Laura Stark :: Jewelry Studio & Bridal Accessories

What should I name her?

2012-01-05T14:08:00.000-05:00

My dress form arrived today. I am over the moon with excitement at some new projects in the works. Hmmm... In the meantime, I feel like this lovely lady needs a name. Suggestions anyone?

The Art of Play...or...Letting my Mind Wander with Purpose

2011-11-02T11:37:00.000-04:00

(photo credit)

I got stuck. I'm sure you know what I'm talking about. If you don't, I want to know your secret :) I was stuck on how to move my business along. What direction I should take it in. What was working and what was not, etc.

A few months ago I went on a massive experimentation trip. I dabbled in this and that, always getting caught up in the moment but ultimately not satisfied with the end result (that's where perfectionism can be a pain). So a week ago I decided what I needed to really do was think, without distraction and in a calm manner. But I'm really to hyper for that, I drink way too much coffee and have a "go, go, go" personality. Other than filling orders, I did not work on the jewelry business in the traditional way.

That is when I decided to do some free form stitching. I began sewing beaded brooches because it made me sit, it made me be still, and it allowed me to think. The meditative process of free form stitching helped me focus and solidify where I wanted to take my business. I can't express how much this helped in really letting my mind wander and brainstorm. I came up with two plans for the spring - ideas that have me very excited!

So I guess this post is for all of you who ever get stuck...find something you can do to let your mind brainstorm and most importantly give yourself permission to do it!

xo
Laura

(photos)

Funny Photo of the Day

2011-09-24T14:47:00.000-04:00

There must be kitty treats in here somewhere!

Branching Out

2011-09-22T12:04:00.000-04:00

Branching out and obsessing over new ideas. Will keep you posted to a new launch soon :)

Fashion Week - My picks or I must have that dress!

2011-09-16T15:51:00.000-04:00

Photo Credits: (1), (2), (3), (4)

Fashion week has come to close here in NYC. It certainly is hard to think about spring fashion when I'm still in denial that it's September. Nevertheless, I look forward to seeing what will be transpiring come 2012. My hands down favorite outfit is photo 1. Jason Wu has captured spring in New York - black with flirty fabrics. Photo 2 - Band of Outsiders - love this collection. It reminds me of spring in Paris. There is a gorgeous French influence in this collection. Photo 3 - love this sexy/textual number by Marchesa. It evokes a 1920's feel to it. Love it! Photo 4 - can you resist the layering of fabric and exquisite details in this dress. Who's ready for spring? I am!

Fall 2011 Jewelry

2011-09-12T12:54:00.000-04:00

Whew, it's finally here --- new jewelry for Fall 2011. Above are a few samples of new pieces in the collection. To view full collection, click here. I'm not sure how Fall got here so fast, just the other day it seems it was Spring. Speaking of Spring - this is Fashion Week here in New York, so I hope to have a few pictures of my favorite designers up on the blog soon.

August Lust List

2011-08-25T11:40:00.000-04:00

Photo Credit: (1), (2), (3)

It may be a small lust list, but it's a very MUST have list! Though I'm not sure I can justify the cost of the first two. A girl can dream about: Loeffler Randall shoes, a Sophie Theallet resort collection dress, and this super sweet necklace by Laurie Poast of ARTISANIEeurope.

Summer Sky

2011-08-02T10:41:00.000-04:00

It looks like a picture either in a forest fire or a Sci Fi movie. But no, it's the summer clouds moving in before a storm. You truly don't know what you are going to get when using this film. Love the milky overtones and ethereal light.

Have you ever seen water this blue?!

2011-07-15T10:40:00.000-04:00

Location: Tossa de Mar in Spain. And yes, the water is that blue. No Photoshopping necessary! A true European sea side beach town. We had the most amazing lunch here - petite muscles, paella, flan. Missing it as I write.

Polaroid Film

2011-07-01T20:58:00.000-04:00

What a bad blogger I've been! It seems I am MIA a lot of the time. I am officially on vacation and decided to kick it off by playing with my new polaroid film from the Impossible Project. First photo of the pack is of my daughter Sophie is the summer light. The picture originally had massive amounts of pink overtones, which then turned to green. Love that hazy summer light.

Wedzu & Laura Stark

2010-11-17T12:04:00.000-05:00

We are happy to announce that we have signed on with the fantastic people at Wedzu. Wedzu is a indie and handmade marketplace for weddings. So if you are getting married, head on over to their site. They have an amazing assortment of wedding related goodies. Click here to take a look at our store.

Website Update

2010-10-17T11:32:00.000-04:00

I finally updated the website. Whew! New jewelry for fall and winter. I will be adding more items to the Downtown section in the month. Stay tuned.

Artist Studio Love

2010-06-24T08:24:00.000-04:00

photo credit

My studio is getting a wee bit tight these days. With jewelry and letterpress jobs going on, I've got boxes upon boxes of supplies piling up. Needless to say, it's getting hard to breathe in there. When I saw this photo of a garage I thought it would make a perfect studio. I love the abundance of glass and sliding garage doors. A perfect place to spread out all of my projects.

