Off to Santa Barbara, California with The Velvet Dress

The Internet has played a great part for me to able to reach out and collaborate with individuals who share passion in fashion and art. I am lucky to meet Danielle Gold of The Velvet Dress, based in Santa Barbara, California. Unlike any other bloggers, I think Danielle's style is very unique that you can find artistry in her fashion styling documented in her blog. We also share the love for thrifty clothes! How cool is that right? Please visit her blog as she showcases our art jewelry and bag through her knack for fashion styling. 

Danielle wears our Maximina Autumn Inspired Necklace 

Encrusted Clutch by Paola Germar of Rated PG 

" I have been an active thrifter for years and managed to utilize different styles and incorporate them into personal fashion statements. As well as creating my online vintage store, I am working on personal jewelry designs which will be featured on my etsy shop soon. I am currently studying business and marketing after switching from focusing on nutrition. In my spare time I enjoy hiking, photography, traveling, yoga, beaching, vintage shopping and spending time with my friends, family and dog. 

- Danielle Gold, The Velvet Dress

Photos from The Velvet Dress 

Keeping it real.- PJV

Sister Dragonfly Gallery in Louisville, Kentucky

Some of our handmade pieces have made it to Louisville, Kentucky (USA) thanks to the eclectic Sister Dragonfly Gallery. Located on 2021 Frankfort Avenue, their store carries a variety of women’s clothing, shoes, jewelry and accessories (to which we have proudly contributed some!). They also have Mexican, African and local Kentucky folk art for those who are looking for a something to decorate with.  Their selections are curated with the utmost taste, with items not available anywhere else in the state.

Art Bag by Paola Germar

Recently they held a trunkshow for artists based in New York who recycled semi-precious stones in making her rings, necklaces, and pendants. They also exhibited an artist whose medium is wire and leather wrapping with rarified stones mined from Thailand, China, and Peru.

Spring Necklace by PJ Valenciano

So if you’re looking for something to wear, give as a gift, or ornaments, be sure to drop by their store. Look for great bargains when they run some of their discount promos as a way of giving back to their loyal customers. They are also generous when it comes to supporting meaningful causes. From time-to-time, they will be donating a percentage of their sales to non-profit organizations such as the Kentucky Humane Society. Sister Dragonfly Gallery is proud to be an independent, small, and local store that cares and gives back to their community!

Wire Art Necklace by Stephanie Lopez

Photos by Sister Dragonfly  
Keeping it real.- PJV 

A Wedding to Remember Part 1

A wedding is one of the most anticipated ceremonies that two people, who love one another and wish to be united in marriage, greatly anticipate. It is an opportunity to declare and celebrate their union and share their happiness with family and friends. Traditionally, most wedding ceremonies is an exchange of vows, accompanied by symbolic presentations of a couple’s vow of their love for one another, and the beginning of a new chapter in their lives. Culturally, the objects that symbolize vary, but we will be focusing on items usually found in a traditional Christian or Catholic wedding in the Philippines.   

Unity Candles

Unity Candles with Wire Art by Stephanie Lopez

The tradition of lighting unity candles has been a fairly recent addition to church weddings. It symbolizes the rite of marriage, the joining together of two families, and the love that the bride and the groom, as they start a new life together as husband and wife.

Unity Candles with Wire Art by Stephanie Lopez

Unity Candles with Wire Art by Stephanie Lopez

In the lighting of the unity candle, both the bride and groom use two flames to light the unity candle as they bring together their love for one another, uniting as a new couple. This indicates that two lives have now been permanently merged. The candles used by the bride and the groom are generally left burning beside the unity candle, which is a sign that the newly-married partners have not lost their own sense of selves and their individual personalities.

Arhhae

Arhhae with Wire Art by Stephanie Lopez

Arhhae with Wire Art by Stephanie Lopez

The wedding arhhae, which are also called the Las arras matrimoniales, are widely used by countries that have a deep Catholic faith and Hispanic cultural influence.  Arras is Spanish for “earnest money”; and during the matrimonial ceremony, is presented as thirteen gold coins, to symbolize Jesus Christ and the Twelve Apostles. It also symbolizes the “earnest” foundation of their marriage, as they embark on a journey that binds two individuals into their new life. These coins show that the groom promises to provide for his bride and his new family.

Unity Cord 

Unity Cord Wire Art by Stephanie Lopez

The unity cord is a traditional wedding article that's also widely used in Hispanic-influenced countries, namely Spain, Mexico, and the Philippines. It symbolizes the lifetime unity of the bride and groom. During the wedding ceremony itself, the cord; a representation of the rosary, is placed to bind the couple together as they are kneeling to take their vows. After the wedding, it is a custom for the bride to keep the cord as a souvenir of this special day.  

