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Flower Power!

Japanese Magnolia Blooms

If you happen to live in Charlotte, North Carolina, have you noticed the gorgeous pink Yoshino Cherry trees in full bloom? It's something I just noticed this week on Valentine's Day...everywhere I looked I saw shades of Pink. Maybe it's always been this way, but I am finally putting two and two together...only took me 40 years! ;)

Even neater to me was that my favorite Japanese Magnolia blooms opened on...you guessed it, Valentine's Day!

The bright Fuchsia color has certainly inspired me and I can't wait to see what Jewelry comes from this beautiful nod to Nature, one of my largest sources of inspiration.

How about you? Had you noticed the pink blooms coinciding with the month of Love? 

Another reason I have flowers on the bloom is the fact that this season it's all about Floral. You'll see it in boutiques and online, just as I reported earlier the Sag Award dresses hinted of the trend. I couldn't be more thrilled. My inner Flower Child is even making a flower crown as we speak ;).

Here's to Spring!

Laura

Recycling the Past: Project Marianne

Project Marianne Blog Post on the Laura James Jewelry BLog

Much like my recent blog post regarding using my Grandmother's coin collection in my jewelry designs, in this recent NY Times article the designer took his own Grandmother's circa 1961 Amber necklace and used the pieces for a special collection that would touch many lives.

I can identify with him when asked how it will feel to part with the stones...“It will be a warm feeling, and will make me feel her soul is staying present with me.” 

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New York Times Style 

8/23/2016 by Ellie Hay

The designer Jacob Skragge’s grandmother traveled to Israel in 1961, where she purchased a necklace (right). When she died, she requested that her belongings be spread throughout the world — so Skragge and his All Blues co-founder Fredrik Nathorst created 37 earrings: one with each stone.

Before the jewelry designer Jacob Skragge’s grandmother, Marianne, died earlier this year, she told family members that she wanted neither her body nor her belongings to be forgotten in a box — instead, she said, she wanted to be “spread with the wind.”

This inspired Skragge, who is the co-founder with Fredrik Nathorst of the Swedish jewelry brand All Blues, to dream up a limited collection of earrings to honor Marianne’s legacy. Skragge transformed a necklace Marianne bought on a 1961 trip to Israel into 37 handcrafted earrings, each with one of its amber stones. Every earring has been individually numbered: one will be given to her daughter, one to Jacob — and the 35 others to be dispersed throughout the world. (The collection will available on the All Blues store beginning next Monday, August 29.)

Project Marianne, as he calls it, has been curated, designed and photographed by Nathorst, who says it was important for him to design pieces sensitively — and to frame each stone with “dignity and confidence.” Nathorst took inspiration from paintings, creating sterling silver plates to frame the beads “without becoming more important than the work itself.”

After Skragge’s grandfather passed away 12 years ago, he and Marianne spent a lot of time together; he says they would “go to theaters or have lunch.” When asked how it will feel to part with the stones, Skragge replies matter of factly: “It will be a warm feeling, and will make me feel her soul is staying present with me.” He continues: “I will give the earring I’m keeping to my future daughter or wife. I know she would want that.”

 

Go for the Gold! Your Jewelry Essentials for 2016

When I recently came across a list in InStyle Magazine of #JewelryEssentials to update your jewelry wardrobe for 2016, I immediately noticed that every piece listed in the article was Gold. Not one single piece of Silver jewelry was on their list!

I mean, truly, I have never seen Silver jewelry completely un-represented in an article of 10+ pieces before. And, with the Rio Olympics happening right now, it's pretty clear the entire world is #GoingForTheGold!

This actually doesn't surprise me all that much, as for the past 11 years in business, 98% of my sales have been for Jewelry that I have created in Gold. Year after year, I would hear "Silver is making a comeback!". But, time after time, I have yet to see that really happen. It'll be interesting to see what the Future holds...will Silver truly ever be as popular as it was decades ago? We shall see...

On another note, want to see just which pieces were highlighted as #MustHaves for 2016?! Here ya go...enjoy!

xox-Laura

 

 Going for the Gold: Jewelry Essentials for 2016

Credits: Madewell bangle, Alexis Bittar Choker, Laura James Jewelry Bangles, Apple Latte Earrings, Jennifer Fischer Cluster Necklace

Jewelry Sale of the Summer!

This is it...the biggest Jewelry Sale to date at Laura James Jewelry!


I am so excited to be able to offer such a huge price cut to all of you, my fabulous customers, friends and followers. The Sale will kickoff next Tuesday, August 19th right on this website.

If you'd like a reminder OR a SNEAK PEEK ahead of time for a little early shopping before the masses, please click here :)
Enjoy and Happy #Friyay!

Jewelry Sale at Laura James Jewelry

Carried Away

Laura James Painting

Hi Guys! How is everyone's Summer going?!


I cannot believe we are already here into August...I don't remember when Time flew so fast in my life. However, that is likely due to the fact that so much has changed work-wise for me these past couple of months...

Since moving out of my physical storefront this past June where I have operated Laura James Jewelry the past 7 of the 11 years I have been in business, (I have missed seeing your faces so much!) I have truly enjoyed this bit of a "Break" that I have been on...by the way, this totally dates me, but I can still hear Ross yelling at Rachel "We were on a B R E A K!" at the very mention of the word!

ANYwho, this Break for me has been both amazing and hard at the same time. I didn't realize until now just how programmed I was to Work, Work, Work. It shouldn't really be that much of a surprise to me, seeing as I have spent all of my days since 2005 building Laura James Jewelry from the ground up. I have found it's actually quite tough to dramatically switch gears when you've been doing something a certain way the past 7 years!


As soon as my traveling all over the place slowed down - literally, if you had called me and said, "Laura get in the car/plane/train and come visit", I would have been there! Traveling to see family and friends during the Summers is something I wanted to do for so long- finding the momentum to switch into this next Online and Pop Up phase for Laura James Jewelry has been daunting, to say the least! 

First of all, it has taken me weeks since I have been home to stop the voices in my head pushing me to Make Jewelry, Build The Business, constantly Post on Social Media, etc. etc., I am finally in a space where I am taking a real breath, finding new inspiration, and relying on my instinct to Listen to myself instead of Telling myself. 

So, to jolt the Creativity in me, I have decided a little Painting might be in order these days... 

Painting Mess


Painting. It is something that has always alluded me.

My Aunt Lewellyn (Lou Jordan) is a very gifted Painter in Charlottesville, and those artistic veins run thick through my Father's side of the family. I have never "figured out how to Paint", and that has always bothered me! I watch my daughter, Lila, who was born with an Abstract brush stroke that I would give anything for (!), effortlessly move her pre-school hands around a canvas. She even tried to teach me now to move my brush "the way she was", believe it or not. She's Three! Sigh.

So, today was my first real attempt at this whole Paint game. Well, I found it is MUCH harder (and messier!), than I could have imagined. But, it was...Fun. I am happy to say, I got that "carried away" feeling I have always had making Jewelry. No clue what time it is, just having a good time in the moment. This small 9x12" piece took me much longer that I would have imagined, but I thoroughly enjoyed the process...and learned that my fingers work much better in paint than trying to use a brush!

Laura James Jewelry painting


Thanks for sticking with me this far down this post...you're a real trooper for spending your time with me today! And yes, I definitely DO have a BIG online Jewelry SALE in the works SOON, so stay tuned (or you can add yourself to the list to be notified ahead of time when it begins here: http://bit.ly/1t7BQa2).


Till next time!
xox-Laura

 

#arty #creativeprocess #painting #creativelifehappylife