Stacking Jewelry Tips and Tricks

Some say jewelry stacking is a way to show your own personal style.  Others say it was started by jewelers to make people think "more is more" is better than tradition.  However, most agree stacking jewelry is a trend that is not going anywhere any time soon.  

How do you make a good stack without creating a bad look?  The correct answer depends on your personal preferences.  Some people like it neat, wheas others find the boho or messy look more their styel.  Tips for wearing Layering Necklaces for Elegant or Messy Looks.  Bracelet stacking is usually done by type:  lots of bangles or wraps, rows of stretchy beads or pearls, multiple chains with tennis or bolo style.  Cuff bracelets usually stand-alone because they are larger, but very petite ones may be mixed with chains the same way a bolo can be.  Ring stacking is the oldest style trick, which usually is a series of band rings or simple solitaries mixed in on a few fingers (see 15-mins video below for tips) either up a couple of fingers or smaller sets stacked across the hand.  Large cocktail rings are not stacked on the same finger and too many statement rings on a hand can look tacky instead of stylish.  Stacking earring is another trend that has been around for whiel due to multiple piercings.  Usually the stack has one or more small hoop mixed with studs in the other piercings, however dangle style earrings may replace the hoop(s).   Typically oversized hoops or dangles should only appear in the lowest piercing with a series of studs in the others.  Finally, the trend of stacking brooches on hats and caps is back in style. Brooches or pins may also be artistically arranged on handbags or backpacks.

What are the rules for stacking rings, necklaces, earrings, or bracelets? Once upon a time the rule was keep all your metal colors or other bead/bangle types the same.  Then that rule changed to mix metals but keep the color of the gems or enameling the same a few years ago.  Now there is no real rules, except there is the suggestion to not overstack.  For instance if you do a big bracelet stack, use less rings on the finger or necklaces around the neck.  If you are big into cocktail rings or multiple rings stacked, wear leass bracelets and it is ok to wear more around the neckline.  The main idea is to not look over-done but keep true to your personal style and your favorite looks or colors.  Mix textures, links, and tones to make things more interesting ,without getting too clunky.

Get adventerous with your jewelry!  This will give you more options for the investment you have made in your purchases.  Test multiple stacking looks with your wardrobe to find your preferred style.  For more ideas on stacking, check out Standard Style article 6 Jewelry Trends That Are Out and The Styles To Invest In Now.

Reviving Southwest Style with Desert Pearls Popularity

 Southwest style jewelry is making a comeback all across America and in other courtries as well.  The big thing with the younger crowd is something they are calling "Desert Pearls" or "Native Pearls."   

Why the new trend?  Maybe is is a natural extension of the freshwater pearl craze that was big a few years ago, because farms culturing pearls in water lost many crops during the shutdown of workforce availabilty.  Or maybe the rise in silver prices has made people more aware of these beads as they look for alternatives to the chuky precious metal chains that are another current fashon "must have" for layering.  Whatever the reason for reviving style trend toward silver beads, knowing what to look for is imprtant.  

What is the difference between the dessert pearls and tradtional Navajo or pearls?  The primary difference is desert pearls can be from any Native American/Indian tribe or industrial manufacturer and may or may not be handmade silver.  Navajo pearls are traditionally handmade and oxidized by actual members  of the Navajo tribe of Native Americans.  If dessert pearls are handmade by another tribe, they will usually call them by their own tribe name instead of using the generic term of desert pearls.  To see the difference between manufactured silver bead/pearls watch the TikTok video by a bead artist at Black Wolfe White Wolfe Designs.  To learn more about the different "cowgirl styles" and sizes of silver beads, watch the TikTok video by a bead distributor from Tin and Turquoise, in Canada?! 

Are there more southwest jewelry options than plain dessert pearls?  Another great bead option for southwest style is "Liquid Silver,"  which offers a more eligant or delicate look to southwest style depending on the number of strands and the necklace leangth.  Taking southwest style past just a silver beaded necklace  means adding a pendant or purchasing a ready-made native style.  The "Squash Blossom" necklace is also making a huge comeback.  Squash Blossoms are fluted trumpet-shaped silver (with or without stones) extended out from dessert pearls.  These flutes are named after the sideview of blossoms on squash plants.   Most of the blossom necklace will include a large center pendant that usually is a horseshoe-shape known as the "Naja."  For this reason, some people may refer to the necklace as a naja because of the shape, but a naja necklace does not have to have blossoms on it.  The naja pendant may be all silver or also have inset stones, often turquoise or shell are the most popular stone choices.  Although some blossom necklaces may have a "Concho" or Cross as their focal-point, these are usually stationary or separate pendants on desert pearls, liquid silver, silver chains, or stone beads.  Conchos usually are oval shaped, but may be round too.  Conchos may be silver with a stamped design, be a large stone set in a small silver frame, have a smaller stone in the center of silver design, or be a circular pattern of stones set to resemble the top of a flower or the rays of the sun.

Where is the best place to buy southwest style jewelry?  For authentic Native American jewelry, it is best to buy from artisans at tribal locations.  Alternatively, do a search the internet for "Native American Jewelry" and then read the about section to verify the site belongs to a Pueblo, Tribe, or Collective.  Since everything is handmade and usually one-of-a-kind, expect to pay laot.  Buying from TV shipping channels is typically a lower cost option, as the jewelry peices may by handmade but made in multiples.  HSN offers Chaco Canyon , which is a collective from New Mexico.  HSN also offers Mine Finds by Jay King of New Mexico, who has a modern twist on Southwest bead designs. QVC offers an American West line also from New Mexico.  JTV has a lower-priced southwest inspired line that is manufactured in India.

