Design by Cassandra

I Got A Part in BMT's 'Guys & Dolls'!

2012-01-28T03:15:00.002-05:00

Oh, I've been away for a little while, I'm terribly sorry. I've been updating my performance art blog, The Pursuit, with a whole bunch of nutty rehearsal debauchery. I'm happy to say that I'm carrying a 'family tradition' of sorts and got a part in the ensemble cast of Brampton Music Theatre's Guys & Dolls, and have been recording rehearsals for posterity and memory's sake.

I also thought I'd have a little fun and make some 'fan art'. Whaddaya think?

Print design is like a grown-up colouring book for me. I slaved over this thing in ridiculous detail; the specific angle of the fedora, making sure the yellow wasn't too bright, and I went through a billion fonts (sorry, over exaggerating) for Lady Luck's signoff. I love it. I may print a few of these off on nice paper, laminate them and give them out as bookmarks to castmates as souveniers.

Well, I guess the work paid off! I had been asked by the producer during our last rehearsal if I could design the program for the show. I am incredibly excited. This will be loads of fun. I'll be posting a few sneak peeks here of some stuff I come up with for your perusal!

In the meantime, feel free to check out The Pursuit and follow the blog to keep updated with the G&D rehearsal process and where to get tickets!

'The ants have invaded': Picnik.com is Closing April 19

2012-01-20T20:40:00.000-05:00

Yep, a little maddening and upsetting, it was my secret weapon for all this time. I created just about every single graphic on this and other blogs, made my jewelry photos and collages gorgeous, and now it'll be gone as of April.

Picnik.com, one of the greatest and easiest photo editing tools this side of Microsoft Paint, will be closing its site on April 19, 2012. It seems that Google+ has requisitioned them in some way, yet I still don't seem to understand if and how they'll be available.

So, I guess I gotta stop being lazy and learn PhotoShop.

In the meantime, I invite you to take advantage of their premium packages they're offering for free - I know I'll be ravaging the site for what it's worth. I've been working on an online portfolio of my latest jewelry creations and will be using all these features locked out to me before as a free user. :)

How to make mini pom-poms!

2012-01-09T23:03:00.001-05:00

I came across something on Facebook from Vogue Knitting that I've got to try. It looks pretty simple, too!

Now I've got to find something to cover in pom-poms ... I'll be back ...

Valentine's Special!

2012-01-07T11:37:00.003-05:00

Thinking early about Valentine's Day? Me, too! I'll be opening my workshop/apartment to appointments and private parties and serving light refreshments for anyone who'd like to come by for a little shopping party!

Don't forget - mention where you saw the necklace above and receive a free gift when you arrive! Leave a comment below or message me on Facebook for your appointment!

The Pantone Colour of 2012: Tangerine Tango

2012-01-07T02:54:00.001-05:00

Keep an eye on this colour palate; it will dominate fashion runways and couture in some interesting mixes and interpretations. Pantone Inc., the 'authority in colour', has released the Spring 2012 Fashion Colour Report, and has also announced the dominating hue that has been named the Colour of 2012 - Tangerine Tango.

Das righ', we'll break it down and say 'sunshine orange' for those who may not be the biggest fan of including the colour in your personal wardrobe. It's a fine line between statement and pumpkin, yeah? It's a happy colour, and I've so far personally identified it with a 'happy feeling', watching Beyonce walk the 2011 VMA red carpet in a one-shoulder Lanvin 'tangerine dream' as she featured a pronounced baby bump. (I was dancing in my seat when it happened - I love the woman!)

But we ain't B, are we? *wink* It is a bold colour, but you can't help but smile at it when you see it. It's a colour I see myself wearing (whether the skin tone can handle it is another issue to deal with), but not head-to-toe - I'd rather not subject people to staring into a tangerine abyss and cause migraines. An accent or the right piece can always make a difference, or even softening the intensity of the hue, depending on the piece. The colour itself is dramatic with a strong red base, but gives a "friendly glow" with its heavy orange undertones, almost giving way to a yellow aura of warmth. It'll be a colour that just might make your day a little better.

Check out a few different ideas Tangerine Tango can dance its way into your wardrobe, combined with other elements from the Spring 2012 Colour Palate!

:: cutout dress, Rachel Roy :: bib necklace, Lizzie Fortunato ::

:: shirtdress, Nordstrom :: necklace pendant, no artist listed (let me know if this is you!) ::

:: tote, Diane von Fuerstenburg :: ring, Alkemie + Nautilus ::

:: trench coat, Moncler :: ballet flats, Michael Kors ::

:: tangerine briollette necklace, no artist listed (let me know if this is you!) :: dress, Amanda Archer ::

:: dress, Peplum :: necklace, Amrita Singh ::

:: earrings, Not One Sparrow :: ring, Lola Rose ::

:: clutch, ASOS :: platform heels, TopShop ::

Aaaaaand, and few more outfit ideas I may borrow from in the future ...

:: D-Squared :: Kate Spade :: Marc by Marc Jacobs ::

I'll be rummaging through my stash for some inspiration and see how I can blend a little brightness into my wardrobe for this upcoming season.

What's your take on the colour palate? What colour combinations draw your eye the most?

Catchup from the Holidays ...

2012-01-06T01:20:00.001-05:00

Hi everybody! It's been a while ...

Since the new job, I hadn't been making too much jewelry as of late, which has really been taking its toll on me recently. It's all been a focus of clearing out stuff I'm not using, being more organized with my supplies and setting up a workspace that can be packed away a little more easily. I have lofty ideas, but they're attainable. I have come a little ways since my last purge; sometimes it takes more than one!

My flakiness might also be an affect of the closing of my Etsy shop. I will say that I've learned quite a bit from my Etsy experience that I can take to further pursuits. I may open up shop again! All in due time ...

My recent posts may have given you a bit of a toothache; my modest kitchen turned into a badass cookie machine over the holidays, as I had opted to bake some delicious treats for family and friends. As much as I didn't want to see another cookie between Christmas and New Years, I've got loads of ideas for Valentines Day ... as well as branching out on some other nifty baking ventures.

And with all that cookie karma that I gave out, Nick and I got something really nifty this year. My Dad and stepmum had made us a set of stackable wood 'book cubes' made from knotty pine. We've got a rather large book collection, and it was nice to see it from stacks on the floor to a unique bookcase that is easily moveable if we move or decide to change things around. We made even add to it with our own cubes, if we're feeling ambitious! Thank you, thank you, Dad and M - they're beautiful!

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T08:21:00.000-05:00

May your days be merry and bright!

Cheating the Recipe ... and Winning!

2011-11-26T19:59:00.001-05:00

I'm very lucky that I've 'bastardized' these recipes and had some reasonable success. It's all about trial and error sometimes. It's more fun that way. Come check out the latest concoctions!

I had originally found this recipe on the back of the of a bulk box of Sour Patch Zombies when I bought them for Halloween. The recipe is incredibly simple, but patience is needed when you're moulding your little dumplings ... or whatever you'd like to do. I've scanned the clipping for the original recipe, called 'Monster Toes'.

:: click to enlarge ::

I had only made two changes to the ingredients; I had used cherry Jell-O instead of lime and replaced the Swedish Berries candy with gummy spearmint leaves. The dough is very crumbly, like a shortbread, and a little weird to roll out flat. I had instead made palm-sized dumplings and pushed the leaves into the middle. They turned out decently, I guess. They're not how I'd like them to look - I'm picky about presentation - but I'm impressed for the first try. Yes, I did eat one - and they're pretty damn delicious, like a flavoured shortbread consistency. An easy recipe to do with kids!

:: Reese's Pieces Truffles ::

This one didn't turn out as well as I wanted, but I know how to correct myself for next time. In the meantime, they're still delicious and edible. Here's the original recipe that I found in a little holiday recipe book I bought in the grocery store, called

:: click to enlarge ::

The changes here were using Reese's Puff cereal and dark melting chocolate. The problem happened with the cereal-to-melted-chocolate ratio - too much cereal in the chocolate and nothing would hold together quite well. I dropped teaspoonfuls into small paper cups and drizzled a little chocolate sauce over each to help them stick together. I shook some icing sugar over the whole batch for an added touch. I'll be trying this one again, second time's a charm, yeah?

Have fun with the recipes - lots of wiggle room!

Late Night Shortbread

2011-11-26T15:45:00.004-05:00

So, I couldn't sleep last night with all the excitement and nerves of my BMT Youth Troupe classes performing after ten weeks. The Theatre Tech class is having a bake sale to support the upcoming youth troupe production of Disney's Camp Rock: The Musical, and just so happens my work friend LA had let me borrow all sorts of fun baking stuff - including a guitar-shaped cookie cutter.

So, what's a girl to do when she can't sleep? Fish out the secret family shortbread recipe and try it out for the first time. I'd like to tell everyone at this point it was about three in the morning when I decided this.

Again, forgive the picture, it's from my iTouch.

No, I'm not giving you the recipe. It's a family secret. What you do see sprinkled on top are crushed rainbow candy canes, because who doesn't like candy with their shortbread?

The performances went very well, and the cookies sold out rather quickly. Not bad for the first batch ever. In life. Mum, aren't you proud of me?

I'm going to bed now.

The Quickest Way To Santa's Heart - Christmas Baking!

2011-11-23T20:19:00.005-05:00

I loved giving and receiving baked goods for the holidays. Knowing the person took time to make it with love, and you're anything like me, you want to get every detail right in presentation. Experimentation is always fun, too, adding different ingredients and having a little fun with different recipes.

I've been posting photos on Facebook of the stuff right out of the oven with my iTouch, with some fantastic feedback and demands for recipes. So, I relent. Here they are - and the best part is that you can probably mess with 'em a little yourself!

:: Banana Apple Cinnamon Tannenbaum Cakes ::

Banana bread is a staple of mine, and it's popular wherever it goes. I have a few variations and 'secret ingredients' depending on what's around in the kitchen. Here's the basic recipe to build from:

1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup melted butter
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
approx. 3 ripe bananas (add another half or full one if you want, s'okay)

This recipe was given to me from a former roommate's mum, written hastily on an auto parts memo pad. There's no specific order to combining ingredients, just throw 'em all in a big bowl and mix away till it's nice and smooth. Bake for about an hour or so until those toothpicks come out crumb-free.

Here are a few 'ingredient variations' that I've made:

I've used brown sugar instead of white, making the bread more dense and moist.
I don't really melt the butter anymore. In fact, soft margarine is just as fine.
Baking soda or powder is really interchangeable in this recipe.
I've used bananas in all sorts of states; frozen, ripe and fresh. For best banana flavour, catch 'em when they're bruising and black. If you're buying bananas for future baking use, leave them out on a wood surface to bruise, them throw them in a safe place in your freezer. Preferably where your boyfriend or husband doesn't throw the ice cream. Fresh bananas give the bread a nice light flavour, not too overpowering.
Mix in fruit! I had finely chopped up some Spartan apples and added a dash of cinnamon into the batter for the Banana Apple Cinnamon Tannenbaum Cakes. Previous recipes have also included strawberries, cocoa powder, chocolate chips, whatever cereal's in the cupboard, marshmallows, cookie crumbles, candies, all sorts of stuff.

I've got these individually wrapped in plastic wrap and tucked away in a strong cookie tin in my freezer. I've read that so as long as the wrap is good, your banana bread will keep for a few weeks. I'm not too worried - these babies will be consumed before too long. Like I said, they get around, and they're popular.

