Holly Anne Mitchell Jewelry - Recycled Newspapers and Comic Strips

We want to be as eco-friendly as possible. If that means wearing jewelry made with pre-used items, we are all for it, as long as the design is interesting and the functionality of the item isn't compromised.

In a throw-away society, things like the daily newspapers, comic strips, stock reports, and losing lottery tickets all find their way rather easily into the trash can. But when Holly Anne Mitchell gets hold of these pieces of paper detritus, they become something not only worth keeping but actually worth wearing. To our way of thinking, that is eco-friendliness at its best.

While Holly Anne originally began her endeavor using newspaper comic strips because of the rich color patterns, her designs have evolved over the years to include sweetener packets, expired grocery coupons and losing lottery tickets. Makes us want to gather up our paper recyclables and ship it to her instead of taking it to the local recycling station so she may use it all to make more art-to-wear delights.

This pair of earrings is called Recycled Newspaper Political Cartoon





Holly Anne's technique calls for her to painstakingly handcraft each paper bead. She cuts the paper into strips, hand-forms each strip into uniform-sized beads, then stitches them together. She embellishes them with metallic beads or sparkly crystals to create multi-layered necklaces, bracelets, cuff links, brooches, and earrings. The textural, innovative results are wonderfully stylish and a really fun conversation starter.

These amusing pieces are called Comic Strip Earrings







This bracelet made with California losing lottery tickets is called Shattered Dreams. It's lush, has a strangely satisfying heft to it, and is embellished with brass beads. Brass seems to be an appropriate metal to use to signify a lost lottery fortune. Gold would be a powerful choice of embellishment if one actually were to win the lottery . . . . and wearing recycled paper jewelry to lessen one's eco-footprint would be appropriate in either case.







This pendant is called What's Black and White and Red All Over ? Amusing touches such as this are found throughout Holly Anne's website.





A bit of political philosophy emerges in a piece called The Martin Luther King Commemorative Necklace. This piece is made with Holly Anne's signature recycled newspaper beads in several different colors. As she puts it:

"The color of each bead (white, black, red, yellow, etc.) is representative of a race. The beads are juxtaposed in a pattern representative of Reverend King's dream."



We appreciate her nod to a cross-cultural design and expression of a noble sentiment.


Eco-friendly materials, intriguing designs, and dedication to uncompromising technique. We find these pieces inspiring.

What do you find inspiring about this work?

Leave us some comments, we'd love to hear from you.

Philly City Paper

my love woke me up this morning at 5:30 am with frantic phone calls telling me i was in the Philly City Paper! if you look closely, my name is on the cover next to the 44!

my show is only open for two more days! 

i've been a bit mia here lately, i was pretty tired after my last show which i'll post about very soon. i promise all letters i owe will be sent soon! here's a few things i've recently stumbled upon that have been inspiring......

tim walker's work is always so lovely. i want to turn them all into paintings. this is new and is currently in the italian vogue. i'm so obsessed with twins! this would be an amazing tattoo.

'cicadas' by Rachel Reinfurt. her work reminds me a bit of a mix between Aya Takano's and Audrey Kawsaki's work. i love cicadas, when i lived in the south of france i found so many cicada shells and would hear them shrilling in the summer air all the time. these would be lovely tattoos as well!

i'm in love with these life size, three legged, ghosty figures by artist Christiane Hasse from her show 'The Other Side' in China. lovely and creepy, just how i dig it.

xoxo

Jewel Club – My Gift to the Jewelry Insider Family

I think I’m finally coming down off the Oscar jewelry high, and while Angelina’s emeralds, Kate’s Oscar and Mickey’s Loki choker had me basking in the glow of awards season, it’s time to take a visit back to reality. Alas.

But I’ve got some great news for all you jewelry hounds that will help take the edge off our Oscar hangovers.

We have all become recessionistas these days looking for deals at the grocery store, the clothing rack and the gas pump – and buying jewelry is no exception. Friends and Family discount codes that were once a ‘nice thought’ when we saw them in our email IN boxes are now a highly sought after commodity.

So. I managed to get my grubby little hands on the Friends and Family discount code to an employee site of this fine jewelry manufacturer. They call it, Jewel Club, and if the word “wholesale” makes your heart skip a beat, this is the place for you.

All the Jewel Club product is offered at OR BELOW wholesale prices for employees and their friends and family members – from diamonds and gemstones to silver and gold. And if you sign up for their “Deal Alert” email, you get advanced notice of even more discounts and savings.

