Soul Glitter

New camera at last!

2013-03-10T15:36:00.000Z

At last I have finally decided to invest in a shiny new Canon camera to replace my amature iPhone product pics on my website! I couldn't resist having a little play with it before getting to work though, so here are a few of my random test snaps...

The first thing I did was attempt some bokeh shots (as above!) and then light drawing as that was all I could remember from my GCSE photography days at school! It was supposed to say 'Louise', but I only got up to the 'I' -_-

Test driving the self timer while soldering - it was on full zoom so there was no danger of a melted camera!

And lastly some Soul Glitter originals!

Over the next few days I'll be updating all the listing pictures on my website and adding lots more products, so keep an eye out for updates via Twitter and Instagram!

Designer Inspiration | Fernando Jorge

2013-02-24T19:51:00.001Z

I am always blown away by the sculptural and fluid qualities of Fernando Jorge's jewellery. Everything from the cut of the stones to the proportions of each of his pieces is pure perfection and every view (outside, inside and the back of each piece) has been thought through so that whatever angle you look at it from, it's always beautiful.

Reading up on him the other day, it is so hard to believe he only graduated from Central Saint Martin's in 2010 and now has an established and hugely successful brand!

If you haven't seen his jewellery before, here's a selection of some of my personal favourites:

For more stunning jewels head over to his website, fernandojorge.co.uk and also take a look at Jewellery blog In Detail's interview with the designer.

Weekly favourites | 20.02.13

2013-02-20T12:19:00.000Z

Alexander Wang skirt, £845 / Cheap Monday cuff , £26 / Personalized camera print pillow case, £25 / A4 Typography Poster, £12

Louise Gray | Queen of the collaboration

2013-02-20T11:28:00.001Z

Louise Gray is the queen of collaborations. Last year she did a collecdtion at London fashion Week with Lingerie Brand Triumph, and had made Topshop stores across the UK explode with colour and sequins, with her clothing and make-up collections. This year she has collaborated with British perspex jewellery brand Tatty Devine. Scroll down for more about the collection..

Louise Gray | Queen of the Collaboration by soulglitterdesign

I was so excited when I heard about Louise Gray's collaboration with Tatty Devine as I have always thought that her and the Tatty Devine founders Harriet and Rosie had very similar style, and both brand's designs re always so bold, colourful and loud, so it was kind of inevitable that they would cross paths at some point!

I was supposed to be going to the preview of the collection at the Brick Lane store, but wasn't able to make it which I am gutted about, but luckily with the power of Instagram and the internet, I felt like I was there anyway!

The collection surprised me a bit, as I was expecting Louise to make full use of the neon and glittery perspex that Tatty often use in their jewellery, but instead it is made up of large, simple shapes in silver mirrored perspex, some of which feature etchings of Louise's own handwriting. At first I thought it was a little bit underwhelming, but then when I saw the pictures of models wearing the collection in her SS13 show I realised how striking the pieces look on, and they do actually manage to look 'expensive' despite being made from essentially sheet plastic. Seeing the pieces worn with her clothing also made me realise why the colours were kept minimal - if they weren't the pieces would have been fighting for attention and it wouldn't have worked.

Yes, those huge rectangles on the models hands are so-called rings!!

photo courtesy of dressful.com

Overall I am a fan of the collaboration, but in terms of practicality and wearability, it is only for the brave!

LFW | Moschino Cheap & Chic

2013-02-20T10:33:00.000Z

LFW | Moschino Cheap & Chic by soulglitterdesign featuring stella & dot

Miss Selfridge over sized sweater / H&M leather skirt, $46 / H&M tight, $7.75 / H&M flat, $12 / H&M , $20 / Stella & Dot pendant jewelry / Stella & Dot / Stella & Dot / Stella & Dot wrap bracelet / Stella & Dot

Stamped initial stacking rings

2013-02-19T15:12:00.002Z

Designer collab | Alex Monroe for Evans

2013-02-01T16:50:00.000Z

I was lucky enough to meet jewellery designer Alex Monroe and since meeting him he is without a doubt one of my biggest jewellery inspirations. I loved his jewellery before meeting him, but I have learnt so much about the ethics of keeping production on a small scale in a London based workshop, but big enough to reach people around the world.

