Show and Tell: Draped Chain Necklace

Meet August, the pretty necklace that I made for a special Mother's Day order. It includes all of my current favourite trends - braids, rhinestones, and draped messy metal. I hope you like it too!

~ August ~

Friendship Bracelets: My Latest DIY

Happy Friday! This week flew by for me. Maybe it's the hint of warmer weather we've been having and the increased sunshine that's making the days seem brighter, fresher, faster.

I wanted to share these fun friendship bracelets I've been making in anticipation for summer. I've ordered a bunch of colourful cord and fun rhinestones in hopes of making piles of these bright bracelets to spice up my arm party (and my friends'!).  I am going to do a giveaway with one of these beauties when I reach 200 twitter followers or 200 followers on Jolie Jouel - whichever comes first! Friendship bracelets are a fun way to add colour to your outfit and they're easy to stack up with your other favourite bracelets.

Have a great weekend!

Show & Tell

This weekend I finished a jewelry making course and wanted to share with you guys what I made! The workshop was called Lost Wax Casting and took two weekends to complete. The first Sunday I carved wax molds of my pieces and then they were cast in silver. Yesterday I got the raw molds back and had to finish (and sand and file and polish...) until they were complete.

I made a cool bangle (by dropping hot wax into water for the piece on top) and a first knuckle ring, since I am clearly obsessed. I also made some fortune cookie charms for necklaces, but they're not finished or ready to show yet.

Here are some more shots of the bangle (you can see the FKR in the photo above).

Jolie Jouel FAQ

I thought I'd take the time today to get a little personal and answer some of the frequent questions that I get asked over email, blog comments, and twitter. I am always happy to hear from readers so never hesitate to send me an email or tweet! I never tire of discussing jewelry :)

Do you make your own jewelry? Is it for sale?
I have been "making jewelry" since I was a little girl at camp. Making unique pieces of jewelry has always been something I've loved and now, into my adult years, I am really enjoying exploring different designs and the creative process.  I do a lot of DIYs - you can find some here - and make things for friends and family. I also worked with Lauren Elan for about a year learning tips and tricks from her. I've sold a few items through the blog but don't have any official site set up for selling my pieces. If you ever see a DIY on Jolie Jouel that you like and want to buy, email me and I'll make you one!

Should I buy my girlfriend a yellow gold or white gold engagement ring?
My "How to Choose an Engagement Ring" post is by far my most viewed post.  I am guessing a lot of guys are googling for tips and come across this article. If you had asked me this question five years ago I would have told you to err on the side of caution and go for white gold or platinum. (Remember Carrie Bradshaw's reaction to her yellow gold pear shaped engagement ring from Aidan?) But since then, gold has come back in a BIG way. Gold rings, necklaces, and bracelets seem to be the top choice for everyday jewelry for a lot of girls who used to be loyal to silver. The other trend that has popped up is that mixing jewelry base metals is totally acceptable. Throwing on a bunch of rings in both silver and gold is modern and cool. Heck, throw some rose gold in there for the most current look. But back to engagement rings. This really is a personal choice. You need to pay attention to what your lady friend is wearing most days. If she favors silver, then white gold or platinum is safest. If she only wears yellow gold, you know what to do. It can't hurt to subtly ask either. I have no doubt she knows what she wants and hinting at it once will be enough to get a clear answer. And like I said, buying her a white gold engagement doesn't mean she can't ever wear her gold costume jewelry again. Mixing and matching is more than fine, it's on trend.

I am on a budget but love investing in jewelry. Where can I shop for trendy pieces that wont break that bank?
I am a big believer in being able to find quality pieces in your price range. No piece of jewelry is worth starving for. It's just silly to buy something you can't afford right now and there are lots of great options for quality pieces at affordable prices.

I look to stores like Zara, Forever 21 and American Eagle for trendy, affordable pieces. I know these pieces wont likely last forever, the silver plating might wear off or start to dull.  But sometimes I'll be pleasantly surprised at the quality! So for trendy pieces that might not remain in style too long - collar necklaces, monograms, nameplates - don't to break the bank. 

I love online shopping for jewelry and thankfully this tends to work out well. It is far safer than online shopping for clothes because fit is more standardized and you can’t pin or tuck jewelry the same way you can with clothes. Sometimes with clothes what shoes up in your mailbox is much different that what you saw online. So check the sale section on sites like Piperlime and Shopbop. They carry designer pieces and you can sometimes get a great deal. 

For online shopping I adore Catbird. I literally want every piece of jewelry from their store and they have a huge line of products with a big price range. I am especially a fan of their dainty stacking rings. Mr. Kate is another place I look for quality, hand made jewelry. Her stuff is a little more unisex and earthy, but I love that. Again, there is a range of prices so look for pieces you can afford.  She was one of my first online loves. 

I want to invest in one forever piece. What do you recommend?