Letterpress Project - Thank You Cards

2010-06-18T13:36:00.000-04:00

I've been a bad, bad blogger. But sometimes that happens, life gets in the way. This week I started letterpressing a job for a friend. To get back into the swing of things I started with the thank you cards. I'm happy to say they turned out great - all 275 of them. Whew! Now onto the invitations, reply cards, and envelopes.

Decorating a Girl's Bedroom - DIY Style

2010-04-29T09:45:00.000-04:00

photo credit

One year ago my daughter's room resembled a poster store. She plastered posters of all her favorite pop stars into a haphazard collage. It was, let's say very entertaining. She has since ripped everything down and now has a completely blank walls. Every time I walk into her room it is a blank canvas waiting for work. Nevertheless, we have very different styles and I'm not making any headway in the "let me decorate your room" department. I can always dream, right. All photos are from Houzz, a great inspirational resource for interiors.

Get Hitched in Turquoise & White

2010-04-26T10:08:00.000-04:00

photo credit

I am a big fan of turquoise. So I decided to browse around and put together a Etsy treasury based on the color turquoise and white for a wedding. There are so many talented artisans on the site it was hard to choose, but I picked things that would work well with a vintage theme wedding. To view the entire treasury with links to all the artists shop, click here.

House of Glass & Concrete in Barcelona

2010-04-23T12:42:00.000-04:00

all photos from the New York Times

My husband likes to tease me sometimes. This morning he sent me a link to the New York Times with images of the above house. No ordinary house, but a six story house of glass and concrete in Barcelona. Like I said, he is a tease. He knows I have a real weakness for homes that incorporate concrete into its design. I think this place has everything I could want. Lots of light, steel, bookshelves, terrace, and a yard. To swoon over more pictures check out the full New York Times post here.

Happy Earth Day

2010-04-22T09:05:00.000-04:00

1. Earth Day, 2. 190/365 | Earth Day!, 3. Everyday Is Earth Day!!, 4. Earth Day 2009

Happy Earth Day! Enjoy a couple of flickr favorites to celebrate the beauty we call home.

Ruffles in a Wedding Dress

2010-04-20T10:30:00.000-04:00

photo credits (1) (2)

I have a soft spot in my heart for wedding dresses. When I was a young girl I was obsessed by long flowing gowns. Here are two of my favorite dresses that are graced with beautiful ruffles. The first is a dress worn by one of the letterpress designers from Hello Lucky. To see more photos of her beautiful wedding dress, take a peek here. The second dress is by one of my favorite designers, Kate Towers. This dress is simply fantastic.

Mother's Day Jewelry Sale

2010-04-20T07:25:00.001-04:00

We are having a Mother's Day jewelry sale in our Etsy shop.
15% your entire order of jewels. Shop here for goodies.

Plants and Natural Light

2010-04-19T10:41:00.000-04:00

1. Leaning towards light, 2. Plant Placemat, 3. 126:365 natural light, 4. Untitled

Some beautiful shots of indoor plants that I found on Flickr. Inspiration for beautifying the lonely window sill.

Not Your Grandmothers Wallpaper

2010-04-16T08:51:00.000-04:00

photo credits

(1) http://namarococo.com (2) http://www.hyggeandwestshop.com (3) https://modgreenpod.com

I'm not a wallpaper kind of girl, but these papers could change my mind. I've had a crush on the Sixty-Eight orange wallpaper for ages. The company Nama Rococo makes it and they've got some seriously beautiful prints to choose from. I love the Daydream print for its whimsy, made by Julia Rothman for Hygge & West. The last print Delight is made by Mod Green Pod, which I heart for the color and its playful sophistication.

Trina Turk - Fall 2010

2010-04-15T08:49:00.000-04:00

photo credits

It's hard to think about fall when spring has just arrived at our doorstep, nonetheless the major designers have all their fall lines in place. I popped into Trina Turk's website and found one of her fall 2010 collections. I love the high leather glove look. It's a bit formal and elegant, but also a bit subversive and edgy. Check out the full collection here.

Kate Towers

2010-04-13T08:36:00.000-04:00

photo credit

Kate Towers - my gosh she can work magic with a ruffle. Her pieces have a soft fluid motion to them, yet with an eclectic edge. Her draping is spectacular as well as her colors. I love the layered shades of color in the first photo. Oh Kate, I easily want your whole collection. Check out her fantastic website, it really is beautiful.

Bridal Bouquets - Clean and Green

2010-04-08T12:28:00.000-04:00

1. Funky Bridal Bouquet, 2. calla lily bridal bouqet, 3. stylish greens and browns

I've got flowers on the brain today, which got me thinking about bridal bouquets. Specifically something different and unique. These all have a very natural, clean and green quality about them.