All you do is visit www.jewelclub.com (which I have listed at the bottom of the blog from now on), enter this special Friends and Family code:

JCLUB482180

And you’ll be off the races. If you run into issues, just comment on this blog, and I can trouble shoot for you. But they make things very easy, with a 30-day money back guarantee and – get this – FREE shipping. The savings are endless.

So. I’ve done a little searching and found two cool items just to give you an idea of the deals you can get. It’s the least I can do for my online jewelry family.












Angelina’s emerald cocktail ring had us drooling with envy. This similar created emerald ring with diamond accents normally retails for $329.00 but will only put Jewel Club members back $82.78. No. I’m not kidding.












OK. So we all want diamond studs, but we don’t want to shell out $500 or more for a decent pair, right? I found these ¼ carat beauties in white gold that once retailed for $629. Jewel Club Friends and Family members get them for $162.89. It’s a total steal. Seriously.

And the list goes on and on - from black diamond styles to trendy purple gemstones to gold bangles and more. Think of all the gifts you can get now, too?

I think I’m getting my jewelry high back. Are you?

So don’t forget, your Jewelry Insider code is JCLUB482180, and the site is wwww.jewelclub.com.

And feel free to share it with your friends and family. The more jewelry hounds the merrier!

Happy Shopping!

Diamonds and Divas at the Vanity Fair After Party

The Oscar hangover continues, jewelry hounds, with a glittering jewelry wrap-up of the after party circuit. The stars attended a bevy of bashes post-Oscar, including the Elton John AIDS Foundation party, Fox Searchlight's celebration and, of course, the always A-list Vanity Fair soiree.

Many of Hollywood’s biggest stars skipped the ceremony altogether, making their first appearance on the Vanity Fair red carpet, including Madonna who was wearing over $1 million in Neil Lane diamond jewels, including layers of black and white diamond beads (500 carats in all), a 50 carat diamond and onyx bracelet, 20 carat pear-shaped diamond earrings and a large cocktail ring.


















Other diamond divas included the always-stunning Kate Beckinsale in huge diamond loop earrings, red carpet staple, Sheryl Crowe, in diamond chandeliers, and the ageless Joan Collins in vintage diamond drops and a diamond cuff as icy as an Alexis Carrington glare. Meow.


















Gold glittered on JT main squeeze, Jessica Biel, Halle Berry, and Debra Messing; and Uma Thurman, Reese Witherspoon, Carrie Underwood and Gwen Stefani kept it classic with simple diamond statements.


















While Angelina and Brad didn’t show to rub elbows with Jen and John (big surprise), Sean Penn and ex, Madonna, shared the same space as did Reese Witherspoon and Ryan Phillipe, who reportedly shunned each other as they walked by arm in arm with their current loves, Jake Gyllenhaal and Abbie Cornish.

Meow indeed!

Fruit!

My first batch of silver and concrete fruit was so well received that I've made more. I love fruit - it's yummy and reminds me of exotic places I've traveled to. Passionfruit in Zaire, Pineapple in Uganda, Mangoes in Egypt.

Amy Pfaffman Jewelry - Recycled Jewelry Made with Found Objects

We have a strong attraction to jewelry made by those artists who create their work using found objects. Using recycled, reclaimed and natural materials in her jewelry designs, Amy Pfaffman seeks to create items of personal adornment that brings together her love for the beauty of functional objects, her passion for sustainability and her sense of design.

These earrings are called Colored Pencils with Onyx

Her use of actual pencils cut into uniform pieces gives us a strange sense of satisfaction. We like knowing that all those stubby, leftover pieces have found a new home and can still enjoy the light of day when worn by someone who cherishes their not-so-humble existence.

Here is a piece called Pocketwatch Necklace

Amy expresses her point of view rather well on her website when she says,

"I walk through the world looking for possibilities in everything I see. I can find inspiration in the most unlikely places. I love cutting materials into smaller pieces, somewhat disguising their origins and becoming gems of sorts. . . . . When these unlikely materials are worn as jewelry, they're reconsidered and seen in a new way."

Here's a photo of a necklace made with pebbles and stones called 3 Charms

Her range of materials includes items such as old Bingo numbers, vintage watch faces, vinyl records, brass locker tags, knitting needles, broken pottery, guitar picks, colored pencils and alot more. She also makes molds of things like coffee beans and alphabet pasta then has them cast in sterling silver.

This necklace made with recycled plastic is called Ducks in a Row

We especially like the fact that Amy is inspired by everything, everywhere. As she says, "I walk through the world looking for possibilities in everything I see." To us, this is the true definition of inspiration. Truly, inspiration is all around us, yet so many can't seem to see much of it. We also strive to see the possibilities in everything around us. . . whether for writing, or creating jewelry, or even decorating a home.

