Cocoricooo

Today 14th of July, FETE NAtionale,
the French designer kalicat has been featured on the UK website Desirable.



Come and check it out now:

The site dedicated to finding the best British fashion, home-wares, decor, jewellery and accessories that are available to be purchased online.

designing in sterling silver

SignatureSterling specializes in designing sterling silver beaded jewelry - bracelets, earrings, and necklaces.
She says
"
I use primarily sterling silver - not silverplated unless noted - for all silver beads, spacers, charms, findings, toggles, etc. I also use color and texture with genuine Swarovski crystals/pearls, lampwork beads, Czech glass, and semiprecious stones. My line of Buckeye (Ohio State) jewelry also features life-like lampwork buckeye beads.

Committed to high quality in supplies and design, I am a SRAJD (#1111), Self-Representing Artist Jewelry Designer."

You'll also find her at signature-sterling.blogspot.com

Her jewels are for sale in her etsy shop

Elements by Dawn Brandt, a line of Jewels

Hello Dawn,

You make beautiful fabricated jewels.
- How did you get started?
Partly out of frustration, partly out of curiosity, partly a need for a creative outlet.
It started when I was searching for a very specific piece of jewelry. I had a picture of what I was looking for in my head: gold filigree and amethyst. However, I didn't like the jewelry being offered in many big-box department stores. It was very pretty...from a distance! Affordable...but cheaply made. So out of curiosity, I started reading and researching the jewelry industry and bought a few hand tools and materials. I dabbled in beads, pearls, and various metals. But something just wasn't right. I did a little soul searching and rediscovered my passion for symmetry, circles, shapes, texture, and lines. In my adolescent years, I wanted to peruse a career in architecture, but it never came to fruition. Creating jewelry is akin to building mini architectural works of art.


- Are your jewels limited editions or unique?
Most of my creations are open editions. However, due to the rarity of vintage beads, I suppose you could say my pieces which feature vintage components are limited. Additionally, since every piece I sell is handmade by me, one at a time, you could also say each piece is unique!

- How long have you been doing it?
I have been officially in business since June 2006, but I have been creating most of my life.

- Where are you from? This is always a tough question.
Here's the short answer: My family originally hails from the Midwest, but I grew-up in Florida. I spent a few years in the Mid-Atlantic and now I’ve returned to my roots in Wisconsin.

- How do you promote your work?
I promote my work on high-traffic blogs that also feature other indie business owners and their craft. I participate in promo-swaps, again with other indie businesses. I'm also fortunate enough to have a few dedicated Elements customers who promote my work by word-of-mouth (thank you!).

- Do you have any advice for budding jewelers?
Find your style! Develop and perfect your own style and then have fun marketing, promoting, meeting other crafters, and developing your business.


- What are your favorite stones/metals?
I love working in Argentium tarnish-resistant sterling silver! It provides such value and convenience to my customers. This new silver alloy is not only tarnish-resistant but mar resistant too. Silver jewelry pieces look like new much longer than traditional sterling silver. I also like working in copper and gold. My favorite gem is the pearl. Pearls are so versatile and inherently classic.

- Anything else you'd like to add?
Be on the lookout for my new 2008 collection tentatively scheduled to be released in November! It will feature a marriage of metals, Argentium silver and solid gold combined to create truly spectacular pieces.


Visit her website

Dotty blue earrings by Kalicat

Dots dots dotty blue, by Kalicat
Cute, appealing, understated yet sublime in its simplicity

Get them now
You can also see more of her creations in this blog

FSOJ - week 33 - Sunrise, Sunset / Ring of Fire

Sunrise, Sunset / Ring of Fire
O Ra, Shine on Me

A big happy Brassy Sun rising from a sterling silver Ring, shining of 1000 fires.

FSOJ - week 30 - Spicy Babe

Theme of the Week: Salsa / Spicy

Although I was first drawn to using reds and fiery oranges, I decided to think about Dancing Salsa.

I learnt Salsa with a Cuban Man. It was fantastic, full of rythm and lascive moves, Sexy and Hot.

Women wear tiny skirts that move and lift the air around them with the slightest movement. They are beautiful. Long slim and muscular legs, dark hair, high heels, lipstick and a tiny handbag with an attitude.

FSOJ - Week 29 - Bronze Beauty / Mercury Rising

In Roman mythology Mercury is the god of commerce, travel and thievery, the Roman counterpart of the Greek god Hermes, the messenger of the Gods. The planet probably received this name because it moves so quickly across the sky.

