Just in time for the holidays, I am thrilled to share my most recent custom project, an akoya pearl pendant necklace set in 14k gold. A work in progress since September, it feels great to finally have the finished piece…

The design of this necklace was inspired from an old photograph furnished by my client. I recreated the design as much as possible, but I did have to adapt it a bit to make it truly a Well Adorned original.

I made this necklace to be a true heirloom,  with absolutely no compromises in materials or workmanship. I utilized hand fabrication techniques that guaranteed the most finely crafted piece of jewelry possible.

I really do enjoy what I do, because I believe fine jewelry is such a wonderful force in peoples’ lives. A rare combination of beauty and value, when people give or receive jewelry, there is a strong emotional connection to the happiest and most important times in their lives, and  it is an honor to be a part of it.

Thank you for following my work. Please contact me anytime!

go ahead… Be Well Adorned

-

Jonathan Klemt

Founder & Designer

Well Adorned

caged elegance2

Originally uploaded by theangelsmuse

All the chain maille work is original. The hook clasp is also hand made.

I am still on etsy, but if you would like to view all of my postings, works, and pieces in one place, click here or click my website on the side bar.

      Actually the quest was completed a week before Laura’s wedding when ‘The Dress’ was delivered by Olia Zavozina.  It’s gorgeous!  Of course, there was no point in posting all of this until you could see for yourselves my final choice.  The dress was perfect.  I received rave reviews from family and friends.  I felt good and both Laura and I were happy with my final look.  Enough talk you say…..I agree.  Here are the pictures taken at the big event.  In case you don’t recognise me, I’m the lady in dark silver.

     Olia even made a shawl for me  for a little bit of coverage to deal with the evening chill.  Of course  it was cold and rainy that night.  We didn’t care.  Good food, good music and lots of good company.  What could be better?  Oh, you’ve got to see the necklace Laura made for me.  Isn’t it gorgeous?       You know you’ve done well when you get a note like this one on your gift.

      And yes, I was teary eyed when I read this….so I think the blurred edges are appropriate.  Thank you so much Zach and Jody Gray for all of the beautiful photographs.

October 4, 2009 Adornments’ own Laura Lempke married Nashville native James Dugger.

The Adornments team really went all out for the occasion producing announcements, invitations, and jewelry as well as calling on guest artists Charlie Thompson and Olia Zavozina for more!  As you can see from the images, courtesy of Gray Photography, the results were well worth the effort of all the amazing contributing artists!

The Adornments Ladies: Alexis, Laura & Lucinda

Check it out!  All of us wearing Adornments original jewelry and Lucinda rocking an original Olia Zavozina gown!  Gorgeous!

Mother of the Bride Necklace by Adornments artist/owner Laura Dugger

Close up of the Mother of the Bride necklace by Laura Dugger

Wedding Invitation with Wedding Rings handmade invitations by Adornments' own Lucinda Harshey!

Exquisite handmade invitations by Adornments’ own Lucinda Harshey!

Titanium & Wood Inlay Wedding Bands by Adornments artist Charlie Thompson

Custom wood-inlaid titanium wedding bands by Charlie Thomspon- Hurray for coordinating wedding bands with the wedding colors!

Ceremony Program by Adornments artist/owner Lucinda Harshey

Yes…we did the programs too…We couldn’t help ourselves!

Bride & Bridesmaids

Silly Bride- good Bridesmaids!

Bride & Groom: Jewelry by Adornments Picture by Gray Photography

Feather Bridal Necklace by Adornments artist/owner Laura Dugger

Close up of the Bridal Necklace

Silver & Garnet Headband by Alexis Anbari

Close up of the headband!

Feather Groom's Cuff Links

Lest you think that Jim was left out of the Adornments magic- check out those custom cuff links!  Here’s a close up!

Silver Feather Groom's Cuff Links by Adornments artist/owner Laura Dugger

Leaving the Reception with Bubbles!

We had a marvelous time and we all, of course, looked fabulous!  A truly special, custom wedding with all the Adornments touches!

Thank you Gray Photography for the beautiful pictures!

December 22, 2009.

I will featuring my items in the following showcases:

• Bracelet
• Earrings
• Necklaces

Please, stop by and let me know what you think.

Holiday Sale!

Adornments is having a Holiday this week on Friday and Saturday! It’s just our way of helping you find gifts for all of your loved ones

Fall has always been my favorite season- the best clothes, beautiful weather and lots of color!  This year is no exception!  Despite the rain, fall looks are coming out in all their colorful splendor and. of course, no look is complete without a trip to Adornments!  Come check out Fall & Winter clothing by Olia Zavozina: rich colors and textures sure to feel good and look great!  Pair that with some of Adornments’ one-of-a-kind jewelry and you’re on your way to having a stunning fall look!

