Make that Statement!

Statement necklaces are exactly what the name suggests - they make a style statement. They are bold, beautiful and grab the attention! When wearing a bold necklace, it is important to keep the rest of your look simple and sleek. Let the necklace make the statement. Best of all, these necklaces can transform an outfit so easily. A chunky or shiny statement necklace can instantly take your outfit from day to night!

 

 

                                                     

 

 

A Chunky, Cluster Necklace in Shades of Clover Green, Yellow and Ivory.

 

 

Fall Fashion Colour Trends 2012

Each year the trendmakers at Pantone deem certain colours "in" and I'm so loving this year's selection! From soft pink to bold orange and bright green... all fabulous choices this fall. These colours can be worn on its own or have fun mixing and matching them up. 

 

 

 

 

• PANTONE 19-4056 Olympian Blue • PANTONE 17-1463 Tangerine Tango • PANTONE 18-5338 Ultramarine green • PANTONE 17-4014 Titanium • PANTONE 15-1142 Honey Gold • PANTONE 18-2133 Pink Flambé • PANTONE 16-3817 Rhapsody• PANTONE 14-1506 Rose Smoke • PANTONE 19-1012 French Roast • PANTONE 14-0445 Bright Chartreuse

 

Tips for selecting the perfect bridal jewellery for your special day

Choosing your wedding jewellery should be one of the fun tasks of planning your wedding. A thoughtfully chosen jewellery ensemble can make you look more graceful on the most important day of your life. Be sure to select jewellery that you can wear on other occasions as well and your wedding jewels will always be a reminder of your special day. Here are some tips you can follow when choosing your bridal jewellery:

Start shopping early - Getting your bridal jewellery as early as possible will help relieve the stress of rushing to find something perfect in a few short days. Do not over accessorize – Keep a good balance. Do not compromise your own personal style – rather try to work with it and complement it.

 

 

Types of necklaces and how to wear them

Today's post will focus on the different types of necklaces and how to choose the perfect one for your neckline. Necklaces come in six lengths which are collar, choker, princess, matinee, opera and rope/lariats. The length of each necklace depends on where it falls on your chest. In general, longer lengths accentuate bust while shorter lengths accentuate the neckline.

 

The above illustration demonstrates how necklaces of different lengths will hang on your neck. Always keep in mind your neck size and the width when deciding what length to choose from. Here is a brief explanation of each type of necklace:

How to choose the perfect earrings to complement your features

Earrings complement your features in a very subtle way but it can make a real difference in your appearance. To look your personal best it is important that you understand how to use accessories to highlight your best features and how to draw attention away from your less desirable ones. The best way to achieve this is to learn more about your basic face shape and what type of earrings to choose to complement it.


When trying to determine the shape of your face, it is all about the outline of your face so please focus on lines, angles and curves. Keep in mind that there is no right or wrong shape because your face is unique and therefore many people’s faces will be somewhere in between. The most important point to remember is that any face shape can look its optimum best when you know how to make more flattering choices.

The Heart Shape

A heart shaped face has a narrow jaw and is wider at the forehead and /or the cheek bones. It is wide at the temples and hairline with a small delicate chin.

Examples: Jennifer Lopez, Halle Berry and Naomi Campbell

How to wear jewellery to complement your skin tone

It is so easy to create a pleasant contrast between your skin tone, hair colour, eye colour and choice of jewellery. Sometimes a good combination is all that’s needed to liven up a basic outfit. Knowing which colour jewellery will complement your skin tone is one of the secrets of looking your best.


Is your skin tone warm or cool?

The best way to determine this is to take a white piece of paper and hold it under a light next to the underside of your wrist. Now you need to decide if your veins are more on the blue or the green side. If your veins are more on the blue side you have a cool skin tone. If your veins are more on the green side, you have a warm skin tone.


You can also establish whether your skin tone is cool or warm by following this general rule of thumb. If you look better in silver and blue, you probably have a cool skin tone. If you look better in gold and orange, you are probably warm toned.

Now let's figure out whether you are warm or cool depending on your natural hair colour, eye colour and the undertones in your skin.

Etsy Team Treasury - Roses Are Red

I love promoting other talented artists and today I would love to share my latest etsy treasury with you. This week's theme is roses are red. Enjoy my fabulous finds!

To visit these amazing shops please click on the pictures shown below.

 

Shabby Roses Jewelry Vase or Centerpiece OOAK Vintage

This shabby piece has a silver ornate base with a cut, clear glass center and a rose painted pitcher on top so you can drape a necklace, beads or put a flower in it.

Knit Rose Pattern

Pin one on your purse, hat or jacket. Sew onto a barrette or hair elastic for a romantic statement. This is not a finished product. It is a pattern.

My Bridal Collection

After much planning, designing and careful consideration I am finally ready to showcase my new bridal collection. I normally love using a white background when photographing my designs but I found it quite tricky to achieve this when using white pearls and crystals. I decided to make my own light tent, used direct sunlight where possible and tried to find just the right angle. Despite all my attempts I still could not capture the true sparkling beauty of these designs. It is much more shiny and sparkly in person.

A cluster of white and ivory pearls combined with sparkling faceted glass beads will elegantly float on your wrist. Secured with a sturdy lobster claw clasp.

 

 

Chunky, Bold and Beautiful.
Packed with sparkle, this piece is a definite showstopper!

Cluster Pearls - New Designs

This week I've been thinking about creating a new bridal  jewellery collection. I've ordered some lovely supplies and can't wait for it to arrive in the mail!