For me, I am a rings and necklace kind of girl. Invest in a great statement necklace that you can wear with party dresses and jeans and a blazer. Gemma Redux is my go-to for statement necklaces. She uses high quality stones and mixed metals and all pieces are hand-made in NYC. Lauren Elan also has great statement necklaces with loads of color.

My second recommendation would be to invest in a great cocktail ring.  I never feel quite complete without a sparkly bauble on my finger. Cocktail rings are great for a night out and equally great for adding some pizzaz to your daily outfit. Anita Ko, Jennifer Meyer, and Jennifer Fisher all make swoon-worthy rings. 

What are your top jewelry trends for 2013?

Love this question. First knuckle rings, animal pendants, boyfriend watches, anything with evil eyes, and layered dainty necklaces. (I love Vale Jewelry for dainty necklaces.) 

What is your job?

I am a freelance writer and write mostly about fashion trends and interior design.  

Who takes your photos?

My husband takes any photo you see me in. So if I am modelling jewelry then that's him behind the lens! I take all other shots.  

That's it for now! Feel free to ask any additional question in the comments below. 

Hope this has been helpful! ~ ashleigh  

"DIY Friday": My Little Eye

This is a slightly different take on DIY Friday as I don't have step by step instructions for you, dear reader. I definitely "did this myself" but I don't expect most people to have the tools and materials to make one themselves. I hope that you'll still enjoy seeing my DIY below!

As long-time readers know, I love evil eye jewelry. Not for any supersitious reasons, I just really love the way they look. So the only rational thing to do was to make my own eye shaped ring.  I scultpted it in wax and cast it in silver. The result is less than perfect, but it's all a learning experience. This ring is one of the more difficult pieces I've made and am already thinking of ways to perfect it next time.

Some other evil eye jewelry that I am loving lately.

1. Catbrid, Evil Eye ring
2. Catbird, Odette NY Ojos Cuff
3. Free People, Vanessa Mooney Evil Eye bracelet
4. Free People, Odette NY Ojos ring
5. Free People, Leather Beaded Eye bracelet

DIY Friday: Pounded Silver Bracelet

A friend of mine recently asked me to make her a silver bracelet. So today I decided to play around with a few ideas.  Some of looked really pretty but to be honest, weren't the most comfortable on the wrist. After about 3 different designs I decided that perhaps simplest design is the best.

What I did was take a thick piece of sterling silver wire, pounded it into a wavy textured flat piece,  and curved it to fit the wrist. Pretty simple indeed, but it's actually super comfortable and very pretty. 

Here are the detailed steps if you want to try your hand at your own pounded silver bracelet.

 You will need: Silver wire, snips, pliers, hammer, and a drill.

Step 1: Cut about 4 - 5" of wire (depending on wrist size). You need less wire than will fit around your wrist because as you pound the wire it will get longer.

Step 2: The most important step, start pounding! Use your hammer to flatten out the wire and create an interesting texture. You can see the difference between the round wire and flattened silver on the right.

Step 3: Bend the silver into a bangle shape.

Step 4: Drill a small hole in each end of the bracelet.

Step 5: Add a jump ring to each end.

Step 6: Add a clasp.

And there you have it! A dainty, textured, silver bracelet made just by you.  Can't you picture this bracelet layered up with your other favorites for an awesome arm party?

Lately

A few snaps of the jewelry I've been wearing lately:

Jolie Jouel Chevron necklace.

 Jolie Joule charms - Aztec, Arrow, & Chevron

 Stella and Dot Renegade Cluster Necklace.

 Jolie Jouel Arrow necklace.

Mr. Kate Twig Cuff, Jolie Jouel Arrow bracelet, Jolie Jouel squiggle bracelet, random rings on ring finger, and Jolie Jouel finger bangle on index finger.

Gemma Redux Liz necklace.

Jolie Jouel Horseshoe necklace.

Lately...

A few snaps of the jewelry I've been wearing lately.

Mr Kate, twig bracelet. Jolie Jouel, squiggle bracelet.  Lauren Elan, Lily bracelet. Rings, unknown. Necklace, unknown.

 Stella & Dot, Renegade necklace. Anthropologie, Green & White necklace.

 Rings, unknown. Lauren Elan, Misel bracelets.

 Jolie Jouel, Black Smile necklace. Jolie Jouel, Pounded Silver necklace. Jolie Jouel, Ring Bangle.

Casting Workshop Part II

Yesterday I had the second and final part of my casting in silver workshop. [See part I here] I totally fell in love with the lost wax casting process and will definitely continue to make jewelry this way. I can't even explain to you how satisfying it is...so I'll let the pictures do the talking.  Here are the final products!

I made two rings and bracelet.

Here I am modeling the finished pieces. I am soooo happy with them! The bracelet especially, it's so comfortable and looks so smooth and polished yet detailed at the same time.

Hope you guys like them!