Showing posts with label women. Show all posts
Showing posts with label women. Show all posts

Thursday, September 11, 2014

Alien Jewelry: Earrings, Pendants, Charms

Jewelry, Aliens, and UFO's. Never thought those words could be connected? Well we found a niche online made up of a small group of jewelry artisans who seem to love designing these beings. These artisans handcraft alien eyes, bodies, and UFO spaceships out of wire or polymer clay. There seems to be a market for it, especially on Etsy.com

Often when we think of 'alien' we picture green 'dudes,' however these artists present their jewelry as gray beings, or gold and brown. Do we really know the true skin color of alien beings? Or is there more than one? If humans have multiple skin colors, what do aliens have

Thursday, August 28, 2014

Is Jewelry Gendered?

Is Jewelry 'gender specific'? What Type of Men Wear Jewelry? For What Purpose? 



Men and women both wore jewelry in prehistoric times for symbolic reasons. Men, especially rulers and wealthy folk, wore jewelry to emphasize control, money, power, and honor. Handcrafted pieces were constructed differently for each gender and crafted from multiple fabrics, metals, and ornaments (charms, pendants). 

Wearing certain pieces of jewelry reflected an individual's social rank and class status. In this case, warriors and rulers wore head dresses, special garments, and jewelry to emphasize 'male honor.' 

 

Currently, there are many native societies around the world where both men and women wear jewelry to reflect their traditional rituals (puberty, passage into adulthood).  Warriors within the Naga culture of India wear large necklaces to symbolize honor in killing, or 'headhunting'. Necklaces are constructed of animal skulls, fur, brass rings, and feathers. Other native cultures in Indonesia and the Philippines dress themselves with rings and large 'red hornbill' earrings.

In this modern era, is hyper-masculinity causing men to rethink about wearing large hoops, earrings, and bracelets?

Further Reading:
"Jewelry and Gender," Thesis Paper by Rebecca Ross Russell




Monday, August 25, 2014

Craft and Gossip. Host Jewelry Parties?

How about Hosting a Jewelry Party with Friends?

Get a group of girlfriends together and share ideas on jewelry making. Host a party at your house, provide cheese and wine, and everyone can sit around the table with supplies, dangling wire, and an assortment of beads. Handcraft gold hoop earrings, minimalist wire jewelry, necklaces, silver rings, or stainless steel bracelets. Add colorful charms or painted beads to ultra thin wire. Learn to use minimalist wire to create ultra thin jewelry.   

What about show and tell? 

Share your latest projects with each other, demonstrate how to mold polymer clay, paint beads, or bend wire. Try it as a game, go around the room one by one and show off your handmade crafts. The best part is everyone has a turn to show off stylish knitted sweaters, socks, baby blankets, hats, scarves and more. Who doesn't like to brag about their crafting ability or special handmade jewelry?

Think of jewelry parties as knitting clubs where women gather together to knit, talk gossip, and eat. Who doesn't love spilling the beans about their coworkers, in-laws, or husbands? 

Add a potluck to make it more fun. Everyone can bring a dish to pass, dig in and don't forget the cheesecake! If everything goes well, host another party and make it a monthly get together.




Wednesday, August 13, 2014

Are you a Jewelry Designer?

As a Jewelry Designer, there are so many opportunities to handcraft earrings, bracelets, and necklaces. You can choose several different colors of wire and beads. It's a very artsy craft that caters to so many ideas.  I've been working on creating unique designs for my jewelry for over 7 years.


QUESTIONS FOR YOU:
1. Are you a Jewelry Designer?
2. What do you make?
3. How did you get started?
4. Why is jewelry making appealing for you?

Now I think of jewelry making as a relaxing and calming hobby that helps to take the stress away. When I get home from work after a long day, I enjoyed going into my 'craft area' to sort colors, organize my bead drawers, and bend my wire to make designs.

Now it's your turn to share about yourself!

Tuesday, August 12, 2014

Jewelry Humor Quotes

Special post for fashion and jewelry lovers. You might enjoy these humor quotes:



Intro - Who Am I?

WHAT IS ICKYNICKS?
Ickynicks is an online jewelry shop that specializes in Ultra Thin Jewelry. 

WHAT DO YOU CREATE?
We handcraft unique hoops, earrings, gauge earrings, ear cuffs, and bracelets. We make jewelry in gold, sterling silver, and stainless steel. 

IS ICKYNICKS JEWELRY MADE IN THE USA?
All of our jewelry items are handcrafted in the United States. We do not design anything that we would not wear ourselves. In fact, we typically make the first design or prototype and test it out on family, friends and co-workers.

WHAT IS THE STORY BEHIND 'ICKYNICKS'?
"The Ickynicks website is named in honor of the many wonderful women who have influenced my life. My Aunt Nancy was my first and only aunt to go to college. She graduated with a Master's Degree in Languages and then taught high school Spanish. While my Aunt Nancy was attending Kent State University, she and her three girlfriends tried to join on-campus girls' clubs and sororities, but were rejected by all of them. Feeling isolated and shunned, these four young women fought back by creating their own club and called themselves, the Ickynicks. The purpose of their club was to travel outside the United States. These four adventurous young women traveled to South America, Europe and Canada during their college years."
               - CEO and Founder, Ickynicks Jewelry