Blog posts of '2017' 'May'

Born into a gypsy lifestyle of colour and beauty, Arnhem Bickley had a unique childhood spending her early years travelling around Australia and the world with her wild parents. Moving from town to town, living in Teepees, with no electricity and only candlelight to cook by at night, Arnhem, from a young age, was inspired with a heightened sense of creativity. With no schooling until her teenage years, she began sewing clothing for her dolls at the age of four, which sparked her passion for design. Now grounded in Byron Bay with her two beautiful girls and partner, the wilderness and natural beauty of her home and surrounding areas still heavily influence her designs.

Arnhem is a celebration of striking colours oozing with summer nostalgia featuring a variety of artistic prints that bring to life dreamy collections of playfulness and easy wear cuts that burst with personality. These elegant pieces capture an effortlessly feminine style, each design having a one off feel about it to make every customer feel like an individual.

Arnhem Clothing speaks to females from all walks of life, and encapsulates the label’s true bohemian spirit and adventurous lifestyle. It has inevitably grown to become one of Byron Bay’s iconic fashion labels, with celebrity fans, and worldwide followers.

Summer is going to be here in no time, regardless of how stubborn the weather is to change, so let's make some beautiful earrings for the summer!

What you need:

1. Beads in various sizes, shapes and colors

2. Earring hooks, jump rings

3. Eye / head pins

1. Beads several beads onto a pin after deciding on the design and make an eye when finished. Make a couple more, adding a different design to make the earring more appealing.

2. Put all on a jump ring and attach the jump ring to the hook. And there they are in a jiffy!

3. If you want to add more pins to make the earrings, attach each onto a separate jump ring and allof them onto a bigger ring and to the hook.

Happy Beading!

Happy Monday all!

Please introduce yourself in a couple of words.

It took me a long time to admit to myself that I am an artist and that I should refer to myself as such, considering that I design jewelry and lamps, do photography, draw and paint. So yes, I am an artist. Since I am quite shy I let my work speak of myself.

 

 

 
Peekaboo implies a hiding game. How does it relate to your shop? Can you tell us the story behind your brand / shop name?

The name was born some 10 years ago, when Internet showed up, when I was in a search for a catchy nickname for various forums. It came quite spontaneously  from a make-up catalog and it stuck with me as a trait. I liked it because it made people smile and it made them remember their childhood. It was a logical step to name my brand the same, because I always imagine someone wearing my jewelry breaks into a smile and says "Peekaboo!" : )

 

With your eye-catching designs featuring bold and expressive backgrounds and extraordinary use of clockwork material you bring steampunk to another level. How long have you been in jewelry design and how did it all start?

 

Even as a child I loved taking things apart to see what they are made of. Because everything in itself - just like people - contains so much invisible beauty that wants to be shown and expressed. I have been working on Steampunk for ages and it  always fascinated me how something so small and tiny can grow into something so beautiful and detailed. I simply adore details. The minute I learned about epoxy resin I wanted to try my hand at it. Seeing other people's steampunk work, I noticed they more or less use the same colors for their jewelry so I wanted to differ. At first, it wasn't my intention to stand out. I just wanted to add a little color into that world and I think I am successful at that for the last 5 years : )

 

What part of the process is the most enjoyable? Is there a particular place where you like to work?

 

I get old clocks from the clockmakers and antique shops, so my job is to take them apart and I can honestly say that is the most interesting part because I never know what waits for me inside. There were cases when out of 200 -300 clocks I would find a single gear different from the others and I always keep those for special inspiration. I am a perfectionist at work, and I always try to keep the balance and make everything centered while designing, hoping my buyers will notice that I had invested lots of effort, love and time making a particular piece. I work on a work bench in my flat and have never really thought if I loved that or not, but because now I started working with wooden jewelry, I will have to look up for a workshop. The whole creative process is immensely long and strenuous. Dismantling clocks, cleaning parts, choosing backgrounds, matching and gluing the parts, to be topped with applying resin that has to be dried for 24 hours. There mustn't be a mistake because there is no turning back. I cannot fix a thing once it is done. All this takes a couple of days, but when I see the final result and the reaction of people, I am truly happy.

 

 

Where does inspiration come from? When steampunk is in questions, I find inspiration in myself. I sit and watch the parts until I have a picture in my head how to join them. If I lack ideas, I try another day. I never force myself because it always reflects on the final result. As for the wooden jewelry  - inspiration is everywhere because colors and geometry are everywhere around us.   

We wish a warm welcome to Ana Jecmenica who is the creative genius behind Peekabo.

She makes amazing steampunk jewelry that leaves no one indifferent. Her designs are remarkable and unique, capturing the very essence of steampunk.

Visit her shop Peekaboo for more delightful pendant necklaces. 

This is an easy to make idea that will prove to be the ultimate, beautiful and desirable gift for your crafting friend.

For this garland I used metallic thread spools and colorful wooden beads. However, you can make it with trinkets and supplies you have at hand, or acqure some specific ones having in mind the person you are making it for. You can use buttons, embroidery floss (note the tiny skeins I made above), pom-poms, beads of all sizes and shapes, sewing thread accompanied with some whimsical pendants like a sewing machine or scissors. I believe every crafter would enjoy this kind of a gift.

The bohemian trend that started a couple of years ago is still flaming high, so today we have an easy DIY for a lovely and easy embroidered necklace.

How to make this necklace:
1. In making this fabric necklace you will need printed fabric. I chose a colorful one with colors that resemble traditional motifs and colors. The design is retro but I thought it would fit the project I had in mind.

1. Cut out a square of fabric.
2. Cut it into strips.
3. This is optional - embroider the piece and add beads. When done, to secure that it does not fray much, fix it with a blanket stitch around the strip
4. Fold the strip and sew both (upper) ends together.

5.  Repeat this with the other strips.
6. Line them up to see what arrangement makes the design look the best. Note that I made the central strip a little bit longer so that it protrudes / stands out from the other strips and marks the center.
7. / 8. Make tassels and add to the center and the two strips (from left and right) next to it.
9. /10. Crochet a chain / use a leather or cotton cord onto which you insert the strips of fabric. You can add tassels to the cord as a finishing touch too.

Your new attractive necklace!