This tunic is beautiful, soft and very comfortable!  A classy look that will keep you feeling cozy all winter long!

Olia original Brown Tunic with sash & Adornments original "Mantis" pendant

Olia original Brown Tunic with Sash & Adornments original "Mantis" pendant

Rich, beautiful color, luscious texture and a fun, funky cut make this jacket a must for this winter!

Olia Zavozina original jacket & Adornments original sterling silver earrings

Olia Zavozina original jacket & Adornments original sterling silver earrings

Not ready for Winter yet?  Get a jump on next year with on sale spring/summer lines by Olia Zavozina- paired with Adornments’ jewelry for a timelessly classic look sure to please on those last few warm summer-like days and give you something to look forward to for next spring!- a fashion must!

Fall workday 2009

This piece is on loan from my good friend T. I made the necklace for her birthday a few years back, but really loved it and asked to borrow – it goes great with my purple shirt and a black suit! Both necklace and earrings are made up of faceted purple glass beads, pearls, glass crystals and small purple square beads. They can be very dressy for a special occassion, or as you can see here, perfect for a workday!

For more information on Kelly Andrew jewelry, to set up a consultation for your custom design or to find out if this piece is for sale, please contact me at keandrew82@gmail.com.

Hey Everyone!  This blog post is from our new website, www.debbiereneejewelry.com.  Please visit us there from now on to shop for our products and read our wonderful blog! Thanks, Debbie Renee Jewelry.

You’re probably wondering why an online, handmade jewelry shop like Debbie Renee Jewelry would be showing you how to make some of their earrings, right?  I mean, if you can just make them yourself, why do you need us?

For starters, we love making jewelry and would like to impart to the world some of our creative skills.  Also, we figure it would be nice for our customers to understand the work that goes in to making our handmade beaded jewelry!

Here is what we’re going to show you how to make:  The Royal Purple Dangles (Buy them here!)

These handmade dangle earrings combine real shell beads, cute iridescent glass beads and metal crown charms.  While you will find this product to be pretty simple in structure, you will find as your make your own jewelry that the most difficult part is choosing what to make, from the colors to the design scheme to the supplies.

Before we start… here is what you will need:

1. Needle Nose Pliers:  This will depend on personal preference, but you can either choose needle nose pliers or flat nose pliers for this jewelry project.  The flat nose pliers are handy for closing wire and more heavy-duty tasks, but I prefer the needle nose pliers for most projects.
2. Round Nose Pliers:  The round nose pliers are ideal for jewelry making.  They help create loops when making handmade beaded jewelry.  They are necessary for almost every jewelry project you will undertake.
3. Wire Cutters:  The wire cutters will help shorten the ends of eye and head pins before you need to connect your bead to a chain, charm, etc.  These are also essential in nearly every handmade jewelry project.

Those are the tools that you will need for this project, now I will discuss the supplies you will need!

1. Eye Pins: Eye pins are used to thread beads and attach them to beaded chains, or in this case, to our crown charm.  They come in a variety of metals and colors, but always have a loop on one end.
2. Head Pins:  Head pins cannot make beaded chains like eye pins can.  They are used to create dangles or drops, such as the purple drop beads in our handmade earrings project.
3. Earring Wires:  The earring wires we will use for this project are called fish-hook wires, and are the most common type of ear hooks.
4. Beads and Charms:  For this project, you will need two focal piece charms (like our crown charms… these can also be larger and fancier beads if you prefer) two accent beads for placing above the focal piece, and two dangle beads that will complete the look.
5. Jump Rings: You may also need jump rings in your project, depending on your design.  These rings are taken apart by using two sets of pliers, such as needle nose and round nose, to pull either side of the ring apart at its opening (see picture).

All of these items can be find at any craft store, such as Joann’s, Michaels or Hobby Lobby.  Feel free to use your creative genius to pick out a great design!

