Seems impossible to avoid the Oscar drama, it’s everywhere! Over my morning coffee, I scanned the usual yearly projections of winners and long shots in the New York Times.

Back at my laptop, I saw a blog post entitled “How David Rockwell’s Oscar Set Makes Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin Funnier” by Alissa Walker, that discusses the role of the set and focuses on the Swarovski curtain, appropriately named Crystal.  ” . . . the star of the show is still the 100,000-Swarovski crystal curtain, but 16 additional inches of topaz crystals were added to add a level of smokiness that matched this year’s color scheme.”

Then I read the SheFinds blog,”Oscar Nominees, Take Note: Our No-Fail Guide To Black Tie Dresses” that reviewed some of the past mistaken choices, contrasting them with the hit choices.  Seemed to me that few of the stars wearing the dresses wore much jewelry.

So with all this in mind, I entertained the fantasy of each of the stars wearing Swarovski jewelry — mine of course! — in what would become a blinding television extravaganza.

Earrings seemed to be the thing during the award season Oscar run-ups, so my fantasy features the long-shot, long-necked Emily Blunt, perhaps wearing my Peacock Earrings, woven with vintage Swarovski Atlas stones, contemporary CRYSTALLIZED — Swarovski Elements beads and gold-plated seed beads.

I can easily picture the always-tasteful and regal Helen Mirren in my elegant Queen’s Collar, trimmed with vintage Swarovski beads.

And if filling a neckline is out this year, a large, sparkly bracelet, such as my Double-Sided Cuff, replete with CRYSTALLIZED – Swarovski Elements, would not be amiss, gleaming on the wrist of Sandra Bullock, touted as winner in the best actress category, as she accepts the Oscar.

Not Harry Winston diamonds, but I think these Swarovski pieces are a lot more captivating — don’t you?

As a jewelry artist, I am frequently asked what inspires me.  This question to date has always given me trouble, whether it’s from an interviewer or for an application for a competition.  The short answer is that I am very impacted by visual “events” such that inspiration is in everything I see all around me.

I go to Tucson each February to teach and to shop and am always captivated by the forms, light and colors of the mountains and deserts.  I don’t watch television very much, but my business partner, who travelled there with me, does enjoy television; I watched with her a few times and was always wowed by a number of the commercials – it’s just the way I see.

While we were weather-delayed in Arizona last week, we went to the Phoenix Art Museum to see the exhibition “Ansel Adams:  Discoveries”.  I had never seen his work before and frankly wasn’t much interested in seeing photography.  I entered the exhibit space, began looking at the photographs, and it wasn’t long before my jaw dropped in awe.  I became exhausted from the awe, from seeing what he saw:  these black and white photos showed you the colors of the subjects, whether architectural or the environment of the southwest; these black and white photos were full of texture that made you want to reach forward and touch; these black and white photos were full of line, movement and the creative expression of juxtapositions of form.  I was dizzy by the time I finished seeing this.

Ansel Adams stated that the unique character of his work was motivated by the practice of “careful seeing”.  I was so happy to know this, since it validated my own visual proclivities, although I am more profligate in my seeing, rather than careful.

Inspiration also comes to me from my visual response to the materials I choose to work with, the colors, form, and shape of pearls and stones – the more unusual the better.  I am also enamoured of vintage stones and beads – their age, uniqueness and difference from jewelry components today.  Using these materials makes my work unlike anything else on the market, such as the necklace “Tails” crocheted of tailed, circled natural lustrous top-drilled pearls and freshwater pearls; the woven necklace “Diorissimo” in which I bezeled vintage Swarovski stones; and the Conchita necklaces that focus on the most unusually formed stones.

Does seeing inspire you?

My morning Google blog alert for “CRYSTALLIZED™ – Swarovski Elements” pointed to a post on FTape, The Online Fashion Resource on the exhibition CRYSTALLIZED™ “Ways to Say Black” .
Being involved in the DIY initiative of CRYSTALLIZED™ – Swarovski Elements, I had heard about the exhibition but decided to check out the details on FTape:  this is “a one-off, touring exhibition of the iconic Little Black Dress. . . .  the initiative sees this fashion classic reborn amid a shower of CRYSTALLIZED™ – Swarovski Elements at the hands of the greatest established and emerging creative talents worldwide.”

Oh well, so they didn’t ask me but now I could understand why – the little black dresses were commissioned by established and well-known fashion designers from France, Italy, the UK and the USA.  I only design jewelry using their collection of contemporary and vintage elements.