:: Chocolate Mint Cupcakes ::

:: Chocolate Tannenbaum Cakes with artisan strawberry-rhubarb jam filling ::

These delectable beauties came from a devil's food cake mix. Dollops were dropped into paper cups and sprinkled with crushed peppermint and chocolate mint candies. The mini-Christmas tree baking tins (also used for the banana muffins above) were so much fun! The cupcakes somewhat overfilled the tins which made for nice snacks during the rest of the preparation process. After cutting the tops off and leaving some nice chocolate-shaped tree cakes, I had cut them in the middle lengthwise and spread a teaspoon of a lovely artisan strawberry-rhubarb jam, given to me as a gift for attending a colleague's wedding. I threw them in the freezer for now, hoping I'll get a chance to coat them in melted chocolate and turn them into little Jos Louis.

Here's a few more brainstorms for cake filling:

Fluffernutter (for those not in the know, it's spreadable marshmallow!)
Peanut butter - check for allergies!
Favourite jams, jellies or preservatives
Hazelnut spread, or your classic Nutella
Pie filling

The jam I had used for these chocolate cakes was a homemade jam given as a gift, so it was something I wanted to use sparingly, or for a special purpose. I admit - I had a few. They're so good.

I've got a few more recipes I've found in some interesting places I'd love to share. I'll be trying out some more over the next few days or so, so keep an eye out here and on the Facebook page for more fun Christmas stuff!

Meditation #6

2011-11-20T01:58:00.002-05:00

Visit The Pursuit to read more.

A good idea for those extra beads ...

2011-11-19T20:56:00.001-05:00

After a while of actually having this up on my wall, it had suddenly hit me that I haven't shared this beautiful piece of art all of you.

My craftie-bestie Karen - responsible for a certain green dress - took a dive into my destash bead collection with a very ingenious idea. The result was this beautiful surprise she made for me.

Karen had mounted this beautiful spring day bead picture on layers of recycled cardboard. She used a paint with a really nice lacquer finish that complements the sheen of the beads oh-so-beautifully. I think this whole project started off when she saw a collection of acrylic rose beads in the destash pile, she had asked at the time if I was doing anything with them.

I'm currently cleaning up the workspace/dining room right now to make my supplies less conspicuous, so it's in a safe place with no risk of damage. I'll be finding a new place to hang it with love. :)

Crystal Lori Boyd: (Paint) Splatter Analyst

2011-11-05T21:41:00.001-04:00

I've got a good friend I want you to meet. She does wonders with the unexpected.

Please meet my friend Crystal Lori Boyd, an artist here in Brampton, Ontario. I'd like to call her an 'extreme fingerpainter', but I'm worried it doesn't speak of the maturity in her art. Crystal is what we'd like to call 'green-conscious', using recycled and reused materials in her art. Most of her canvases consist of cabinet doors, countertops, wood planks, tiles and probably lots more I can't think of but she's used. She also likes to 'texturize' her paintings by including crumpled materials drenched in paint and moulded much like the splatters on the canvas - her favourite lately being party streamers. It makes for an incredible effect that adds wondrous depth and dimension.

She confesses that she doesn't use paintbrushes very often, but does most of her creations in paint with her hands. Crystal had done an interactive art show for Synergy's Grand Opening at the end of the summer, and I'm a fool for not getting any pictures - I had sworn there were some! Covered in paint up to her forearms and all over her legs, she had produced some beautiful paint in front of a wonderstruck audience. Here are pictures of some of the finished pieces she had brought with her and completed at the event.

Crystal is such an awesome friend, she had gifted me a beautiful piece I had been secretly admiring. I had never told her and planned to buy it, but I think she may have telepathically pulled it from me. I need to find a spot with the right lighting. In the meantime, it sits atop a pile of favourite books yet to find a bookshelf home. Thank you, Crystal! :)

Crystal has artwork on display in the upstairs gallery at Green Cup Roastery in downtown Brampton, across from the Rose Theatre. You have to see these for yourself, because these pictures don't do any justice.

Happy Halloween, Indy Fans!

2011-11-04T00:28:00.003-04:00

(EGADS! This didn't publish! Damned this Auto-Publish option ...)

It's a great time of year when it comes to being anything you want for one day a year. This year, I was a zombie at Toronto's Zombie Walk, with a few souveniers to remember the day. The work-safe costume was the ever-popular Indiana Jones, this time with my official Indiana Jones plush whip that plays the theme song from a button on the handle.

Yup, I'm a geek. More appropriately, fangirl. Lemme show you my bunch of official Indiana Jones merchandise gifted and collected over the years.

:: Indiana Jones plush whip - press the button on the handle to play whip cracking sounds and Indy theme :: "Idaho Spuds" Mr. Potato Head, complete with golden idol, bullwhip and theme-playing fedora :: Remote control Giant Ant with Crystal Skull controls, from Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull ::

:: September 2008 issue of Vanity Fair featuring Harrison Ford and Shia LeBeouf (ech?) in costume and on set of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull - great article! :: Han Solo backed by R2D2, for your consideration ::

:: Burger King toys from their kids' meals promoting Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull; Indy on top of a pyramid discovering the crystal skull beneath - press down on Indy for the sand to fall away, and a giant ant that surprises you when you open this crate, seemingly from the Area 51 warehouse ::

:: A little more difficult to photograph, but my favourite part of my collection, from the DVD realease. Yes, of course I have the DVDs. ::

Certainly the favourite part of the costume is the hat. I bought this hat in Black Market in downtown Toronto a few years ago and it was my happiest accessory purchase to date, I believe. I love this hat, not only because of its reminiscence of my favourite hero, but the texture, fit, feel and colour of this hat was all right with me. I can be Indy whenever I want, not just Halloween.

:: brown wool fedora, Black Market Vintage ::

Kids in costumes are so cute, especially when they're playing piano. Here were a few brave students who trickled on Halloween night. You'll find me in Indy regalia on the right. You can check out all my 'zombie adventures' on The Pursuit - in the meantime, here's a little peek at the awesome... uh, gruesomeness.

Happy Halloween!

Movie Star Boots!

2011-10-26T03:43:00.000-04:00

If I didn't want to get paid for my second day of extra actor work on the set of the Total Recall remake, I'd just take these home.

:: suede leather boots with chain detail, BG Max Azria, Pinewood Studios Wardrobe Dept. ::

I was offered these boots to wear after my own boots suffered water damage on set and started to fall apart. I was so in love with these boots, it was very tempting. I've been scouring around the internet since for affordable options ... meaning under $50. I'm very picky about my shoes, though. Here's what I like so far:

:: Alice + Olivia for Payless :: Rocket Dog Chain Gang Boot :: Twiggy London for HSN ::

Seen any cute boots around yourself?

New blog 'everything'.

2011-10-12T03:29:00.001-04:00

So, you'll notice some changes around here since you may have been here last. Lemme help you out.

The top row of buttons will lead you to the 'meat n' potatoes' of the blog.

Home speaks for itself.
About will have a little 'hello!' from me sooner or later. (I hate typing those things, but I'll get it done.)
Press are mentions from fellow bloggers and other media mentions about my work here.
Jewellery is everything I've made personally.
Artbeads.com will lead you to every Artbeads.com-tagged post, including my written portfolio on the pieces I've made with their products. You can find my Artbeads.com Portfolio by pressing the button on the left column under 'Jewellery Portfolios'.
Bead Soup will lead you to every post about the Bead Soup Blog Party pieces and the creative process. You can see the entire portfolio, the button just below the Artbeads.com button.
High Fashion is my guilty pleasure of well-made, expensive clothes and couture, with a few other nice surprises thrown in.
Gonna Wear ... is right outta my closet as I make the most of what I have.
Photography will lead you not only to my own work but to the work of friends and colleagues in the art. Portfolios coming soon.
Crafty! is the miscellaneous stuff I like to do with my hands and anything else that might be inspiring, whimsical or compelling.

I'll be adding a few more features, but keeping it simple. I'll have a few more portfolios up, a new button or two to grab for your own blog, let's see what happens. I know I get dizzy looking at a flash-crazed website. Let me know how you like it!

FanBoy, FanGirl ... FanDog?

2011-10-11T21:45:00.000-04:00

If you've been strolling Facebook lately, you may have seen this photo. Fanboys and girls with pets, beware!

The ATAT Puppy. Oh yeah.

I gotta admit that the 'fangirl' side goes a little crazy over stuff like this. I was raised on Star Wars and wanted to be Indiana Jones when I grew up. My boyfriend and I have action figures and comic books galore between the two of us, and we keep collection on occasion when a really awesome find comes our way.

This one is pretty awesome, but I'm not too sure it'll go over well with our toy-breed chihuahua, Shiva. Besides, I'm not entirely sure we can get something that small. And Shiva's a "chewer".

How 'bout your pets? Do they have costumes planned, or are they just gonna chew it up on you?

"You're in my light, Sticks."

2011-10-09T19:26:00.007-04:00

:: knock-off Chanel black sunglasses, discount store purchase :: navy blue H&M knit shirtdress, thrifted :: black tie belt from my kimono nightgown :: black-and-white animal print flats with espadrille detail, Stitches Outlet :: chunky black statement necklace, Claires :: Frederick Harris Music Company canvas bag full of doggy stuff for the walk ::

I like a lot of my clothes, so I'm gonna blog about some of the cool and versatile stuff in my closet over the next little while. I've been complimented many times for looking so 'put together', and I consider what I put together. If you're gonna ask me what the style is, you're gonna pidgeon-hole me, but I try to put together an 'effortless cool' with a combination of draping and slim fits, depending on how I feel that day. This day was the last day of what I could take advantage of acceptable short skirt weather.

I snagged this amazing H&M knit shirtdress from my local Value Village a little while ago and had always worn it 'safe' with pants or tights underneath. Today marks the first day I've actually worn it as a dress - but I still put shorts on underneath, just because I'm modest.

I love the 'spoken rules' of colour coordination - no red-pink, no black-blue or black-brown. Bah. The navy blue in the shirtdress is dark enough to throw a few black touches in. The chunky black necklace is a puzzle of chunks and slivers of rounded plastic tubes. It's very eclectic-looking. The original tiebelt didn't come with the shirtdress when I bought it. (How do I know? There are small threaded loops on the waist.) I snagged my tie from my kimono housecoat and it turned out perfectly. I threw on some comfortable, yet eye-catching flats with an animal print. Not bad.

We're on our way out with Shiva to meet our friend, Dave, to talk about the new short film he's finished shooting and getting Nick involved in the scoring process. It's a great opportunity for him to get into a new realm with his music! Dave's also a good friend of the family - he's lived across the street from me since high school!

Destination - Dairy Queen just down the street on a beautiful Thanksgiving weekend. Strap up the puppy and head out for a Blizzard and conversation! It's great to have the time to catch up with friends and hear about their latest projects and what's keeping them busy. Dave's got lots more coming up - he's a man full of great ideas. Hopefully we'll get a chance to work with him in future productions!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-10-09T12:42:00.001-04:00

We're heading to Mum's for turkey on Thanksgiving Monday, and I know it'll be a good one. We always have a good time at Mum's, and Shiva always does, too. Running around with two chocolate labs can tire out a chihuahua pretty quickly. Mum and I pour out the family tree stuff to figure out the pieces, which has been our personal project for the last little while. Nick and Bill head to the basement or to the garage to go through the multitude of tools they're looking to unload - Nick's only happy to oblige. There's always conversation over after-dinner drinks after all the relatives leave, and the dogs tire themselves out from chasing each other, sprawled over the living room rug looking exhausted, but content. So, as I look forward to a lovely day with Mum's amazing cooking (I can't wait for those brussell sprouts!), I consider the impending holiday and what it represents.

Every holiday that comes around, we're reminded that we should be celebrating the sentiment everyday. Thanksgiving is no different, when we consider at times how fortunate we are in hard times nowadays. We have friends and family who sacrifice when we come to call, we have the basic necessities of life to keep us through another day, and we have the freedom to pursue what we please to the ends of a better society and self. Although at times financial and emotional burdens make our hearts heavier with dread and worry, I remind myself of recent times that make me thankful for what I have today.