Now we will begin with our project:

Step #1:

• Set aside your accent beads (that will go above your focal piece), two eye pins and your two earring wires.
• Thread one of the beads through one of the eye pins.
• Then, select an area about 1/4”-1/2” above the bead to cut the eye pin with your wire cutters.  The key to this step is to leave enough room on the eye pin above the bead to be able to make a loop with your round nose pliers.
• Once you’ve decided how much extra pin to cut off, cut the extra off (IF NEEDED).  Then, using your round nose pliers, bend the remaining eye pin above the bead into a 90 degree angle, so it is perpendicular to the rest of the pin. (The picture on the right does not include this step, but this really helps your loop be straight and even with its mirror loop at the bottom.)
• Once you’ve done this, use your round nose pliers to turn the top of your pin into a loop, just as the bottom of your eye pin looks.  When you do this, make sure you choose a spot on your pliers that is wide enough to make a perfect loop.
• Once you made the loop, be sure to leave it open a slight amount.  Then, take one of your fish-hook earring wires and place the loop at the bottom of the hook on to your open loop.  Once you’re done with that, close the loop your bead is on with either your round nose or needle nose pliers.  Make sure it is secure!
• Repeat with second bead, eye pin and ear wire.

Step #2:

• If your focal piece is a metal charm (like our crown charm), continue with this step.  If your focal piece is a large bead (or any piece that can be beaded like any normal bead) repeat step one with two eye pins and your focal piece.  Once you’ve beaded your focal piece, thread it onto the end of your accent bead (like in step one when you threaded it onto an earring wire).
• Set aside your focal pieces and some jump rings.
• In some cases, as with our crown charm, you will not need jump rings at all! Simple open up the bottom look of your accent bead using your round nose pliers.  Then, slip on your charm.  Close up the loop to complete this step.  If your charm is larger than our crown or otherwise needs a jump ring to connect it, continue on with this step.
• Open up a jump ring (as seen in the picture above) and slip on your metal charm.  Then, slip on the bottom loop that your accent bead is threaded on.  Once both are attached to the ring, close the jump ring by reversing the opening movement.  Be sure the closed ends are even!
• Your focal piece should be successfully connected!  If your charm hangs crooked, try adding another jump ring to your connection to manipulate the way it hangs.  Then, repeat with your second set of supplies.

Step #3:

• Now we’re going to use the skill we learned in step one, but substituting a head pin for an eye pin.
• Set aside two head pins and your dangle beads.
• Take one head pin and thread your bead on.
• Next, proceed as in step one by trimming, bending, and making a loop with the head pin.
• Attach your dangle to your metal charm.  You may need to use a jump ring for this!
• Next, close the loop, secure it with some pressure from your needle nose pliers, and you’re done!

Now that you’ve learned this simple style of earrings, you can go on to create more custom designs.  Stay tuned for more tips on making jewelry from Debbie Renee.

ORIGINALLY POSTED HERE:  How To: Make Simple Dangle Earrings

I originally found this post at Debbie Renee Jewelry.  I just thought I’d post it here too!  Have fun!

You’re probably wondering why an online, handmade jewelry shop like Debbie Renee Jewelry would be showing you how to make some of their earrings, right?  I mean, if you can just make them yourself, why do you need us?

For starters, we love making jewelry and would like to impart to the world some of our creative skills.  Also, we figure it would be nice for our customers to understand the work that goes in to making our handmade beaded jewelry!

Here is what we’re going to show you how to make:  The Royal Purple Dangles (Buy them here!)

These handmade dangle earrings combine real shell beads, cute iridescent glass beads and metal crown charms.  While you will find this product to be pretty simple in structure, you will find as your make your own jewelry that the most difficult part is choosing what to make, from the colors to the design scheme to the supplies.

Before we start… here is what you will need:

1. Needle Nose Pliers:  This will depend on personal preference, but you can either choose needle nose pliers or flat nose pliers for this jewelry project.  The flat nose pliers are handy for closing wire and more heavy-duty tasks, but I prefer the needle nose pliers for most projects.
2. Round Nose Pliers:  The round nose pliers are ideal for jewelry making.  They help create loops when making handmade beaded jewelry.  They are necessary for almost every jewelry project you will undertake.
3. Wire Cutters:  The wire cutters will help shorten the ends of eye and head pins before you need to connect your bead to a chain, charm, etc.  These are also essential in nearly every handmade jewelry project.

Those are the tools that you will need for this project, now I will discuss the supplies you will need!

1. Eye Pins: Eye pins are used to thread beads and attach them to beaded chains, or in this case, to our crown charm.  They come in a variety of metals and colors, but always have a loop on one end.
2. Head Pins:  Head pins cannot make beaded chains like eye pins can.  They are used to create dangles or drops, such as the purple drop beads in our handmade earrings project.
3. Earring Wires:  The earring wires we will use for this project are called fish-hook wires, and are the most common type of ear hooks.
4. Beads and Charms:  For this project, you will need two focal piece charms (like our crown charms… these can also be larger and fancier beads if you prefer) two accent beads for placing above the focal piece, and two dangle beads that will complete the look.
5. Jump Rings: You may also need jump rings in your project, depending on your design.  These rings are taken apart by using two sets of pliers, such as needle nose and round nose, to pull either side of the ring apart at its opening (see picture).