But then I got to thinking:  these dresses are one-of-a-kind, iconic museum pieces that will ultimately be auctioned off to very high bidders.  The likes of you and I may only observe and delight in the marvelous photos of the dresses and perhaps attend one of the exhibitions – Paris, Beijing and New York City – to see them in person.  But to own one!  Not likely.

We each have our LBDs and it is possible to cash in on the cachet of the exhibit by dressing them up with jewelry handcrafted with CRYSTALLIZED™ – Swarovski Elements.  For instance, light up yours with my handwoven Crystal Jet Bib appliquéd with vintage Swarovski margarita beads.

For my son’s wedding last October, the bridal party all wore LBDs.  Being the mother of the groom, my dress was not little, but long, and appliquéd at the bodice with discreet little Swarovski Elements that sparkled in the light.  To accessorize it, I designed and wove a set I call “Collar and Cuffs”, a ruffled choker with matching ruffled bracelets, woven in various hues of black Swarovski Elements.  All very low-key but sparkling!

What will you wear with your LBD?

I was pleasantly surprised last week by this post about me, by Judy Goss, in her blog “Over 40 Female Movement” http://bit.ly/5LhH8o.  My true age was now out – I started a business 3 years ago, at age 62!  Yikes!

At the same time, another article from the Wall Street Journal Online, by Christina Binkley, caught my attention: “The Forgotten Market Online:  Older Women” http://bit.ly/7jqkU0.  The sub-head of the article is “New Fashion Sites Target Youth — Though Most Web Apparel Sales Are to Women Over 35”.  The salient point for me was in this article:  “65% of online apparel sales go to women over age 35” while “the fastest-growing sales are to women between 55 and 64 years old”.  This demographic represents a “boomer population that has always been known for its willingness to indulge”.   Research points to the fact that this population is the most fertile market online today.  Online sales to women aged 25-34 fell 8% in the year that ended in March 2009, while sales to the older demographic rose 11%, despite the recession.
As it had been established and made public, I am officially “an older woman”.  So, I was intrigued and googled (it is a verb now, isn’t it?) “online marketing to older women” and found a few other pieces about this issue.

I found a newsletter article (also printed in More magazine http://bit.ly/60ag0m) from the National Association of Baby Boomer Women (we even have an organization!) entitled “Sell Us Something. Please!”  http://bit.ly/8orSeA The lead sentence says it all:  “Baby boomer women are the healthiest, wealthiest and best educated generation of women to ever hit midlife.”

This group has money to spend but apparently no one is marketing to them.  Models in magazines are tiny, thin, unwrinkled.  In reality, nothing fits us or is fitting for us:  “Women’s Apparel Sales Off Because Nothing Fits” in an interesting blog post from Retaildoc.com  http://bit.ly/7bC6Mk .

Well, this all certainly applies to me: I’m a full-figured woman!  And it is hard to find something that fits which wasn’t designed with the lovely 25 year old population in mind.  Online or in person.

Believe it or not, googling (gerund?) the web revealed more info.  I found a blog on eHow.com entitled “How to Wear Fashion Accessories for Older Women” http://bit.ly/7bC6Mk This blog corroborates all I had read so far:  “The fashion industry seems to focus on youth with styles and trends.”  It suggests that older women should implement the latest fashion trends by using accessories to update a classic, fitting wardrobe.

So it’s come to this point:  there’s always pearls to brighten up an older face, large vintage earrings, and stacks of sparkly Swarovski bangles to wear all together.  And these are available online to try one and return, if necessary.  Have a look at http://www.msturman.com for brilliant options to light up your life-worn, lovely, older face!

Meanwhile, I’m going to wear something classic and black with a really gorgeous handwoven crystal beaded necklace!  Join me?

You should have been there — on Wednesday night, December 9, at the launch party of InnerRewards.com at Soho House!  This party and holiday shopping bazaar was complete with food, drink and DJ, to say nothing of Collective-e member vendors of holiday products for everyone on anyone’s holiday list.

But the star of the show was the founder of InnerRewards, Julie Elaine Brown, who clearly follows closely the mission of her new company:  “bringing you the latest in high-end, solution-oriented products and packages to help people lose weight, find that fountain of youth, reduce stress, and live more optimally”.

So I was really excited when Julie agreed to wear during the evening my “Peacock Earrings”  http://bit.ly/5C920U to frame her face and set off her lovely dress.  These earrings are my personal favorites, the earrings I had my ears pierced for!  I was about to put them on when Julie spotted them from across the room and asked to wear them.  These were really perfect her because of her long neck and long dark hair framing her face.  Not only is she gorgeous, but she also has great taste!