Through unemployment, career changes and new challenges, I wouldn't have been able to make it without a support circle of friends and family who have stayed by my side. I've had ups and downs with my depression and applaud myself with how everything was handled. Really, there's no point in saying you'll do anything differently, because you can't - the thing to be thankful for are compassionate people who understand what you need and why. A lot of friends haven't heard from me in a while and I'm grateful to be accepted with open arms.

I'm also thankful to be strong enough to pursue a career in theatre and performing arts. I stuck my neck out, prepared myself as much as I could and dove into it head first. It's going great so far. I'm thankful for my employers who are open to me pursuing my craft and expanding my horizons, and trusting me so much with important decisions. More doors have opened and I'm rather excited about what's to come when I walk through.

There have been a lot of learning experiences with what I do here, both in the creative and business processes. Although I've closed my Etsy shop, I've learned quite a bit how to represent my 'brand' and how I can shape it into something more cohesive in the future. It's not easy, especially being a one-person operation. I've made a lot of friends and had many influences over the past few years on Etsy. There's thought of returning. I'm still thinking about it. What I've gathered from Etsy is invaluable, and I don't think I would have had the opportunity anywhere else when I first started.

And, of course, there's all of you. I started this blog way back, jibber-jabbering about how I make stuff and why I make stuff and what kinda stuff I like to make. I've strayed, I've disappeared, but you guys are still here. That's why I keep trying. I ought to give it a better shot, y'know. It's pretty fun.

So, here's to you and everything you're thankful for, because I'm thankful for you. Happy Canadian Thanksgiving!

Readjustments

2011-10-04T23:32:00.016-04:00

:: My favourite brown wool fedora, vintage store purchase :: 'Blues Brothers' Ray Bans knock-offs, bought during a trip to my parents in Neustadt :: 'Brownie' striped tee, American Eagle :: Key to My Heart earrings, made by me (Artbeads.com Design Partner Portfolio) ::

Harumph ... well, hello everybody. It's been a while, but there's been progress! Nick and I have been rather busy living the 'starving artist' life while trying to enjoy the finer things. Well ... trying is the operating word here. We're fortunate to be doing what we love, where we feel we make the most impact, where we are the most productive. Teaching theatre has been rather enlightening and humbling (more on that in The Pursuit), and it's sucking the energy out of me to create anything in the realms of accessories or jewelry. Not to mention the crestfallen heaviness of closing shop on Etsy. Oh, crap.

Nonetheless, I find the time and opportunity. I know, I've dropped off the face of the earth again - but I've been working! Readjusting the schedule has been tricky, and I haven't been feeling confident as of late. Lately there's been a great boost in things, and a spiral seems to happen whenever I trip over the metaphorical pebble. Again, the idea of teaching anything that I've learned simply by trial-and-error seems like a ridiculous notion to me, but I think it's because I hadn't really organized myself yet. This goes for theatre and art; what I do here, my jewelry, I consider art, and I learned it all from 'feeling it out'. Betcha a lot of you started out that way, too.

I mean, don't we all? Didn't we as kids? Don't you mothers out there fret over the fact that your daughters and sons want to take ballet lessons and play hockey, spend hundreds of dollars on leotard and shin pads, only to be selling the gear - skates included! - for $50 or best offer in next spring's garage sale. Don't we still do the same thing as adults to a moderate degree? I had given my father a clarinet for Christmas a few years ago because of his severe determination to learn it in his retirement years. He's been retired for about three or four years now and has barely picked it up. That thing cost me $500. Just as guilty when I was a kid when it came to flute, karate, hockey, dance, guitar ... there's probably a dozen more or so. We feel things out until we find something that is our magnet, in a way. Our polar field that allows us to focus and master. Some find a few different outlets, some are trying a few out to see where they fit. Now that I've found a few different ones, I'm trying to find where they all fit in this rich opportunity of an artistic life I seem to be leading now.

Once I find the discipline in all this, confidence will rise. My lack of confidence doesn't necessarily lie in my ability, but my execution. I have an idea of how it should turn out, what it should look like. I'm just not too sure my brain can catch up with my cognitive functions to instruct. I just go for it, y'know?

Painting and visual art frustrates me. I don't think I have the patience for colour mixing, waiting for it to dry, I guess. Jewelry is something I can enjoy immediately, something I can throw together the afternoon before the big night out, so to speak. Something unique that transcends the perfect outfit, turns 'casual' to 'chic' (pardon the cliche). I'm still refining that style, and I'm enjoying the process at my own pace, discovering more techniques and processes on the way.

It wasn't very fun closing the Etsy shop, but when you're one person against the world, so to speak, it can get a little overwhelming. Not to mention the Canada Post strike didn't help business either, possibly being the reason for the loss of now five of my customers' packages domestically and internationally. Sometimes, it's just best to cut ties when you're at a loss. Maybe I'll return, maybe not. I'm not too sure yet. I still want to share my stuff, though, and some other cool stuff I found that inspires me. I'm hoping you'll stick around and it'll inspire you, too.

In the meantime, I'll be restructuring the blog a little differently. New pages, new graphics ... I might even try out that new Dynamic View, if it tickles me. Let's see how I feel today. Let me know what you think, too. Constructive criticism is essential.

I've got loads to share. Keep posted for some cool stuff here and at my other blog, The Pursuit - I've got a really cool story about Colin Farrell.

It's not you, Etsy, it's me. I just need some space.

2011-10-03T23:25:00.001-04:00

I don't know how else to start this without just saying it: I'm breaking up with you. I'm sorry. And it's not you, I swear, it's me. Give me a chance to explain before you rip this apart.

Sometimes, there are things that are beyond your control, and in this instance, it's an outside influence. I've lost four packages in the last month, and my soul just can't stand any more unhappiness and disappointment. You see, C.P. seems to stand in our way. He's what keeps us together, you see. But, when he disappears in the middle of the summer, only to come back unreliable and untrustworthy over a month later has put a wedge between us, because without C.P., I can't fulfill your needs. How sad, that someone with so much responsibility to so many people, the lifeline to so much progress can siphon the love of creativity out of so many passionate people like us? What are we to do?

Well, I need to think about us, which means we're not going to see each other for a while. Don't get me wrong - I'll stop by and say hello, see how you're doing, see what's new and all. I mean, we have a lot of mutual friends, and we run in a lot of the same circles. So, we're bound to run into each other! The last thing I want to do is make anything weird, y'know. I still care about you quite a bit. Like I said, I just need to 'gather the troops' and figure out what's next for us.

Keep on doin' what you're doin', don't change a thing. We can still be friends, right?

UPDATE: Canada Post on Strike ... No Longer?

2011-06-27T21:20:00.000-04:00

From where I'm standing in all this, a happy Canuck this does not make me.

Unfortunately, Canada Post has decided to change their 'rolling strike' schedule into a full lockout nationwide, meaning that there is absolutely no mail being received or delivered in Canada, save necessary social assistance cheques and the like. That leaves me between a rock and a hard place, and I'll be temporarily suspending deliveries for the time being from my Etsy shop. Boooooooooooooo.

I'm a one-woman machine when it comes to my tiny little corner of the vast interweb universe. I create jewelry for a labour of love and that extra spike in the grocery money. I love the stuff that I make, and have a hard time letting it go when it comes to listing it for sale. I appreciate every single person that views my shop, every single dollar that's sent my way, every single piece of feedback I receive. It's what helps an artist understand her work better and improve herself. It's a tiny, but noble, operation. It's unfortunate that an important part of my operation to help my little business possibly expand has been temporarily cut off. I'm researching affordable courier options with the hopes of continuing "business as usual."

In the meantime, if you've got your eye on something in the shop but are deterred by this strike and the wait, may I offer something to help sweeten the deal - enter discount code POSTALSTRIKE at checkout and save 30% on your purchase* in my Etsy shop, because you're awesome for patiently waiting. (*This discount can't be used in combination with other promotions available in the shop.)

The federal government is trying to pass a bill to get Canada Post back up and running for the economy's sake, so hopefully this won't last too long. I'll keep you updated!

In the meantime, if you have recommendations for an affordable courier service you've had a great experience with, I'd love to know! :)

UPDATE, June 27: After a 58-hour 'filibuster' in the House of Commons, Canadian government passed legislation ordering Canada Post back to work, days before Parliament was scheduled to close for a week for summer holidays. Canada Post isn't happy about the outcome, with lowered wages and other benefits shortened, and the NDP were adamant about stalling the bill to fight for the union. They promise that they will not take out their bitterness on the citizens, but they weren't happy about the situation in the first place when they found themselves locked out. They were even less happy about it when the government intervened on union issues. I think this may be one of the only times I may agree with our Conservative government in regards to Bill 53-26.

Hundreds of thousands of dollars have been lost in revenue in our country while the lockout took place from small businesses who depend on Canada Post to get their product internationally, especially those like most of you reading this. The debates about the necessity of the postal service due to the lack of carrier mail - blaming email for this - seem to be asking the wrong people. Every time I go to the post office I am standing in a rather long lineup, no matter what time of day or what day of week I'm there. I'm very disappointed in the NDP, as well, claiming to be a 'party for the people' while those who depend on this service to help run their own businesses suffered tremendous losses, some who may never recover. I'm lucky that my Etsy shop is not counted as my primary income.

So, here's what they're saying: the letter-sorting from the backlog should resume on Monday, with deliveries to begin Tuesday. Some of your packages might be in this melee, I might be able to find that out once post offices are open again on Tuesday. July 1st is Canada Day, a national holiday for banks and post offices and all that government jazz - the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will in Ottawa! - so I may hold off packages yet to be delivered until the Monday following. In the meantime, take advantage of the 30% discount with the promo code POSTALSTRIKE for your patience - the details are above!

"What's Old is New Again" With Artbeads.com!

2011-06-11T03:01:00.001-04:00

You see, it's projects like these that make me think Artbeads.com and I share a brain. Our latest assignment is to transform vintage jewelry and components into modern works of wearable art - that's one of my favouritest things to do! I love to visit local thrift stores and pick up jewelry with interesting character and butcher it apart when I get home, transforming something someone got tired of into a new favourite. Not everything I end up snagging at these stores are 'vintage' and 'antique' by definition, but they tend to carry a worldly or rustic attribute that attracts me. Not only are you being 'thrifty' in fashion, you're buying something with a history, as supposed to just getting onto the racks from the factories. It was owned and loved by someone who had great memories attached to this piece, whose family photo albums probably have a few images of that particular piece you just bought at your local thrift store. Now, you'll carry on those happy memories into your own, however you reshape them. Why not reshape the piece?

So, I went rummaging through a few places to come up with everything that I had 'antique'. Even after taking these photos I managed to find even more stashes of vintage and repurposed components that were making me giddy. It was getting to a point of madness where I couldn't focus - and decided on a select few that I would focus on. I even tried to map them together in a way, and I was pretty close to sticking to it ... well, kind of. I really enjoy the eclectic madness of steampunk fashion, blending industrial and organic elements together with a "storybook" mystique. These pieces are what I'd call "rusted romance", with telling stories unique to each wearer. Here's a list of repurposed and vintage components you'll see in these pieces:

Mixed metal links in gold-, silver- and red copper-plated finishes with riveted detail from a thrifted pair of earrings.
Vintage beads with a iridescent gold finish, thrifted from a gifted necklace, circa 1970s.
Vintage gold Love pendant, gifted by a family member, circa 1980s.
Components from a vintage bracelet (of the costume jewelry variety), featuring a blue and white striped glass cabochon set in a silver-plated pewter frame.
Repurposed sew-on appliques of 'metal' plates from a vintage tunic blouse, circa 1980s.
Gold-plated authentic vintage Chanel charm, the last of the 'garage sale stash'.
A few vintage and antique earrings that had lost their mates (some only had components 'borrowed' from them).
A few of my favourite vintage charms and pendants from my personal collection.

