Fall and Winter trend Jewelry Entry Contest

Sheffield students often ask me where they should purchase jewelry making supplies. The first question I ask is what exactly are you looking for? I use several different sources for various reasons. The information I pass on to students is from my personal experiences over the past decade of purchasing my own materials for jewelry making. 

Rio Grande has been one of my sources for a long time. Yesterday I received an email for a contest entry from Rio Grande, teaming up with Pinterest, to submit a Fall / Winter collection. This is an ideal contest for Sheffield students to enter.  I encourage Sheffield students to enter not only for the prize but for the experience - particularly for those who are working on photographing the collection they are creating in units 5 & 6. This contest is also great for our graduates who have completed photographing their collection.

All that is needed to enter is to submit to Rio Grande (pinterest@riogrande.com) a link to your images on a Pinterest board that you created with your collection, along with descriptions of your pieces. Not only will you be entered to win a Rio Grande credit towards materials - and what jewelry designer does not want more materials! - but it is a great experience to launch a collection. You will receive exposure for your work leading traffic to your online store, and you will see what it is you are doing correctly and where you need to improve. This is a natural growth process and builds confidence.

I will be posting other contest entries from other vendors that I like as I see them, but this one is unusual because it calls for a submission of an entire collection. Generally contests call for an entry with only one piece.

Enter by August 15th. Good Luck !! 

Are you interested in taking a great jewelry design course and learning more about how to make your own jewelry or get started professionally in this creative field? Sheffield School began as an Interior Design school in 1985, and then expanded our course offerings to train people in other design-related fields, including Feng Shui, Wedding and Event Planning, and Jewelry Design. With thousands of active students and more than 50,000 graduates, Sheffield has trained more design professionals than any school in the world.

 

Request a free Sheffield School catalog describing our distance education courses.

 

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Decorating Tips: Wall Decor

If you're looking for a different way to decorating your walls - take a look at these wall accessories. Instead of the usual paintings or prints, go for three-dimensional accessories.  Above we have a variety of floral decor, the silver and red flowers are made from metal and available from Joss & Main. The turquoise carving is from painted teak. Below we have colorful ceramic tiles with a raised sunflower motif - from Hayneedle. 

For a classical theme, try plaster relief panels.  This graceful urn from Restoration Hardware could top a fireplace mantel.  If you want an exotic theme, turn to this intricate Islamic pointed arch plasterwork from Hayles & Howe.  The panel can placed over a door or simply by itself on a wall. 

(Urn Plaster from Restoration Hardware)

Islamic arch from Hayles & Howe

If you really want creative control and a variety of configurations to choose from, take a look at the Wallter panels from Inmod.  These are light weight shapes that can be painted and positioned into different designs. Below is the Retro Hex shape and the Retro Teardrop shapes. 

Wallter Panel from Inmod

Wallter Panel from Inmod

Interested in learning more about accessories?  Take a look at Sheffield School's Complete Course in Interior Design.  At Sheffield, you will learn how to transform a space, create color schemes, and select furniture, lighting, and accessories.

http://www.inmod.com

Random Interesting Rings

Murder She Wrote Ring by Stephen Webster

While these are not the type of rings that we are teaching students to make here in the Sheffield Jewelry Design Course, I thought you would still enjoy seeing them. During my search for blog images, for other blogs, I have set aside a few interesting rings that I have come across. Not knowing what to do with them, I figured posting them under the title random interesting rings is self explanatory. Starting off with Stephen Webster's ring, since we are here in the big apple. Enjoy!

Paris snow globe ring on Pinterest

Selda Okutan Ring  

Szofita on Etsy

Seven Dwarfs two finger ring 

fashionhause

Are you interested in taking a great jewelry design course and learning more about how to make your own jewelry or get started professionally in this creative field? Sheffield School began as an Interior Design school in 1985, and then expanded our course offerings to train people in other design-related fields, including Feng Shui, Wedding and Event Planning, and Jewelry Design. With thousands of active students and more than 50,000 graduates, Sheffield has trained more design professionals than any school in the world.

 

Request a free Sheffield School catalog describing our distance education courses.

 

Subscribe to the Sheffield Designer newsletter.

Antiques versus Reproductions

Dining room at Old Westbury Gardens

I’m frequently asked by budding interior design students – do I need to know about antique furniture? Many clients can’t afford it! Or another refrain:  I don’t understand the different styles of period furniture – help! To which I reply: Yes, you do need to know about antique furniture and yes, I can help you figure out the different nuances of the period styles. 