The “Peacock Earrings” feature two different vintage Swarovski stones and a vintage Swarovski filigree, bezeled with 24k gold-plated seed beads with a rainbow effect and fringed with them and some new CRYSTALLIZEDtm – Swarovski Elements crystal beads.  These old stones simply sparkle and shimmer.

Here are some candid shots of Julie wearing the earrings.  What do you think — don’t they look great on her?

I’m looking over a four-leaf quatrefoil – I mean four-leaf clover.  A quatrefoil is a symmetrical shape formed by the outline of four flowers, sometimes with less overlap and at other times with more overlap, and sometimes with the outline of a square between the lobes.  And it seems to make people happy, just like the famous jingle.

In heraldic terminology a quatrefoil is a four-leaf clover – the French “quatre” for four and the “foil” is middle English for “flower”.  It is a motif that has been used for centuries in architecture, art and design, reaching its peak during the Gothic Revival and the Renaissance.  The quatrefoil element can be seen in tracery in the windows of Gothic cathedrals and in architecture in the north and the south doors of the Baptistry in Florence.

An excellent discussion of the use of the quatrefoil motif in design – housewares, architecture, and, of course, jewelry, can be found online in the blog, Matters of Style, Crazy for Quatrefoils!  June 16, 2009:  http://www.mattersofstyleblog.com/2009/06/crazy-for-quatrefoils.html .

I researched “quatrefoil” in order to introduce to you my own necklace design using one.  When I made it, as with everything I make, I merely was puzzling out how to use four vintage Swarovski cabochons that I had bezeled with gold-plated seed beads.  I moved them around my worktable – should I attach them each to some sort of cord for a necklace?  Should I make a brooch?  Sets of earrings?  Well, I’d done all of that and wasn’t interested in doing any of it again.  I had four of these and usually in jewelry design all we use are uneven numbers . . .  what to do.  I then pushed the four cabochons in together and considered joining them into a pendant motif, which I subsequently did, added a bail and placed them on a necklace of CRYSTALLIZED^tm – Swarovski Elements crystal pearls, finishing with a closure of margarita crystals.  Then I named it “Quatrefoil Necklace” http://bit.ly/80daUb

I’m nearly too embarrassed to mention that I have a BFA as well as an MFA, with a specialty in Renaissance art and architecture.  And, I had no (conscious) idea when I made my Quatrefoil Necklace about the history of the quatrefoil element or its use, furthermore, in contemporary jewelry.  I’ve seen my daughter-in-law wearing her Alhambra necklace from Van Cleef and Arpels for years and I understand now that David Yurman has made earrings using the form.

Well, such is designing – the visual unconscious rising up.  Have you ever done anything like this?

In looking through my website, I noticed that I have frequently been inspired to make many woven collar necklaces:  these may be chokers or neckpieces that lie flat at the collar bone.  I must have been a 19th century princess in one of my past lives – as these styles I’ve created certainly would fit in the wardrobe of a royal woman from that point in time.

The woven choker collar necklaces are very striking, particularly for long-necked lovelies.  I especially like my Ruffled Dog Collar choker necklaces http://www.msturman.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=6&products_id=73, available in any colorway, woven of CRYSTALLIZED^tm – Swarovski Elements.  I recently wove one in shades of black – yes, black! – that I paired with a set of woven ruffled bracelets, for a Collar and Cuffs ensemble that I wore with a black gown for my son’s wedding in October.  But nothing surpasses the flash, glamor and audacity of my Evening in Rio Dog Collar http://www.msturman.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=6&products_id=64  that is included in a publication from Swarovski, Images of Russia and Brazil.  It is handwoven of hundreds of various CRYSTALLIZED^tm – Swarovski Elements and captures the Carnevale of Rio.

Somewhere between a real choker and a woven collar is my Wild Things necklace.  http://www.msturman.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=5&products_id=43 Its base is of woven black onyx beads that fit a bit looser than a true collar and hangs at the collar bone.  It has wonderful movement and interest from the top-drilled black coral branches so that the piece can fill any neckline from a suit to a cocktail dress.

To assure you that I don’t only design in black – even though as a New Yorker it is my favorite “color” – I cite my Lace Bib http://www.msturman.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=6&products_id=68, a hand woven collar necklace in a colorway of blue and green crystals, similar in tone to my Green Tea collar.  Each of these major woven collar necklaces can also be worn with anything from a Tee Shirt to a little black (!) dress.