As additional embellishment for the bride, Flow Jewelry and Crafts crafted a 5-piece jewelry set. This includes an ear cuff, a large hairpiece, and three smaller pieces to accentuate the bride’s hair. We will be writing more about these pieces on another blogpost. :) 

Photos by Stephanie Lopez, Flow Jewelry and Crafts

Keeping it real.- PJV 

Something Handmade for Mom

Kalinga Collection by Partner Brand Amaya 

Orchid Inspired Necklace from Amaya 

With so many possibilities for what gift to give on Mother's Day; sons, daughters, and spouses may experience difficulty on choosing what to give the most important woman in everyone’s life. Whether showing appreciation for the mother, stepmother, grandmother, mother-in-law in your life, you can easily become stymied with the vast amount of choices presented to you. By putting careful thought into your present, you show how much she truly matters. The most important thing is to rely on how well you know her in looking for that unique and special gift that’s just for her. Considering that we specialize in customized handmade accessories, I’m here to give you advice on how to choose a thoughtful gift regarding them.

Consider her personality and the occasions that she’d wear them for.

Mothers love it when their children recognize they have their own interests, style, and taste. Does your mom love to dress up when going out with friends or family? Is she outgoing or does she reserve socializing on special occasions? Take her out to an elegant five-star restaurant this Mother’s day, with an elegant necklace, handcrafted to suit her fashion style and personality. 

Spend time with her and give a great experience. 
If your mother enjoys making handmade jewelry of her own, why don’t you join her in a DIY accessories workshop? Spend the day with your mother with an engaging activity that will allow her to express her creativity. We rarely get to see this side from her, and sharing in her interests and talent can also be a fun activity for the whole family to take part in.  

My mom wore a rose inspired necklace designed by our El Nido Likha Team during one of our Sunday bondings. 

My mom attends our free workshop on beading.
She loves interacting and sharing ideas with fellow mothers who attend our workshops.

Keeping it real.- PJV 

Wiring with Passion by Steph Lopez, FLOW

Flow’s pieces are made with the utmost care, and are usually time-consuming to make. At least where the wire pieces are concerned, I avoid making the same item over again. The end result for the pieces, I hope, is that they make the wearer feel as unique and as special as she truly is.

I’ve consigned two kinds of items to Palamuti by PJ Valenciano for her trade shows in the US this year: the Teardrop Necklaces and the Bejewelled Clutch.

Teardrop Necklaces

The necklaces with teardrop pendants are one of my more popular items.  I start with aluminum wire which I shape into a teardrop. Then, I weave on embellishments (such as crystals, pearls, and beads) onto the metal frame using stainless steel wire. I attach a jump ring to the pendant, so it can be easily slipped onto chain or omega wire. Meticulously-made and eye-catching, these pendants go well with the simplest of outfits, as much as they do with formal attire.

Bejewelled Clutch

Leather is such a beautiful material, and I wanted to incorporate wirework with leather to make these bags. Unfortunately, I have yet to learn how to work with leather, so I tapped other people to make the body of the bag for me. The ones I’ve consigned to Palamuti are made with leather from Pakistan; since my supplier could not find black leather of the same stiffness locally. The body of the bag has holes in front where I slip the stainless steel wire. Basically, these crystals and pearls are woven onto the leather body. These bags were designed for dressy nights out and formal occasions. While sparkly and feminine, these clutches are tough, as they are made of leather and stainless steel wire.

ABOUT THE ARTIST

"In 2006, I quit my full to job to pursue art full time. I tried doing corporate work again in 2011, only to leave in the summer of the following year, as I realized I could no longer keep with the pace of corporate life, and that's not where my heart really was. I took trips near the sea, contemplated on my career path, and decided that if I were to take on another kind of work, it must be centered on what I really love - art making"- Steph Lopez

While many jewelry businesses start from the love of jewelry, Flow started the other way – it first came about as a way for Steph Lopez to supplement her income as a sculptor and visual artist. This eventually cultivated her love for jewellery-making as an artform in itself, thus serving as an impetus to create pieces that make a woman feel special and unique, as she is truly meant to be. She started to learn how to make jewellery in 2012, and establishing her brand Flow, soon followed. Her unique style of handmade jewellery pieces and other trinkets has evolved gradually since then.  In the past year, she has been focused on making more ornate pieces that incorporate a lot of wirework – an element of design she lifted from her experience in making most of her sculptures. The name “Flow” came to her as she was taking a vacation by the sea. Her love for the beach and water inspired her brand name, and describes the process of how she works when it comes to making “trinkets”.  As an artist, she subscribes to a very spontaneous and “flowing” process. Usually, she simply compiles her materials in front of her, and allows her creativity to flow. Rarely does she draw or plan on how most pieces will look once they’re done.