I started with a few bridesmaid necklaces while I'm waiting for my supplies and would like to share these two designs with you. These necklaces can also be worn to any special occasion or an evening out.

I love the cluster pearl look. I tried to create chunky, bold statement pieces that are not too overwhelming but classic and elegant at the same time.

 

 

Statteam Treasury - Born To Be Wild!

These fabulous shops are featured in my latest Born to be Wild Treasury on Etsy! Being a child of Africa and a crazy animal lover its no surprise that my treasury is based on animal print. Enjoy!

Born to be Wild Treasury http://www.etsy.com/treasury/MjAwODU0MDV8MjcyMDM5NzQzMw/born-to-be-wild

 

These shops are definitely worth visiting!

I would also like to feature my talented etsy friend, Valerie, who custom designed a new, beautiful banner for my shop. The banner can be seen right at the top of this blog.

Visit her etsy shop for all your graphic design needs!

http://www.etsy.com/shop/DollarBanners

More bracelet stacking ideas

In my previous post I wrote about the hot trend of stacking bracelets. I am totally obsessed with this look!  I just love all the mixing, matching and stacking. I've found that stacking on the bracelets adds impact to any look. It is such a fun way to make a statement. We all know the saying less is more but when it comes to stacking bracelets, more is definitely more!

 

Get the look!

 

Black and Silver Charm Stacked Bracelet

 

 

 

Stacking Bracelets - Still A Hot Fashion Trend

Stacking Bracelets continues to be a big hit. Celebrities are now loading up their bracelets ...we see it all over the magazines and on the red carpets. Stacking, mixing and matching of bracelets is a fun way to add a little more personality to your outfit. You can wear it alone, with a matching pair of bracelets or even mismatch your bracelets.

With these two stacked bracelet designs you don’t have to worry about mixing and matching because I have already done it for you - just wrap it around your arm and you are ready to go!

Pearl Beaded Bracelet, Amethyst Chip Bracelet, Stacked Bracelet

 

 

 

 

New! Beaded Watch Bracelets

If you are new to my blog, welcome! Thank you for joining me. If you are a regular reader, welcome back and thank you for your continued support :) I really appreciate all your lovely comments and words of inspiration and motivation. It makes what I do worth doing!


New Designs:

I have a selection of beautiful, one of a kind watch bracelets added to my shop. I designed these watches with the idea of combining a watch and a bracelet into one piece of jewellery and this is the result. It is a fun way of adding more sparkle to your outfit! It can be worn with your favourite jeans or glam it up for a special night out.

 
Sparkling in Silver Quartz Watch Bracelet

In this design I have used silver grey glass pearls and clear faceted glass beads combined with silver charms on silver chain. This beaded watch bracelet features a silver quartz watch face, a stainless steel back cover and is finished off with a lovely silver S clasp.

Perfect bling for any occasion!

Today's post will be short and sweet. I am so happy to announce that I recently joined the wonderful world of etsy! When you have a minute, please come and check me out:


http://www.etsy.com/listing/94791935/for-artists-exposed


I've also decided to mark down a piece of jewellery each week for that specific day only so don't miss out!

My Chunky Goldstone Cuff Bracelet ... 25% Off Today Only! ♥

http://www.etsy.com/listing/94633620/chunky-goldstone-cuff-bracelet

Have yourself a smashing weekend!

xoxo

Online Gift Certificates Now Available

Are you looking for that special gift but don’t quite know what to choose? Sometimes, more often than not, it can be very difficult to find that perfect gift. Now you can make things easier by purchasing a SL Designs - Handcrafted Beaded Jewellery Gift Certificate/Card! By giving a gift certificate you allow the recipient to do her own shopping, getting exactly what she needs and wants most. It is fun to receive and fun to spend!

How does it work?

To purchase your gift card please e-mail me at sldesigns@live.co.za.  I will e-mail you the gift card with a unique card number to identify the transaction and link you to the recipient. When the recipient is ready to do her shopping she can browse through my items in my online shop www.sldesigns.ecrater.com. As soon as she made her decision she can e-mail me her gift card number as well as the product code of the item she wishes to purchase.

The Gift Card has no expiry date, making it so convenient to purchase in advance and saving you the last minute trip to the stores. You decide the certificate amount, no restrictions and no pre-determined price categories. Unfortunately the gift card cannot be exchanged for cash and shipping cost is to be paid separately.

Add a personal touch! Your gift card can be personalised with a special message. Should you be interested in this free option please let me know.

 

Remember the days when there were no such thing as online shopping? I can’t even imagine it. Can you? Thank you for technology!  

Kisses,
Samantha

 

Wedding Bells

I recently designed these keyrings as thank you gifts from the bridal couple to their guests as a special token of appreciation for sharing their special day with them. This was such a fun project! I created these keyrings with bronze glass pearls, bicone crystals and glass hearts with a warm, golden tone. A silver charm with cupid's arrow straight through the heart added the finishing touch... so cute!

Jewellery Care Tips

How to care for your precious jewels... This might be old news for some but yet I am still frequently asked these questions, " How do I keep my jewellery looking brand new? ; What can I do to prevent my silver jewellery from turning into this ugly, rusty colour? " This " ugly, rusty colour " is known as tarnish. The sad truth is that all silver tarnishes naturally over time ... but all is not lost ...


...so today I would love to share with you the secrets of keeping your precious jewels looking as stunning as the day you received them :)