Fun with Briolettes

 

Happy November, mes amis!  With only 52 more shopping days before Christmas, I've been busy in the studio, stocking up both The French Circus and The Paris Carousel with holiday goodies. 

 

 

I had a particularly good time this week playing with briolettes... those little teardrop-shaped gemstones that drip with colour and luxury when added to earrings and even necklaces.

 

 

Here little bundles of brios punctuate a classic cameo piece...

 

 

... and I've created hoops of briolettes in some new earrings, just listed this evening.

 

 

Emeralds, pyrite and quartz... oh my!  ;)

 

 

If I could own just one pair of earrings this holiday season, it would be these!  Victorian shell cameos, vintage rhinestone dress clips, rubies and garnets.  Need I say more?  ;)

 

 

Thank you for stopping by!  Have a beautiful week!  <3 Robyn

 

Party!

With Christmas behind us and most people left with some time off from work, why not have a little party?

In Paris, mais oui! ;)

'...already there are wanderers, confident girls who weave here and there among the stouter and more stable, become for a sharp, joyous moment the center of a group and then excited with triumph glide on through the sea-change of faces and voices and color under the constantly changing light.' ― F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby

December Palette

I am always looking for creative inspiration, and the holiday season is no exception. As many of you know, I'm generally drawn to soft, cool colours, and yesterday while at the flea market, I thought I would take my cue from some beautiful displays featuring Christmas ornaments and accessories. I thought you might enjoy seeing what influences my current colour palette...

minty greens and sugary whites,

faded gold,

glittering silver,

baby blue,

and, of course, candy pink!

I especially love mixing these pastels with a dose of sepia, to cut the sweetness with a little bit of edge. I was in heaven when I saw this pile of Victorian holiday postcards, each shimmering in its own cellophane envelope.

I then like to translate my colour influences into gemstones and metals. These yummy rocks arrived in my mailbox today from India... moonstone, pink quartz, rubies, labradorite and pink opal. Like an artist with her paints, these will inform my palette as I dream up new designs.

And speaking of designs, here's what I've been up to the past week...

Did you recognize my colour influences put to use?

What are your favourite colours or gems? I'd love to hear from you, and am always happy to take custom orders if you have something special in mind. Have a beautiful week, mes amis! <3

Happy Holidays!

With the holidays just around the corner, I'm sure we are all even busier than usual this week. I have been feeling a bit like my favourite little headless statue these days...


Leopold (as I like to call him) belonged to my grandmother and I recall one evening years ago when my whole family was at her house for dinner, my aunt accidentally knocked him over and off came his head and a hand! I still thought he was as charming as ever, and this little mishap made him all the more endearing to me. I'm so glad it was I who got to 'inherit' him and he is a very treasured possession, and now he is practically famous since I use him often in my photo shoots.


The reason I am feeling so much like him these days, on top of the usual holiday buzz, is that I have recently been working with a jewelry representative whom I met at the Vintage Arts Market a few weeks ago. Jamie wants to rep my designs for the wholesale market! This is a very exciting opportunity for me, but means developing a slightly different line since the numbers all work a whole lot differently for wholesale - lol!


I will be working dilligently at sourcing new materials, and have committed to producing 40 pieces as a start - many of which I'm sure I'll be featuring on the blog over the coming weeks!


If you've noticed that my Etsy shoppe looks a little bare these days, it's because Jamie has already gotten some of my jewelry into Shelby's Garden in San Carlos, California! These are just a couple of new pieces I listed on-line today. Thank goodness for a week off from my 'day job' after Christmas to really get busy in the studio!


Thank you for sharing in my good news! Here's wishing all of you a very Happy Holiday! Until next time... x o