All of these items can be find at any craft store, such as Joann’s, Michaels or Hobby Lobby.  Feel free to use your creative genius to pick out a great design!

Now we will begin with our project:

Step #1:

• Set aside your accent beads (that will go above your focal piece), two eye pins and your two earring wires.
• Thread one of the beads through one of the eye pins.
• Then, select an area about 1/4”-1/2” above the bead to cut the eye pin with your wire cutters.  The key to this step is to leave enough room on the eye pin above the bead to be able to make a loop with your round nose pliers.
• Once you’ve decided how much extra pin to cut off, cut the extra off (IF NEEDED).  Then, using your round nose pliers, bend the remaining eye pin above the bead into a 90 degree angle, so it is perpendicular to the rest of the pin. (The picture on the right does not include this step, but this really helps your loop be straight and even with its mirror loop at the bottom.)
• Once you’ve done this, use your round nose pliers to turn the top of your pin into a loop, just as the bottom of your eye pin looks.  When you do this, make sure you choose a spot on your pliers that is wide enough to make a perfect loop.
• Once you made the loop, be sure to leave it open a slight amount.  Then, take one of your fish-hook earring wires and place the loop at the bottom of the hook on to your open loop.  Once you’re done with that, close the loop your bead is on with either your round nose or needle nose pliers.  Make sure it is secure!
• Repeat with second bead, eye pin and ear wire.

Step #2:

• If your focal piece is a metal charm (like our crown charm), continue with this step.  If your focal piece is a large bead (or any piece that can be beaded like any normal bead) repeat step one with two eye pins and your focal piece.  Once you’ve beaded your focal piece, thread it onto the end of your accent bead (like in step one when you threaded it onto an earring wire).
• Set aside your focal pieces and some jump rings.
• In some cases, as with our crown charm, you will not need jump rings at all! Simple open up the bottom look of your accent bead using your round nose pliers.  Then, slip on your charm.  Close up the loop to complete this step.  If your charm is larger than our crown or otherwise needs a jump ring to connect it, continue on with this step.
• Open up a jump ring (as seen in the picture above) and slip on your metal charm.  Then, slip on the bottom loop that your accent bead is threaded on.  Once both are attached to the ring, close the jump ring by reversing the opening movement.  Be sure the closed ends are even!
• Your focal piece should be successfully connected!  If your charm hangs crooked, try adding another jump ring to your connection to manipulate the way it hangs.  Then, repeat with your second set of supplies.

Step #3:

• Now we’re going to use the skill we learned in step one, but substituting a head pin for an eye pin.
• Set aside two head pins and your dangle beads.
• Take one head pin and thread your bead on.
• Next, proceed as in step one by trimming, bending, and making a loop with the head pin.
• Attach your dangle to your metal charm.  You may need to use a jump ring for this!
• Next, close the loop, secure it with some pressure from your needle nose pliers, and you’re done!

Now that you’ve learned this simple style of earrings, you can go on to create more custom designs.  Stay tuned for more tips on making jewelry from Debbie Renee.

ORIGINALLY POSTED HERE:  How To: Make Simple Dangle Earrings

I have been remiss in posting about my efforts to find the perfect dress for Laura’s wedding.  The wedding has come and gone, I was present and attired in a lovely gown.  Back to the efforts.  After spending hours in fruitless search at the mall (both Cool Springs and Green Hills) as well as online I was was feeling despondent.  Are there no more pretty dresses for women with less than perfect figures?  Frankly, there’s a lot of ugly out there.  Finally inspiration hit.  I have a friend who is a fashion designer here in Tennessee, Olia Zavozina.  We’ve done trunk shows for her in our shop and supplied our jewelry for her fashion photo sessions.  I asked her to create a dress for me for the wedding.  She came to the shop with her fabrics and Alexis, Laura and I chose some fabric and voila! a dress is created.  Have to tell you, I felt like Cinderella.  Imagine the scene where all of the critters are making her dress for the ball.  In my case it was Olia, Tamara (her seamstress), Alexis and Laura.  I just stood while beauty was made.  Ok, I got to hold the mirror due to a lack of birds.

Olia gathering her pins after pinning me into the bodice of my mother of the bride dress.