Antique furniture is very expensive – first, they are a limited supply, second, they’re usually made of rare (or even extinct) woods and finally because of their exquisite craftsmanship. Since antiques are limited but still sought after, furniture manufacturers have created reproductions of the popular styles. And this is where your expertise comes in handy. If you know how the original antiques looked like and how they were made, then you can better assess whether or not the furniture makers did a good job with the reproductions.

Let’s compare some originals and reproductions!

Louis XV Fauteuil from 1st DibsA popular French period style is the Louis XV style, also known as the Rococo style.  A Louis XV chair will feature a cabriole leg – an S-shaped leg – that is carved and decorated with shells or floral motifs.  The chair will also display the same carved motifs on its chair rail and seat rail. In the above photo, we have an original Louis XV antique fauteuil or armchair. Furniture of this period was made of expensive woods like walnut or oak. Chairs were typically upholstered in expensive silks.

Below we have a reproduction of the Louis XV style from Ethan Allen.  Their Chantel chair boasts of the same cabriole leg and the curved chair and seat rail but the details are simplified with none of the shell or floral motifs of the original. Also, the reproductions are made of a less expensive wood like maple or birch. In this case, the manufacturer did a wonderful job of recreating a Louis XV reproduction, albeit a simplified version.

Chantel chair from Ethan Allen

Stay tuned for next week's discussions on Antiques versus Reproductions!

Interested in learning more about antique furniture styles?  Take a look at Sheffield School's Complete Course in Interior Design.  At Sheffield, you will learn how to transform a space, create color schemes, and select furniture, lighting, and accessories.

Organizing Ideas For Your Beads and Jewelry Supplies

Christine Marie Studio blogspot

Many Sheffield students ask me what is the best way to store their beads - by color, size, or shape? When you develop a jewelry making addiction the supplies seem so tiny and harmless, but they start to add up and take over your room real fast. This can lead to a confusing mess unless you are willing to put your creativity into your organizational skills and find a solution that works for your space. 

Jars of beadson 2 me 4 art blog.

There is no right or wrong way to store your jewelry supplies, but it is far better to see your materials and know what you have to work with, rather than relying on memory. Separating materials properly creates the need for lots of small storage spaces but will make your life easier when you are scanning your materials for the perfect stone or bead for your project. I have always liked the look of glass jars for storage but do not trust myself with all that glass. 

Whether you keep them separated with trays inside a drawer to tuck them out of site, or visible in jars on shelves, it does not really matter if you separate them by by color, size or shape. Depending on what you make you will find that you reach for some things more often than others. Figuring out what those items are will help you start the organization process.

Nick and Caeli blogspot

Not only will it be easier for you to see what you have to use when working, but it will save you from going out and purchase something you already had. 

Haley M bead storage idea.

My gemstones and findings are separated in tins, with clear lids, inside drawers. I can easily see what I have when working and keep the items I use most in the top drawers. In a larger bottom drawer I keep my larger gemstones inside zip lock bags. Inside each bag I write how much each stone costs. When I purchase a strand of stones I write the cost of the strand (for comparison shopping) and I count how many stones are on the strand. I then divide the price of the strand by the number of stones, which gives me a price per bead. When reaching to use that stone in a design a year later, I will know how to calculate my costs for pricing the piece I am working on. 

If you are more of a part time addict, or live in a really small space, you may want to tuck your supplies away in a trunk and slide it under a bed or inside a closet. If you want your part time addiction to be displayed proudly, Amy Powers shows us how to convert an old suitcase into fun storage with this great tutorial.

A parts storage container meant for screws and washers is a great way to neatly store beads and findings. They can be be purchased at nearly every hardware store. The small drawers are clear so it is easy to see what is inside, while keeping everything in a contained area so it is not taking up too much space.

Martha Stewart hinged 2 bookcases together, Pinterest.

Martha Stewart hinged two bookcases together to form a closing cabinet. It is so beautifully organized if it were in my house I would feel no need to close it. It feels almost too perfect to mess up by actually working on it. Love that the tools are neatly hanging in front and the beads are stacked in clear containers on the shelves at eye level. 

Are you interested in taking a great jewelry design course and learning more about how to make your own jewelry or get started professionally in this creative field? Sheffield School began as an Interior Design school in 1985, and then expanded our course offerings to train people in other design-related fields, including Feng Shui, Wedding and Event Planning, and Jewelry Design. With thousands of active students and more than 50,000 graduates, Sheffield has trained more design professionals than any school in the world.

 

Request a free Sheffield School catalog describing our distance education courses.

 

Subscribe to the Sheffield Designer newsletter.