Comic strip bangle

If your morning newspaper routine is incomplete without a peek at the comics strips then this one is for you. A rolled paper bangle (laminated) made of all the comics strips you love - Archie, Tiger, Calvin & Hobbes, Heathcliff, Tarzan, Rose, One big happy, Nancy...ya I know long list but I didn't want even one of them to feel left out.

I must admit that you must need a lot of patience to do this...coz rolling the beads is the fun part..but sticking is a little difficult as it tends to get messy soon (I alternated between Fabric glue and decoupage medium for this as the regular glue didnt work out.I backed it with a piece of fabric felt for support and ease of wearing. I covered it (both front & back) with loads of decoupage glue to protect it . Note: It changes shape at this stage so handle carefully.

The toughest (read most boring part) was - waiting for it to dry. I sun dried it on a round mould (any pipe or round box would do) for 2 days to make it absolutely solid with a good round shape.Finally I laminated it with clear tape so that it wont get spoiled by liquid contact.

 

Tah Daah...Its done :) Now where will I wear it to...good question ;)

Cheers

Wire wrapped bracelet tutorial

 I am a little bored on not finding any Indian style jewelry tutorials on the web...so I decided to make one on my own.  

 A wire wrapped bracelet/bangle with pearl ghungroos and glass bead mogappu (focal piece)- In this case a glam flower object. I  used the glam flower tutorial as a base and added a few more spacer beads to arrive at my design.

Click here for the bracelet  tutorial . It is also available on my website http://sayuri.hpage.com/tutorials_53859714.html 

By now I have realised how time consuming it is to make one small tutorial...so I salute and thank all those patient jewelry artists for putting together so many tips and tutorials free on the web - something that has helped people like me to learn a lot about his art and practice it.

Cheers to them

Cleo - Bib Necklace

Sometimes a multitude of Influences come together in creating one product or outcome. This is so very true with the neck piece showcased here. Last month I Started reading the book Nefertiti and was soon transported back to costume history class in college when I first fell in love with jewelry that was ancient and quaint. I decided that I would do something based on this as my next project and as usual I forgot about it. Then when I started researching for my Sci-fi and Futuristic fashion article for Sulekha I found the accessories worn by Aishwariya Rai in Endhiran (the silver and flexi glas ensemble) quite interesting and wanted to make a similar neckpiece. The same day I found and online post for a sewn necklace in Craftstylish.com and decided that I had to do.I immediately shopped for some gems, made by own bib patten and started.

Half way through it, had a sudden brain wave..why not do something inspired by our traditional Kundan jewelry or polki or jadau for that matter...you might ask me why....why such confusion..??? I had fainted and fallen down due to fever and had hurt my head very badly. It was unbearable and I had to do something to divert myself from that pain...and hence all this confusion. But then I studied myself, pieced together all my inspirations (from over the last month) and finalised a design. It took me three days n loads of painkillers  to hand sew the whole thing - the bib and tie up (satin) but in the end I guess its worth the effort.

So here is my own special hand sewn jewel necklace :D :D just in time to celebrate  
The second anniversary of Sayuri...hey...successfully completed 2 years :) !!

If anybody needs a tutorial on this or the bib pattern please do ask me

Cheers

Wrapped - 2

Its been more than a year since I made my famous hand wrapped PNS (black polka on red!!) necklace...and I am back with an exotic Organza wrapped necklace...Be it wire, paper or fabric, hand wrapping elevates and article of common value to a piece that is exotic because of the human touch.

This neck piece is in fact one of the most "eco pieces" of jewelry I have ever made and I almost called it the leftover necklace until my mom threatened me to do otherwise. She said it was one of the prettiest things I had ever made...(ya must give it to her...I am not one of those girlie pretty pinky types) but coming back to the recycle concept..everything from the beads to the end chain that's twirled over the beads to the single flower (I was trimming the edge of the fabric to make it even before making the necklace, when suddenly I had this brainwave to make it into a rosette.) is recycled/reused and transformed into this new avatar.

Worn long or short..I think it looks pretty delicate...

(note to self - next time forget pink and move on...you have made too many of those ;) )

Cheers

Fabric Wraps - 1

Fabric Wrapped Bangle

Of all the fabric wrapped bangles/bracelets that I have done so, this is the most simplest. no sticking or stitching business - just wrap the fabric around the bangle and tie up a bow. Viola! its done.For the fabric wrapped bangle tutorial that I used click here

Cheers