Jewelry is just one part of the current southwest fashion trend.  Cowgirl and cowboy style is in again!  Not just jewelry but boots and hats are being revived too.  As an extension of the USA trend - red, white, and blue patriotism clothing is surging as well.

Lounge Wear or Lazy Fashion?

 There is another sloppy, lazy fashion trend among the young people in their teens and early twenties.  They are wearing pajama pants designed for lounging at home to class and on-the-job!  Instead of dressing for success, they are dressed for bed.  If the torn jeans trend and thick hosery called leggings was not bad enough, this post-pndemic trend is worse.  At least the torn stuff was real-world clothing with a trend of  homeless-hobo (aka pitiful version of Boho).  Wearing pajama pants signals the job market that they are too lazy to get out-of-bed and get dressed.  Instead of waking students up to the ridiculous trend, schools and "influencers" are embracing the stupidity per the New York Post.  Used to be that PJs worn in public were only on kids too sick for their parents to leave at home while they went to buy supplies.

Not only are the Tic-Toc "influencers" pushing the look for more views and increased ad revenue, fashion magazines and clothing manufactures are jumping on the bed-head style by adding $100-priced options to their fashion lines.  And why not, if younger people want to look like they are sleepwaking when out at midnight dancing, somebody may as well make lots of money off it.  Fashion houses and their paid marketing representatives (influencers and magazines) are beginning to push thin fabric in stripes for Spring/Sumer over the previously popular flannel plaids for Fall/Winter.  Now even more dollars can be spent on even less of a value!  So should we admire the fashion industry for their business sense in finding a way to save themselves money and give the customer less for more dollars?

Maybe this is a natural extension of matching pajamas for Christmas photos? Parents may or may not be upset about the current but goofy style.  Afterall, if they shop discount stores they can buy pajama pants for less than jeans.  If they shop department stores, the jeans and pajamas are most likely the same price, so the person funding the fashion might prefer the longer lasting fabric of denim jeans.  What will the teens and twenty-somethings think if their parents started wearing the trend too?  Mom,  Dad, Grandparents and other adults; if you want the lazy look too, check out the 8 wearing options (photos in pajama vs jeans or dress pants) listed in article by Who What Wear.  Adults can really let their kids feel cool if they go tweensie with their teen or young not-so-adult at school or social events! 

 

Four Ways Fashionistas May Use a Thirty-inch Chain

A thirty-inch chain isa very good fashion staple for any lady (a woman or a girl) in gold, rose, or silver depending on preference of the wearer. There are many ways to wear a 30" chain besides just alone.  Fahionistas always want the lasted look in jewlery as well as clothing. 

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1. The long chain can always be worn alone or layererd with other lengths of chains for a flashy yet elegant look.  It fits  easily and quickly over the head, no need to unclasp it!   
2. When longer necklaces are the current fahion trend, a large medallion or medium size pendant may be slipped onto the 30" chain to get the most stylish look and keep the chain from disappearing into the jewelry box. 
3. 
   If shorter or choker style necklces are the current rage, then chain can be doubled for a 15" look for small necks (for larger necks, consider using a small chain extender to get a little extra length).  The doubled chain can be worn alone or depedning on thickness of the chain it may fed throuh the bale of a pendant twice to get close to the collar length or chocker look.  This helps your chain do double-duty so it gets worn more often.
4. Lastly, this long necklace may be unclasped, wrapped around a wrist for a multi-strand bracelet or around the ankle for use as an anklet, then clasped to keep it on.   Be sure not to make it too tight!  If desired, a shortener clasp might be useful to keep the loops of chain together to keep the desired look.  Also, a small pendant or charm may be placed on the chain or in the clasp for extra interest.  

Once a 30" chain has been purchased and then worn trying out the different ways to wear it, a truly stylish fashionista will likely buy another in a different chain style or metal color.  After getting multiple long chans, a bonus #3 look maybe to try torsading them together for a dual-tone (or tri-tone) or multi-texture choker. 

Cameos Revived, Not Just for Grandmas Anymore

Cameos are more than jewelry, they are little peices of artistic sculputre.  Typically cameos are mainly relief (aka relievo, positive. 3-D, or raised above surface) style carved onto the surface of shells or stones.  Although similar carvings might be carved into amber and translucent stones as intaglio (aka negative, recessed, reverse design INside of cabochon or flat).  Although cameos are historical treasures and have been around for centuries as a favorite for antique jewelry collectors, a new generation is falling in love with them creating a revival for this jewelry design. 

Antique and vintage-looking cameos have made a big comeback in fashion with younger people.  Now they are etched into mother-of-pearl, inlay designs, or slightly carved into inexpensive stones for lower prices.  Some cheaper cameos are also available in resin or glass via a mold process rather than hand-carved.  The new artisan carved shell and stone raised designs include animals, scenes, or skulls in additon to the previous portrait, flower, or religious  designs.  With all the new materials, cameos now come in colors other than coral, white, amber, or black.  The cameo sizes have also changed from half-inch or 1-inch to as big as 3 inches in height.  Cameos may still be in silver or gold frames, but they also appear cut-out, wire-wrapped, or hanging freely without any metal other than bale.  Cameos no longer require an 18" chain to wear as a necklace, they can be extended from longer heavier chains, or a leather cord, or on a lace choker depending on the desired edgy or dressy look.  Brooches are not only put on the shoulder or jacket lapel, they adorn hats, waistlines, and handbags too.  Bracelets and rings have evolved too - bangles and cocktail sized. Cameos are no longer just for Grandmas, now they are true fashion finds! 