Holiday Ornamental Scarf

We have been designing scarf necklaces since 2012. The idea for this design was pitched to us by a good friend, Sheryll, who is now based in the United States. When she purchased some of our handmade pieces, she suggested to us to make scarves, so that she can wear something for her fall outfit. We kept her suggestion in mind. We finally released our first batch of scarf necklace collection which we named "Hiraya" in 2012. After which, we made several versions of the beaded scarf using different materials such as; mother of pearl, fresh water pearls, semi precious stones and acrylic crystals for the embellishments. We used various fabrics, but mainly we kept our focus on chiffon by positioning the scarves as ornamental pieces. These designs can be worn on special occasions during the different seasons.

Our scarf necklaces received a following from our customers. Until now, our old designs are still being reordered.  They were also a big hit during the Christmas Season, when the ornamental scarves were commonly given as gifts. We first experimented with the idea of doing intricate beading on our chiffon scarves with the Queen of Thorns Collection. Its main design was done on felt cloth, and was eventually reinforced the scarf.

We have recently decided to focus on bead embroidery as a distinct technique and main style for our handmade pieces.  In line with this, we thought of fusing our chiffon scarves with our bead embroidery designs. We asked Marites, one of our women artisans from an urban poor community, to recreate Mayumi,  a popular design which was originally part of our summer collection. This time around, we shifted towards Fall Colors. Once finished, we added the chiffon scarf (2.5 yards) in place of a chain or satin cord. As a final touch, we used faux leather for the back finishing. This ornamental artisan scarf should be a great addition to any sophisticated Fall wardrobe!

Keeping it real.- PJV

Whispers of the Seasons: Fall/Winter Handmade Collection

These statement pieces, along with vintage Palamuti designs, will be available on our website's relaunch on October 2014. We're currently making improvements  with a user-friendly e-commerce interface, as well as a whole new look, just in time before the season of gift giving begins. 

Maharlika 

For this new collection, I have decided to focus solely on bead embroidery for all our designs. The inspiration for these necklaces is a collective vision of the fall & winter seasons. I've incorporated our signature style to the seasons' motif,colours, and themes; taking  inspiration from a wide variety of sources, taking advantage of the aesthetic diversity present among things such as the  "Fleur De Lis", Autumn Leaves, Japanese Art, and Islamic Geometric Patterns. 

Maharlika 

Fall colors reminds me of royalty. "Maharlika" is the Tagalog word for royalty, and this design is my fashion vision for this season. I have three versions of this design to represent the different neckline types women are most likely to have. The key element that brings the design together is harmony of colours, with its curved patterns and stylized branches, to give it a royal setting.

Laya

This pieces is another rendition of the stylised branch. I decided to use the depth and versatility of cut beads in making these statement necklaces; adding semi-precious stones and acrylic crystals as accents. This interpretation of a stylised branch emphasises play with this year's colours.

Rariza

This Fall/Winter season we are all about long statement necklaces and geometric patterns. Using our core technique, bead embroidery, I had our beaders creat patterns alternating the use of cut beads and seed beads. The seed beads for this neckace gives the necklace the texture necessary to prevent it from looking flat. To round out the finish, we used aluminum silver plated chain, to fuse modernity and traditional techniques present in the design.

Old Rose

Flower concepts are a favorite theme in this year's collection, and I have designed several pieces inspired by the rose. I decided to make a rose statement necklace in black and gold. Unlike past flower inspired pieces that I have designed before, what sets this piece apart is the special focus on using texture to give depth to the petals. Our Palamuti Apprentice from a rural community in the Northern Philippines, Novie, took on this project as part of enhancing her skills in handmade bead embroidery.

Maximina

Maximina is our attempt to expand the possibilities of bead embroidery, most especially the use of cut beads. The idea for this collection was to minimize the use of stones, crystals and gem-like craft beads. I decided to focus on cut beads instead, to give it more sparkle. Generally, embellished necklaces are given an emphasis on dimension, by adding components with more volume. Cut beads, in comparison to seed beads, have a certain shimmering quality, which subtly adds glamor, despite its intended simplicity. We utilized this characteristic to improve the effect of beads, individually sewn by hand, to precisely match the shape of cut felt cloth. The flow of the stitched cut beads leaves no room for error, a very intrinsic element to the necklace's design.

Yuri

I am also inspired by concepts and designs from different foreign cultures. This necklace is a rendition of cherry blossoms in winter colors, a tribute to our fascination for Japanese art. We tried to give justice to the quintessential image of the Japanese cherry blossom with added depth and texture. I added raised seed beads to form delicate petals on the flowers.

Lagas

Autumn leaves are the very inspiration for this necklace. Most of all, our commitment to elevating our designs pushed us to experiment in other ways to stitch the seed beads that will create texture and depth to the leaves. Black and gold is the "must have" colour combination for accesorising this fall. Instead of sticking to the traditional gold-orange- red falling leaves, we used neutral colours accented with gold.

Keeping it real.- PJV