Movember to Custom

Everything for me seems to come in waves.  By that I mean being busy; it comes in waves.  Some weeks I find myself in my studio making pieces for no reason which usually brings about a new design.  Other weeks I find myself frantically trying to get all my orders done.  It has been much more of the latter recently as right now I am finding myself very busy.  I am not complaining about it as I love the hectic-ness (most of the time).

I was panicking last week as I have to move out of the room that currently houses my studio...not a fun prospect as I feel very settled there (despite the occasional cockroach!) and there seemed to be no where that I could move to.  However a ray of light has been seen and we are waiting for the ok to move!

For the production side of things, there are so many ideas buzzing around in my head for my perspex line.  I love the designing process that goes into this, it's so simple yet complex as each piece has to be constructed in a way that it is wearable, obviously.  But I still want to pieces to have a unique quirkiness about them.  This is scary but I am putting it in writing...I am going to try to bring out a new piece each month.  It's set in stone now...I need not to forget it!

With November almost over, we are well into the throws of planning Christmas, so the next one of these I write is going to be festive based of course, remembering the Christmas Designs of 2010 but also introducing the Designs for 2011 which I am so excited about and I hope everyone else is!

Novembers featured design was all about the boys; Movember.  I had already designed and produced the pieces a few months previously but I loved the fact that even the girls could support the guys with their quest for the most ridiculous facial hair!

The Movember Glasses did so well I have to produce more for December as they are in quite high demand which is amazing!!!

The piece I am going to finish with a custom piece.  The Silver Rose pieces are doing so well and I am so glad as they are a joy to make, wear and see other people in!

This set was made for a very loyal client of mine who I have known for years and years.  It consists of a Rose Pendant and matching Earrings.  The feedback was all positive!

It's been a while!!!

After a hectic summer...it's back to the grind!
As some of you might have seen, before the summer I got back to the drawing board for some perspex designs which I have pretty much sold out of and need to get some more made up!  So chuffed that the response has been so positive!  It feels like a whole new door has opened in terms of design and the materials to use!!!
So the first of the series of designs are the binoculars.

My mum bought my sisters and I a small pair of binoculars from an auction once so that we would stop playing with her antique pair!!  Shortly after this I went through a phase of wearing them round my neck.  For some reason I have memories of wearing them for no reason.  I guess they were my accessory of choice for a while!  They got me into a few sticky situations...like cutting my chin open with them! As well as, on a completely different occasion, cutting my lip open on them! Good times!

I still love the shape of binoculars! If I had a real pair, I'm sure I could find an excuse to wear them for no reason.  

A friend of mine even uses a binocular box as a handbag and I am so jealous of it!  

So when I sat down to finally put my ideas for my next perspex range onto paper, one of the first ones I set out to do was the binoculars.  And I have to say that I'm pretty proud of them!!

I hope you like them too...

Culture & Identity

I was running out the door to a meeting when I realised I didn't have a note pad with me...rushed back to the bookcase and grabbed the first one I could see.  It just so happened to be one I have had for a number of years and re-reading my notes from the meeting I also discovered some notes from a lecture at University.  


At uni I studied Drama with Media & Cultural Studies.  The Media & Cultural Studies side of my course was not at all what I expected it to be but what I remember from it was really interesting. If I were to have to re-live those 3 years again I would have jumped into this course with two feet instead of being put off by the amount of reading (among other things) and simply dipping my toes in once in a while to get by!


Anyway I thought found one quote in particular that interested me regarding Consumer Culture and Identity and I shall leave you to ponder...


"There is all around us today a kind of fantastic conspicuousness of consumption and abundance, constituted by the multiplication of objects, services and material goods...the humans of the age of affluence are surrounded not so much by other human beings, as they were in all previous ages, but by objects."  [Baudrillard (1970) 1998:25] 

Silver Anniversary

I have had the pleasure of spending some time today (and tomorrow) to put the finishing touches to a Silver Wedding Anniversary present.  That would be 25 years!


Even though I am not going to rush into getting married any time soon (I want to eventually...), I do wish that one day I will be celebrating my 25th Wedding Anniversary...and plenty more past that too! 

Two Silver Hearts

Anyway.  Checking my emails late last Friday night I came across one from a name I did not recognize.  I am sure you all feel the same way when you tentatively open an unfamiliar email hoping it to be anything but spam.  I do not need Viagra thank you!  I was pleasantly surprised to find it was from an old flying buddy of my dad's from his RAF flying days.  My parents had been at his wedding and my father had even been in Bob's Guard of Honor (where they exit the church through a tunnel of raised swords! - Amazing!).  P.S. Yes Bob, I would like an embarrassing photo please.  I'm pretty sure this was still the Victorian Handlebar Moustache era!


On top of being able to put Bob and his wife back into contact with my parents while they are out here on holiday, I also feel very privileged to have been asked to design something for Gill for their 25th (Silver) Wedding Anniversary.


So I would like to wish Bob and Gill a massive congratulations on making it to this very special mile stone and wish you many more happy years together!

I love it when I get busy!

