Modish: the blog

Eco-Friendly Find: Fanisong Jewelry

I was thrilled to find this email awaiting me one morning last week, introducing me to Fanisong Jewelry's new eco-friendly line- my eco-find day couldn't come soon enough!  The jewelry is just gorgeous and features original nature photographs under glass- but what's so eco conscious about that?  All the pendants are made from 100% recycled glass!  Pretty cool, huh? 

You can find the whole recycled glass series right here- there's lots of inspiring, colorful images to choose from and you can also pick your own ribbon color for added personalization.  Thanks, Fanisong, for your nature inspired and nature friendly necklaces!

Put it on ice

I love these pendants by Soma Venus, a new line that features her original art collages, tiny and compact, housed behind a thick, icy piece of glass:

They're unique and fun in vibrant colors and sure to start a conversation.  Each pendant is only $18, so you can collect a few for your every whim!  And right now, if you buy 3 you get the 4th one free!  That's a pretty good deal for some wearable art.  While you're there, be sure to also check out the Soma Venus polaroid ice pendants and all the other fun stuff in the shop!

Acrylic wonders

Just discovered on the etsy front page, the beautiful jewelry by Lauren K Roberts!

It's amazing to me how you can make something like plastic appear to be so feminine, frilly and sweet.  All these Lauren K Roberts designs are just that, made from laser cut acrylic, inspired by 1950's design elements.  They come in either black or white and since they're plastic, I'm sure they're pretty durable and can withstand any bar-hopping-earring-dropping nights in your future (not like that's ever happened to you though, right?)

New goodies in the shoppe!

I haven't posted about new items from the modish shoppe in a loooong time, and since it's well overdue and I happen to have lots of wonderful new items in for spring, I thought it high time to show some off!

First off, I'd like to introduce a new artist to the shoppe, Stephanie DosReis!  I feel honored to carry her wonderful mixed media prints and (my favorite) her adooooorable plush houses made from vintage fabrics, they're each one of kind!

There's also beautiful new jewelry and a pretty new color of poppy pins and hairpins for the summer, by foundling:

Also, back in the shoppe, Mood Swing's wonderful reversible storybook charm necklaces- you get two necklaces in one!

There's also lots of new prints by a modish favorite, Swallowfield- they're all so colorful and cheery!

There's a lot more new goodies on the way to the shoppe too, including new tees from wenifnotnow, plates by New Work, jewelry by Odd Bird, new bags by Jenna Rose and Queen Puff Puff, new jewelry from Mollie Dash, and more more more!  Check in often and remember, you can use the code "modish" for free shipping!

Aye, Mamacita!

I was going to include this spicy cha cha cha painting (you see it there below- it's the one that makes you feel like dancing!) in the cinco de mayo post yesterday, but decided to stick with Mexican artists on that one...but when searching for today's post, I could hear the lovely lady still calling my name- "Hola jena, remember me senorita? Will I get the chance to dance on your blog? Baila! Cha cha cha!"  And how could I refuse her?  Especially when she brought some lovely friends along...

You can find these beautiful paintings in Karin Grown's shop- they are giclee prints stretched on canvas with hand-painted touches to bring out the highlights in each piece.  She also makes pretty little jewelry adornments featuring vintage stamps and papers soldered under glass.  Cha cha yourself on over and check everything out!

De Colores

Feliz Cinco de Mayo!  Today has become a day to celebrate Mexican culture in the United States- although I'm sure you'll see many examples of the capitalization that has made Cinco de Mayo so popular here ($1 margarita happy hour anyone?), I hope you'll also find celebrations of the Mexican heritage, art, music and culture that have helped make America what it is today.  To help celebrate some of that talent, here are some handmade goods by Mexico based artists and crafters that I found on good ol' etsy!

{cyrano doll, set of 5 cards by Cara Carmina :: Pink strawberry charm by allen! ::  hedgehog march notepads by micasita house}

{Fungi print by Rosie Music :: tulips wallet by ziazia :: Mexican embroidered bag by That Retro Thing :: Mexican embroidered tunic by Aida Coronado}

{filigree flower and bird earrings by tutarubli :: city lights necklace by Colibri Dreams :: seashells box by Sea Debris :: "remember" print by Geninne}

For the Mums: Ceramics

For the next few days I'll be bringing you handmade Mother's Day gift ideas, starting with beautiful ceramic pieces because well, moms are as precious as porcelain, awwww:

1. Porcelain bottles with platinum decals by Coe & Waito, at Peek Keep- $72
2. Pink Lollipop porcelain "wall pillow" by Stepanka Ceramics- $47
3. Illustrated bird vase by Little Flower Designs- $65
4. "Shhh" series cup and saucer set by Bailey Doesn't Bark- $21
5. Fern platter by Pat Pyott, at Zanisa- $62
6. Mocha flourish pendant by Sofia Masri- $67
7. "Fly" earthenware bowl by Paloma's Nest- $44

From garbage to gorgeous!

