Concepts and photo shoots and fashion shows, oh MY!

It's been a busy month. Building your own business takes a lot of effort and time, not to mention building technical skills and finding a niche. I've been very pleased to have found a great circle of creative talent, here in Jacksonville! They're very active and pursuing new venues and looks while building their own businesses as well. I'm having such a great time!

My friend Christy at Christy Whitehead Photography invited me to be part of an innovative photo shoot at a new wedding venue just outside of Jacksonville -- with a big red barn, a covered bridge, and lots of farm equipment to boot. What a thrill! This down-the-back piece was designed just for that event. It features genuine chandelier crystals and wire wrapped focals as a stunning exclamation point for an open-backed dress.

Another fun event this month was the Jacksonville "Relay for Life" Fashion show, hosted by Sarah Dial Photography and The Majestic Planner. You can see photos from the fashion show in this album on Facebook. I was paired with designer Robyn Crews of Reused422 and designed necklace sets to go with her super cute rompers and casual fashions. What fun! We had a night of glamorous fashion to raise funds ($1500!) for the Relay for Life drive with the American Cancer Society. I was there remembering my dad, who died in 2006 from aggressive lung cancer that spread throughout his body, and my grandmother, who died of cancer in 2001.

Last but not least, Bethany Walker of Mady Joe Photography asked to use some of my pieces for a Bridal shoot at the Casa Monica Hotel in St. Augustine's historic district. How could I refuse!! Take a look at her beautiful images here , here, and here. I'll try to post some when I get a chance. WHEW!! Now that I have a chance to breathe, I think I'll work on some pieces that I've been ruminating on for a while...

Vintage bling gets a face-lift!

With spring rolling around, several of my photography and makeup artist friends have been itching to get outside, try out new lenses, and capture some of the gorgeous Florida weather for their portfolios. To my GREAT delight, they've asked me to contribute some new pieces to feature on their models. I love it!! Designing for a photo shoot or fashion show is fun because I get to dream up something new and exciting, and a little "out there." Now, I absolutely LOVE doing custom work, and working inside the constraints of budget, and the customer's vision, as well as designing to fit a particular look, but with fashion designing my mind gets to wander a little, or in this case a LOT!

Here's a sneak preview of a new line I'm starting, featuring metals in all their glory, and surprise! Chandelier crystals! This is the first piece. I purchased these vintage crystals from a salvage vendor on Etsy, one of my favorite places to pick up material for design work. The small beads were obviously hand faceted, and were attached to the crystals by their usual brass findings. Separating them helped me to finish out the concept for this piece. The frame is 16 gauge copper, and the crystals are wired on with smaller gauge copper. The chain is also solid copper. The resulting focal area of the piece is about 5 x 5 1/2, which might be called massive by some, but since I'm sort of known for being a little bit of a loudmouth, or at the least too talkative, it's probably no surprise to the people I know and interact with in my business. By the way, please check out my shop on Etsy, or fan my Facebook page to keep up with new creations and listings. This one is going to the photo shoot this week, then will be listed when I get some good photos of it next week.