Talk about getting busy!!! The kind of busy that really really finds you running around like a real head-less chicken and rushing like you are always late...wait I am always late but rushing like I am even later than usual!


Anyway this is just a quick little blog as I'm excited! I have more on my plate than usual which means I am not getting in my workshop as frequently as possible but that will all go back to normal when things settle down!


My older sister called me about three weeks ago, just as I was dashing out the door to get to swimming (my evening bread and butter!).  I was running late, I know this may come as a shock but it's true!  Anyway she has been planning to go to a flee market with the suitcases, yes plural suitcases, of clothes that she no longer wants to store in her modest apartment!  Fair enough I say! Anyway so, the being the bright spark that she is, she suggests that we start our own platform for selling these 2nd hand clothes, giving them "a second chance at happiness" if you will...by the way, find more info on the facebook page!  Anyway, after a fraught morning I couldn't quite begin to think about the possibilities of the proposal!  But I'm glad I did take a minute and long story short, here we are a mere 36 hours from take off, well, soft launch, and I can't tell you how excited I am!  This is going to be a huge learning curve to work with my sisters as a co-entity in a business but also I really hope that this will give me that extra boost I need to get my jewellery even further out there!!! 

The world really is our oyster and beware...there are a lot of us Rowlands!  We are fully taking over the world!!!

It's All Beachy!

Growing up I was always on the beach.  So it's only natural that I draw inspiration from it, be it through design or with the materials I use.  Today I want to show you one of my earlier designs.

These earrings are made using the iridescent inside coating of a shell with the detail of a dipped coral chip.  The sound that these earrings make when you're wearing them I think adds to their charm!  It's like relaxing music to your ears!!! 
I might make a pair for the next time I head to the beach...

The Simple Things In Life

I always try to be fairly ambitious with my jewellery designs.  This is how I push myself, how I discover new techniques, or how I simply keep myself "on my toes"!


However every once in a while it is nice to simplify things.  Sometimes all we need is to keep it uncomplicated.  How many times have you heard a designer talk about clean lines, minimalism and simplicity?!
Anyway, I was reviewing and reorganizing my catalogue of old pieces and came across these beautiful earrings.  

 Simple Black Onyx and Hematite Drops

For me they are the epitome of simple, classic design. 

Spring/Summer Roses

I don't know if it's the change in temperature here in Dubai (I must get my car a/c fixed before it's too late!!!), the reports of excellent spring weather in the UK, beautiful blooming flowers (mine seem to be struggling!!), the impending summer plans that need finalizing or all of the above that inspired the following pieces.

I first made this delicate design about 3 years ago however I only made the earrings and ring.  As with most of my designs the idea was one that I made initially as an experiment for my own collection however they have proven quite popular as I have recreated them for customers.  The thing I love most about this design is that no two pieces can ever be the same.  Not even a pair of earrings.  The technique used to make them doesn't allow for exact replicas.


I suppose this is an apt design for this month as well.  I've called it The Rose design however it could easily be The English Rose! What with "The Royal Wedding" just a week away!

A long time coming!

It has been over a month since my last blog, and it's not that I haven't been inspired, quite the opposite!  I've been taking some time to discover all sorts of new things over the last 30+ days!


I have taken to surfing the internet for work!  Not for new designs but to see what other people are getting up to in the world of jewellery design and in fact just in the world of design in general.  And there are some amazing designers out there!!! Reading blogs, checking out galleries and sourcing new materials has been occupying a lot of my time.  And at first I was thinking that this is a little bit like "wasting time" but it really isn't.  It has been time well spent I would say!   Not only has it given me new ideas on how to structure my designs in terms of collections but it has also given me new ideas (of course) on designs themselves!  


I wouldn't say I have a haphazard way of approaching design but I like the way I work.  I see a design in my head and for me the easiest way to express that is to just make it.  The piece obviously doesn't always turn out exactly the same as the picture in my head but it always turns out interesting!  I am starting to come around to the idea of sketching again.


When I was younger I used to be pretty good at drawing and sketching, but lack of practice has left me a little under par.  But last night, in particular, I sat down and sketched out my newly organized collections and even added a few new ones to the list.
Said sketches are no work of art BUT they are going to serve as a great template!  I just have to be organized and be sure not to just scribble them on little bits of paper so they get lost, just like they do in my head!
So I have started a new note book!  I am a bit of a geek because I find there is something exciting about starting a new note book...am I the only one? Anyone?? Anyway! I am so looking forward to the next few weeks when I can start to piece together each collection piece by piece!  Keep an eye out for updates!  


On the practical side of things.  This past month has been anything but quiet!  Apart from entertaining the many guests we have had kipping on our floor (with more still to come), I have been pretty busy making new designs and supplying both new and old customers with exciting pieces! There will no doubt be a blog to follow at some point detailing one or more of these pieces!


Today though has been a good day in terms of taking my jewellery to further fields.  I am keeping everything crossed that something good comes out of these contacts!


So with my refreshed collections and broader horizons I continue.  Wish me luck!

Valentine's!!!