Cameos can still be expensive at storefront jewelers, which is why people are checking out shopping channels and websites for newer versions like those from Michael Valitutti (see video) of Canada with carvings from Italy or painted items from Russia.  Or the Scognamiglios family (see history below) of Italy.  Unless a cameo collector of vintage options, ebay searches and antique stores are the best options as auction house bidding typically goes beyond most people's budgets for fashionable jewelry.      

History of Scognamiglio Coral and Cameo Jewelry Designers - In 2007 the Scognamiglio Family celebrated the 150th ANNIVERSARY of the beginning of their business.  Below are the generations of designers and sellers in the family-owned and operated business.

1. Michele Scognamiglio (Born in 1815) was one of the first to start a small coral factory in 1857 in Via Purgatorio n° 112 in Torre del Greco.
2. Giovanni Scognamiglio (Born in 1852) continued the business very successfully. He invented a one piece coral bracelet which was patented and won the first prize at the “Paris Expo”.
3. Michele Scognamiglio (Born in 1875) was a physician and President of the Company heling expert father.
4. Giovanni Scognamiglio (Born in 1905) started to run the family business in 1930. received from the Public Authorities the honorary title of Knight of Labour.
5. Dott. Michele Scognamiglio (Born in 1939) married teacher and jewelry designer Marisa Scognamiglio. He was President of M+M Scognamiglio srl. where he modernized the business and the marketing procedures. He acquired two prestigious properties in New York and Tokyo-Ginza to be used as branches and showrooms of M+M Scognamiglio srl.
6. Giovanni Scognamiglio (Born in 1970) handled the legal side of the main company in Capri Italy.  Dott. Amedeo Scognamiglio (Born 1972?) worked as cameo carver and jewelry designer and took over USA branch of family business in 1997 moving to New York.  In 2002, Amedeo launched the ITALY CAMEO by M+M SCOGNAMIGLIO TV show on the HSN.com and has since won several designer awards and even featured in many design articles.  Cristiano Scognamiglio (Born in 1978) ran the family business at the Tokyo-Ginza branch and introduced coral jewels of styles more suitable to the younger and middle aged ladies.  

WK Silver Vintage Jewelry Designer Whitney Kelly on QVC

Wow, that was a long and wierd blog title: WK Silver Vintage Jewelry Designer Whitney Kelly on QVC or was  it?  The title lists all the key words people typcially use to try to find detials on this particular jewelry designer. 

Whitney Kelly once sold her silver jewelry designs through the home shoping channel QVC.com with the trademark of her initials WK and sterling silver mark 925.  Her designs featured real gemstones that were mostly unheard of in nice jewelry at the time or were mostly limited to Southwest style designs.  She blended modern with southwest and "artisan" looks from other countries.  Back when she was on QVC, her necklaces, bracelets, and rings would have been considerd "bridge" jewelry.  That is the bridge between fine (gold with faceted gemstones) and costume (plastic and mystery metal now referred to as fashion) jewelry lines.  With the rise in cost of silver, her styles are now considered fine jewlery and classifed as "vintage" look in fashion.

For vintage jewelry collectors, Whitney Kelly may be found at estate sales or reseller sites like ebay, etsy, and poshmark.  Unfortuantely, most sellers on these sites do not know what stones were used in the items they are selling, so you may see lots of different descriptions for the same items.  WK did use lot of tiger's eye, turquoise, mother of pearl, and jaspers.  Ocassionally, she would do sliced agates, mosiac opal, or use green malachite and blue lapis.  If you see jade listed, it is most likely an aventurine, onyx, or calcedony instead.  Her pink stones were usually rhodonite, but that is based only on what I have seen so far.  For great example photos of her designs, visit the gem.app stie. The most expensive peices of her line were her signature chunky bracelets.  Those bracelets still are the most sought after peices and can go for fairly high bids on auction sites.  

Whitney Kelly started as a one-of-a-kind jeweler before selling on QVC.  After she left QVC, she exclusively designed in gold and sold through her own website.  The website is gone now and there seems to be no way of finding anything out about her anymore.  Since QVC and her designs were big in both the US and UK, I do not know where she was from.  Not being able to find details is a shame since she was such a great designer that her styles are still loved, collected, and worn.  

If anyone knows more about Whitney Kelly, please let me and my readers know by adding the infromation in a comment on thsi blog.  If anyone has a WK jewelry peice and are wondering what the stones are, add a question in the comments with a link to your item's photo on pinterest or elsewhere and I will let you know what I think the stones might be.

Layering Necklaces for Elegant or Messy Looks

Layering multiple gold or silver chain necklaces was big in the eighties through nineties and then went away for a few years.  Now layering necklaces keeps getting more popular with every year.    It is not just chains anymore.  The necklace layering can be chains, pendants, beads, and/or pearls.   Fashion allows the layering to be a elegant look of 2-3 pieces or even more for messy casual.   

