Color palette and Murano Glass

http://www.venetianbeadshop.com/

I am selecting pieces of Murano glass to work with it on few projects for ME. The variety of colors,  shapes and styles of VenetianBeadshop.com is huge and make it difficult  to pick only few items. I personally love their selection of pendants, like the ones shown above. It is such a statement piece that is almost impossible not to design around it. mmmmm....

This blurry image was taken last year when W and I put together a pair of earrings for one of our friends to wear at the CRYSTALLIZED™ party and I just found it and realized that I like the shape and color palette so much that I might use for ME.

It's simple but still interesting enough to be feautred in it. A late fall palette with tons of gold and a perfect length for a woman who doesn't like big earrings. We will see if makes the book.

"ZEPHYR" workshop

"Exposed" night at New Jersey Bead Society

Event sponsored by CRYSTALLIZED™ and BEADALON®

My workshop scheduled at the New Jersey Bead Society was  fantastic! All the hard work done was paid off by a very positive feedback from members and partcipants. The ladies enjoyed the project, loved the crystals components and were surprised by the high tech findings by Beadalon, including the Beadmaster tool made for the class.

The room was very spacious and the bead society members have all well prepared.

My fellow friend and  CRYSTALLIZED™ ambassador Sandi Luppo hosted the evening with a beautiful introductory speech about my work to the audience. Sandi also took some time to talk about Create Your Style and its importance and prestigee for the DIY market. I was helped by bead society member Hillary and 3 members of the White family.

I was lucky for having such nice ladies on this workshop and  seemed like they had no problem understanding my Brazilian accent. (accent!?! what accent? lol)  

The picture above is the designer's table. A sample of the "design of the day" on the right side and  on the left side my first piece made using the XILION bead...Article 5328..."Cinque Terre" necklace - everybody loved the color palette.  A copy of the book is in the center top, personal postcards on bottom center and brochures of CYS and Beadalon on the bottom.

Above one of the tables set up.

On the screen above a Beadmaster of "Zephyr" made for this workshop.

A picture of the audience listening to the president's bead society board member.

 A different angle of the crew..at this point they were working on their project.

This blogger signing a copy of "Bead and Wire jewelry - Exposed"

This blogger with Hillary and fellow Create Your Style with CRYSTALLIZED™ Swarovski Elements Ambassador  Sandi Luppo.

Petra (one of the bead society members) very happy with her lariat.

Mrs. VW in the background.

NEW JERSEY BEAD SOCIETY - MATAWAN

Today I have a workshop for 80 ladies of the New Jersey Bead Society located in Matawan. I created a version of one project from "Bead and Wire Jewelry Exposed" book co-authored with my fellow designers Katie Hacker and Margot Potter. This variation is in black tubing with CRYSTALLIZED™ Swarovski Elements in red magma, black diamond and jet colors. It suits well this season and it will holds well during the winter.  Once again BEADALON® is pairing with CRYSTALLIZED™  to sponsor this gig.

I see a workshop as a great venue to promote your designs skills, business and the brands behind you but on the other hand, is a exhausting gig. On this case, I would never be able to do it if I did not have the logistics support that BEADALON® and its team provides me. A Beadmaster™ tool was created so people can follow the instructions on screen through this flashing technologie. I had to assemble 85 kits (one member of Beadalon® did it for me the findings portion of it) and I did the crystals. Thank, God! I had to print "how's to"- another member of Beadalon® did it for me. I had to create a poster using a CRYSTALLIZED™ template and JF at Beadalon® did it for me. I don't know about yours but my fabulous print at home never works when I need most. And all that is only possible after I have all findings and tools ready to be used, function that is  done by Yvette Rodriguez- the Beadalon® marketing and event coordinator. The meeting was coordinated by one of NJBS member who is  a fellow designers as well. Last night I had W, his mom and his sister on a manufacturing assembling line style helping to get all tools unpacked and ready to go.

Serious, I don't know how some of my fellow designers do it and some of them drive their majority income from it.

I love workshops but it requires tons of work.

I wish all of my workshops were like the  ones hosted and organized by Creat Your Style™ in Tucson.

I get there and everything is ready to go. I still have to get "how's to" and kits ready but my classes are small and I love it.

So, I hope the ladies love the necklace and buy the book.

Thanks BEADALON® and thanks CRYSTALLIZED™.  I couldn't do it without you two.

I hope one day I become really rich and have a full staff doing it for me and I just have to shine like a star. lol

For the time being I better keep working my _______.

Wait for pictures and photos  on my next post.

Is working a modern expression of life?!? lordje! lol

XOXO!!!

White Beadalon® wire

I recently created a necklace using almost 30-ft spool of 49 Strands Beadalon white stringing wire, size .024" - that is my  favorite size of strigning wire to work with ever.

