Being Creative Means You Can Create in Diverse Areas!

Mixtape Necklace © 2013 Ian Vandenberg Design

Our regular readers may have noticed that my posts lately have been a lot about creativity, and that's very exciting to me. Our courses at Sheffield School are all geared to creative professionals, and by that we mean anyone who would like to pursue a hobby or personal interest more seriously or possibly earn extra money through creative pursuits or open up a new business in a creative endeavor.
 

Arbor table © 2013 Ian Vandenberg Design

I recently ran into a young Toronto, Canada designer whose creations run into both jewelry design and furniture design. How exciting is that! Designer Ian Vandenberg wants to create more jewelry and more furniture in the coming year, and it's great that he doesn't feel the need to pigeon-hold his output into just one area. Here's how Ian sees his creative future shaping up.

Over the next few years I would like to continue to develop lasting relationships with retailers who appreciate good design and local manufacturing. 

Ian would like to have his own online store selling directly to consumers. Follow Ian and encourage a fellow creative professional! Right now, look for his work for sale at

•  Etsy and Ideacious

If you're interested in learning more about how to take your creative interests to the next level, we encourage you to explore the Sheffield School, New York, NY. Sheffield 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.

5 Inspiring Jewelry Pieces from This Year's Winter Antiques Show

Cartier Carved Bead Brooch, 1940, from A La Vieille Russie

I've noticed how jewelry has successfully invaded the world of interior design, and I say that in a good way. Interior design is at the nexus of fashion, and jewelry appeals to the design savvy as an extension of where we live and how we decorate. Go to any interiors show, and you'll find jewelry to be a big part of the exhibition space. "Handmade" is one of the hot buzz words in design, and jewelry has always been about hand crafting beautiful wearable art objects. Here are some of my favorites from January's Winter Antiques Show at the Park Avenue Armory in NYC. In this best-dealers-only curated show, I found some of the world's finest jewelry on display. Click on each photo for more information.

Antique gold bangle snake bracelet, 1880, from Kentshire

Gold pendant necklace, 1969, by Lucio del Pezzo from Didier Ltd.

Double ball beaded earrings in lavender and tanzanite by Axel Russmeyer from Kentshire
Gold necklace, 1969, by Arnaldo Pomodoro from Didier Ltd.

If you're interested in learning more about wedding planning and decor, we encourage you to explore the Sheffield School, New York, NY. Sheffield 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.

Jewelry Inspiration: Rings with a Twist (or Two)

The Carrotbox is a site dedicated to all those wonderful rings made of glass, lucite, resin, plastic, jade, wood, bakelite, metal, and even stone. Alice Matsumoto from Vancouver, BC, Canada has a ring shop and has kindly given us permission to inspire our jewelry lovers at Sheffield with her discoveries. In this post, Alice focuses on rings with twists.

I bet M. Night Shyamalan would love these. Rings, with a twist or two, from Poland's Fruit Bijoux.

Bonus

Brooklyn's In God We Trust (Shana Tabor) has lots of nice, simple pieces, like this "Twisty" ring available in three shades of gold.

Even more jewelry:

• Snake Twist (Seattle) - flexible necklaces
• Sarah Kathleen Warner (New York) - silver bones
• Merilyn Bailey (Australia) - metal & plique-à-jour

 

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.

Jump Rings in Jewelry, More than Just a Connection

Mallory Marks bracelet at Twist

When you think of jump rings most people think of connecting a pendant, clasp or two components together. They can be used for many more purposes than just connecting, even being the focal design element. This playful bracelet by Mallory Marks is entirely made from rings embellished with floating gem stones.

Bella Luna Design on Etsy

unknown

When using jump rings as only part of the focal point, design styles can vary. For an example of a simpler look this Bella Luna Bracelet uses three jump rings just slightly enhancing the forged links with out over powering them. The use of chain maille, from this unknown designer, connects the forged links with a bit more flare. You can learn to make braclets like these in unit 4 of Sheffield's jewelry design course.