Let's take a look!

click photos to enlarge

This necklace has already made a few appearances in my personal wardrobe, and it may stay with me for a while before I decide to sell it. I think this has to be the most favourite (!!) necklace that I've made thus far. I had imagined this necklace a little bit differently, with an intricate bib constructed of the repurposed oval links, copper gears, various suited beads and jump rings, but I could never get it to sit right, no matter what I had done to correct it. It was by way of chance that I happened to dangle two strands of alternating pieces from the sparrow's beak that this whole design concept came about. These beads with an iridescent gold finish are incredibly intriguing in their unique shape and shimmer. I had linked three of these beads on the opposite side of the sparrow, representing a likeness to birds' eggs. This Love pendant has some personal history to it, being a gift from an aunt a few years ago, which she had purchased during a vacation in the States in the eighties. The quintessential clock gears make their stylish presence, representing the history of these vintage components.

Materials used from Artbeads.com: 25mm Antiqued Brass Spoked Gear Link (FIND-0013), 16mm Antiqued Brass Spoked Gear Link (FIND-0015), 19mm Antiqued Brass Basic Gear Link (FIND-0018), Antiqued Brass Soaring Bird Link (BBA-LX19).

click photos to enlarge

Whilst strolling through Artbeads.com's Steampunk section, I happened across a special memory from my childhood. My mother had a charm bracelet with these specific heart and key charms in pewter silver. She had let me wear it a few times as a child; it was a favourite of hers, and she was happy to let me wear it, but so as long as I was very careful and I gave it back to her at the end of the day. I really liked the charms because I enjoyed the "puzzle pieces" that I could play with and kept me busy for quite some time, flipping the charms in my little hands over and over again - I'm pretty sure that's why my mother didn't mind me wearing it. I was so happy to see these charms available, and featured them in a special tribute of my own with these asymmetrical earrings. The charms are framed with a two oval links, completing a mixed metal look with sophistication and trendy simplicity. These earrings are a keeper - thank you, Artbeads.com!

Materials used from Artbeads.com: 19mm x 16mm Brass Key Cutout Heart Quote Charm (CHARM-0003), 17mm x 6mm Brass Key for Heart Quote Charm (CHARM-0004).

click photos to enlarge

You'll probably recognize the pendant in another Artbeads.com design; this striped glass cabochon had come from a bracelet I just had to have from a costume jewelry vendor at the Canadian National Exhibition a few years ago. The bracelet consisted of five of these cabochons with green rhinestones set in brass - you'll see one on the necklace - in between each. The "metal" plates - really made of soft moulded plastic - were sew-on appliques I had ripped off a vintage thrifted blouse circa 1980s. I loved the shirt, and loved these appliques, but didn't like them together. I had put two of these plates flat-side together on each jump ring for a fuller look and sturdier feel. The iridescent gold beads come from the same source as the beads used in Love in Flight, one being more of an oval shape - they were they only two left! Brass clock gears complete the mixed metal look, with homage to the vintage pieces incorporated in the piece. I wanted to make sure there was a special colour element to tie in the blue stripes with the rest of the necklace, and found it in this beautiful puffed porcelain bead with gorgeous detail of a butterfly wing. It had a lovely hue of blue that complemented the 'pendant' quite nicely, as well as tying in some of the warmer metals with the hints of warm tones. An organza bow is tied to the top for a little feminine touch to all this heavy metal, finishing off with a little more vintage reclaimed chain and a lobster clasp.

Materials used from Artbeads.com: 25mm Antiqued Brass Spoked Gear Link (FIND-0013), 16mm Antiqued Brass Spoked Gear Link (FIND-0015), 19mm Antiqued Brass Basic Gear Link (FIND-0018), Ceramic Puffed Butterfly Bead (PB-24PR87), 7/8-Inch White Organza Ribbon (R78-WHITE).

click photos to enlarge

This one is the very last vintage Chanel charm from the stash my wonderful boyfriend brought home for me from a garage sale, and I thought this would be a great opportunity to incorporate this into a simple statement necklace of sorts. An Eiffel Tower charm rescued from a souvenier bracelet and Artbeads.com's fleur de lis charm in antique gold finish dangle with the Chanel medallion on the remaining clock gears. A reclaimed gold rope chain completes the necklace, the lobster clasp fastening on the side to a tear-drop loop - that one's a 'borrowed' component from a vintage earring that lost its mate. The dichroic white glass bead with gold swirl came from that same earring and give a nice complement to the Eiffel charm's bright silver. A whimsical necklace with lots of character!

Materials used from Artbeads.com: 25mm Antiqued Brass Spoked Gear Link (FIND-0013), 16mm Antiqued Brass Spoked Gear Link (FIND-0015), 19mm Antiqued Brass Basic Gear Link (FIND-0018), TierraCast Antique Gold Large Fleur de Lis Charm (GA-2238).

I fell in love with this pin the moment I saw it. I have a great collection of pendants and charms that have been given to me by family and friends, with great memories and occasions attached to them. This pin gives me a chance to feature my most favourite of my collection, including this vintage owl pendant, circa 1960s, given to me by my grandmother, and the flower charm with turquoise and red carnelian, given to me by a friend during my college years. The watch face charm is a representation of the concept of this pin; a collection of timeless memories captured in souveniers and tokens of love.

Materials used from Artbeads.com: 29mm x 21mm TierraCast Antique Silver-Plated Pewter Clock Charm (SA-2345), Antiqued Silver Ancient Pin (PIN-04).

With fashion tending to recycle itself every few decades or so, adding authentic vintage elements to you jewelry designs can keep you ahead of the trend. I betcha there are a few pieces in your accessory wardrobe right now that you've held onto for sentimental reasons, and it just may pay off for you. Consider the opportunity to create new memories - and new trends - by transforming it into something you'll fall in love with all over again, and you'll have sparked a small legacy with your new favourite accessory that feels so familiar. It'll turn into a conversation piece when your friends ask, "Didn't I see that ...", trust me! You'll have a chance to tell its history! You'll find everything you need at Artbeads.com to start the 'fashion-forward' flame!

*Disclaimer: I had received these products free of charge from Artbeads.com and I am making an honest review of the products and have not been paid for this endorsement as it pertains to the products received.

BOGO Sale at Design by Cassandra on Etsy!

2011-06-09T22:37:00.000-04:00

Who doesn't love a good sale, especially now that you have all that room from spring cleaning? :)

I've got a fantastic section full of clearance stuff, nothing more than $20, and here's the best part - you get something else outta that section for free at equal or lesser value! Come check out the section and help me clear some space for more new designs - and looking stylish in the process!

See something you like at regular price? You can save 15% until the end of June with this promotion code!

Happy shopping!

Etsy Treasury: Sophisticated by exenia

2011-06-08T01:04:00.000-04:00

Thank you to the lovely exenia for featuring the Marina/Zen necklace, no. 4 in this beautiful Treasury!

CLEARANCE 20X20 vintage bir... marygamelin $9.99	Vintage Style Bead Drop Dang... TwistedTrinket... $5.75
Custom made by Martinique Su... Booth325 $23.00	French Nougat - SAMPLER of 8... KettleConfecti... $10.00
30% OFF - Creative Family Tr... CreativeFamily... $150.00	1970s vintage pastel floral ... maefairvintage $20.00
A Bee's Eye View by Eliz... emarshallgalle... $250.00	Screwback robin egg blue gla... MeshnLace $38.00
Field of flowers - Print fro... lagattart $13.00	B O G O / S A L E - Marina/Z... designbycassan... $15.00
the ether twins - ever preci... pixxxiepieandp... $7.00	siouxsane $
Amber, Turquoise Magnesite a... BohemianIce $17.00	Pocket Mirror - Vintage Bird... littlepinkplum $4.00
Dark Gold Velvet Fabric FabricMart $9.40	Lemons, Mushrooms, and Bok C... PicturingJuj $20.00

Treasury tool by Red Row Studio.

Etsy Treasury: Just Keep Swimming by koothoot

2011-06-08T00:18:00.000-04:00

Thanks to koothoot for including the Bondi Beach necklace in this lovely Treasury!

calico goldfish orginal pain... cristantecreat... $100.00	Save A Life - 8x12 Signed Fi... papercraftsbyk $15.00
SEAHORSE Art - Giclee Fine... eastwitching $19.00	SALE 15%. The Original 5in ... LandlockedMerm... $23.50
Vintage 1970s Yellow Butterf... MonDesirVintag... $	Turkish Bath Towel - Cotton ... PESHTEMAL $22.00
Underwater Nebula wheremermaidsl... $10.00	Vintage 1950s Lemon Chiffon ... FoxyBritVintag... $120.00
Fish Sculpture Ribbon Hair C... SAuvigne23 $3.20	Marine Green Brass Octopus SimplyChacha $20.00
surfboard in LBI 8x12 ANJacobsen $25.00	Angler earrings. Fun vintage... minusOne $16.00
Mako shark tooth charm, pend... LesCoquillages $22.00	B O G O / S A L E - Bondi Be... designbycassan... $20.00
Blue Goggles NellieFellow $8.00	Bomboro Tote HeatherRoseStu... $25.00

Treasury tool by Red Row Studio.

Fun Links!

2011-06-04T21:08:00.000-04:00

Although I haven't been blogging as of much lately, I have been keeping up on interesting stuff on the internet. Some of these I may follow up on, some of these are just awesome to share. I find lots of this stuff, so I may do this more than once ... Enjoy!

These pictures of the mega-sized crystals in Mexico's Naica silver mines are incredible! Read the first-hand accounts of the gypsem crystals in these caves 900 feet underground, larger than most trees. (Discovery)
Zach Motl, a theatre major and upcoming interior designer in New York City, manages to fit all of his worldly collections into the 'roomy 178 square feet' of his Brooklyn apartment. (The New York Times)
It doesn't have to be the dictionary on the sacrificial slab. It could be a thesaurus. All books are equal when it comes to this DIY paper rosette, right? (Handmadeology)
Cupcakes don't necessarily incite fear, but people will like you more than if you gave them a bomb. (Yahoo!)
A very excellent DIY project for all those soda pop bottles you'll have around in the summer. (Etsy)

Stay tuned for more fun stuff to share!

Etsy Treasury: Hmmm, Wonder If Anyone Is Having A Sale This Weekend ... by I Did It Myself

2011-06-04T19:57:00.000-04:00

Thank you to I Did It Myself Party Printables for promoting the SHOUT! Sale in this clever Treasury! The SHOUT! discount code will expire at the end of June, so don't delay! Visit my shop to find out more, and visit these other shops to take advantage of their offers!

Your Wish Ticket, 2 - I Beli... theotherjeanie $45.00	SHOUT Sale Discount Code - S... designbycassan... $1.00
SALE 20% off everything in t... treasures4ewe $0.20	Alphabet Bead Destash emilypickle $3.50
47 Bead Containers Stacking ... ladyhawthorne $10.00	10 items of Digital Bottleca... HeadsUpGirls $20.00
Shop Closing Huge Clearance... JuicySweetDesi... $0.20	CLEARANCE SALE elorath $0.20
HUGE CLEARANCE SALE- By Rose... RosesDesigns $0.20	any style BANNER and AVATAR... pampam84 $0.20
Moving sale 50 percent off e... vintageYv $0.50	AussemGifts $
Free Shipping All Weekend Lo... presleighsmom $0.20	Have Fabric Prices Reduced littlegiggles $0.20
frontporchcraf... $	BOGO Sale PrintcessLisa $0.20

Treasury tool by Red Row Studio.

deviantART is GO!

