Tutorials

Various cultures around the world have a great deal of influence on my work. La Boîte à Bijoux Chinoise or The Chinese Jewel Box is one where the intersection of 2 cultures gave birth to this happy creation.

During my recent sojourn to the beautiful Loire Valley of France, I had the great fortune to stay at the beautifully restored neoclassical Château du Grand-Lucé. At the Château there is a beautiful room called the Salon Chinois or the Chinese Salon with beautiful paintings by Jean-Baptiste Pillement. Pillement was a highly regarded muralist of the 18^th century who counted among his patrons Louis XV, Mdm de Pompadour and Marie Antoinette. The murals in the  Salon Chinois is one of only 3 completely intact remaining today. Chinoiserie was absolutely de rigueur during the period and this beautiful room had it in abundance.

The beautiful Chinese pavilions depicted in the murals with their curved hip roofs (庑殿顶 or wǔdiàndǐng) and resting hill roofs (歇山顶 or xiēshāndǐng) immediately leapt out to me and La Boîte à Bijoux Chinoise was born. The body of this small but intricate jewellery box is my interpretation of these Chinese style roofs with its elegant and seemingly interwoven curves. Embellished with nothing more than delicious magatamas or drop beads, the box is totally self-supporting and is woven completely in peyote. The lid is topped with a beautiful Czech gold foiled cabochon to create a precious “roof” for the jewellery box. The box sits on “legs” made of delightful Baroque cabochons. The number 8 is also extremely important to the Chinese as it is associated with wealth, prosperity and fortune. As such, La Boîte à Bijoux Chinoise is woven with 8 distinct repeats and sits on 8 “legs” to ensure that the owner of the box will be imbued with the power of the number 8.

A happy confluence of Chinese inspired architecture found in a French chateau.

To purchase additional gold foiled cabochons please click here.

Simple, sophisticated and elegant.

La Manchette d'Élégance showcases the beauty of a magnificent gleaming cubic zirconia clasp. Strips of cubic right angle weave units are embellished and connected to form a simple pliable strap to hold the clasp as a focal. Supremely comfortable to wear, the cuff stays firmly on your wrist. Definitely an elegant addition to any wardrobe.

Accompaniment Collar is available here.

Cubic Zirconia Clasp is available here.

A ribbon or riband is a thin band of material, typically cloth but also plastic or sometimes metal, used primarily as decorative binding and tying. Ribbons are used for innumerable useful, ornamental, and symbolic purposes. Cultures around the world use ribbon in their hair, around the body, and as ornamentation on non-human; animals, buildings, and packaging.

Cloth ribbons are typically made of natural materials such as silk, velvet, cotton, and jute. They can also be made from a variety of synthetic materials, such as polyester, nylon, and polypropylene.

The Ribbon is a sparkling, pliable band of tiny seed beads forming a ribbon-like band. The band is then embellished with hundreds of tiny sparkling firepolished beads. The Ribbon can be made with or without the “bow”. The Ribbon is further accentuated with decorated tassels ending in delightful tear drop shaped beads.

Filigree available from here

A handmade ornament is one of the most precious heirloom you can hand down to your children. It also makes an extremely meaningful and personal Christmas gift for a loved one or a dear friend. Your gift of love will certainly be cherished for many Christmases to come.

Twinkle Twinkle Little Star is made in 2 parts. First the peyote star is made. When the star is completed, we will bezel a chaton for the centre and embellish the arms of the star. We will also build a loop at the tip of one of the arms so that you can hang the star on your tree. Before you start, it would be a good idea for you to read all the instructions once through so that you will understand the sequence of what you will need to do.