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To make the layered look easier and neater, use a multi-clasp (Amazon options) to hook everything together to check out the look and put it on as one necklace.  If the necklaces are the same length and a cascading look is desired, purchase other handy jewelry stretching options  or make your own to achieve it. If the messy look is preferred, then just layer them up at all the same length for cluttered chunky look or slightly different levels.  Framing the look with pearls always adds a level of class to an outfit.

Steps to create a great cascading look in necklaces:

1. Start with shortest diamond pendant, line necklace, or small bead or pearl necklace. 

2. Add y-necklace, longer mid-length bead necklace, drop pendant or slightly longer bar, if not 1st layer. 

3. Finish or frame with a longer beaded-chain, metal chain, more complementary beads, or long pearls. 

4-5. *Optional - Throw in a different color beads/pearls or pendant to add contrast and additional interest to layers.  

Notes:

• If you want to go over 3, multiple item looks typically appear more balanced in odd numbers,  So think about your layers like you would do a flower arrangement.  
• Depending on selection in step 4, it can give either a more boho look or make an elegant addition to elevate the look beyond matchy-matchy.  Another option for the look of 4th layer is to use really long strand from 3rd layer and double it over head so part is at choker length and the other part is the longest layer.
• To reduce the possibility of necklaces getting all tangled up, choose to use the multi-clasp noted above.  An alternative way to reduce messy tangles when using beads or pearls layered is to put that on necklace on last.  This way the chains are below the beads/pearls so they lay flatter and the finished look is neater.
• Remember - just as single rose in a bud vase can look more elegant than a huge bouquet, sometimes one necklace is all you need for a classy look.

Thrift Store Beading - Finding the Good Stuff for Jewelry Making

You can find great beads at craft stores, gem shows, or on-line outlets.  However, if you are just starting to make jewelry or are a budget-conscious experienced jewelry designer, you may want to find a cheaper alternative for finding the valuable beads you crave.  Thrift stores often sell jewelry for really low prices and you have the benefit of helping a charity.  You may find a good piece you love to wear as is.  More likely, you will find a broken necklace, stuff with a few chipped stones, something missing clasps, or perhaps a badly constructed piece - all with some really great beads.  You can recycle these thrift store finds by cleaning and re-purposing the beads into new trendy necklaces with other beads in your stock or turn them into stretch or wrap bracelets.  Your jewelry making can then produce some fashionable new item for yourself, a special piece to give as a gift, or if you craft for extra income - an addition to your sales table.  

As an example of this idea, a few months back, I found some Hubei turquoise beads in some really ugly necklaces at the thrift store.  One necklace was short and extremely heavy (about 2 pounds), the other was free-form bead nuggets rounded and polished.  Both necklaces had a few chipped or cracked stones.  Since the store was having an extra discount sale that day, I decided to buy them and re-construct them into something more wearable.  I also thought I could use the bad beads to test some of the various stone polishing techniques I had seen on hobby sites.  I had also bought  a multi-strand necklace featuring green African turquoise on another trip to re-create into something new as well.  

Over the last 2 weeks, we have had several days of freezing rain, sleet, or snow, so I decided to start on my turquoise projects. I started by creating 2 traditional Southwest looks of graduated necklaces with the disc/tire beads and modernizing it with contrasting-color round beads as spacers/finishers.  Using all the disc beads still made the necklaces too heavy, so I left out the largest beads of each color and ended up with necklaces that weighed around a quarter-of-a-pound each.  Then I took two of the strands from the multi-strand necklace and combined them to create a longer southwest-style nugget  and chip necklace.  Since I still had beads leftover,  I thought I'd try a mixed nugget and disc necklace that would feature the matrix on the larger tire beads by treating them like a donut bead.  They were TOO heavy and broke the wire I used to test my design idea (see middle photo).  Instead, I decided to try wire-wrapping and corded necklaces for some boho-chic looks featuring the blue or green colored disc beads as focal points.  Finally, I took the miniature turquoise colored round beads layer on the multi-strand and combined it with small glass pearls to create a choker-length necklace. Details on each finished piece of jewelry may be found on my Pinterest page (photos of all new in top of this post, photo of original finds in bottom of post)).

After making 7 necklaces and 2 pendants from the original 3 thrift store finds, I still have a short strand of crystal bends, a partial strand of small baroque pearls, and many silver-tone spacers beads to use as spacers in future jewelry or craft projects. I also have 10 polished stones from the bad ones for my rock collection or cactus garden.   I re-purposed the clasps from the two Hubei necklaces in the new ones and will use the chain from the multi-strand in another project later.

Speaking of re-purposing, the chain on the nugget necklace was an old pocket watch chain of my Dad's.  It still had the watch bow attached, so I'm guessing the watch fell and broke when the chain did.  The chain was in a small drawer of my Mom's jewelry box with other broken chain sections.  Before Mom passed, she told me she kept them there for Dad to use for repairing chains or when he needed to replace a clasp.  She said I could keep them or throw them away, so I dumped them in a plastic container because I thought they might be re-purposed as necklace extenders and heavy-weight clasps.  

Those Cute Beads Are Too Tiny

I bought this really cute 100-inch 2mm black spinel and 5mm pearl long endless necklace from a mail order site.   I thought it would go great with other black jewelry. The first time I wore it, I created an approximately  25-inch frame for a black stone pendant by looping it 4-times and putting it over my head.  The next time I wore it, I thought I would wear it alone as a messy multi-strand choker by just wrapping it over my head and around my neck several times - it looked great.  However, when I went to take it off, it was a tangled and knotted mess.  After working over half an hour to try to untangle it, I decided to just cut it off by leaning over a bowl to catch the beads and pearls.  I then put them in a small storage container to consider reconstruction options later.  

