelry

WildflowerDesigns

experimetal

corbethy

See them all on the EtsyMetal Blog!

PRoject Runway Jewelry Challenge: Weddings

Last week, project runway designers had to re-work a wedding dress for a recently divorced client into a non-wedding garment. Well, our leader re-worked the challenge and gave us the directive to design something for a bride.

I have been intending to make a set of wedding rings for some time now and bought these rough, uncut diamonds a long time ago. I love them and have finally put one into a ring that could be an engagement or wedding ring (or both!). I used sterling silver because with the price of gold soaring to new heights and the current economy, I think many couples might chose silver for their rings. It's a simple wide beveled band with the diamond bezel set. The diamond I used is yellow and is cube shaped. I paired the bride's ring with a more masculine ring for our bridegroom. It is a nice, chunky and heavy, beveled band in sterling silver with a small square of 14 kt. gold. The gold square mirrors the shape of the diamond setting in the bride's ring.

Here's a story about my own engagement ring I like to tell. My then future in-laws had set aside three diamonds; one for each of their children to give or have as their engagement ring. A lovely thing for them to do. All we had to do was to select and buy a setting for it. (No there wasn't a ring present at the actual proposal). So, they knew this guy who was a jeweler for a fine jewelry store and he wanted to give us a deal without the jewelry store taking their cut. So, he met us in the gas station across the street from the store and the three of us sat in the back seat looking at samples of settings and having my finger sized. I selected a very simple white gold four prong setting, and then the jeweler sat back and threw his arms around us and said, "Marriage is forever!" in a heavy Italian accent. The whole scene was like something out of a silly movie and my husband and I have often giggled about it. This was the last time I purchased jewelry out of a car, but as I don't have a storefront, I occasionally meet people in various parking lots to exchange a jewelry order for payment, so it isn't the last parking lot jewelry transaction I've been involved it.

And now for our our other submissions:

Kathryn Reichert

MetalRiot

Experimetal

RubyGirlCreations

BethCyr

IdreamIcanfly

tffnynelson

and the EtsyMetal Blog (thanks Victoria!)

Project Runway Jewelry Challenge: Picked from a Hat!

Fly Barrette

Last week on Project Runway, the designers had their models for clients. The models gave the designers an idea of their style and their preferences for a garment. At EtsyMetal, we were a little short of runway models, and so Victoria, our leader for the PR challenges, put different jewelry types, materials, and styles into a hat and blindly drew our pretend clients' preferences. Here is my mission:

Type of Jewelry: Tiara / Hair Ornament

Material: Glass

Style: Industrial / Steampunk

We would be allowed to have one category re-drawn if we wanted. I decided to stay with what I got, although I went back and forth about the style for a couple of days. The industrial/steampunk style is outside my comfort zone, and I'm not sure I accomplished it as my piece does not have any machinery, clock parts, keys or machine looking bits on it. But I've seen many pieces of jewelry with brass findings classified as steampunk, so I went in that direction. I paid a visit to a local store called Gilding the Lily, which has loads of tiny treasures to chose from, and picked up a few little things. I have glass cabochons - one of my absolute favorite materials to work with - and for the sake of steampunk, I focused on black. The floral cabochons I have seemed too soft and feminine to work with this theme and when I noticed the faceted one sort of looked like a bug eye, I got excited as I had picked up the vintage brass flies the day before. They just had to go together. This is the first time I've made a barrette and making the mechanism to snap in and out of hair was a good lesson in construction for me. I see more barrettes in my jewelry making future. Here are some more photos of this fun piece.

Other Project Runway Jewelry challenge participants and their "clients":

Metalriot: Ring - Wood - Organic/Natural

Catherine Chandler: Ring - Fabric/Thread - Upcycled/Green

Kathryn Reichert: Necklace - Leather/Fur(faux) - Tribal/Ethnic

rubygirl: Bracelet - Steel - Organic/Natural

Beth Cyr: Ring - Aluminum - Victorian/Byzantine

Delias Thompson: Ring - Plastic - Upcycle/Green

Experimetal: Bracelet - Wood - Steampunk

Sara Westermark: Bracelet - Bone - Victorian/Byzantine

Check out the EtsyMetal blog for everyone's photos and for next week's challenge: Newspapers

Project Runway Jewelry Challenge: Red Carpet

Season 6 of Project Runway has begun and Victoria will be leading participants through the EtsyMetal Blog in a jewelry challenge - although we hope for wider participation than just EM members. The first challenge - Season 6, Episode 1 -for the designers was to create a look suitable for a red carpet. These sterling silver post earrings are made using square wire to make the top bit and chain with some light blue topaz wheels to add some extra sparkle. Why are they suitable for the runway? Well, they dangle two inches in length, and so would be great with an up-do. The chain element gives them a great deal of movement. They are subtle enough to leave the attention on the face while drawing it there.

Check out some other fantastic designs from this challenge and stay tuned for next week!

Shannon, Maggie, Kathryn, Sara, Victoria, Beth!

Project Runway Jewelry Challenge

This week, on Project Runway...

We went Canadian! All the fun without the painful scrutiny of Iman - she's mean! Mean and Great! Our challenge this week was taken from Season 1, Episode 8, where the contestants had to chose their models based on iconic period costume dress as their inspiration for swim wear. The choices were Marie Antoinette, Greek Goddess, Gypsy, Flapper, 80's debutant, British Punk, or Geisha. The hardest part for me was choosing the period. I have a number of sketches that I may work on at another time, but I landed on Greek Goddess.

The earrings I made are inspired by ancient Greece, Mycenae. One of the motifs I saw while looking up the jewelry of this period was the coil. I used copper because that was what was at hand, and the geeks did use copper, but I see these coils in bronze or gold more likely. So, I played a little in photoshop with metal choices. You can tell me what you think:

The coils are hand formed and hammered, and attached with a simple wire wrap. Interestingly, the shape of the earring turned out similar to the shape of the earring I sketched for the Marie Antoinette style - only that would have been made in platinum and diamonds in floral motifs (sorry I was fresh out of both platinum and diamonds). Once they were made, and I looked at them I thought of Alexander Calder's jewelry and now I wonder if he was thinking of Greek goddesses, too.

Other Participants:

Lora Hart

Rachelle

Victoria

Alisa

Project Runway Challenge

I'm very excited to be participating in a challenge based on the program, Project Runway!  This week's challenge was taken from season 2 episode 9:  Flower Power!  The contestants were to create a dress using natural materials from the flower district.  We are using their guidelines for jewelry.  

I used leaves from my guava tree which are sturdy for the base of the cuff bracelet and blossoms from my neighbor's bougainvillea vine.  A little hot glue to keep it all together.  The bracelet is large and dramatic.  I love the bright color of the flowers.  The leaves and the flowers will actually dry nicely - the colors will not be quite so vibrant, but I think it will continue to be wearable.  

This was a fun challenge and thank you to Alisa Miller for letting me join in.  Please check out her blog for more information on the challenge!

Here's Lora's!

and Victoria's!

and Alisa's!

Mike  &  Mary   too!  Wonderful!