I was definitely surprised when I heard Alex was doing a collection for plus size retailer Evans, as I would never have imagined him to do a high street collaboration at all. It's so refreshing for a designer to pick a slightly less well known shop and also a plus size shop at last!
I was a big risk though as it may lead loyal customers to think it is a bit of a sellout to do a high street range, but I think it will will work to Alex's advantage as it will attract a whole new range of customers who have never seen his work before and massively help his business.

Courtesy of the Evans website, this is what Alex had to say about his inspiration behind the collection;

"Everything has a story behind it. For the Evan's collection we looked back a generation or two at the fuller figure. But we didn't want to reference the unattainable glamour of Hollywood. We imagined a child watching her mother getting ready for a party in the ‘60's or early 70's. That intimate personal glamour. The smell of her perfume and carefully fastening earrings or a necklace. Some of the inspiration comes from William Morris imagery too. Furling curling leaves. I think we've retained that nostalgic sense of voluptuous glamour"

Ahh, he makes everything sound so poetic! Whatever you think of Alex Monroe taking on the high street though, it's hard not to get excited at how affordable the range is (most pieces are around £20)! And the jewellery is true to Alex's style and hasn't been compromised in any way (apart from the fact that it is not precious metals). It's a lovely collection and I can't wait for it to come out!

A/W 2012 SALE!

2012-12-18T20:20:00.001Z

Rutilated quartz earrings // Was £20, now £15 a pair

I've been busy adding the last of my A/W 2012 jewellery to the website today, which means I can now concentrate on finishing a few personal commissions and then on starting to design the S/S '13 collection which is exciting! Head over to the website to snap up what's left before it's gone forever!

This is the only 'Peace' bracelet I've ever made, and the only one I will ever make so get it before it goes!

//Wax Carving

2012-11-22T13:26:00.000Z

Casting is one of the most popular methods of producing jewellery is small batch production, and also larger scale production too - which is something that I never plan on doing but it's still an interesting process to learn as I may do a few collections in the future that will need producing in small batches to save time. The basic concept is that a master (the original piece) is made and then repeated by casting it. The master can be made from whatever materials you choose (as long as it I able to have moulds made from it), one of the most common being wax.

Why wax? Because when you carve designs into it you can get incredibly detailed 3 dimensional designs that would be so hard to achieve in metal. You also add wax if you carve off too much - something that would be a very messy job in silver or gold! It's also so much softer than carving directly into metal and mistakes are much less costly.

So at college this week we were lucky enough to be taught the art of wax carving by a master of the craft called Daniela, who has worked for Vivienne Westwood, runs her own successful casting business, works as a tattoo

artist, and not to mention has amazing jewellery style too!

She gave us two projects - one was 6 different little carvings into a chunk of wax and the other was a letter 'A'.

As this was my first ever attempt at carving, it was easier to have something to follow rather than go ahead and do my own design.

Before we started carving we had to shape three blades for carving different areas, this was done by first annealing the blades under a torch, and then filing away the unwanted blade and angling the file to create sharp tapered cutting points. Then we were ready to start carving! So here's what I made - not amazing but it was my first time!...

Louise xx

My Top Fantasy McQueen Picks

2012-11-09T17:25:00.001Z

Top Fantasy McQueen Picks by soulglitterdesign

College Project | Pavé pendant

2012-11-08T14:41:00.000Z

The front of the pendant, with holes ready to set pavé stones into. & my chipped nails! :(

This is the progress I have made so far on my Pavé pendant that I'm making at college. The second pic shows an example of what it will look like when it's finished.

There will be a hanging silver dome floating in the centre...

My first attempt at back holing - this means making the stone settings look pretty from behind and allowing
as much light as possible to shine through to enhance the stones.

Jewellery display & storage ideas

2012-11-03T19:26:00.000Z

If you are a bit of a jewellery hoarder like me, you will have probably spent hours untangling bunches of jewellery after piling it into dressing table draws or leaving around on dressing tables - well, those days are over! With these fantastic jewellery display/storage ideas there is no excuse not to store your jewellery properly, and the best part is they are super cheap! ...