2011-06-04T19:35:00.001-04:00

Apologies to all, my dear friends ... I've recently found that I have been negligent with my deviantART page and wanted to spend some time on updating it with my favourite and most recent photographs of jewelry, nature, portraits and graphic art design. I've got a great portfolio happening, I'd love for you to come and stop by!

deviantART is a positive community of artists who share their work for critique and feedback, as well as a chance to sell prints and merchandise of their work. You can get some of my photographs on magnets, mugs, coasters and postcards ... and lots more! I've made some great connections and met some fantastic artists of all mediums, and I hope we continue to inspire each other.

Please enjoy the work I've produced, and let me know what you think. I've got a master plan to build a portfolio to apply to a design school, so be ruthless! Look for the button above on the left hand side of the blog to take you to the gallery!

Denim Fabric Necklaces

2011-05-14T19:42:00.001-04:00

More fun stuff to share!

A big "first off", thank you to everyone for all of your love and support during this transition! I am incredibly excited and nervous about my new and exciting career as a theatre arts teacher, as I have lots of love and experience to share with today's youth. I'll be detailing my thoughts and processes on my music and theatre performance blog, The Pursuit. Theatre touches everyone in many different ways, either as artist or appreciator, and everyone's input is appreciated and more than welcome. Got ideas for kid's theatre games? Favourite childhood memories from school plays? I'll be talking about it all and sharing the joy!

Onward to that fun stuff to share - fabric necklaces!

My best friend, Graham, gave me a pair of his jeans many moons ago, thinking I was going to turn them into a skirt. It never really got to that process, but I did have lots of fun creating multi-strand fabric necklaces with beads in all sorts of 'organic' materials. He was a little disappointed, I think - he thought it would be really cool to see his own favourite pair turn into something else of a favourite - but he does give his stamp of approval on them. He is my best friend, after all; his opinion matters to me! :) I have loads more of that vintage fabric from those dresses than I know what to do with, and I'm coming up with more and more ideas on how to use it. Check out what's what so far!

Both these necklaces came from Graham's denim. (For hygenic purposes, and because it makes me feel better, they were drycleaned. I'm not saying Graham's a dirty bum, but he's a guy who likes to work out.) The first necklace, you'll find a mix of Australian seed pods, acrylic kukui beads, and wood beads of all shapes, sizes, grains and colours. There are three strands intertwined with each other and fits much like a bib necklace. Nice and lightweight, too, and fits right over your head. The second one incorporates different shapes of wood beads stained blue, a great match for the denim. This one's a three-strander, as well. I had also created 'denim blossoms' from some of the snipped ends of the fabric and sewn them together, then applying them to various points on the necklace. (You can see detail of one of these blossoms in the middle picture of the second collage.) I'm in the process of figuring out an earring design that doesn't look to ridiculous - I'm very excited! I've also made a few more denim necklaces that I haven't photographed yet that I'm excited to show you, as well.

I love this vintage fabric, with these freeform shapes and splashes of obtrusive colour - it's eyecatching and oddly pleasant to me. These two necklaces were two of the first that I had made from this fabric, with wood beads and acrylic kukui beads knotted throughout. They look great worn together, or with a large chain-and-pendant piece over a bathing suit cover. I have many other ideas I'd like to experiment with using this fabric, just gotta do a little reading first!

I would like to incorporate more fabrics in innovative ways into my jewelry design. Interesting patterned fabrics can work for a jewelry designer when it comes to complementing colours and the finer details that make all the difference. Sometimes it can ease up the physical work when it comes to those finer details, depending how the pattern is showcased. Too much beading will take away from the fabric, but the splash of detail is what makes it unique. With neckscarves and pashminas being a classic accessory, introducing fabrics and textiles into jewelry design follows that trend of rich patterns and comfortable textures adding unique detail to any ensemble.

So before you donate that scarf you haven't looked at, or throw out those old pair of jeans, maybe there's another way you can wear it! Use it to inspire your next piece, and you'll probably fall in love with it all over again.

Sorry Graham - next pair, I promise I'll make a skirt.

Change has happened!

2011-05-11T17:24:00.000-04:00

I apologize for the "dropped-off-the-face-of-the-Earth" absence! I've missed you all very much, and I'm looking forward to getting back to getting my hands dirty.

You probably remember a somewhat 'cryptic' post I had put up a little while ago, talking about a "shit-or-get-off-the-pot" change in life. Well, it's all happening!

I am happy to announce that I am embarking on a fantastic career in teaching youth the craft of theatre arts! I will be working with Synergy Performing Arts Academy and am excited for the opportunity to help shape young minds in performance arts, something I feel very passionate about and has been a part of my life since I was three apples high myself.

I'll be documenting this exciting journey on my music and theatre performance blog, The Pursuit, along with some pictures of our production of Shout! The Mod Musical that has just wrapped up. From one opportunity to another, it's an experience to remember that has helped me push forward! Thanks to everyone for your support!

New/Old Jewelry Ideas With Paper!

2011-05-03T01:15:00.003-04:00

Well, they're new because it's the first time I'm talking about 'em. They're old because I made them a little while ago!

I apologize for the absence! Shout! The Mod Musical is in full swing for opening night on Friday, May 6th, and I've been up to my eyeballs in dance steps and Dusty Springfield to put on a fabulous show. In the meantime, I've been meaning to show you some excellent experiments turned awesome in paper bead making!

I found a tattered vintage copy of Rudyard Kipling's short stories, pages hanging on by a whisper of the thread binding. I ripped a few out from strategic places and made the book itself a 'book safe', whilst the pages rescued were made into paper beads. I had also made coloured paper beads with traditional origami paper made from recycled materials - you can see chunks of fibres and print newspaper in the sheets! The paper itself is delicate enough for fine rolls and manipulations, and is strong enough to take some abuse during the process. I'll be posting my very first 'How-To' for my very simple - and potentially messy - paper-bead making process with some everyday household items hopefully very soon. It's a fantastic personal touch to any design!

While I was making these beads, this was the idea in my head. I couldn't wait to get it together after the beads were dried. There are five strands of paper beads, alternating between the coloured origami paper and Rudyard Kipling's stories. The yellow vintage lucite beads brighten everything up, and I love the crackle/bubble/swirl detail inside; they remind me of little solar flares. This turned out exactly how I pictured it!

I have many more beads left, even after making these pieces, too! What's not pictured are a necklace and a bracelet that I had given as gifts, but I'm excited to make again with a new flair.

These are the first beads I've made, so they'll certainly be looking better and better the more I practice. Still, I do like the rough texture of the beads; how the little flaws add more character. I'm considering calling these pieces the "Rikki Tikki" Collection - the story by Rudyard Kipling, where most of these pages came from in the book.

Not bad for a first try? I'd say so!

A Peek at the Workspace ...

2011-05-01T22:33:00.000-04:00

I thought I'd give you a peek at my workspace/dining room!

I've taken over the dining room in our modest two-bedroom apartment. My stuff is spread out everywhere, I hope to reign it in a little with a larger unit that will house everything. The view that you see is if you were standing on my couch in the living room, looking over its back to the dining room. The round table is something that's been in the family for years - I have pictures from my first birthday and beyond blowing out candles at this table! Eventually, I will find a gorgeous storage unit that will fit just about everything and reclaim the dining room into something that will become a pleasant eating atmosphere without a tower of beads or some other crafting project that's about to topple over you. In the meantime, I've made good use out of lots of recycled, reclaimed and reused materials for unique storage solutions - with a little flair!

I tend to be a collector of all sorts of stuff. I've got souvenier pens and pencils, t-shirts, pins and buttons, stamps, Happy Meal toys, and probably a few other things I'm forgetting. I blame Dad and my stepmum on the 'collection-hording' quirk - I remember Dad's huge collection of buttons and pins (once kept on that big corkboard in the middle there) and my stepmum keeping all sorts of cool stuff - she could use it for something later, you never know. I'm trying my best to keep it under control! I've got a great collection of stamps from all over the world, and I've decoupaged some of them onto some mason jars I've been using for random storage. These unique images depicting important people, places and achievements in cultures around the world are great little inspirations that sneak up on me, much like the rest of the collections I have lurking about my workspace. See that Silver Surfer on the middle jar there? That one came from my very first Etsy sale in New York City!

This stuff is just how you'd see it on the bookshelf. Binders and photo albums full of colour and fashion inspirations and designs from days gone by, as well as keeping track of various projects, initiatives and Etsy sales. (The World Vision binder there is full of letters from the child I sponsor in Thailand, Pornpanit - and a huge part of the stamp collection, too!) Second shelf down would be various books and magazines of all sorts of craftiness, mainly beading and jewelry making. I've got a great collection of BeadStyle magazines amongst various issues of Elle Fashion, Vogue, Cosmo and InStyle that get me inspired with the latest and favourite trends. (Yes, you do see Zombie Cross Stitch! Look very carefully on the corkboard in the first picture, you'll see a finished project!) A few recycled tissue boxes turn into great storage for zipper bags and organza pouches for gift wrapping. Mason jars and soup tins store various materials and beads; I've hung tags with stickers written with what's in each. Take a look - you'll find some aliens and ninjas in there if you're careful! Then, comes the rest of these various collections and stuff I've acquired that will find its way into some sort of project. That partially obscured Buddha head has been used as a product background for photography, and that colourful Shout! sign you can learn about here. (It's a great story, trust me!) A few stripped flutes, vintage jewelry boxes circa 1940s, handmade gift boxes and whatnot are all cluttering that bottom shelf. All with the intention of a better plan of organization!

Now, if you turn 180 degrees from looking at the dining room, you'll see this small table behind you. It's set up behind the couch, with a convenient view of the television in the living room. This little workstation sees a lot of the actual jewelry design and creation itself. I keep drawing materials and the tools I use most often in decoupaged soup tins and mason jars. I had also acquired a 'plate cupboard stacker' to hand various jewelry piece I had finished and yet to photograph. Look closely, you'll see a brass Eiffel Tower I had picked up from Not Too Shabby in downtown Brampton - she's currently covered in bracelets! The table is covered in a large sari scarf to keep from beads rolling off, as well as to hide the fabric storage underneath I keep in a large bin. Check out that dremel tool on the right there - lots of possibilities when you have one of these! My father had bought me the MasterCraft Maximum Router a couple of years ago, and I'm glad to finally have the space to set this up properly and use it to its full potential. The Rubbermaid drawer unit it sits on holds other beading supplies and is on wheels for easy access wherever I need it. Handy handy!

Just about everything used in this space is repurposed, recycled or vintage in its own respect. I have a more contained vision of this setup that won't make everything feel as cluttered, but I'm glad that I finally have the space that I can begin to actualize. I see a large, ceiling-height vintage-style armoire, with just enough room on the top for picturesque storage. That and along with the dress form, and I'm almost there!

So, is your space as crazy as mine?

Here's an idea ...

2011-04-22T03:07:00.001-04:00

'Sketching' some ideas for my upcoming Artbeads.com project with vintage elements.

No. 1 - pin/brooch with ribbon detail and charms, reclaimed bracelet component

No. 2 - two-tone metal (gold, brass) gears and charms, vintage Chanel charm and gold-plated rope chain

Bead Table Wednesday, Issue #3: Vintage Possibilities

2011-04-20T23:10:00.002-04:00

I'm getting ready for my next Artbeads.com Design Partner Portfolio project, which will require me to incorporate a vintage item into my jewelry design. I went rooting through my stash and came up with a few things ... now I just can't make up my mind!