Do you believe that inspiration is everywhere?

Are you inspired by everyday objects, mundane locations, idle chatter?

Where do you find your inspiration?

Share your thoughts with us, we look forward to hearing from you.

Oscar Jewelry Styles for Less

Let's face it. We're all still drooling over Angelina Jolie's jaw-dropping emerald earrings. Am I right?

We're all wondering how much they cost - and most importantly - how on earth can we afford a pair of our own?

While I am still researching the Lorraine Schwartz price for those jewelry hounds who are gluttons for punishment - I have great news for folks who want to get the same Angelina emeralds for a fraction of the price!

The new Jewelry.com has a brand new feature called, Celebrity Style, where they focus on important celebrity looks you can get for a lot, lot less. Angelina's emeralds, Kate's diamonds, Heidi's earrings and more are featured in the freshly posted Oscar feature.

Check it out here!

Jewelry Shines at the 2009 Academy Awards

Aside from the much-anticipated Angelina Jolie / Jennifer Aniston showdown, jewelry fashion was the talk of the town leading up to last night’s Oscar telecast. Diamonds? Gemstones? Gold? Would the stars bring out the bling, or would the economy force the A-list to keep the diamonds on the down-low?

Well, thank the jewelry gods above that the stars ignored the gloom and doom-ers and positively lit up the red carpet with jewels – from giant statement looks to tasteful, show-stopping diamond glamour.

The Statement Makers included a fiery Amy Adams in red Carolina Herrera and a lobster bib-sized Fred Leighton gemstone statement necklace from the 1950s, a sparkling Taraji P. Henson in Roberto Cavalli and a vintage diamond flower necklace - also from Fred Leighton, and Heidi Klum who rocked a Roland Mouret red dress with $900,000 worth of Lorraine Schwartz diamond jewels. And, of course, my winner of the night, Angelina Jolie, in Lorraine Schwartz emeralds, who reminded me how much fun it is to gasp aloud at the televsion.


















Light colors with tasteful diamond looks also made a frequent appearance last night. Oscar-winner and Woody Allen muse, Penelope Cruz, looked stunning in vintage Balmain and a 69-carat cushion cut diamond necklace, a 21-carat starburst yellow diamond ring, and 11-carat diamond stud earrings - all from Chopard. That’s $3 million in diamonds in case you were wondering. Odios Mio!

And Anne Hathaway surprised us all with her musical-theater skills and her impeccable fashion sense as she glowed in Armani Prive and Cartier. I take back every evil pants-suited remark I made, Anne, after boo-hooing my way through that Shirley MacLain tribute to you.

Also on the light side of fashion was Marisa Tomei in Versace and vintage jewels from Van Cleef & Arpels that included a 1941 diamond and sapphire bracelet, a 1960 diamond ring, and 1973 lapis and diamond earrings.


















Color couture added a much needed rainbow effect as Natalie Portman was the prettiest in pink Rodarte and rocky diamonds studs, Freida Pinto stunned in purple Galiano and gemstone drop earrings, and Alica Keys shimmered in a lilac Armani Prive frock with jaw-dropping diamond-leaf earrings.



















And what is a red carpet without our Metallic Mavens? Viola Davis won the category in my book with a shimmering Reem Acra gold gown and a series of icey diamond bangles. Tina Fey, whose schtick with Steve Martin made me fall in love with her all over again, wore the most stunning silvery Zac Posen number I’ve ever seen on her. And Jennifer Aniston finally gave up the black (and the pants suit) for a bejeweled Valentino number with minimal bling.


















And much like Hugh Jackman’s bizarre interpretive Reader dance and the weird attempt to make a Wall-e/Jai-Ho mash up (Peter Gabriel was SO right to opt out of that one), there were some missteps worthy of mention.

Melissa Leo’s mismatched jewels did nothing to help her unfortunate gown choice, Beyonce totally misfired with this gaudy gold and black number from her mother’s line, and the ‘age appropriate’ police needed to arrest both Miley Cyrus and Sophia Loren. Not a good choice there, ladies.




















And I’m going to get flack for this, but I thought both Kate Winslet and Meryl Streep could have chosen better this year. And Sarah Jessica Parker was just a bit too Glinda the Good Witch for me. There. I said it.




















But all in all, the Oscars gave this jewelry hound a glittering night to remember full of worthy winners, fashion marvels and jewels, jewels, jewels. Weigh in with your own musings, jewelry lovers!

And stay tuned for my Oscar After Party jewelry remix with Halle "can your husband be any more gorgeous?" Berry, Madonna, Mickey Rourke's Loki choker and more…