1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6

Jewellery Designer | Husam el Odeh

2012-10-10T19:28:00.000+01:00

Jewellery designer Husam el Odeh has absolutely nailed something that I am currently trying to master, and that is taking slightly mundane objects (i.e. the spoon!) or objects that look broken, cracked or even melting, and giving them a new dimension by making or casting them in precious metals and adding the embellishment of sparkly stones. This results in some dazzling pieces that are still simple and wearable at the same time. Genious. ...

Skull Candy | Daisy Knights

2012-09-28T17:12:00.001+01:00

Daisy Knights is by far one of my favourite British jewellery designers I always love her simple, effortless designs and they're always so quirky and wearable. So I was massively excited when I found out that she has a added a chunky watch to her collection.

I love a big chunky watch at the best of times but have always been a bit apprehensive about actually getting one for fear of that trying to look like a celebrity with a blingy gold watch' look, but the fact that this one has a juxtaposing signature Daisy Knights skull on the dial makes it that bit more fun, and it means that you can most definitely get away with it for everyday wear.. Although, you may have to wait a while as surprise surprise it is sold out!

UPDATE! The watch is now available in silver/pink and black!! LOVE

♥

College Project | Snake ring

2012-08-13T15:42:00.000+01:00

For a college project, we were asked to make a snake ring from a piece of sterling silver square wire.

We had to use a draw plate (google it!) to draw the metal from a square shape to round. We then had to hammer one end to 'spread' the metal out to widen it (for the head shape) and file the end so that it tapered to a point for the tail.

It was actually a lot more difficult than it looks, as with all the hammering/bending/shaping the ring became very stiff and hard to work with very quickly. Also, I had to be super careful with the tail as it was so delicate, but all in all I think it turned out OK for a first attempt!

Festival jewellery

2012-07-23T17:57:00.000+01:00

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What I've made this week

2012-06-11T19:26:00.000+01:00

Trend | Jewelled Collars

2012-02-23T16:33:00.001Z

Jewel encrusted collar silk shirt by Equipment. £305, net-a-porter.com

Jewellery Inspiration | Mulberry

2012-01-28T19:56:00.003Z

I love these chunky cuffs by Mulberry. They would look amazing stacked or paired with a chunky watch as well!

Jewellery Designer | Emma Franklin

2012-01-15T17:41:00.002Z

Emma Franklin's jewellery is so timeless - her jewellery is so sturdy looking, the kind of stuff you buy to last a lifetime! I also like how she styles her jewellery - the triceratops necklace looks perfect with a buttoned up shirt peeping out where the gap in the collar is, layered with the ram necklace (as modeled by Emma above).

Above are a few more of Emma's perfectly hand crafted pieces. She also offers on her website to add rubies or diamonds to any of her pieces!

Trend | Stag Jewellery

2011-12-16T11:53:00.000Z

Origami jewellery | Anthropologie

2011-12-07T10:11:00.000Z

I am absolutely in love with the Origami jewellery collection for Anthropologie! There is only a small collection of necklaces, but each one is available in both silver and 18K gold plated, for £98 a pop. I think this is actually quite a reasonable price because they are such an investment. Plus they're just so cute! How can anyone resist...

View & buy the collection here: anthropologie.eu

♥

Design | Let there be light

2011-11-30T21:56:00.000Z

Those of you who know me will know that I am well and truly obsessed by lights! My bedroom is filled with fairy lights all year round.. they're just so calming and not too harsh to have on all the time. Anyway, I've been looking around for more interesting alternatives to standard fairy lights, and I've found some amazing and really inventive lighting from folksy.com. Here's my top 3...

{via}

Photography & Typography | 365 Polaroid Quotes

2011-10-12T14:55:00.002+01:00

The other day I discovered these beautiful Polaroids by Parker Fitzgerald. For every single day of the year in 2010 he took a Polaroid picture and added a quote to it. I love them all, but thought if I posted all 365 it might be a little bit of a picture heavy post! So here's just a few of my favourites...

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Jewellery | Put your stamp on it

2011-10-10T22:35:00.002+01:00

Today I made this bespoke M & C necklace with matching bracelets!

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