Beyond Chic {design library}

 

I love a good design book as we all know, but this one is so unique.  Beyond Chic is full of the amazing homes of Fashion's most creative minds!  I love the layering and collected feeling of the spaces.  It is always so interesting to see what inspires people so much that they fill their private spaces with it, don't you think? 

"Some of the most important people in fashion�Chanel, Ala�a, Yves Saint Laurent, Pucci, Kenzo, and Missoni�are known for their public image and their iconic designs. But what kind of world have they cultivated behind closed doors? From France to Italy, from England to Morocco, come along on a private visit to the remarkable homes of couturiers, stylists, muses, and fashion personalities. Photographer Ivan Terestchenko shows the d�cor, works of art, and the personal collections of these legendary designers. Some interiors, such as Chanel�s apartment at 31 rue Cambon, are mythic, while others like those of Giorgio Armani�s ch�let or Vanessa Seward, Azzaro�s head designer, are completely unconventional. From minimal (Nicole Farhi) to exotic (Franca Sozanni), to a deceptively simple French apartment (Loulou de La Falaise), this book explores the spaces and places created by some of fashion�s biggest names."

If you would like help creating inspirational spaces for yourself contact us!

In My Workshop

I like to keep a bowl of tumbled and polished stones in my workshop. 

Rather than keeping them stored away, it's great to have them right on

my workbench where I can see them. Sometimes their colors or shapes 

will inspire a new project. Because I'm a visual person and am often

inspired by what I see, I try to keep beautiful things around me, especially

when I'm designing and working. It's a great practice for keeping those 

creative juices flowing. 

Mind you I said beautiful, not expensive. Some of the things I find the most 

beautiful are rusty and old. As they say, it's in the eye of the beholder.

Your thoughts?

The Shop by H. Bleu

 

Yesterday I had a chance to go up to Venice (I have lived in California all my life and never been to Venice, Ca.  I have been to Venice, Italy though - weird huh) to meet with Susan from H. Bleu.  Susan is creating a custom wall treatment or art piece for me in a project that I am working on, I am so excited!  Her shop was so fun and creative, she is super talented and has a love for all things vintage.   We had a chance to chat, which is my favorite thing to do with creative people, I could go on for hours.  Susan was also nice enough to direct me to a cute neighborhood where I could get some lunch and shop.... more on that coming next week.

 

This is the style of the piece she is making for me - I cannot wait to see mine in the space!  One of my favorite things about design is being able to work with people who can make what is in my head part of real life.  There are so many talented artists and designers out there and I so enjoy a collaboration like this.

 

Visit H. Bleu here to see more about Susan and The Shop!

 

Creative Inspiration: Percolator Photo Mosaic App

Recently while perusing the internet I came across a photo created with an iphone app called
Percolator by Tinrocket. The effects on the photo were unusual, it was full of rings and circles 

and the effect instantly mesmerized me! I couldn't wait to try this app out for myself! 

For those who have used filter apps such as Instagram, Percolator works in a similar way;

 you chose a photo from your phone's own photo album or you can use your phone's camera 

feature to take a picture, which is then put into the app for you to add filters and effects to and 

turn into your own Percolated photo mosaic masterpiece! 

I just started playing around with it and so far, I've created some pretty cool effects on 

some of my photos. There are many different image options and effect settings in the app 

though, and it's taking me a while to get used to it (I'm still looking for instructions for how 
to use all of the features and effects.)

Check out my before and after Percolated photos and see what you think!

"Before" photo: This is my cat Sam. I took this photo with my iphone5. 

"After" photo: Here's the same photo after I percolated it. Pretty cool, no?

Before: Here's a photo of Nancy Wilson that I took at a Heart concert 

After: The same photo, percolated

Before: Here's a photo I took at a recent Phillies baseball game

After: The same photo, percolated

What do you think?

Here's the link to the app on itunes

Polyvore: Creative Inspiration

What do I do when I'm not making jewelry?

I make other jewelry. 

But when I really feel the need to take a break, I sometimes head on over

to Polyvore.com, where you can design and put together clothing and 
accessories to create outfits.  ...I know, I'm like a ten year old. :)

Polyvore is a great way to practice using color, texture, pattern, coordinating - 
all the things that I do when I am designing a piece of jewelry, or what you're 
doing when your making any kind or art or doing any kind of craft. Sometimes 
when I'm playing around on Polyvore I get inspired to create a new jewelry 
design. Sometimes a certain color will catch my eye and put me in the mood 
to work with that same color gemstone or bead. Not only is Polyvore
 relaxing, but it also can be a great source of creative inspiration! 

Below are a few outfits that I put together in my own style. If you haven't 
checked out Polyvore yet, you should give it a try, it's fun!  

Deep Purple Casual Boho 2012 by laurabethlove featuring antique rings

Denim & Cream II 2012 by laurabethlove featuring a button shirt

Distressed Boho With Pearls 2012 by laurabethlove featuring skinny leg jeans

Weathered Emerald 2012 by laurabethlove featuring bootcut jeans

Peace & Love in Black and White 2012 by laurabethlove featuring skinny bootcut jeans

Plum Perfect 2012 by laurabethlove featuring tear drop earrings




What do you think?