We recently had a day of rain and snow, so I thought it would be a good opportunity to create and repair jewelry.  I started with the longest strand left from the above necklace.  I removed a few beads to get it to look like it came built that way.  After knotting the thread ends, I quickly ended up with a 56-inch version of the first endless necklace.  I will use a looped necklace extender or pearl shortener (links are examples on Amazon) in the future when wearing it doubled or tripled to avoid the tangle issue.  Then I looked at the remaining beads to decide if I wanted to try to create versions of shorter things I had seen on various websites. 

Since they a fashionable, I had been thinking about making a jewelry tassel and decided these tiny beads would make a great beaded version.   Depending on how I constructed it, I could put the tassel on a chain, small beads, or regular-size pearls.  Looking through my remaining intact strands, I found four that were the same size which would create 8-strands once folded over and knotted on each end.  I removed the pearls from those strands to use on a shorter necklace.  I then added a large jump ring that could slide over small beads/pearls, thread wrapped around the top for tassel look, and topped it with a large acorn-shaped pearl. The 4-inch tassel took longer than I expected, but was pretty easy to do and I thought it looked lovely.

Finally, I decided to make an 18" necklace with a large center pearl and tiny pearl stations using the ones taken off tassel above.  If I had extra beads after the necklace I would try to create a bracelet.  I could not get any wire I had or a small needle with thread to go through the holes in the 2mm black spinel beads!  After going to the craft store and buying 28 gauge (tiniest size) wire, I started stringing through the teeny holes in the tiny beads.  This part of project took most of the day!  The bead holes were hard to find with the shinny facets confusing my eyes about what I was seeing plus I do not have a bead spinner.  While stringing, the beads kept spilling or coming off the wire!  So I lost some beads and had to use multiple tiny clamps to keep them from slipping around on wire.  I did have beads left over and my bracelet ended up at 6.5 inches so I added an extender to it for extra length.  I added an extender chain to the necklace as well, so it can be worn longer when desirable.  As a break from the tiny bead stringing, I created a pair of matching 1.5" hook earrings from other beads and pearls leftover from past projects.  

Lessons learned:  Do NOT buy extra long necklaces made with micro-tiny beads!  Do NOT try to make custom jewelry with 2mm beads.

How to Make a Wrap Bracelet Using Memory Wire

Some of my most popular posts are on how to: make a stretch bracelet, buy braclets, or store bracelets.  With that in mind, I thought I would add other bracelet instructions to the blog.  Below is a vidoe on ho how to make a wrap bracelet using memory wire.

Often you will buy or make bracelets that just have a loop at tend but it looks more finished with a charm hanging on the ends.  The video includes this tip.  You can also finish the end by placing a metal bead inside the loop before turning in the loop, however you must be careful not to crush or bend the bead during the turning process. I plan to experiment with making a hook on one end and a loop at the other end of my next wire bracelet to create a closure for a single row bangle.

Off with Pajamas and On with Fashion!

Have you noticed how many men and women walk around the grocery store in their pajamas in recent years?  What about sweats, yoga pants, too-snug tights, or torn pants at the stylish department stores?  For the last few months, most of the world has been living in their PJs or work-out gear as we play, educate, and work from home.  Now we want to dig through our closets and find something different to either go back to work or go out with friends.  Will we turn from comfort wear to high fashion?  Will we go back to "dress to impress" rather than the embarrassing low self-esteem  "I just don't care" looks?

A few of the styles coming out as "the 2020 fashion" may make it into the business scene, but will most of it really be for recreational settings?  After reviewing Cosmopolitan Magazines's 16 Trends, I had to wonder.

1. Puffy sleeves may look cute for casual wear or on a fancy dress, but seem ridiculous in the conference room.  
2. Polka dots seem to always be fashionable, although the  size of the dots may change each year, but only small dots work on dresses for the office, although dotted shirts with a solid skirt are a good look.  
3. Pleated skirts have always been acceptable for a professional looks, save the pretty flowy dresses and blouses for evening or church.  
4. Trench coats are outer-wear to keep you warm during cold weather or dry when it is raining.  The style rarely changes - only colors, so why are we looking at it?
5. I like yellow so I'm ok with the shade for fashion.  However, Pantone said the color of the year 2020 is blue, last year it was coral, yellow was the color in 2009.
6. Maxi skirts hae been popular for spring and summer the past few years.  Happy to see the midi skirt is back? That skirt length does makes for more sense in the workplace than a maxi.
7. Jumpsuits go in and out-of-style more often than skirt lengths.  Although they can sometimes look slimming, they are not office wear unless a jacket is worn over them.  They do however fit ok in a manufacturing setting or retail store.   Look for a good fit that is not too tight or too loose,  Too tight looks like you gained weight and too loose gives you a frumpy vibe.
8. Leather at work?  Be careful here, it can get very hot.  Only consider it for outside of work hours and in an appropriate setting.
9. Shorts at work?  Same cautions as leather and jumpsuits.  Only wear to work if your employer is ok with them because of the type of work you do or the environment where you work.
10. Billowy dresses ?  As with puffy sleeves, not for work!  Too much fabric can get caught on other stuff.  Do you want to be the one to knock over something or worse - trip yourself?  Plus most of the loose styes make most women look FAT.
11. 1/2&1/2 - really?  It is still color blocking, which has been in fashion for a few years since it can be a slimming look if done right.  
12. Another 70s-80s look is back - boxy blazers.  So now those suits way back in the corner of my closet are once again in!  These look great over contrasting solids or matching floral skirts.  IF you prefer a more tailored look, you can belt the blazer to create an hourglass figure.
13. Bra tops!  Where would anyone work (other than a bar or tattoo parlor) that would be ok with this?  Use it only for weekend wear at the beach and hope the local shops do not ban you for trying to wear your swimsuit inside.
14. Streamlined men's-style trousers have been in style for women for some time, just the waistline and ankle-area changes.  Looks especially classy and slimming worn with a matching jacket as a suit.  For casual wear use with a pretty blouse, not tucked in but worn over the top.
15. Maxi dresses continue to be in style, although some of the knits may be a little heavier that the lycra and tee choices of the past few years.  If you still love it, wear it!
16. Cardigans have been popular through the ages.  However the length of both the sleeve and bodice keeps changing.   As long as it is no looking overly tired or faded, you can still wear it regardless of what may be considered fashionable.  