The white stringing wire has been my favorite among the most recent colored stringing wire released by Beadalon®. It is a expression of modernism...Is there anything more chic , contemporary and futuristic at same time than the white color? I don't think so!

Black is so overrated...lol and from the spiritualistic and mystic point of view it represents peace and that is what we need nowadays.

I have been using this wire in many of my latest designs. It's perfect to be used with CRYSTALLIZED™ Swarovski Elements, with gemstones like aquamarine, peridot, topaz, preisolite, rainbow moonstone and even with gold or silver foiled Venetian beads goes  very well.  When it comes to metal it can be paired with sterling silver, silver plated or even gun metal.  Let's not forget about  acrylic or lucite components that will keep it light and casual.

I cannot show you my final piece...wait for the book but you can see on the picture above few items that will be on this project...I am sure you are going to love it!

Do you think the quantity of wire I used might be a turned of for few readers..is that too much wire to be used on a single piece?

Stay tuned!
Ciao bellos!

Fernando Dasilva.

Components of the day

The components shown here are on my workstation today.
Among of those, the grey polyester chain from BEADALON® (I like to work with this chain because it can be cut easily, it can be used as spacers, is lightweight and adds texture), some really nice golden green coin pearls, 16mm round quartz beads(I cannot tell the real color of these beads...it was sokld to me as "kiwi" quartz but there is a lot of grey and muted blues onto it that I refuse to call it "kiwi"...I don't know how they come up with some of the names for stones...maybe the black spots resemble the black seeds on "kiwi... 

I love these oval grey links that opens easily. I selected a ready to use wrapped pendant (yes, it camea already wrapped) that is modern. I am  reluctant when it comes to center pieces because I don't like to create pieces that tells a story around a single piece just because sometimes during the design work I don't have a clear vision of what I want and I like to keep it open so the result can be surprising at the end. I am not saying that I never done that but I prefer not to.

I also like to incorporate cut out components into my designs..since "filigree" has returned so strong I am always looking for some interesting parts that can be easily covered by thread, wire or fiber...and with that  little beads are always welcome.

I don't know if this color palette is appealing enough but its my pick for the day...or at least for the begining of the day. See u next!

Fernando.

Workshop and booksigning

Last night I started assembling the CRYSTALLIZED™ Swarovski Elements for my workshop next week at the New Jersey Bead Society. I will be promoting my co-authored book "Bead and Wire Jewelry Exposed" giving awat a hands-on workshop of "ZEPHYR", one of my projects in the book. Once again I have the sponsorship shared by CRYSTALLIZED™ and BEADALON®, also both companies that sponsored the book. The collor palette is a variation of the original piece and I like this version better than the version in the book. I did give a color variation so really this is the 3rd version of the same piece. These colors are very suitable for this season...the necklace is an adjustable lariat that goes both ways...it can be dressy and it can be casual. Versatility is also a modern expression.

I will have pics and comments from this event to post here next week. Stay tuned. For now, enjoy the images from my "assembling line".

See you!  

Article 5328 - black diamond, Article 5000 - crystal silver shadow and padparadscha, Article 5020 - jet and black diamond, Article 5000 - Indian red, Article 5301 - dark coral red

The necklace's structure is held with black tubing and stringing wire by BEADALON®. When you combine high quality products, innovative shapes, cuts and colors the result can be only fantastic.

"Exposed" modern bracelet

The bracelet above was designed for "Bead and Wire Jewelry Exposed" but unfortunately did not  make the book and since then has been used at one of the FW Media websites to promote the book.

I named this project after my hometown because the idea was to create a geometrical mood, something that would resemble the local architecture and it's straight lines. I made a second color variation using jonquil, blue and lime crystals. Another detail I like on this bracelet is the square stone used as a toggle clasp.

A silver color version with the same crystal colors would change the mood as well. This bracelet is a modern expression of my design approach.

Credits: "Brasilia "Bracelet designed by © 2008 Fernando Dasilva made with

CRYSTALLIZED Swarovski Elements for North Light Books.

BRASILIA the most modern expression of my life

I was born in Brazilia, Brazil.

The Brazilian capital was the result of a plan and Oscar Niemeyer and Lucio Costa were the responsible for it's architecture and urbanism. The straigh lines of the buildings, the dryness of the cement and the exquisite foliage or its enviroment will be always in my mind like music.

The building illustrating this blog is the Cathedral of Brasilia, one of my favorite monuments in the city. The fabulous stained glass was added many years later to bring more sunlight within.

I hope I can share great experiences with you and I cn make your life more colorful and interesting through my modern expressions.

XoXo,

Fernando Dasilva