The vintage fabric is courtesy of a few dresses that were given to me by a family friend, handsewn in the 1960s with these incredibly psychedelic patterns. I've already started using the fabrics in other projects, experimenting with sewing and shaping techniques. The porcelain pendant, rose brooch and copper-tone brooch (that one's bottom left) were all picked up from a local thrift store. The striped blue-and-white glass cabochon in oxidized copper setting were previously part of a bracelet; in fact, you've already seen its part of the bracelet's "repurposement" in the Winter Enchantment project! I have a few more pieces left over that are in need of a home. The antiqued silver owl pendant with lucite setting - owls are always on trend, it seems - are vintage from the '70s, if I remember my mother telling me correctly. (The pendant belonged to my grandmother.) The gold-plated Chanel charm - an authentic! - was part of an awesome find Nick happened upon at a garage sale; the thoughtful man he is, he bought them for me and surprised me with them. I've this one left, and I'll need to make it special. The gold-plated piece with filigree detail was part of a necklace I had picked up at an antiques store in Sherkston Shores whilst on vacation with Nick and his family. The gold-plated rope chain originally held the asymmetrical heart-shaped pendant that found its setting in the Desert Heart necklace, part of the Bead Soup Collection. Maybe it'll find it's way into something here?

I already have about three or four ideas cookin', but I gotta focus and pick one. Which ones are your favourites?

Making a Homemade 'White Box' for Product Photography

2011-04-19T15:19:00.002-04:00

I've come a long way, baby.

That's how it happens with photography. I've had a lot of practice with lots of sub-level cameras, where my good shots were out of luck. My parents had given me a Canon PowerShot IS 2000 a few years ago for my birthday - it's incredible. (All the shots on this blog thus far have been captured by this camera!) Now that I finally have a camera that is meant to take high-quality pictures for the detail I want, I've taken full advantage of its features. The only issue - creating an ambience for the product itself, with both lighting and setting.

These elements are more crucial - and a lot more difficult - to put together than expected. When I first opened shop on Etsy, my jewelry was photographed against fabrics of my collection of pashmina scarves and patterned clothes. I love those scarves, and I've got great clothes, and I turned on all the lights in the room. I thought it was enough, really. Some of the shots turned out to have a great atmosphere to them, but I would credit that more to luck. Some of them, I found, got lost in the background of the crazy pattern, or the colours didn't come through right. I didn't get it myself - with my own eye, it looked great. Why didn't it come out the way I saw it in the camera's lens? A good example of those shots will be from my first Artbeads.com Design Project with Swarovski materials. Nice idea, poor execution. Really, I just didn't know where I was really going, or what I was really doing.

Strolling around Etsy and a few forums, it seems that the common opinion is that when all else fails, the 'white box' is the best. It brings a true representation to the colours and it's easier to balance out tricky elements like shadow, brightness, sharpness and exposure. It also helps if you have a really good camera, like my PowerShot. Ten mexapixels! It's amazing in macro!

Lemme show you my very simple setup.

The cardboard box was something that had fit an electric vegetable steamer. The cardstock is opaque and stiff, as supposed to regular paper that may not give a true white background and flop over. The carstock piece on the bottom isn't fixed in, and is occasionally replaced with another colour background. (You can see examples of that in the Artbeads.com Pantone Fall 2010 Project, where I had used a page from a French wine calendar, or the Artbeads.com Winter Enchantment Project, using a friend's artwork to complement the presentation.)

The destash photo shoot!

The setup you see above is the 'prop setup' for my destash beads to sell on Etsy; using a plain white background for the beads shows their colour at its best and most clear, the small teacup from a Japanese tea set keeps the small and round ones from rolling away, and the ruler to set the bead beside for a measurement of an individual unit, or an idea of length when strung together. This is all set up on a fold-out television tray next to the balcony window for the natural sunlight, the best kind of lighting, if you can help it. I don't really have appropriate lighting to mimic this effect at night, but it's not really the same no matter what you use, really. Here's a few examples of what props and backgrounds I've used inside this white box for product photography.

Bead Soup Blog Party, Across the Pond necklace - using a Japanese teacup for a 'soup bowl' and a basic white background to focus on the colour of the gemstones.

Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood Collection, The Art Merchant's charm bracelet - Leonardo da Vinci is a recurring character in the video game. I had used the pages of a coffee table book of da Vinci's sketches for a background.

Flute Key Collection, The A-flat Key - using the body of the flute these keys came from, and a book about the history of Western and European Musical Instruments, opened to the chapter about Western Concert flutes.

The SHOUT! Collection, Mod Bullseye earrings - A collection inspired by SHOUT! The Mod Musical, using a playbill flyer and a magnet collection.

Artbeads.com Winter Enchantment Collection, Lefroy necklace, no. 1 - a painting entitled 'Gravity' gifted to Nick and I by a friend, and a great colour match to the Lawren Harris painting this necklace is inspired by.

Artbeads.com Pantone Fall 2010 Collection, Coral Snake earrings - the romantic images and vibrant colours from a 2010 calendar of vintage French wine posters are a great match for the pieces in this collection.

Artbeads.com Silver & Glass Collection, Amber Floral bracelet - using a wall decal of a Buddha head to complement the swirls in the focal bead, while keeping a monochromatic and non-distracting background.

I'm hoping I can afford a proper light box soon, I've seen a few in some camera stores that would really make life in product photography a little bit easier. I enjoy the photography process and creating an atmosphere to present my creations, but it doesn't always work out. Trial and error is frustrating, but it makes the process shorter in the long run.

What do you think of the results? What's your favourite DIY method of photography? I would love your feedback!

7000 Bracelets For Hope Blog Hop!

2011-04-16T02:33:00.003-04:00

Lori Anderson, you work much too hard!

We're up for a new blog hop for a good cause with The Global Genes Project, an advocacy group who has created the "7000 Bracelets for Hope" initiative, a children's rare disease campaign. Bracelets are made by jewelry makers all over the world and sent to families who have children afflicted with rare diseases to show them love and support. The only condition of the bracelet is that it's main colour must be blue - their awareness ribbon is blue denim! :) I had signed up a little late for this blog hop, so I looked to my stash right away for some 'true blue!'

Some really excellent options, but there was one idea that kept leaping out at me. Here it is!

If this bracelet was going to be sent to a special family, I wanted to make sure it was going to be a treasure. These Czech glass beads glow with the most vibrant sapphire blue, they were my favourite of the bunch. I love the brass cap detail that adds a delicacy to such a bold colour. The headpins (a recent Etsy purchase!) were too thin for the beads to feed through and stop at the ball end, so I turned them into little 'curly cues' for an added detail. The chain and lobster clasp both came from a thrifted necklace.

This bracelet, along with a note of encouragement, will be sent to one of seven thousand families who have children suffering from rare diseases. This important campaign helps raise awareness for the needs of millions of these children around the world, and I am only too happy to help boost a family's spirits. Learn more about The Global Genes Project to see how you can contribute!

Visit Lori's blog to check out the rest of the 7000 Bracelets of Hope Blog Hop! ... there's only 112 of them in this round, don't worry! Thanks again to Lori Anderson at Pretty Things for organizing this Blog Hop!

Costume Jewelry to SHOUT About!

2011-04-16T00:24:00.002-04:00

The costume jewelry for SHOUT! is just about done! We have a meet n' greet at Zehrs Grocery in Orangeville tomorrow - in costume! - and I wanted to finish as much as I could so I can give the ladies some options on accessories. I would like to make a few more than what I have here for each character, but funds are tight nowadays and so is time - curtain's in under a month! We're still in the process of dealing with the finer details in the costumes themselves, which will be showstopping! A few details have changed in the accessories, as well - instead of clip-on earrings, they'll have earwires; I couldn't find silver clip-ons for the life of me, and was concerned about their hold during our dance numbers. I won't be putting magnet clasps on the necklaces, either - again, funds are tight nowadays! A lobster clasp will be used for the necklaces; still has that same security when dancing around. Let's check out what we have!

The Green Girl (that's me!) Matching lampwork glass in coin and tube beads made a great chunky bracelet, strung on stretch wire, with a pair of earrings to match! I had made a second pair with faceted acrylic beads for a costume change.

The Blue Girl (Samantha Russell). I saw a picture of Twiggy from the '60s wearing a huge pair of disco balls for earrings. These silver beads with disco-esque style made me think of them (but certainly not as big) and included a couple of acrylic hoops from the botton - actually knitting markers! (You'll see more of these in the SHOUT! Collection!) The bracelet cuff is strung on Memory Wire for easy on-and-off change, with silver acrylic glitter beads and a mix of acrylic and glass beads in blue hues. The second pair of earrings - a fantastic set of shoulder-duster chandeliers - are meant to be a match set with the bracelet.

The Yellow Girl (Abi Adekoya). These vintage lucite beads with swirl patterns are the perfect shade of sunshine yellow! Most of the costumes for The Yellow Girl have a black, white and yellow colour scheme, so these will coordinate with them all! Another pair of earrings are on the way!

The Orange Girl (Elizabeth Glenday). A mix of vintage beads from a bunch of repurposed thrifted finds make up the earrings and necklace. The Orange Girl also has an interesting costume change that I've also got a piece for, but it's not quite finished yet. You'll be seeing another pair of orange earrings soon!

Yes, I know ... one more to go! The Red Girl doesn't require much accessories, but I did make a pair of earrings for Justine Christie to wear tomorrow. However, the camera died before I could snap some photos of them. Even better - I'll get a picture of her wearing them!

Come on by Zehr's Grocery tomorrow for a barbecue and meet the cast of SHOUT! The Mod Musical! Don't forget the complement them on their smashing accessories!

The SHOUT! Collection ... and a Discount Code!

2011-04-15T03:33:00.002-04:00

Groovy! Fab! Cosmic! Swingin'! Celebrate the 'mod musings' of five groovy girls in '60s London, England, growing up in a time of changing attitudes towards gender as they discover the potential in their own lives and in each others'. Minis and go go boots, flower power and rainbows, big hair and bigger dreams, all set to a soundtrack of some of the greatest hits sung by Dusty Springfield, Lulu, Cilla Black, Shirley Bassey, and many more! It'll make you tilt your head back and Shout!

Playing The Green Girl in LP Stage Production's show has been a real inspirational experience for my jewelry design. Yummy! Not only do I have the chance to design the accessories for the costumes in the show, I made a few pieces for everyone to enjoy! This collection is inspired by my love of the bright colours and mod fashions in this exciting era of fashion. Yummy!

I also present a new discount code for you all to enjoy! In celebration of Shout! The Mod Musical, I present a 15% savings for you all to enjoy with the code 'SHOUT2011'. Check out the advert - made by yours truly! - that will be in our show's program!

Onward to the SHOUT! Collection!

Colour My World bracelet. "... with sunshine every day!" These adorable acrylic cube beads boasting some serious flower power are in all colours of the rainbow. "It's a sign of the times!" The bracelet measures 7 inches long.

'Round Every Corner bracelet. "While you're debating, some things are waiting 'round every corner!" These acrylic hoops in bold colours will bring a little 'mod musings' to your day! The bracelet measures 7 inches with a hoop clasp.

"The Pill" earrings. "Looking to shag scags of lads? Well, The Pill is for you!" That little revolutionary pill that changed everything for women when it was introduced in the '60s! These acrylic hoops and vintage lucite beads are a great match together, dangling at 9cm long.

Mod Bullseye earrings. A modern twist on a 'mod' icon, these red vintage lucite nuggets dangle with two blue acrylic hoops for a groovy pair of statement earrings! They hang 9cm from the earwires.

I had one more bracelet to show you, but I kept looking at it, thinking it was 'unfinished'. Well ... here it is so far ...

I do love these beads; they remind me of the geometric patterns I often see in 'mod minis'. I tried the bracelet on, and it didn't look right to me. I've made a fantastic colour addition to the bracelet - which will be revealed tomorrow, when I show off the finished accessory pieces for the cast's costumes!

These accessories will be available soon in my Etsy shop - in the meantime, don't forget to use your discount code 'SHOUT2011' to save 15% on your purchase! You can also follow more behind-the-scenes updates of Shout! The Mod Musical on my music and theatre performance blog, The Pursuit!

SHOUT! The Mod Musical - Cast Picture!