Well, let's just continue with the eco-friendly trend all week long as I introduce you to Garbage of Eden Design, creator of accessories made from up-cycled plastic- her pieces make use of the garbage that we would otherwise throw away everyday like plastic newspaper and grocery bags- sweet! 

The results are fresh and exciting, in bright bold colors that are fun for the spring in an eco-friendly wrapper that's fun for everyday of year!  Check out more designs in the Garbage of Eden shop, and check out their featured artist on etsy interview this week to learn more!

Earth Day Jewels!

I'm pleased to announce that one of my faaaavorite jewelry artists, pequitobun, finally has their own dot com, officially launching today!  It was designed by Aeolidia, who also made my beautiful shoppe site, and looks wonderful!  On the site you'll find stunning, unique jewelry that is not only pretty, but earth-friendly too with many pieces utilizing vintage elements, reclaimed from lost and forgotten jewelry, combined with new gemstones and pieces to give them a revamped, modern style.  Below you'll find some of my favorite revamped vintage pieces from the site, but be sure to check lots more out at pequitobun.com!

On fire!

Sorry for the delayed posting today- I just got back from a long weekend back in Reno and am having a hard time stepping back into the swing of things.  Now, I'm glad to be back home in Portland where the kitty cuddling is endless and to celebrate, I bring you some beeeaauuuuuuutiful jewelry made right here in pdx, Magma Jewelry:

Each glass lampwork bead is handmade by Blake Van Roekel in her Portland, OR studio.  I love the different shapes, textures and combinations- some cheery and colorful, some more subtle and neutral, but all very organic and feminine.  There are lots of wonderful designs to choose from in necklaces, bracelets, earrings and hairpins- check out the entire line at Magma, and for Portland residents, Blake hosts glass making classes and custom design parties too!

Fluttering along...

I'm in love with this revamped vintage jewelry at Flutter, a local boutique here in Portland that looks swanky vintage chic filled with parlor sofas, chandeliers and a hand-painted French wardrobe from the 1920's.  I haven't had a chance to visit the shop in person yet, but in the meanwhile, I've been exploring their equally fluttery and feminine website where a select choice of items are available to purchase:

If you're in Portland, give Flutter a fly by, and for those more afar, check out their web store filled with pillows, rugs, apothecary items, books, amazing jewelry and more!

Meet Bob

My friends, let me introduce you to Bob.  Bob is 90 years old and incredibly talented- he's been making one-of-a-kind rings since 1937 (which is about the time you can see him in the photo below) out of antique celluloid he gets from combs, piano keys, toothbrush handles, hand mirrors, etc.  The results are awesome and inspiring and can surely only come from someone with over 70 years experience in making them!

Each ring is entirely unique, assembled from 20-150 different pieces, and just too cool for words!  Geometric and funky with vintage styling, one of these would be well worth the $70-90 price tag as each one is painstakingly made be hand, without a mold or melting of any sort, and takes about a day to make.  Head over to his friend Constance's website to see all the rings he has for sale, and thank you so much Constance, for introducing us to Bob!

Giveaway winners and fun finds!

Remember that huge giveaway that took place last week?  Well two ladies have won it all (lucky ducks): Jennifer from Irvine, CA and Katie from Houston, TX!  Congrats ladies!  I hope you enjoy all your goodies!  And thank you thank you to evvvvvvveryone who entered, I do appreciate it so!  And an extra special thank you to all those talented folks who contributed goodies!  Here are a few of my favorite finds from some of the contributors this month:

Sixhours Photography caught my eye right away with their key photo, but take a look at these other incredible photos from their shop!

And Pattern & Paw (the newly named Lindsay Designs which you may know of) is filled with fun collars and leashes for cats and dogs of every size...I'm thinkin' my kitties would look pretty cute in one of these!

I'm also liking this lovely jewelry from A Pretty Rock- Yazmin, the designer behind the scenes, donated LOTS of pairs of earrings to the giveaway, so you can look forward to having the chance to win some for months to come!

Introducing...

The aforementioned "big reveal" is here my friends, and guaranteed it's MUCH bigger to me than to you, but all the same... today is the release of my new jewelry line, Miralu!  This is a big deal to me as I gave up my prior jewelry shop (curio j, for you old schoolers :) after this blog started getting bigger and more time consuming as I just did not have time to make anything anymore- couple that with trying to organize a shoppe full of handmade goods from other talented artists, and I felt almost intimidated by my own shoppe to be included there!  But, I've finally made a collection of earrings and figured it's time to unveil them to the world, so here friends are the first rungs of the Miralu jewelry line, with necklaces, brooches, rings and maybe even bracelets to come (assuming you all might want them to come, that is :)  Obviously I'm apprehensive about showing these to anybody because I haven't seen my own work "out there" in so long, but here goes! 

These are some of my favorites but there are still more to see in the Modish shoppe, where Miralu will be exclusively available (at least for now.)  Annnnnd, as a special gift just for modish readers, to celebrate my anniversary today, I'd love to give you a FREE PAIR OF FABRIC POST EARRINGS (like these that you see below) with any order placed between today thru Sunday, 4/6- just write "Congrats Miralu!" in the notes at checkout and I'll send you a free pair!