This was a fairly painless way to get a dress.  Certainly less painful than running from store to store and not finding anything great or even good. Laura created this necklace for me to wear with this gown.  Then Olia adjusted the neckline to compliment the necklace.  How cool is that?  This was definitely and Adornments wedding!  I was soooo adorned.  Wait until you see the finished ensemble!  Thank you Olia and Laura for making me feel beautiful.

Laura's necklace and Olia's dress

hop time is here again and we have begun with a bang. i wanted to give you all our first snapshots with the promise of more to come.

i have some mad chalk board skilz….and that’s not because i had lots of detentions in my youth

katie kimmel’s gorgeous jewelry

our first hoppers….janet and ann

( i jumped into the photo so jean could be in the picture too…she made the scarf)

you can flip these charms to reflect your mood

FRANKEN-MITTENS!!

we hand demos left over from making our flipbook  and since being wasteful is a sin, we decided to graft them together mad scientist style. i can’t wait to wear these.

two windows dye co. trunk show complete with the talented women who creates it all

don’t forget to grab some bacon and eggs before you go. who says dishcloths have to be boring?

so be sure and stop by this weekend to enjoy and the wonderful things we have going on.

i would hate it if you missed out.

A couple of weeks ago Adornments participated in the yearly Franklin Bridal Ball, held right here in the Factory at Franklin!

It was a pretty busy day- but we had a great time meeting with local brides and their families!

Nashville area brides were out in force to check out the local wedding vendors and get ideas, and Adornments excels at unique ideas for those special finishing touches (if I do say so myself!). We had a great variety of hand made jewelry and invitations on display. As always brides are encouraged to discuss their ideas with us and work with our designers to create something unique just for them!

Sample papers on display for inspiration in designing your own invitation!

Toward the end of the evening the Bridal Ball put on a fashion show featuring our favorite local designer, Olia Zavozina and you know we had to get our jewelry on the catwalk too!! Handily enough, our booth was right next to Olia’s too.

Laura and Lucinda are both sporting custom fashion designs by Olia and doubled as models for the fashion show!! Need I mention the amazing jewelry we’re wearing? Check it out!!

Here are some shots from the fashion show.. why do models always look so cranky??

A model wearing our diamond pearl chainmail set.

Chainmail choker with small coin pearls

Silver feather necklace

Keep an eye out for the above necklace in upcoming posts… it’s about to play a very special role!!

Silver macrame choker

And because we can never take anything very seriously… our very own models striking poses:

Lucinda & Laura sporting Adornments jewelry & Olia's fashion.

At the end of the evening we raffled off a pair of hand made earrings (who doesn’t love free stuff?!).

Earring Raffle

Don’t forget- Adornments offered some great discounts to Bridal Ball attendees! So come visit us and let us design something special just for you!!

For the most part, statement necklaces are kinda ugly.  I mean, admit it!  People are walking around the city now with what essentially are bibs with beads pasted on them.  But EzzaExclusive of etsy knows how to craft a beautiful statement necklace without going overboard.  There are a few on her site that I’m interested in, but this is the one that I’m having the affair with.  It is so incredibly unique and one-of-a-kind, and even though it’s a statement necklace I feel like it can morph and change to adapt and work with any outfit you put on.  I think what is most alluring about this is the fact that it’s asymmetrical, so it immediately draws your eyes toward it.  This is the ideal fall accessory, and one I think I’ll be lusting over for quite some time 

Adornments' Magnificent Sign!

As the pictures show- this party was fantastic!  The new, improved, more centralized location for Adornments in the Factory At Franklin is gorgeous!  The art was beautiful, the jewelry dazzling, the invitations magnificent and the clothing stunning.  Add to that a party atmosphere created by Margaret Tolbert of “Details by Margaret” event planning, delectable foods by “Busy Bees” catering, to-die-for chocolates from Schakolad in Cool Springs, fun games and even better prizes and you get a night that was an unabashed success!

Entrance to the Magical Realm of Adornments

Model Ginger Simpson Displays Beautiful Adornments Jewelry

One-of-a-kind Fine Art Gifts

Stunning Pottery by Artist Tom Turnbull

Classy Handmade Invitations by Lucinda Harshey

Adornments' Artist/Owner Laura Shows Off Custom Jewelry by Artist/Owner Alexis Anbari

Custom Fashion Designs by Fashionista Olia Zavozina

Check out the pictures by Hartz Photography and Stan Dunlap and keep an eye out for a video of the event from Heather and Eugene Brown of 2Duce2 Videography!

Come one and all to enjoy the new and improved Adornments!