Mar 25, 2013 | DIY
Hello lovely readers! I really enjoyed meeting some of you at the DIY Event with Free People Portland that I taught on Saturday.
About 20 people came during a 2-hour period to learn how to make a beautiful gold-dipped quartz necklace.
Explaining how to wire-wrap. Some of the quartz pieces were pretty slippery!
Comparing to my finished example of how to twist the ends of the wire.
Adding the liquid gold gilding to the ends.
It was so awesome! There were people of all differing levels of DIY ability and interest: some seasoned makers who were already quite experienced with wire-wrapping, and some who were just getting their feet wet.
Also: if your store or boutique or event is interested in hosting a DIY project event – drop me a line! I’d love to work with you:-)
Thanks to everyone who came to the event – and to Free People for hosting me! It was lovely to meet all of you!
P.S. And for anyone who wanted to stop by and couldn’t…I’ll be posting the tutorial on how to make one of these necklaces tomorrow! Stay tuned…
xo
Carly
Event photos by Kristin Rosario
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May 5, 2011 | Media
Well, according to Emitations.com – check out the amazing infographic above that they put together about the iconic Kate Middleton Ring! (Probably the most well-known and discussed ring of late…)
If you are looking to purchase the affordable version of the Kate Middleton ring in Sterling Silver or in silvertone (or any other jewelry inspired by Kate and the Royal Family), Emitations has an entire page of possibilities! Also: Until May 9th, take $4 off a $40 order with code HN440, and take $12 off a $80 order with code HN1280 (So the Kate Middleton ring in Sterling Silver would end up at $70 using code HN440, for example.)
What do all of you think? Is the appeal in owning what feels to be a part of history? A pretty jewel? An icon of royalty? Do tell!
xoxox
Carly
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May 3, 2011 | Fashion
Popularized by the lovely Rumi of FashionToast…among many, many others, this Robert Lee Morris for Elizabeth + James liquid-metal-look knuckle ring was a huge hit from last year, and continues to be a strong seller from the line. There’s just something about its sleek, minimalist beauty that seems both timeless and fashion-forward, and I’ve been drooling over it for awhile now.
Robert Lee Morris for Elizabeth + James Long Knuckle Ring, $195, Saks.com 
Knuckle Ring in Gold, $30, Shockboutique.com
So I was glad to recently find both a version at ShockBoutique.com, AND one from Forever21 as well. (Took you long enough, Forever 21! Hint: Just rip off the filigree from the front of the ring if you’re looking for an exact dupe – it’s affixed with what feels like cheap hot glue and comes off easily.;-)
Forever 21 Regal Knuckle Ring, $5.80
(The Stretchy Knuckle Ring from Forever 21 is also a lookalike for the smaller Elizabeth + James knuckle ring, at about 1.5″ long, and with a stretchy band.)
Additionally, I also found another Elizabeth + Jamese knuckle ring lookalike from Etsy seller snefter.
snefter Flat Armor Finger Knuckle Ring, $15.99, Etsy.com
(It’s not quite as long as the E + J version above, but not quite as short as the small version.)
Also find their YSL Arty Oval Ring lookalike KILLER Chunky Gold Finger Ring, and their Forever 21 sideways cross lookalike Sideways Cross Connector Double Finger Knuckle Ring in their store as well. Oh, snefter – you crafty caster, you! Now, the rings they offer for sale are not exact copies down to the millimeter, but they’re pretty goshdarn close. It’s obvious that the original pieces were not used in the creation of the molds this person uses in their jewelry, but still…they’re amazing doppelgangers!!
And speaking of that Forever 21 sideways cross ring that just EXPLODED in popularity last year (some people were paying $95+ for it on Ebay!)…
Find ASOS.com’s Double Finger ‘Cross’ Ring (above left) here and ShockBoutique’s Two-Finger Cross Ring (above right) here. And I just re-stocked my silver sideways cross rings in my Etsy shop, too.
My version of the ubiquitous sideways cross ring.
Any designer rings you’re looking for me to sniff out an affordable version of? Or a DIY? Let me know in the comments!
xoxox
Carly
All ring photos copyright of their respective owners; FashionToast photo from this post here.
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Feb 28, 2011 | Fashion
How many of you watched the Academy Awards last night? Sadly, I missed it, but was able to catch up this morning on all the coverage courtesy of the vastness that is the Internet. Now, DIY is not usually an option when it comes to glamourous, $10,000+ formal gowns and diamond jewelry…but finding similar pieces at an affordable pricepoint definitely is. Here are some get-the-look-for-less jewelry pieces, straight off the Red Carpet:
Blingy Cocktail Rings
Bold Peridot ring ($55); Square champagne cocktail ring ($50); Elephant statement ring ($45)
Sparkly Wrist-Adornment
Rhinestone stretch bracelet ($48); Crystal stone bracelet with magnetic closure ($32); Filigree hinged cuff ($38)
Lovely Necklaces
Crystal rock necklace ($58); Enameled CZ Handbag Pendant ($28)
Other Finishing Touches
Luminosity chandelier earrings ($34); Crystal brooches ($24 each)
Did any of you have an Oscars viewing party? I need to find me some local fashion-savvy girlfriends to do just that!;-)
xoxox
Carly
Original photos courtesy of Ann Magnin, Inc. Photo arrays by me.
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Dec 17, 2010 | DIY
So sorry for the slowdown in posts as of late. I have been consumed by doing the Christmas shopping, putting together boxes of gifts, making goodies and cookies, writing Christmas and New Year’s cards, and standing around at the Post Office that this holiday brings. I think I have things a little more under control now, but there’s still an overwhelming amount of things to do and get and wrap before next Saturday.
In the meantime, if anyone has any free time and would like to make some jewelry and accessory pieces (maybe as a last-minute gift?), here are some Free Projects from Michael’s:
And some Free Project Downloads from Interweave (require E-mail mailing list signup, but just unsubscribe after you’ve received your freebies if you’re not interested):
Also: Free E-Book on the power of making things by hand to get you inspired:
You can never have enough techniques for DIY’ing in your trick-bag…and the more you know, the more you can apply that knowledge to problem-solving in many different areas.
Enjoy!
xoxox
Carly
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