Bronze Beauty / Mercury Rising
Bubble im Orbit
I did not have any bronze around, therefore, I settled for Mercury Rising Theme. I used Sterling Silver. The planet I created is an organic planet, conscious of its resources. I forged the metal into domes after embossing leaves in its texture.

A bit like Jupiter, there is a "ring" around my planet, which is fixed with soldier, That contains Mercury :), a bit like the line of the horizon.

I oxydised the globe, and then polished it, in order to show the skeleton at its maximum.

FSOJ - Week 28 - Phoenix and Dragons

For this week's theme, I hav ecreated a pair of sterling silver earrings.

The Phoenix is a bird of Fire, which I symbolise with faceted Red Fire Beads, in the shape of drops, like blood, to which I have added dragons eggs as lustrous white freshwater pearls.

They hang from a sterling silver chain made of round and flat links of about 1 cms each.

FSOJ - Week 23 - Iced waters and icicles

Iced waters and icicles
a crocheted bracelet made with sterling silver wire and ice cubes of Rock crystal.

This bracelet has 3 rows. The dainty nature of the crochet contrasts nicely with the nature and translucency of the gemstones.

FSOJ - week 21 - Coral Reef or Beach Scene

Coral Reef, or Beach Scene
I have a new camera. I will be able to post nice pictures again.. and YES, I am way too late in my postings for the 4 Seasons of Jewellery project.

In response to the week's theme, a little ring inspired by a Sea Treasure, a little South Sea pearl of 4 mm, set in sterling silver, in a handcrafted mount.

Claw setting

I have truly enjoyed setting some of the stones bought precedently in different kinds of claw settings: settings with one gallery, with 2 galleries, with or without a split shank. The possibilities are just endless.
They can become rings, earrings, pendants...
A little selection in trendy colors for this autumn collection.
Would you like one?

FSOJ week 17 : La Raie Manta

In response to this week's theme: Fishin', Scary Sharks, or Friendly Dolphins

Here is my creation: new theme, new Jewel.

I cannot help but being inspired by all the combintaions of colors, stones, metals. But today, I stay simple. A Raie Manta Fish
can be worn as a pendant up the neck or lower down
Surely you can see it IS a Fish...
What about now then?

Cleopatra's Dream

The legend says that Cleopatra, Queen of Egypt, used to drink fine Pearls dissolved in vinegar. Her favourite cocktail!

I wonder if she would wear or "drink" this bracelet inspired by the deep Sea. Its Ripples, Depths and Shallows. A bit like the inner Meandres of a woman. Each circle can also be perceived as a Matrix, filled with eggs at a different state of maturity.

3 different kind of pearls adorn this crocheted artwork: tiny Rice white and lustrous pearls, dark grey baroque pearls and a few bigger baroque ivory ones. A nice combination with the thin sterling silver used in this design.

Rolling rolling rolling... picking up

Theme: Drifting, Sea Foam, Rolling Waves

I wish I lived by the sea, I would have been able to design a Jewel with drifting wood as a focal point. Instead, I am a City girl. I love the sea, especially when it is agitated and mad, limit dangerous. I imagine it rolling, rolling its waves and picking up what lays in the sand. Battering shells, fighting with Oysters and bringing to the sea shore lots of broken shells and pearls.

I have combined these elements and designed a bracelet and a necklace, using sterling silver.

I like the combination of the cold silver with the purity and peacefulness of the white elements, which remind me of the "ecume" of the Sea.

Plic plac ploc

My entrance for week 14's theme April Shower is a pair of gemstones drop (like the rain) earrings.

I have selected : blue stones, like the water. Small stones, like a rain shower. Round stones, like hale


Aquamarine and Apatite with sterling silver.

FSOJ week10 - Ocean Breeze

Gave it a rough finish for a battered by the Ocean and the winds look.


The rings is heavy and feels great around my finger.

I intend to cast a few more and give them different finishes, like shiny or fabricated with a few gem stones...

Kalicat

new bracelets and necklaces

I always have a funky and cheerful range for the summer of little items easy to combine together. They look great alone or in groups of 2-3 up to 25 (why not?).
Last few years, I used to make them with pearls and rose quartz. This year, in ddition to teeh necklaces, I have added bracelets and also new gemstones: jade (green, sand, pink), turquoise (blue and green), coral...
Should be fun. There are also a few with silver beads.