Tuesday 18 June 2013

Pink Bridal Headpiece and Jewelry

I'm still in wedding mode in my creating.  I really enjoy doing bridal jewelry and accessories!  A few days ago I got the idea "pink wedding veils and headpieces" stuck in my brain, and it wouldn't go away.  So I did the only thing possible - made one!

I had some pink netting in stock from a previous unrelated project, and I think that's where the inspiration came from.  I wanted to see if I could do something pretty with it.  I wanted to mix it with white tones though, so that it could still be worn with a white wedding dress.  Combined with a bit of pink in a floral bouquet, or with a pink sash, it would look beautiful I think.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 The pretty heart you see here is a vintage pendant that I thought was perfect for here, to add a little pop of brighter color and a little sparkle to the back of the headpiece.  It really picks up the romantic nature of the piece too.
 
The headband part is a mix of pearls and sequin trim.
 
 
 I had some other vintage jewelry elements with the same color of pink, so I decided to make a jewelry set as well, that could be worn to coordinate with the headpiece if the bride chose to.
 
  
 





I definitely feel that Pink Pearls by Tamara is going to carry a more extensive line of pink bridal headpieces, hair jewels, jewelry sets and accessories.  It resonated with me as something that should be a signature part of my collection.  There's still the softness and romance, but with a little color, a little uniqueness.  I can't wait to do more!

What do you think - would you wear a pink (or other colored) bridal hairpiece?



 

Monday 10 June 2013

1920s-Inspired Wedding Headpiece

Last week I connected with the lovely owner of Urban Bride in Cambridge, Ontario.  I was able to leave seven of my jewelry sets for her to display in her store, including some of the ones in my last post about my wedding jewelry, and my gold and white body necklace.

At that time, she asked if I could make a 20s-inspired bridal headpiece.  She had had an earlier request for one of those, and was able to show me a picture of a beautiful one to use as my inspiration. 

I had never made anything in that style, but was up for the challenge, and knew it would be a fun project.  And it did turn out to be!  This is what I came up with:
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
For the headband, I used some sequin and seed bead trim that I embellished with crystals.  I wanted it to be a little wider though, with a touch of silver, and ended up finding some silver lace leaves left over from last Christmas when I had made a collection of silver lace jewelry.
 
The focal area was a combination of pretty elements, starting with an ivory lace flower, to which I added tiny flowers in the center.  White feathers and dangling silver chains were also brought in.  The piece ended up being a vintage-looking combination of white, ivory and silver.  I love to combine these types of neutral shades, and find that they work very well together.  And the look can be less stark than pure white, which is difficult for some brides to wear. 
 
I love it when I can look through my supplies and bring together different bits to make something that I think is pretty!  I find that fulfilling.
 
While I had the beautiful white feathers out, I decided to see if there was anything I had that I could add them to.  I was in the mood to play with them a bit!  I found ivory ceramic calla lilies that have been waiting for quite some time to be incorporated into a piece of jewelry.  I decided to have the feathers come out of the flower, and added some other pretty bits as well.
 
 
 
 
 
 
I really wanted to make this into hair jewelry as well.  I tried stitching it onto trim to make a headband style piece, but it was to heavy.  Same when I stitched it onto a hair comb.  I ended up attaching a pin back onto it.  If I find the right base for a hairpiece, I may still attach it onto that, or sell it as a pin to be added wherever the bride wants it.   
 
  

Saturday 1 June 2013

How I Came to Call My Business "Pink Pearls by Tamara"

I was changing the cover photo this morning on my business fan page (Pink Pearls by Tamara on Facebook), and I ended up with a beautiful fuschia pearl in the middle of the photo.  It reminded me again of why I named my business what I did.  People ask about it sometimes, and I thought I'd share it here.



I shared this necklace in my last post about wedding jewelry.  This fuschia pearl is the pearl that was the catalyst for my name.

Last year I was using them in another necklace, and thought about how much I loved these pink pearls.  This is one of my favorite colors.  Then I thought "Pink Pearls would be a lovely name for a jewelry business!".  At the time I was in the process of coming up with a new name for my company.

I thought about it and did a bit of research on meanings.  I knew that pink was one of the heart colors, and I had been doing a lot of emotional and spiritual work in the area of my heart.  "Pearls" are symbolic for that which is pure and precious, and real "pink pearls" are some of the rarest and most precious of all.  So the name "Pink Pearls by Tamara" stands for "that which is pure and precious, coming from my heart, to connect with the heart of those who it is intended for".  That is my hope and my goal for my business, and for all of my creations!

This is another necklace set where I used these fuschia pearls:

  
It is a set I made just over a year ago on Mother's Day, in memory of my mother.  I incorporated her charm bracelet with elements of my own (the fuschia hearts and the angels were mine).  Fuschia was her favorite color too, so this was a way of bringing her and I together in one jewelry piece.  I know she would have loved these pearls very much, so it's also a way of bringing her into the naming of my business as well.

I love and use all shades of pink pearls in my designs, and many pieces don't actually have pink pearls in them at all, but the hope and desire is the same with all of them.