August 2012 ~ Anna Kay Creations

Tuesday, August 14, 2012

Featured Artisan: Yasmin Lux

Tuesday, August 14, 2012 Anna Kay No comments

Hello everyone,

This post should have been scheduled for last Friday but due to scheduling conflicts, I could not post it sooner. My apologies for the delay. Please welcome this weeks featured Artisan Yasmin Lux.

First off, tell us a little about yourself!
My name is Yasmin Lux, i now live in the north of Israel in a small village by a forest. for the last 6 years I've been traveling the world, spent time in Europe , Morocco, California and India. During my first stay in India in 2005 I encountered jewelry made with macrame and gem stones and immediately fell in love.

How did you start creating your jewelry, and how long have you been doing it?
I have been making jewelry since I was a small girl, but the discovery of macrame changed my whole style and I knew I will be doing this forever, or at least for as long as my eyes would hold up. I bought a necklace from an artisan that day and he agreed to teach me the basics; from that day on I traveled everywhere with my supplies, learned a little bit here, a little bit there from fellow travelers , adding more and more tools to my "box" and the inspiration kept on coming.

Where do you get your inspiration from?
I can't really say where my inspiration comes from, it just does, like an endless waterfall from the sky to my imagination!!! I am so blessed! of course the materials themselves bring inspiration as well, the chords, the colors, the textures. I get a lot of inspiration from the gem stones themselves, each one asking me to present it to the world in its full glory. The time I spent in India was endlessly inspiring as well, the women there are walking jewels, their spirit equally beautiful.

My style is deeply inspired by old tribal jewelry as well, I was especially moved by an exhibition in San Francisco where the contents of an Afghani tomb where displayed http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tillya_Tepe *. the tomb contained the remains of a prince and two high priestesses who were all adorned in gold- from head to toe. Standing in that room, all surrounded by the glow of gold made me realize we should all be adorned like this. Our bodies being creations of the divine, deserve to be decorated with the most regal ….. I think I might have been a jeweler for a queen at some previous life time, now I make adornments for the modern queens - the beautiful and inspiring women that are all around me. Macrame has been my refuge ever since I found it , I am so great full to creation for bringing it into my life through it I have learned so much about life , it has been my meditation- with an added bonus- I give birth to something beautiful at the end of it!

Only in the last 2 years I have been selling my jewels in markets and festivals, this had added a whole new dimension to my experience - sharing my moments of inspiration and magic with my sisters is a blessing I have never imagined !

Outside of crafting, what else do you enjoy doing?

When I am not creating I love to be in nature , preferably near water ( a rare thing here in Israel) I see nature as the greatest artist and my role model. I love beauty , wherever and however it appears in each moment in every thing, and see my creation as an attempt to amplify it in the world. thank you so much for this opportunity to share it with more people.

Is there anything else you would like to share?

" beauty is a manifestation of a secret natural law, which otherwise would have been hidden from us forever"

http://www.facebook.com/yasminstreasures?ref=hl ( my FB page)

my etsy shop is still under construction - http://www.etsy.com/shop/whiterythmicwind?ref=search_shop_redirect

Monday, August 13, 2012

My Weekend

Monday, August 13, 2012 Anna Kay 1 comment

Last weekend I went to my friend, Lyndsey's wedding in Pasadena, Maryland. I had the honor of making the jewelry for her five beautiful bridesmaids. Her wedding colors were moss green, ivory and gold. I completed this project back in April but I held off on sharing it until after the wedding.

Bridesmaids Jewelry by AnnakayCreations

See the jewelry on her bridesmaids.

Photo and Jewelry by AnnaKayCreations

I was really happy that everything turned out the way she expected :))

The only picture I managed to snab with Lindsey did not turn out the way I had hoped. Overally, the wedding celebrations were fantastic. I hope you had a great weekend as much as I did!

Friday, August 03, 2012

Featured Artisan: LoveKhloeStudio

Friday, August 03, 2012 Anna Kay 1 comment

First off, tell us a little about yourself!

My name is Catherine, I’m a 28 year old report analyst by day, happy homemaker by night, and a wife and mother to a gorgeous but wild 20 month old around the clock. I live just outside of Los Angeles and love everything about Southern California life.

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How did you start creating your jewelry, and how long have you been doing it?

I made my very first piece of jewelry in elementary school when my oldest brother introduced me to wood, seed beads, and fishing line. I used to think I was the coolest thing walking around in my very own necklace. At that point was when I first stepped foot into the wonderful world of Michaels Arts and Crafts store (I’m pretty sure my mother didn’t like it as much as I did). I learned there were all kinds of things besides seed beads. I’ve tried my hand at many things over the years—beading on a loom, lanyards, crocheting (that never worked out), little figurines and beads of polymer clay, decoden, does webdesign and blogging count? The list goes on and on and spans almost 20 years! I then discovered Downtown L.A. and the aisles and aisles of beads, I can honestly say I was in bead heaven. When I got pregnant I lost my willingness to trek through the crowds and smells of sewage and bacon wrapped hot dogs, all that is DTLA. I started sewing and began making clothes and accessories but as my daughter grew I lost my desire to make baby things. I went back to my first true love of jewelry making about a year ago. I started with friendship-style bracelets with embroidery thread, rhinestones, and chain. When I found my bead case amongst the things still stored at my parents’ home, I began beading again and I haven’t looked back. I opened my online shop after endless prodding from my loved ones, first on Etsy and now on Storenvy.

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Outside of crafting, what else do you enjoy doing?

I was going to say chasing after my toddler but then I saw the keyword “enjoy”- picking up rice and watching Mickey’s Clubhouse all day isn’t so enjoyable. I am also a Polynesian dancer though I haven’t performed in a couple years. I began when I was 7 years old, even before I picked up my first bead. Polynesian dancing is not only a great workout but you also learn about the cultures and I made a second family with my group. The food is pretty amazing, too. I also love to be able to pick up a book and read when I can or grab a sketchbook and pencil and scribble away. I have one tattoo of a single plumeria with basketweave waves which I designed.

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Where do you get your inspiration from?

When you live in Southern California, there’s inspiration all around you! The beach is one of my main inspirations, the sand between your toes, the shells strewn all over, the ocean, and the gorgeous sunsets that you get the perfect view of. The colorful costumes from my days in dancing play a role, too. I use a lot of shell, wood, and stones in my beading, things that bring you back to nature. I can see my jewelry on the beach or outdoors at a park. But sometimes you just can’t resist the shine and bling of glass and rhinestones! You can never have too many rhinestones nowadays. Take the jewelry shopping or for a night out on the town.

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Is there anything else you would like to share?

The thing I love about handmade jewelry is that everything has their own special touch and you know the person put a lot of care and thought into each piece. My shop is named after my daughter, Khloe, and I won't tie her name into something I wasn't proud of. I never send anything that I don’t love myself to anyone else so when I know that someone else loves my creations I know I’m doing something right! I learn different techniques and discover gorgeous new beads everyday and I look forward to growing my line of accessories.