The pair you receive will differ from those that you see on the site, but the fabrics I have are all fabulous and funky and pretty, guaranteed. :)  And remember to use the promo code "Happy1st" at checkout too for free shipping! 

So there you have it, the first of the Miralu line- I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed making it!  And there should be more to come soon, so keep your eyes peeled. 

Thanks for checking it out!  Off to run and hide in a corner now...
<3 jena

New goodies in the shoppe!

I just added some fun new spring things to the modish shoppe!  Take a peek!

New glass animal pins by Happy Owl Glassworks- collect the whole menagerie!

And new neckies by Marinade in some bright, fun, spring colors!  Most of which are made with re-claimed yarn, so they're earth-friendly too!  Perfect for chilly spring mornings!

And introducing a new artist to the modish shoppe, Eclectic Eccentricity!  This line of re-vamped vintage goodness is made by the lovely Lucy from England- her designs are cheery, feminine and so cute!

There's more new stuff to come in the next few days (and weeks!) and a BIG day to celebrate next week- stay tuned!

Silver that pops!

I love this jewelry by Joanna Rutter, a trained silversmith from the UK who put her talents to good use combining silver with felt, fabric, resin and beads to create a wonderful range of colorful delights!

And this is just a small little smathering of some of the goodies available on the site- check it all out for yourself at Joanna Rutter!

No more primer print

I first discovered cursive design last week when Grace profiled their new votives on design*sponge- so I clicked over, but before I even got to the home decor section I got lost looking through their incredible jewelry designs!  Combining lovely lady like lace with metal and chain, their necklaces and earrings have an intriguing juxtaposition that makes them really unique.

Take a peek at more wonderful designs like these at cursive!

New spring shoppe goodies

Speaking of spring, I just added some springy new goods to the Modish shoppe!  New wallets and gadget pouches by sewer extraordinaire, Blissful!

And some beauties from Sprout Studio- earrings, hairpins and brooches that are perfect for spring!

I also compiled an assortment of my favorite spring finds from the shoppe in a handy dandy "spring picks" category- finds some gifts for Easter, Mama's Day, weddings, birthdays and happy spring wishes!

Spring is a poppin'!

Spring is here!  Spring is here!  Let's celebrate with some cupcakes, shall we?

Made by joojoo, these yummy little polymer clay treats look good enough to eat!  Yum!  Don't pop these in your mouth though, the magnets probably wouldn't do well in your digestive tract- instead, you can pop them on the fridge to hold up your spring cleaning chore list (blech!), or pop them on top of the oven to inspire you to bake some real cupcakes, or pop them into your ears to wear some spring-a-liciousness with you all day long.  Yay for joojoo and yay for spring!

You had me at hello

Am I a total sucker when it comes to re-vamped vintage jewelry?  Yes.  Is Kari Beth's shop full of just that?  Yes.  Am I completely and utterly in love with it all?  Well, yes!  And perhaps you will be too:

Step into the garden...

...the Intuitive Garden, that is; a shop filled with spring perfect accessories, all created from original art and photographs, all cheery and bright and sure to put a little bounce in your step.

Mediums to Masses to Modishers

Mediums to Masses, a collection of wonderful glass jewelry and home goods, now has an etsy shop!  Why is this exciting?  Well, because I've seen Mediums to Masses goods in person at a craft fair- I went back and back and back again to the booth, oohing and ahhing, humming and hawing, but I honestly loved too many things and just couldn't for the life of me decide on what to purchase.  So, I resigned to wait, take her card and shop online instead so I could pour over options for hours if need be, only to find out that (gasp) she didn't have an online shop!  But now, by some stroke of luck, an email arrived in my inbox this morning announcing her shop and I'm pleased as punch to share it with you:

We're talkin' really pretty stuff here folks, even prettier in person.  Plus the creator, Sarah, has a big mess of curls on her head like I do, so that's an added plus in my book ;)  See more at Mediums to Masses!

All Things Original

I received an email today from All Things Original, a pretty new webshop from across the pond selling, well, all things original!  Handmade items from 50 British indie designers, from accessories and art to bags and jewelry.  I especially like the revamped vintage jewelry (or should I say jewellery :) by Pipnstuff:

and by Denaz:

There's a lot lot more to discover at All Things Original and it's a pleasure to find another fun consignment shop for European buyers!  Yay!

So Succulent

Take a peek at the beautiful new collection from a modish favorite (and designer in the shoppe!), Prismera Design:

These gorgeous pieces are large and in charge and cast in bronze giving them an aged, easy to love look.  Find them only at Prismera!

Feeling homey

Perhaps it's because I just moved into a new home myself, but I'm feeling very drawn to these tiny little house pendants by deciduous soul. 

Created with collaged papers on the back of a scrabble piece, they're simple and cute and would make a great housewarming gift for someone moving this spring- plus they're only $13.99!