Bracelet by Nancye Church

Love the way Nancye Church broke up this bracelet by using over sized rings with texture in contrast with the straight bangle bracelet as its focal point.

Earrings by Additions Style

Earrings by Eni Oken

Adding texture to the jump rings will also bring them to the forefront no matter what size. Connecting multiple rings with smaller jump rings or wire wrapping them together always produces a great look. Such as these earrings by Additions Style on Etsy and Eni Oken.

Mallory Marks earrings

These Mallory Marks earrings place the stones where the rings are connected holding them with formal structure. The rings would look spectacular even without the added sparkle of gem stones, but the uniform placement of the stones creates an elegant look for a dressier pair of earrings.

If you're interested in learning more about jewelry design, we encourage you to explore the Sheffield School, New York, NY. Sheffield 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.

Jewelry Inspiration: Show Me the Money

Klimt02 is a website that provides an international forum for contemporary jewelry in a creative space that offers knowledge, information, debates, and exchanges - all within the artistic realm of jewelry. Based in Barcelona, Spain, Kilmt02 inspires everyone interested in the selection, quality, art, technology, and creation of art jewelry. Sheffield School has kindly been given permission to share works of global designers here on our website. Today's post focuses on a jewelry designer from New York City, Lauren Tickle, whose "Increasing Value" collection converts actual paper currency into more valuable objects.

Lauren Tickle

Lauren Tickle
Necklace: $300.00 US Dollars, Currency Converted 2011
US Currency, Silver, Latex, Monofilament, Surgical Steel
11.43 x 20.32 x 22.86 cm
Photo Credit: Marc Creedon

Lauren Tickle
Brooch: $54.00 and $22.00 US Dollars, Currency Converted 2012
US Currency, Silver, Latex, Monofilament, Surgical Steel
Photo Credit: Lauren Vanessa Tickle

Lauren Tickle
Brooch: $54.00 US Dollars, Currency Converted 2012
US Currency, Silver, Latex, Monofilament, Surgical Steel
1.9 x 9.53 x 9.53 cm
Photo Credit: Lauren Vanessa Tickle

Lauren Tickle
Necklace: Green With Envy, $350.00 US Dollars, Currency Converted 2011
US Currency, Silver, Latex, Thread
7 x 20.32 x 20.32 cm
Photo Credit: Rachit Shukla

Lauren Tickle
Brooch: $36.00 US Dollars, Currency Converted 2012
US Currency, Silver, Latex, Monofilament, Surgical Steel
1.9 x 8.26 x 8.26 cm
Photo Credit: Lauren Vanessa Tickle

Lauren Tickle
Brooch: $22.00 US Dollars, Currency Converted 2012
1.58 x 6.65 x 9.19 cm
Photo Credit: Lauren Vanessa Tickle

Lauren Tickle
Brooch: $22.00 US Dollars, Currency Converted 2012
US Currency, Silver, Latex, Monofilament, Surgical Steel
1.58 x 6.65 x 9.19 cm
Back side
Photo Credit: Lauren Vanessa Tickle

Lauren Tickle
Brooch: $22.00 US Dollars, Currency Converted (Body) 2012
US Currency, Silver, Latex, Monofilament, Surgical Steel
1.58 x 6.65 x 9.19 cm
Photo Credit: Rachit Shukla

Statement

“INCREASING VALUE”  New Object’s Value > Sum of Currency Converted  My work is an experiment in the concepts of value and adornment. The Values Exploration process takes currency of defined value, distills it to graphic elements, then resynthesizes an object of much greater value. How and why are these notes distanced from their face value? Idea, concept, process, and labor create value. Is this new, finished form a microcosm of industrial production? or a parody?  I force wearers and observers to reflect on the concept of adornment in our society. One of the most conscious actions humans undertake is the decision of what to wear or not. My work takes underlying materialism and makes it explicit, imploring evaluation from all sides in each social context.    - Lauren Tickle   website: www.laurentickle.com mail: ltickle@me.com

If you're interested in learning more about jewelry design, we encourage you to explore the Sheffield School, New York, NY. Sheffield 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.