2011-04-13T03:46:00.001-04:00

Curtain's just under a month ... and we are so excited! We had a photo shoot at the Mad Hatter Pub in Orangeville in full costume - for the first time! Click here to visit my blog, The Pursuit, for details about the day!

I had a little fun with Picnik.com to give the photos a vintage '60s feel, with a little text flair. Whaddayathink?

from left: Abi Adekoya, Samantha Russell, me!, Justine Christie, Elizabeth Glenday

Design by Cassandra Does "Assassin's Creed"!

2011-03-26T19:48:00.005-04:00

I was rather impatient on finishing the ideas I had mapped out from this week's BTW influenced by the video game Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood since they were rather fresh in my brain. Fingers get so itchy, but they were rather relieved by Thursday's end. I'm rather happy with they way they came together!

Amongst the historical figures in the video game, focusing on the corrupt power and influence of the House of Borgia, is Renaissance inventor and artist Leonardo da Vinci. Nick has a beautiful coffee table book full of da Vinci's illustrations, from his spiritual sketches to the war machines designed for the Borgia's troops, all replicated in the game itself! (There's a level where you use Leonardo's 'tank' design to destroy Borgia cannons! It's awesome!) I had used pages from the book as a background to photograph the pieces, a great addition to detail for these geek-inspired pieces!

This is also me fully admitting that I'm a bit of a geek-girl. Yup, my best friend says I should carve a niche for it. Let see how these fare.

Firenze necklace and earrings. The rounded piece of the thrifted pendant was a great representation of Ezio's armour, with the scrolling detail and wing-like images in the plates. The black wing charm, repurposed from a pair of earrings - the other one will make an appearance soon! - dangles in the centre of the Firenze coins that originally came from the thrifted piece, representing Ezio's stealth and speed as a trained Assassini. Each of these coins, as well, have an embossed city scene from Ezio's fair city, in which you've probably climbed all over these buildings and roofs in the game.

This piece will also be a great anecdote for 'the second glance being the best first choice'. I'm referring to the red crystals in the black setting, repurposed from a pair of earrings a friend gave to me. (I get that quite a bit - friends and family give me random pieces of jewelry to remake. I've got quite a collection now!) I was already using gunmetal pins and findings, finding silver to be too bright for the rounded pendant itself. The red 'jewels' are in a black metal setting, and I just didn't know ... well, now I do. The deep red is a beautiful match to Ezio's traditional Assassini costume, suiting to the mystic order that he leads. I had also included clear crystal roundels to represent the white cloth in Ezio's costume. I had handmade the links for the extender chain myself with gunmetal headpins in opposite figure-eights, and a lobster clasp to hold everything around your neck. With a few leftover coins and beads, I managed to squeeze out a pair of earrings. A rather regal set, if I may say myself.

The Art Merchant's charm bracelet and earrings. As Ezio, you wander the streets of Rome after a time of despair when the city falls into poverty and crime. With the money you collect throughout the game from random pickpocketing to killer contracts, you can help revive Rome's economy and begin the Renaissance movement by opening businesses and renovating landmarks such as the Coliseum and Castel Sant'Angelo. You can open blacksmith shops, tailors, banks, horse stables, faction buildings housing allies such as courtesans, thieves or mercenaries and art merchants selling the latest religious iconic paintings from the artists of the time, such as Michaelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci. These little frames with pictures of saints and small religious medals resemble the artwork of the time, and serve as a great 'art collection' of your own! A caged quartz crystal and red glass bead hang at the end of the handmade extender chain, and the bracelet chain itself is a little extra from the thrifted necklace. I had a few 'saint charms' and made a pair of asymmetrical earrings, using those red agate chips and crystal roundels and bits gunmetal and 'thrifted' chain.

Eagle Feather necklace. The eagle is symbolic throughout the game, from the Assassin's Creed character's names, Altair and Ezio, meaning 'eagle', to the feathers Ezio collects in Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood to commemorate the memory of his slain family. I had these synthetic feathers that matched the look of the feathers in the game, and the chevron pendant piece from the thrifted necklace was a great focal point for the centrepiece. I used a suede thong instead of chain to keep a natural texture going with the feather, and dangled a Firenze coin with the feather of a sprawling landscape over the shoulder of a sculpture. This one isn't quite done yet - I have yet to develop some sort of clasp dohickey and she's done.

Well, these didn't turn out too bad! What do my fellow geek-girls think?

Etsy Treasury: A Lime In The Coconut - Remembering Spring by Emerald Moon Design

2011-03-25T17:09:00.001-04:00

Thanks very much to Jenn at Emerald Moon Design for including the Coconut necklace, no. 1 in her Treasury!

Latte Coffee Brown Doub... aloha2summer $32.00	B O G O / S A L E - Coc... designbycassan... $20.00
Brown Gladiator Leather... sandali $60.00	Natural Sunscreen in Li... rainwaterbotan... $5.00
Paradise Icon print 12x... impulseART $22.00	4.5oz Coconut Goats Mil... Germaphobe $4.50
Turkish Bath Towel...PE... TurkishBath $26.00	Coconut Earrings - Pias... TribalStyle $25.00
Natural Coconut Dispens... FLcoconuts $18.00	Dark Plum Coconut Shell... aloha2summer $32.00
Coconut Diamond Earring... VickyVK $18.00	Grace Dances at Beach J... maclancy $20.00
Two Hawaiian Coconut Tr... 3rdAveShore $116.00	Olive Wood Bead Wrap Br... DeOrdioDesigns $46.00
Lip Balm MONKEY FARTS L... HowardsHome $3.00	Adjustable Large Coconu... TheLoft10Beyon... $18.00

Treasury tool is sponsored by Lazzia.com A/B image testing.

Bead Table Wednesday, Issue #2: DBC Does 'Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood'

2011-03-23T20:42:00.002-04:00

Y'all folks are so kind with the previous - and my first! - BTW post, thank you so much for your comments! If you enjoy my posts, you ought to check out the Flickr page featuring beaders and jewelry makers from across the world, sharing what's on their bead table every week!

Last week, you loved the Rockslide necklace, which will be available for sale in my Etsy shop very soon with other new designs. This week is a very unique design concept and thrifted repurposed piece I picked up during a shopping spree at Value Village. (Oh my, I will have to brag about that stuff in a later post. Incredible finds!) Nick has been playing quite a bit of Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood, an XBOX video game with its setting in 16th century Rome/'present day' 2012, with an epic yet complicated story about an ancient brotherhood called the Assassins and their lineage as they try to protect mankind from the Templars and protect an ancient 'biblical' artifact with the potential of great power to whoever possesses it. It's a pretty damn cool game. Eighty-five percent of the game's characters and events are historically accurate accounts of the House of Borgia's power and influence through 15th and 16th centuries in Italy. It's a pretty cool game, and he plays it a lot. He's playing it right now. (Not just as I type this, but probably as you're reading this a few days from now, too!)

You play as Ezio Auditore, a trained Assassino like his father, hailing proudly from city of Firenze, Italy. The traditional Assassin costume is white and red, his traditional armour is patterned much like feathers of birds wings. Nick had been bugging me for a while to make something inspired from the game, and I just happened across the coolest find at Value Village. This'll be perfect for an Assassin's Creed-inspired piece.

The photos this time were actually taken from my 'television tray' workspace at the time ... kind of. (I may have cheated, posed some stuff, pushed some stuff outta the way for some shots.) The thrifted piece is a pendant of two pieces, both somewhat resembling pieces of armour with its intricate detail, hardened texture and wide shapes. The coin charms have the same fleur-de-lis on one side with the word Firenze below it, and different images of what seems to be ancient buildings, urban landscapes and structures in a European city, very much like the ones you're jumping around on in the game. I had realized I don't have much red in my collection, at least nothing that I felt suited what I was looking for. In the meantime, I had grabbed these red agate chips from my stash, and spotted a lone red glass bead in my collection of 'onesies'. A beautiful black wing charm from a pair of repurposed earrings and plastic skull beads painted in different metallic finishes may be incorporated into these pieces, as well. Take a look at that first photo to the right, you'll find other cool stuff that made it into the mix, and might make it into the design!

There is one that I had started, you'll see it in that same picture if you're careful, to the left. Throughout the game, Ezio collects eagle feathers in memory of his family, murdered by the Borgia. I happen to have a package of brown feathers that are a great match to those in the game. The chevron-shaped metal piece from the pendant has a small feather and a Firenze coin charm dangling from the centre point. Suede thongs reach up either side, and might be accompanied with chain, or left as is. I'll have to take some pictures and get your opinion, unless I make an executive decision myself beforehand. :)

Since taking this picture, I have a few other things that I've found in my stash that I've thrown in this mix. I'll be sketching some ideas over the next few weeks. So many possibilities, especially with those pendant pieces!

Bead Stories in Pictures

2011-03-18T04:56:00.004-04:00

So, I'm photographing away, bag o' beads after bag o' beads from my destash pile that I'll be listing on Etsy. I've constructed a rudimentary 'white box' with natural sunlight, which is really helping capture a true colour representation. I'm lining them up with the best features, excusable flaws, in groups, in pairs, in piles and all these fun configurations. I had even included a prop; a white porcelain teacup from my Japanese tea set. (It has the Japanese character for 'tea' on the side, hidden appropriately!) It's pretty handy for keeping the smaller round beads together when I photograph them, especially when it's laying on its side.

The photos turned out really well! The white made the colours and textures pop, and reflected light nicely around some tricky shadows. Something else came from these photos, too - unexpectedly, I had created these little picture stories with the beads in the photos I took and ran with it. These 'storyboards' were coming to life, putting personality into these little guys.

Here are a few of my favourites for you to enjoy! Which one's your favourite story?

Just Call Me The Bead Hoarder ...

2011-03-17T00:53:00.002-04:00

It's the curse of most jewelry makers and beaders I know, that we're buying stuff left, right and centre for potential future projects. I've amassed such a collection of beads I'm not even looking at anymore, it just seems like too much to do. I've started organizing the beads I know I'll use and the beads I can separate with, and I've put in a good dent. I figure with the beads I'm not using I'll sell on my Etsy shop to make a little money back. I'd even be up for trading if anyone has any stuff they're looking to let go of, too!

Here's a look at some of the beads I'll be offering up! (My photography skills are starting to pay off, too!)

More to come, believe it!

Bead Table Wednesday, Issue #1

2011-03-16T20:58:00.002-04:00

Welcome to what's-on-my-table-this-week! I had discovered Bead Table Wednesday, or also affectionately known as 'BTW' (ha!), through Sue at Hello Gorgeous Design. I found a nifty button on her blog that lead me to a Flickr group of international beaders sharing the mess on their own bead tables!

I'm a little too embarrassed to show you my actual workspace right now, I really let myself go. I'm in the middle of a mass exodus of bead-sorting and material-purging, some may find itself for sale on my Etsy shop. I'm also happy for the opportunity to review what I have in my own stash and focus on what materials I've been using the most lately. You know what they say, "One man's trash is another man's treasure." This stuff certainly isn't trash, it just got lost in the mix and, consequently, I lost interest. There are a few that, with fresh eyes, I find new ideas and stash it away for later, like these ones here!

These chunky acrylic beads came from a necklace and bracelet set a friend had gifted me, with the intention to tear apart and make anew. (She works at a popular accessory store and constantly finds me stuff to tear apart. She gets a good stash going by Christmas, which makes me easy to shop for!) The wooden roundelle beads I had purchased from Artbeads.com; this was a purchase that got me in trouble in the first place; I thought they looked cool, but I didn't know what I was going to use them for. These came across the sorting pile at the right time for me to see that they worked together. The swirling texture in the acrylic beads echoed the grain detail in the wooden roundelle beads, both with visual textures that flowed together quite nicely. The wood also tied in a more organic element to the acrylic beads, which were featured on their own in their original design. The cool and warm colours grounded by the wood, 'natural flaws' in the acrylic nuggets all present. I had fed the wooden roundelles with brass eyepins when I tried a different idea that didn't pan out the way I wanted. I had left them for now, figure it was inconsequential whether they were used or not; it was the bead I was after.