As you can see, the saying "everything old is new again" holds true for fashion.   Vintage clothing can be stylish.  What do you have in your closet that you can revitalize?  What do you have you should  give away or donate?  If you do not love it anymore, get rid of it.  If you still love it, figure our how to wear it considering the retro trend.

What is the difference in Spiny Oyster and Spiny Turquoise?

Red Spiny Oyster Outside

You have heard of Mother-of-Pearl (MOP) jewelry, which is made from the inside of the mollusk shell that can produce pearls.  The MOP is the same nacre materials as the produced pearl.  The MOP use in jewelry has been around for centuries.   The pearl-producing oyster is not the only organic gemstone used for jewelry.

Spiny Oyster Inside with Heishi Strand

The Spiny oyster, from Baja in California or Mexico, was popular
with Native Americans for jewelry.  As the desire for inexpensive or southwestern-style jewelry grew in the mid-to-late 20th century, the Heishe (pronounced Hee-Shee and also spelled Heishi) bead necklaces made from various white and cream-colored shells became popular.  Heishi beads are typically assorted rondelle-shape in most necklace and bracelet strands, but may be slightly tubular in older jewelry.  Spiny oyster is highly desirable  as it comes in natural shades of pinkish to red, medium purple, and bright orange to rusty.  These spiny colors are also popular as cabochons for  southwestern jewelry and to use in inlay Native American styles of jewelry set, which are typically bezel set in silver.

Multi Spiny Inlay
with Turquoise

NOTE:  When purchasing an inlay piece or multi--stone jewelry, verify whether spiny or coral was used with the seller as it is easy to confuse the reds and oranges.  Some corals are on the endangered species list, so they too have special harvesting restrictions and are going up in price.  If the jewelry piece has turquoise too, you may want to ask what type of turquoise it is for collectability and pricing  reasons.  If the seller is not the original designer, do not be surprised if they do not know the province or name for the turquoise.  If you like it and the price is right, buy it!

Spiny Turquoise Cabochon

Although spiny started as an inexpensive organic stone for jewelry, the price has gone up as harvesting the shells is now regulated although it is not yet an endangered species.  As a result in the increased price, it became important to save the remnants from making larger jewelry pieces for use in smaller inlays.  Another way for jewelry makers to use remnants was to mix them with turquoise and metal to make a new decorative stone.  This mix process was first developed my Kingman mines to form and color Mojave (pronounced moh-hah-vee and also spelled Mohave) in 1975.  The process was adapted to make Spiny Turquoise, which is very popular and currently fashionable with both Native American and high-end jewelry makers. The mix is usually made with orange spiny and blue turquoise, however other colors of spiny, as well as white MOP, may be present in the mix.  The turquoise and shell materials are infused with a melted metal and then compressed into the new man-made gemstone called Spiny Turquoise.

Other shells that are popular for jewelry making are the Lion's Paw which has both orange and brown, the purplish Tiger Cowrie, and silvery blue Abalone.  Pink or peachy Conch  and other shells have been popular for making cameos for centuries.

What is a bolo bracelet or necklace?

Men's Bolo Tie

In the last few years, you may have heard the term bolo in relation to a bracelet or necklace.  You may wonder how "be on the look out" team applies to jewelry?  Or you may be disappointed to find your favorite online store did not misspelled BOGO "buy 1 get 1."   So what does the term bolo refer to when speaking about jewelry?

The term bolo became popular for an ornamental men's tie, typically made for western wear, southwestern-style, or native American jewelry.  Basically the bolo necktie was a corded, twisted or braided piece of leather with a jeweled item that slide up-and-down on the cord.  The ornamental slide allowed the man to put it on over his head, lay under his collar, and then adjust slide to where he wanted it to sit in the front of his shirt.  These type of ties were popular in the 1950's through 1980's in the United States.  Just as it was falling out of favor in America, a version of these ties  became popular in other countries as well.  Other names for this type of men's tie ornamentation is bola, bootlace, cowboy, gaucho, lariat, shoestring, or  western.

