Wearing Your Pearls!

Although the 2014 Pearls! Pearls!! Pearls!!! Blog Hop that's happening this Sunday, June 29th here on the MiShel Designs blog had simple instructions that you could create ANYTHING with your pearls - it's a pretty obvious that my contribution will more than likely be PEARL JEWELRY. 

NO!?!  (You would have never guessed that, right?!)

So, let's get a little pearl fashion going on here, shall we?

 

It's fun and exciting (to me, anyway!) to see how pearls have been pushed front and center these last couple of years (FINALLY)!!

I'm thoroughly enjoying their nice little run in the fashion spotlight.

Here's a few things I found on the Internet
to get your pearl fashion cravings satisfied.

First up, this article by Brittany Siminitz a couple of weeks ago over on JCK online, (which is super!) highlights some great luxury pearl jewelry, like this awesome cuff by 
Vincent Peach.

 

Vincent Peach Cuff - LOVE this!!!

Fashion forward and fun!

Then there's the pearl body chains that every one's wearing - sexy, aren't they? 

Foressti on Etsy - Reina body Chain

 
What a great way to wear your pearls!

Then of course, one of my favorites,
Layering your pearls! 

The hottest earring designs around this year 
are those with pearls, too. 

Like these by Dior,...

Dior Earrings, worn by actress Emma Watson - Via Pinterest, Charmandchain.com

Worn by actress, Emma Watson.

FABULOUS!!

And then of course, there's always my favorite designer,
Todd Reed.

His new line of jewelry has bunches of gorgeous pearls included! (Yeah, baby!!!)

Just look at this gorgeous ring of his!

Todd Reed Ring - with PEARLS!!!

 

So, now that your creative juices are flowing,
get out your pearls and start creating!

Then come back here on 
Sunday, June 29th,  and join in the  
2014 Pearls! Pearls!! Pearls!! Blog Hop 
and show us your PEARLS!! 

Until Next Time,
Peace, Love and All Things Pearls!!
Cheers,
~Shel~

Girls and Their Pearls

This Sunday, June 29th, is the 

2014 Pearls! Pearls!! Pearls!!! Blog Hop 

here on the MiShel Designs blog. 

The challenge was simply this: 

Create something using pearls. It doesn't have to be jewelry or bead related at all. It can be anything your little heart desires; from pearl encrusted stilettos, to a pearl laden writing journal or lamp shade, the choice is yours.

June has been a much busier than normal month 

here in our household.  

There's been more travel this month than usual, some very sad moments of losing friends and other loved ones, an unusual amount of extra paper work for our business and school (yes, even though it's summer!), appointments for senior photos, dental and doctor appointments, designing and ordering our 20th Wedding Anniversary rings (Mine's being created by the wonderful team over at Todd Reed in Colorado, and Mike's having our friend Steve help him craft his own - I can't wait to see them both!!) and all sorts of other 'home' stuff to manage.

So, needless to say, I started to majorly stress out about the Pearls! Pearls!! Pearls!!! Blog Hop I decided to host this month. 

However, a friend nicely reminded me that although I'm hosting this hop, it shouldn't be stressful at all because it's just a "link up" type of hop. 

What's that mean you ask?  

It means that if you'd like to participate that all you have to do is come here on June 29th and 'Link Up' with us via the InLinkz link up tool that will be at the bottom of my blog post that morning. 

Simple as pie!  

So, I hope you'll link up with us here on 

Sunday, June 29th 

and join in the Pearl Fun!

In the meantime this week, I am going to give you a couple of posts to wet your whistle on pearls - I mean, how could I knot. I mean not. LOL!

First up, here's a couple of quick and easy reminders on how to care for and store your  pearl jewelry.

Always keep your pearl jewelry, whether it be real pearls or imitation pearls, out of the 'chemical baths' of perfume spraying, lotion lathering and hair spray fogging.  Seriously. Be sure to use your lotion, your perfume and your hair spray BEFORE donning your pearls - and yes, that goes for pearl earrings as well gals! 


Never clean your pearls with liquid chemical jewelry cleaners. I did this once. It was on some really nice Swarovski Crystal Pearl jewelry I created many years ago with sterling silver. I dunked the entire necklace into the little basket, put it in the jewelry cleaning liquid, sealed the lid and left it there for almost 15 minutes. When I came back and took out my beautiful Swarovski Crystal Pearl and Sterling Silver Necklace,...the silver was all shiny and gorgeous again, but the crystal pearls were, shall we say, a bit 'sticky'. 