I set these aside, continued sorting through the melee of bead explosions in my workspace. No sooner did I leave that bead sorting - which was really starting to frustrate me - and put together an idea I saw in my head.

Here it is! I call it the Rockslide necklace.

click to enlarge

In that stash of acrylic beads were long spacer beads with two holes, which gave me the inception for this chunky statement two-strand necklace. I fished out some black glass beads and kept with the bronze findings; it suited the colour palate more, especially with the hints of antiqued gold in the acrylic beads, and it saved me work from fishing out all the eyepins from the wooden roundelles. This turned out quite awesome, I'll need to put this together in an outfit to really show it off.

You know, after I made this necklace, I felt a lot better. I didn't go back to organizing beads, though - I didn't feel that much better.

Check out Bead Table Wednesday on Flickr to see what beaders and jewelry makers around the world are using in their latest projects! I've also created a button you can use on your own blog to link you to the Flickr group - don't forget to join yourself, and let me know in the comments below if you use the button!

Happy beading, everybody!

Etsy Treasury: My Inspiration. What's Yours? by Reba Belle

2011-03-15T21:35:00.001-04:00

Thanks very much to Reba Belle for including the Namaste necklace, no. 4 in her Treasury!

50's Will Steinman ... ladyjanedesign... $175.00	Polka dotted coffee mug... JDWolfePottery $20.00
A COLLECTION OF 9 LARGE... SucculentsGalo... $38.00	We Have Roots Here - 8x... studiolyon $17.00
Namaste necklace, no. 4... designbycassan... $40.00	Vintage 1940s - 1950s L... delilahsdeluxe $36.50
Three Upcycled Turquois... sparrow $35.00	modern colorworks round pillowhappy $60.00
Frog Postcards Vintage ... memoriesempori... $3.99	BOTTLE OF DREAMS tiny g... JewelsInTheHay $16.00
Fruits Ladies Beach Day... SunshineSister... $9.50	Gypsy Fortune Teller po... tartx $7.00
Apple cozy jacket red I... knotworkshop $11.00	Beach Fence 3 schugirl $20.00
Im SO Crafty I Make Peo... MuthaCrafter $4.00	Handcrafted Wooden Wine... honeystreasure... $60.00

Treasury tool is sponsored by Lazzia.com A/B image testing.

I've got a new blog!

2011-03-14T18:55:00.000-04:00

Well, folks, remember the "Big Move"? There are still details that I won't reveal yet, but here's what I can tell you: I've got a new blog!

For those who've been following the blog for a little while now, you're probably familiar with some of the theatre and music performing endeavours I've been participating in. It can get pretty convoluted in this blog here with all the arts and crafts I enjoy, so I had started a separate blog all about my love of music and theatre, inspirations, past and present productions and 'lessons learned' as I continue to study and participate in the performance arts.

I've called it "The Pursuit". It's an intriguing pursuit of happiness, purpose and fulfillment in what brings me the most joy, and that's a life of art. I do invite you to follow and stay in touch!

Thank You, moo.com!

2011-03-11T22:22:00.000-05:00

Oh, these exceeded expectations ...

moo.com had a limited-time offer for Etsy sellers to grab 50 free business cards, and I darn well took advantage of that! I was having a lot of trouble really nailing the 'look' of a business card I would want to hand to people, and moo.com has a lot of customized options that can help with someone as indecisive as me I had selected about a dozen images or so to be featured on these cards, with the basic info of where you can stalk me online on the back side - Etsy shop, blog, Facebook, Twitter. Maybe you'll get one of these in your next purchase from Design by Cassandra, or maybe you'll want to order your own! Visit moo.com for great prices on custom packages for your business, whatever it may be!

Winter Enchantment with Artbeads.com!

2011-03-04T20:58:00.004-05:00

Welcome to another Artbeads.com creation!

Our latest project is called "Winter Enchantment", to design a piece inspired by what we love about winter. I have to be honest and say that the only reason I like snow and winter are for sentimental reasons; around Christmas and New Years, the snow makes those lights outside glow at night. Other than that, it's cold, wet and gets in your boots and makes you uncomfortable the rest of the day. There is one inspiration I did turn to, however, to feel the 'enchantment' of the winter season, and that was to The Group of Seven, a famous group of painters who pioneered Canadian landscape art when many artists thought at the time it to be "unpaintable or unworthy of painting." Their works of art are now part of a rich, artistic culture and these images serve as iconography to our picturesque beauty of Canadian wilderness.

I remember a field trip in grade school to the McMichael Art Gallery in Kleinburg, ON, where nearly 6000 pieces of art by the Group of Seven are housed and displayed. I loved these paintings, and seeing the beauty of my country through the eyes of artists such as these men and women make me proud to be a Canadian ... thus, by default, enjoying the 'enchantment of winter'. No? My choice inspiration for this project is one of my favourites, Mount Lefroy by Lawren Harris. I had also found a lovely pendant that I thought echoed the styles of many of the Group's works.

The pieces turned out beautifully, and I had a great background to photograph them: a intriguing abstract painting by a friend of mine, Trevor. Depending on the angle will depend on what you see. I can see a silver lake, the horizon line in black, a blue sky, and a midday sun, far up in the sky. (That's what I see on the bottom left!) The lines and colours are reminiscent of Harris' painting and served as the perfect background element for these pieces. The painting presently sits atop our 'book pile'; here are four different angles of the painting itself. (I'm told the correct angle is the bottom right corner.)

Onward to 'Winter Enchantment'!

Lefroy necklace, no. 1. The pendant on this rather interesting necklace came from a bracelet I had purchased at the Canadian National Exhibition a few years ago from The Painted Lady, a vintage-inspired jewelry designer I see every year in the Arts & Crafts Building. This bracelet had a series of these striped glass cabochons with green rhinestones in between. It was rather large for my wrist, and couldn't really find a way to adjust the piece appropriately. I have a few pieces from The Painted Lady I still wear, so I didn't feel as terrible repurposing elements from the bracelet into other pieces (the green rhinestones have made other appearances, such as this bracelet). The geometric lines in the glass were reminiscent of glacier in Harris' painting, the shimmer of the hexagonal white cat's eye beads are like the sheen of undisturbed snow, and the topaz and light blue shimmer in the glass leaves are the sun glinting off the ice. The necklace is about 20 inches long with a lobster clasp.

Lefroy necklace, no. 2. The soft angles in the geometry of the painting played into the design element of this piece quite a bit, starting with the Nunn Design antiqued pewter tags and square link chain. The small teardrop glass beads in light blue and cobalt added depth in colour and shape, and I also had a few leftover hexagonal white cat's eye beads to add to mix. A topaz and light blue glass leaf hangs opposite where the lobster clasp will be ... once again, I had left myself unprepared!

Group of Seven bracelet. Leave it to Artbeads.com to have it all - the Purple Forest square pendant was exactly what I was looking for to create a Group of Seven-inspired piece! This abstract pendant is very reminiscent of the painter's styles, and I thought this was the perfect focal piece to pull together a tribute and appreciation to their art. The stoneware clay beads in light green, white and black have a rugged, natural look to them, while still sleek and smooth. The bracelet is about 7 inches in length, with all three layers draping quite effortlessly on your wrist.

So, it may not be your favourite season to actively participate in, but you can't deny its artistic influence. If you're not familiar with the Group of Seven, take a look at some of the art produced by this astounding group of artists, and visit the McMichael Art Gallery if you ever find yourself in the area. They have certainly brought us a Canadian Winter's Enchantment!

*Disclaimer: I had received these products free of charge from Artbeads.com and I am making an honest review of the products and have not been paid for this endorsement as it pertains to the products received.

Bead Soup Blog Party: THE BIG REVEAL SEQUEL!

2011-03-02T00:41:00.003-05:00

Hello! I'm so glad you could make it back!

Well, the laptop's still an expensive paperweight, so here I am on hubby's computer once more. I took advantage of the beautiful sunny weather we had yesterday and put together a new photo shoot of my Bead Soup pieces, made with the beads lovingly chosen by Sue at Hello Gorgeous Design, my Bead Soup Partner for this round. Y'know, I really like how these photos turned out - so much, that I had already replaced the photos on the 'prequel' post. Check out this post to see what Sue had sent me and previously revealed pieces, and let's get to these beauties!

Desert Heart necklace. This one was just waiting to happen, because I had this gold heart pendant for so long, waiting for the right inspiration. I had purchased it as a necklace in a department clearance section a few months ago, and there was something about the odd symmetry of the heart shape itself. The pendant was strung through a simple gold rope chain without any other embellishments; I would imagine it being worn in a 'multistrand' look with a few other pieces. Well, the chain's still around here somewhere, and I'm sure I'll use that for something else, but I immediately saw everything come together as soon as these lemon honey jade nuggets and polished flourite in burnt orange were unwrapped from the tissue paper. The clasp is left at the side of the necklace for easy access, the loop handmade from a brass headpin. The gold tone bead holding the clasp is repurposed from a vintage necklace I bought at a thrift store. The small fire agate bead that hangs inside the heart and faceted carnelian nugget are both from my own stash; gemstones bought from Earthworks, one of my favourite local bead stores. Antiqued brass findings are used in the whole piece, adding to the aura of warmth the stones give in energy and colour. Warm earth tones have always been a favourite of mine to use, and I was very lucky to have such a generous partner to spoil me with these delightful gems. I'm going through a severe separation anxiety with this one, I love how this turned out so much.

And to complete the set ...

Desert Heart bracelet and Desert Rose earrings. For those who have been following my blog for a while, you may recognize the large agate focal in the bracelet from this previous project. The bracelet from this collection didn't prove to be very comfortable to wear, so I had dismantled it and saved those components for another 'rainy project day'. The agate focal finally has a beautiful setting with repurposed gold tone beads from the same thrift store purchase mentioned above, and Sue's lemon honey jade nuggets and polished flourite nugget. I saved the last two flouite and jade nuggets for matching earrings. The earwires are also handmade from brass headpins.

Wait! There's one more ... well, one more set!

Orion's Belt necklace and Orion earrings. This was the very first set that I had made when I opened up Sue's bead packages. I don't know what struck me about the particular combination of these white mosaic beads and dyed agate rings, but it seemed natural. The necklace itself can hang in a number of different ways because of the asymmetrical placement and weight of the white mosaic beads. The rings were drilled on either side, so I could wrap headpins through to suspend gunmetal chain from either side. I handmade a jumpring large enough to fit around the agate ring and slipped a white mosaic bead through. Matching earrings, too! I've already worn them a few times with lots of compliments; very comfy to wear! (I was concerned about the weight of the agate ring.) An organic-industrial design concept, turning out quite nicely!

Phew! Finally! I'm very glad I got to share these with you after such a labour of love. This was a really positive experience for me, after such a difficult February on so many levels. I'd like to take the opportunity to give a great big virtual hug to every single person who left such positive feedback on these pieces, I was really touched to read every single glowing word left from your smiling avatars! I haven't had a chance to make it to everyone's blog yet (I only wish I had a full day to sit down and see all of your creations!), and I'm just itching to finish the hop, because there's so much inspiration out there!

Sue, you're a glowing ball of light. That light blinds people so, that they shield their eyes in awe of your wonderful spirit and how it illuminates hearts from even across oceans. I do hope we remain friends and keep in touch; I would like to think this is the reason why events like this happen! I do recommend you visit Sue at Hello Gorgeous Design and give her a warm 'hello!' Just think - you could be the lucky person in August to be trading beads with her!

Thank you again, everyone - there's more beading to be done! Don't forget about August - sign up for your own heapin' bowl of Bead Soup!