Now you are thinking, ok that's interesting history.  What has it got to do with women's jewelry?  The  bolo, also known as a lariat or slide/slider necklace, was adapted for women by putting the ornamental slide part on a matching chain necklace.  The slide portion became a replacement for a pendant worn in the front of an outfit.  These necklaces were typically fashion wear instead of fine jewelry.  These were popular sometime after 1960 but gone by the 1980s as the slide often broke off or became  so loose it would not stay in place.  Ok, so why is the bolo for women in fashion again?

Women;s Bolo Bracelet

Recently, the idea of the bolo slide has been adapted to making adjustable bracelets and necklaces using a silicon-based material inside of a bead.  The bead slides up-and-down over 2-sections of chain to make the bracelet from large-to-small or make a necklace longer-to-shorter.  Necklace beads can be extenders at the back of a necklace or used as the decorative portion of a Y-necklace in the front.  This bolo jewelry may be found from fashion bracelets to fine gem necklaces - in faux-metals, steel, silver, and  gold. Supposedly, the silicon never wears out so the worry of bracelet being too big or necklace too long will no longer an issue.  Only time will tell on that though.

Want another fashion tip on the bolo tie?  Women are also using vintage men's bolo ties as BOHO fashion and for layering with turquoise for a new southwest style.  That look is really cool.  Makes me wish I had held onto one of my Dad's old ties!

Making Cord Necklaces and How to Use Them as Extenders

Inset shows joining clasps

Do you have a pendant that you do not have a chain with?  Do you have one that you think would look great on a satin or leather cord?  Do you have some beads that you fell would work better as a long necklace  In tips for stretching your jewelry wardrobe blog post, ways to extend necklaces was presented.  However, these tips only shorten or lengthen necklaces a little. 

Whether you want a short necklace for a pendant or want to wear your beads longer, you can use a leather cord to help out.  Often ready-made leather cords in stores will have an extender chain  to make a longer necklace, but you can not use them as an extender unless you remove the extra chain with wire cutters.  I solved this problem by making my own leather cords to wear choker (16 inch or less) or normal length (18" or 20") for pendant or to add to my beaded bracelets or bead necklaces to make a longer necklace.  

Examples:  An 18" cord with an 20" bead strand attached makes a 38" necklace I can put on over my head (see longest in photo).  The same size cord with an 6" bracelet attached creates a 24" necklace (see middle in photo).  And of course the cord can be used with any large bale pendant.

Steps for how to make the cord necklace:

1. Buy leather cording and crimps on Amazon or at local craft store.
2. Cut cord to prefered length and put crimps on each end (see video post).
3. Attach spring ring (or lobster) clasp to one end and a jump ring to other. end (see video post).

Bell Bottoms Are Back! Can you believe it?

Did you think the sailor-style of high-waisted and bell-bottomed (or flare-leg) pant would ever come back?  It was big fashion around 1968-1978.  Way before the pencil-style (aka skinny leg) became the current fashion rage.  You only saw people wearing the bell-style as a brief comeback in the late 90's as a reflection of That 70's Show on television. followed by an occasional appearance as a "hippie" party costume.  Now, over 4 decades later we are seeing celebrities wearing the bell style pant leg as everyday wear.  As before, the smaller bells are more popular in jeans,  The bigger flare (formerly known as elephant bells - which lead to the 70's trend of elephant-leg lounge pants that flared down from the hip) seems to be reserved for dressier styles and lady country singers.

Are you wondering if the look is for you?  Check out 5 Reasons to Embrace Jeans with Flare. and The Top 7 Denim Trends. All sorts of pant styles are making a resurgence in fashion.  However, the lycra-infused skinny leg is still very popular!  Women still want to look thinner and be comfortable at the same time, which this time-tested style still provides.  So the skinny-leg and jeggings may stick around a while longer.

Thirty Tips for Using Bobby Pins Outside of Hair Styling

There are lots of hair style that benefit from the use of bobby pins.  Whether you want the pins to be displayed or hidden in your hair, you can try almost 50 different styles.

However, did you know that bobby pins have other uses in your closet and around the house too?  Below are 30 tips (15 each) giving ways to use bobby pins to help out.


15 Quick Clothing Repairs and Craft Tips Using a Bobby Pin

1. Fix a broken zipper slide
2. Mini clothespins for lingerie
3. Use to hold silky fabrics together, instead of straight pins, when sewing
4. Hold together a broken clothing strap or for a missing button
5. Tie a knot in drawstring to thread back into pants or hoodie
6. Repair broken or sagging hemline
7. Use as a money clip
8. Prevent tangling on the end of ribbon or lace roles
9. Pin/brush tip for fingernail art
10. Poke thru elastic to use as threader in new waistband
11. Use as a tie clip inside a vest or jacket
12. Keep balls/skeins of yarn together
13. Secure loose end of a too long belt
14. Stitch saver to mark ends of knitting rows
15. Embellish pins for hair or jewelry-making crafts

15 Tips to Help Around the House Using a Bobby Pin

1. Reset electronics with tiny hole or button
2. Squeeze and roll- up toothpaste tube
3. Pry out little batteries or SIM cards
4. Mark end of the tape role
5. Use as a bookmark
6. Instead of paper clip or staple on notes or multiple pages
7. Use as a bag clip on snacks
8. Pry open stuck medicine or drink seals on bottles and jars
9. Hold a nail when hammering it
10. Open letter envelopes without tearing
11. Lock the end of twine or cord onto roll
12. Keep headphones cords from tangling
13. Hook hair out of clogged drain
14. Hold together streamers or tinsel on holiday tree
15. Use as ornament holders if you are missing hooks

Let me know if you come up with any other ideas by placing your suggestions in the commetns for this post.