Valentine's Day.  
I, as I'm sure many other women in the western world, have a love/hate relationship with 14th February.  I love it when I have a boyfriend but hate and try my best to ignore the day when I don't have one.  I am very lucky to have had one for the last 4 years...
The day is named after one or more early Christian martyrs named Valentine and was established by Pop Gelasius I in 500 AD. It was deleted from the Roman calendar of saints in 1969 by Pope Paul VI, but its religious observance is still permitted. It is traditionally a day on which lovers express their love for each other by presenting flowers, offering confectionery, and sending greeting cards (known as "valentines"). The day first became associated with romantic love in the circle of Geoffrey Chaucer in the High Middle Ages, when the tradition of courtly love flourished.
And with love in mind, I decided to come up with some "heartfelt" jewellery! Haa haa!

Below is my popular Simple Silver Heart 

Below is three of my Wrapped Silver Wire Hearts with Swarovski Beads in Blue, Black and Red.

First Silver Necklace

So today I'm going to share with you the first piece of silver jewellery I ever made!


It all started at ARTE, the craft market where I often sell my jewellery.  There was a lady there who was advertising silversmithing courses that she was running at the Gold & Diamond Park.  My parents actually ended up buying me the course for Christmas the next month and I have never looked back since.
Deirdre was a fantastic teacher and I miss having her here to guide me!  A lot of the designs I do are not planned.  There is a picture in my head and I try to create it.  They don't always turn out like the picture in my head but I have to say, some of them are pretty good!!!
Dierdre always helped me with such designs by introducing me to new techniques and developing the ideas! She has since moved back to the UK but I still regard her as my mentor and teacher!

The necklace in the picture is the first piece os pure silver jewellery I ever created.  It can be worn long (pictured) or as a short double necklace.  I love this piece and will never sell it (There have been many offers).

Signature Necklace

I spend a lot of my time on, in or at least by the water.  Whether it be the beach or the pool I am generally within 50m of water at all times!!! Not always by choice but I wouldn't have it any other way!

The beach and the sea therefore serve as one of my main inspirations and it features a lot in my designs in the form of colours, materials or even just the shape of a piece.
The following necklace is a popular style that can always be found on my table at markets.  I usually include some kind of natural material in these designs.

It was a design I stumbled across while trying to make some necklaces that were not just strung beads.  They are so versatile and can dress up the simplest of outfits.  No two of these necklaces are ever the same.  This can be due to the chain that I use, the combination of beads and materials or even just the colour of the beads used.  The fact that they are unique, and affordable (starting at 200Dhs) is why I think these necklaces are so popular with my clients.

The beginning

I still have the first pair of earrings I ever made. 
It all started at a little place on the beach road that sold beads (not cheaply!). Two of my sisters and I went for the afternoon and I have to say I wasn't very creative about my choice of beads, or design for that matter.  However I must have caught some sort of bug as I went back.  Little by little I started to make pieces that people started taking notice of, and so, Teagan Jewellery (in it's earliest form) was born.

This is a photo I took today of a pair of earrings that inspired me to take my jewellery making to the next level.  These are the earrings that people started asking "where did you get them from? Where can I buy them?"  They are now about 6 years old, they are very well worn and battered.  However they still have all their charm.  The sound they make is fantastic! The jingling of the little base metal coins is such a cheerful one! I still use coins in a lot of my designs to date!
As much as I am moving forward with my designs, I still take inspiration from my early designs.  

The 12 Days of Christmas

So the Christmas tree is coming down nice and early this year, 4th January.  Some say you should take it down on the 6th/7th Jan (Epiphany), some say the 10th...the list goes on!  Ours usually stays up until it looks really sad!  So along with the tree go the decorations and this year our tree was adorned with various materials that I have used in my Christmas jewellery designs.
The wire bauble: 

But this year as well as the write bauble goes the perspex snowflake!

I couldn't decide which design to use this year so I got two made, in clear and white.  I loved how they came out.  So versatile.  

I of course, used them primarily for earrings, necklaces, but I also used them as card and tree decorations.

Can't wait for them to make an appearance next year!  So unless there's a demand for wintery pieces, majority of the snowflake jewellery will go in away until December 2011.

Simple Snowflake

Crystalline Snowflake

  

 

 

3rd January 2011

A New Year....a new reason to promise to myself that I'll be motivated this year, get skinny, be proactive, etc...
However, I'm going to try and keep it simple...no new years resolutions per se but I'm going to try and show you a new piece of jewellery everyday! 
It might be a new piece, a "vintage piece", a new design, a new inspiration. 


So today I'd like to present the first piece.  The piece I am most proud of from 2010.  I had the idea about 6 months previously but never really got around to making or even finishing designs for it!  So it came to December and usually my sisters are the hardest people to buy presents for but this year, I think, I came up with a really nice idea.  Something I hope they will really appreciate!
On one pendant, they're names in Arabic, and on the other the word "Ukhty" meaning my sister. 
Here is a picture of mine...

This afternoon myself, and my three sisters, as well as parents, partners and children are going to have some family photos taken (there is 11 people so far), so I have requested that the girls all wear theirs...do I need to explain why!