I had thought, "I'm only dipping them for a brief moment, what could possibly harm them that quickly?"  Well, DUH!  It's a chemical that cleans,...deep cleans. And obviously eats away at certain substances,...like pearl coatings, plastics, pearl nacre, resins, the stabilizing materials in stabilized turquoise and other gemstones.   So, my advice, "No chemical cleaners for your pearls, okay?" 


Also pearls, if strung on silk, nylon or other cording, should not be hung up in your jewelry box or from those cool DIY jewelry displays made out of a old picture frames and vintage drawer hardware or hooks. Nope. It looks really cool indeed, but it stretches the cord more quickly than normal wear and tear, thus leading to having your pearls restrung sooner than is actually needed.

Not Knot on Etsy

Ideally, it's best to store your pearls in a flat box - not a zippy bag or sealed plastic container as they need to breathe - with a nice soft jewelry cloth around them. I've used antique hankies to store mine in and to wipe them clean (you'd be amazed at the damage oils from your own skin can do over time) before I put them away.   And, I feel good that my antique handkerchiefs are getting used and not just stored in a drawer somewhere. 

Okay - that's about it for today. 

Until Next Time,

Peace, Love and Pearls, Baby!!

Cheers,

~Shel~

Pearls! Pearls!! Pearls!!! Blog Hop Update

I've had some people message me that they 'missed' signing up for the Pearls! Pearls!! Pearls!!! Blog Hop that we're doing with the reveal date on June 29th.

  

I wanted to let everyone know that since I'm doing a link-up via Inlinkz, anyone one who wants to just 'hop along' with us on the reveal date, which is  Sunday, June 29th, is welcome to just jump in that day and join in our fun with Pearls! 

This makes it super easy for people to join in the fun if they feel like it at the last minute and it also gives people who might not be ready on the reveal date the opportunity to back out with out anyone knowing. (sweet, eh?!)

And, I like the Inlinkz link-up because it gives you just a little 'sneak-peak' of what someone has created. 

Plus, if you don't have a blog, but want to link up via your facebook post or your Flickr account, the Inlinkz link-up makes it convenient to join in with out having to have a blog or do a lengthy post if you don't feel like it. 

And, you can also link-up with a photo over on Instagram now too. How cool is that?! 

 

Click here to go to the Inlinkz Blog and see how to do it.

For those of you who have 'signed up' for the Pearls Blog Hop, if you've sent me your email, then I'll be able to give you the Inlinkz code the night before the hop so you can post it on your blogs too, if you'd like. 

But, don't feel like you have to have the Inlinkz thing on your blog post if you don't want to.  It will be on mine so all you'll need is a link to my blog or my actual post on the 29th of June. 

So, easy peazy, right?!!

"Freya" by Michelle Buettner - aka, me ;-)

Thanks to everyone who has shown an interest in the Pearls Blog Hop. It warms my heart. Especially since I've been a bit out of the loop this year with work and all,...makes me feel like I'm not missing as much as I think I am! LOL!!  

I have missed quite a few hops that were right up my alley - like Diana P's Waxed Linen Hop that just happened and Lori Anderson's Bead Soup Blog Party, just to name two (out of more than 10 that I wanted to  participate in!!). 

Yes, it's been tough missing out, but I've had fun seeing so many fun and beautiful designs as I've tried to visit as many people's hops and blog posts as I can.

Okay - it's time to get your pearl-mojo going.  There's tons of Pearl inspiration over on Pinterest if you get the chance to hop over there and take a look. 

Here's  a link to my Pinterest Board

Pearls! Pearls! Pearls!

Via - http://www.pinterest.com/jodymatt/

 

And remember, what you create doesn't have to be jewelry or jewelry related. 

It can be anything.

 

Lamp shades adorned with pearls 

(I really want one of these!), 

Pearl Lamp via A Bit of Bees Knees Blog

 

Shoes adorned with pearls 

(yes, I'd love a pair, thank you!),

Via - http://www.pinterest.com/PaulaHasAvon/

 

writing journal adorned with pearls, 

Pearl Journal via Pinterest

 

home decor items, and the list goes on!

By Soiree Supply on Etsy

 I'm going to be doing a few "Pearl Posts" through out the month of June with various types of pearl info, but if anyone has any questions, please shoot me an email or message me here on my blog or over on facebook (just FYI - I'm not on FB all that much anymore, but I do scoot over there at least once a day) and I'll answer you as quickly as I can. 

Have a great week everyone!

Until Next Time,

Peace, Love and Fun with Pearls!

Cheers,

~Shel~

 

 

Pearls In The Spotlight

Pearls are so versatile. 