Summer Fashions Make Awesome Outfits

Good Housekeeping

Jube 2019 Cover

Been looking at a lot of magazines for May and June that are touting the new summer fashions?  I like when summer comes - the weird and wild looks go away to be replaced with light and lovely style.  Which magazine did the best job on summer fashions?  Surprising it was Good Housekeeping (GH on Amazon),with May fashion photo articles of 25 summer dresses and 10 simple dresses, plus  nail designs slideshow.  The June GH issue has a 5-page photo spread "A week of Awesome Outfits" using light-weight separates. and a 4-page "Summer Beauty Special" with 5 cosmetic secrets plus a sunscreen evaluation. In addition to clothing fashion, the June issue has some good ideas for bed and bath styling.

GH covered dresses, shirts, shirts, and pants.  What about the easy-to-wear summer shorts or skorts?  Check out the June issue of Family Circle (on Amazon) photo article "Find the Right Style Shorts for Your Body" or the Stitch Fix blog post "5 Ways To Style Your Summer Outfits With Shorts."

Ruffles and Bows are Back in Fashion!

Ruffles and bows or the romantic look were in some years ago.  Romantic meaning major florals (typically small prints, sometimes with a few large in the mix) in southern belle like looks with and without ruffles. Romantic jewelry is typically reflected in choker style necklaces on lace or ribbons. Although lovely dresses in floral prints are still around, big flowers were the it thing back in Spring 2019.  Now flower prints are not as big as ruffles and bows for 2019.  Although in the fall  3-D flowers or appliques added to the garment are fashionable per Covetuer's Floral Print Trend photo post, as well as sheer fabrics per The Doll Factory photo blog.on Flower Trend,

Many of the ruffled tops are cute, some dresses and skirts are ok, but most of the bottom separates are ugly or ridiculous and look like old-fashioned country singer rejects.  Check out what I mean in Ruffles are Back in A Big Way Fashion Forecast by StyleCaster.  However, the bow trend is downright out-of-hand as it seems the bigger the better is what designers are touting for evening wear.  If you want the bow style, check out Bazaar's photo article or Vogue's slideshow.  Since the fashion frills are so big, jewelry is not typically worn with it,  However, a long medallion style necklace or tassel may be worn if the ruffles are at the bottom rather than above the waist.  Long strands of beads or pearls also go with this look - layer or knot them for a flapperesque style to slim the silhouette more.  

Updating Pearls by Mixing with Beads

Pearls Strung with Other Bead Types

In other posts, new fashionable up-to-date looks with pearls included mixing with chains and chips or varying sizes/colors/shapes.  The newest hot look is to take pearls and mix them with either round opaque gemstone beads for a soft look.  Or to create a more dramatic look by mixing pearls with faceted beads to give them a bling effect.

The most fashionable necklaces are long so that they can be used in a multitude of ways to create various looks for different occasions.  Check out jewelry designers (see Dallas Prince and Victoria Wieck) and on-line sellers current choices for faceted beads with pearls include smaller sizes of hematite (plain or plated) and spinel on shopping channels.  Same size, smaller, or larger smooth bead choices range from soft colors of rose quartz or milky aquamarine to darker gems like garnet on these sites as well.  Asian designers have been mixing round jade beads with pearls for awhile and that style continues to grow in popularity, especially jade from Burma.

Hand-painted Leather Handbags

Do you want a fashionable handbag that is different form everyone else?  Do you like hand-made items that have that one-of-a-kind look?  Do you know someone who loves carrying a new purse evyerday?  Then you may be interested in the leather handbags by Anuschka or Sukriti for yourself or as gifts.

Thanks to shopping channels, everyone has easy-access to those expensive hand-painted leather purses and accessories.  The most famous in department stores is Anuschka with offices in the USA (NJ) and England (London) and India factories.  View their manufacturing process in 7 minute video below.   Anushka factories also produce the Anna brand.  Typically the handbags, wallets, shoes and more sold on shopping channels (Evine.com)  are designs or colors made especially for them.  The advantage to shopping channels over the manufacturer website or a department store is pricing and payments options.  Typically the shopping channels will offer a payment plan on a major credit card (mastercard/visa) or through their own card so you do not have to pay all at once. Wherever you purchase a new Anuschka handbag, it typically comes with a tote-type bag to keep it in as a dust cover. The shopping channel also has leather wallets by Buxton, embellished handbags by Sharif,

There is a newer option for hand-painted leather bags, accessories, and belts called Sukriti.  It is also made in India but only sold via shopping channels (ShopLc.com) for about $100 less than the above options..  The Sukriti brand produces multi-color scenes similar to Anushka but with an ombre effect on many of their purse handles.  The  newly purchased Sukriti leather purse options typically come a dust-cover bag as well,   Sukriti also has another line called Vivid, which is dyed pattern brand rather than hand painted images. You can see a tour of the Sukriti factory by going to this video.  Another leather handbag option that is not Sukriit on this shopping channel is woven bags under the brand Chaas by Elsie.

Both Anushka and Sukriti guarantee that their dyes will not run/bleed or transfer onto your clothing.  If anyone reading this blog has a comment regarding quality of either brand to share, please add a comment to this blog post to help others make the best decision.