I’ve even used pearls in collars:  my woven collar neckpiece of diamond-shaped pearls http://www.msturman.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=4&products_id=41, two sizes of diamond-shaped pearls are woven with pearl drops and accented with gold plated seed beads.  I can’t help but think of this as the perfect piece to wear with a gown or cocktail dress, but really could also be worn to fill the collar of a suit.

Do you like hand woven collar necklaces?  Would you wear one?

I hope you’ll join myself and three other New York City entrepreneurs at our Holiday Gift Event.  We feature an array of artist-made products for holiday gifting.  Sip wine, visit and browse:

WHAT: HOLIDAY GIFT EVENT
WHEN: Tuesday December 15, 2009
6:30-9pm
WHERE: In Good Company Workspaces (IGC)
16 West 23rd Street, 4th Floor, NYC

WHO:

RAANDESK ART GALLERY
Raandesk Gallery makes art collecting accessible and affordable by offering small-scale original artworks from its ART2Gift Collection, made up of quality art gifts on sale for $35 to $500.

M. STURMAN JEWELLERY
M. STURMAN JEWELLERY features one-of-a-kind handwoven or crocheted jewelry that incorporates the most unusual  colored stones, pearls, vintage beads and crystals.  Add style to your wardrobe with handmade jewelry.

KATIE JAMES INC

Katie James, Inc. is an independent label for feminine, funky and functional designs for accessories, websites, and collectible pieces of clothing. All accessories are independently produced in New York and Alabama. We use the finest fabrics to achieve the most unique color combinations, and give long life to all products.Good fabric always lasts, and so do our styles.

CHEEKY LIVING LLC
Cheeky Living works with artisans in South America to bring wonderful fashion and home accessories made from the finest materials…  Our product line includes baby alpaca throws, hats, gloves and scarves; leather tote bags and vintage items.

Won’t you join us for a drink and a browse?

Maybe 1-2 years ago, I worked with a movie stylist who said she was looking for jewelry to use on an “Emily Watson” movie.   She pulled some of my work and eventually returned it, but on one piece, a very long lariat of gold-plated and onyx beads crocheted in different patterns and punctuated by large vintage blown glass beads, one of the vintage

beads had been broken.  They offered to pay for a new one, but I had a replacement bead and just let it go — the real cost was in the labor to redo the piece with the replacement bead, which, of course, was what I ought to have charged them for.

I asked the stylist if any of my work was used in the movie, but the stylist said she didn’t know and that no credit was available if it was used.  Not knowing how these things worked, I let it go.

Recently, I went to see a free screening of the new Paul Giamatti movie “Cold Souls” and was surprised to see that Emily Watson had a supporting role in it.  I watched her character closely to see if she wore any of my work.  So I nearly missed a quick scene where a secondary supporting character, a sexy woman played by Kathryn Winnick, was doing a dance, waving around my piece, — clearly how the vintage blown glass bead had got broken!  The scene went by in the blink of an eye, but there it was!  Since the movie was disappointing, I don’t think I’ll see it again, to check out my jewelry in that scene.

After a salad lunch with a jewelry colleague last week on W. 57th Street, I suggested we have “dessert” at Bergdorf Goodman – specifically a leisurely tour through the jewelry department. We were amazed and delighted at what we saw: Statement Necklaces! Bold bracelets and earrings! Huge Chains! Chunky textures! Layers! Triple Strands! Bibs and Collars! Lots of large beads, stones and Swarovski crystals, some prong set, some sewn on and appliquéd with seed beads.

Since both of us are designers of hand woven jewelry, we were interested to see that many jewelers represented in this department are using ribbon ties in place of the usual findings as closures for their necklaces – nothing new actually, but now the silk ribbons were holding up large weighty necklaces and so added an airy femininity to the pieces!

Most of my work is also large and bold, incorporating large, rough-cut stones and natural beads, such as the 19” Ebony and Chalcedony necklace with a modern sterling silver clasp, chunks of chalcedony and ebony beads, three of them with woven “jackets” of chalcedony lozenges. Such a blend of materials and textures works well with any of the new fashion trends in the upcoming season.

My particular passion is for vintage beads and Swarovski crystals, such as the Diorissimo necklace, a bold bib style necklace of vintage Swarovski cabochons that would fill the plunging neckline of any little black dress. Can you see it? 

This Diorissimo necklace is made from cabochons ordered by Dior from Swarovski either before or after World War II — vintage in either case.  I bezeled the stones and created a chain with 14k gold-plated beads.  Very dramatic.

Will you make a bold fashion jewelry statement this fall?