The truly do go with anything.

It's hard to believe the fashion and fine jewelry industries are just getting around to really embracing this idea.

What I mean is, I think these industries have tried (on many occasions) to 'bring forth the pearl', but as a whole, most people still see them as 'stuffy', snobby or classic and all 'prim and proper'.  

Not me.

I believe they go with anything, on anyone, in any season and for any reason. 


Because I love them so much the thought never crossed my mind that they couldn't look great in any type of design or with any type of material.

 Pearls are such a passion with me that I feel that it's part of my 'life's mission' to spread the word about them and show people how wonderful they are.

  My Keshi Pearl Dangle Earrings
Find the BeadStyle Magazine Tutorial
Available over at the 
Kalmbach Bookstore


I'm glad I'm hosting another Pearls! Pearls!! Pearls!!! Blog Hop.

I think the craft / handcrafted artisan jewelry industry already has the whole 'pearls' thing pretty much figured out. 


Seriously. 

I see so many of my fellow jewelry artists using their pearls with such a variety of materials and in so many unique and different ways that it makes me feel all tingly inside.


Just look at a few of the creations that were in the 
Pearls! Pearls!! Pearls!!! Blog Hop in September 2013.

L to R - Dee, Lynda, Kashmira, Sharyl,  Cynthia, Jasvanti, and Tracy



Click Here to go to the 2013 Blog Hop Reveal Page
and see all the Gorgeous Designs posted that day.


  Super, aren't they?!


The 2014 Pearls! Pearls!! Pearls!!! Blog Hop
reveal date is June 29th, which gives you a little over a month to get your pearl mojo on, so if you'd like to join in the fun this go-round, hop on over to the info posted HERE and read all about it.

Or, just come back here on Sunday, June 29th, and link up with all us 'Pearly Peeps'!!



Until Next Time,

Peace, Love and PEARLS, Baby!! 

Cheers,
~Shel~

Pearls! Pearls!! Pearls!!! Blog Hop II

Are you ready to ROCK SOME PEARLS?!! (Again)

I am, too!

(Seriously, when am I not?!!)

I've been rather quiet this year (jewelry wise) due to my work schedule and family life and I haven't been able (sadly) to participate in any of the fun blog hops, challenges and social media events.

When a couple of gals ask me if I was going to do another Pearls Blog Hop this year, I responded that I hadn't thought about it. 

One mentioned that if I did another Pearls hop I should do it in June, since the Pearl is June's Birthstone, and I knew it would definitely be fun, so I decided to just do it!

 Okay, here's the Scoop:

1) Create something (doesn't have to be jewelry *Gasp!*) with pearls in it. A lot of pearls, a few pearls - your choice. Your creation can be any style or pay homage to any era, age, region, etc.  (Classic, Glam, Boho, Cottage-Chic, Goth, Steampunk, Art Deco, etc.) You name it - you can make it!

2) They can be real pearls (freshwater, saltwater, Tahitian, South Sea) or imitation pearls (Swarovski, Czech glass, plastic, shell pearls, etc.), or a mixture is just fine, too!

3) Post the reveal of your creation(s) on Sunday, June 29th, 2014 on your blog and then come here and link up with the Inlinkz tool I'll have posted at the bottom of my post on June 29th.  (This way it's easy for people to link up and hop around).

That's it! Pretty Simple, huh?! 

 

Need some inspiration? 

  

 

Hop on over to my Pearls, Pearls, Pearls, 

 Pinterest Board and check out all the items I've pinned.

And, why not start your own Pearls Pinterest Board and keep track of all your favorite Pearl Pics! 

Here's the link to last year's 

Pearls! Pearls!! Pearls!!! Blog Hop Reveal post.

There's tons of links on last years Pearls Blog Hop post related to pearls; from Pinterest Boards to tutorials on designing with pearls, Pearl History, Education and Pearl Farming.  There's even several bead shops and suppliers so you can shop for gorgeous pearls, too.

And, here's the link to my Pearls Page here on the blog as well, with even more information and inspiration for you.

So, whatcha waitin' for?

Go create with your pearls because as you know,....

"Pearls are for any person, for any reason, any time, any place, any season!"

 

MiShel Designs Model 'Miss Layla' wearin' her pearls!!

Until Next Time,

Peace, Love and PEARLS, Baby!!

Cheers,

~Shel~

Feel free to put the Pearls! Pearls!! Pearls!!! Blog Hop Button up on your blog if you'd like, too.

Just link it to www.MiShelDesigns.Blogspot.com

See you and your gorgeous Pearls on

Sunday - June 29th, 2014!