Lauren Rose Design

my kind of clothes

2009-03-28T20:38:00.001-07:00

In my search for quality vintage-inspired garb for our clothing line at asti's, I stumbled across ellembee. Her line includes various cotton styles printed with nostalgic graphics with a modern edge. Filled with antique lace, chandeliers, and scroll work, the line has colors and styles to suit people with a taste for old world indulgence. ;)

I want. . .

2009-03-27T09:14:00.001-07:00

. . . these 'Secessionist earrings in fine silver' brought to you by SHOUTRINSE on etsy. The quality of her metal casting is wonderful. I can't wait to get my hands on these nouveau beauties! Check out the back, though. This detail made the earrings go from stunning to had to have...

One of the Finer Art Nouveau Renditions

2009-03-26T20:19:00.000-07:00

I was definitely impressed when I saw this limited edition Mucha-like print offered by Peggitha's Pieces on Etsy. Peg Lozier is the award winning artist behind this vibrant and inspiring watercolor. She also offers custom portraits and hand painted furniture. Price: $29

Etsy Store Reopened

2009-03-26T17:00:00.000-07:00

After a couple month hiatus, my Etsy Jewel Shop has reopened. I have also added some more antique jewelry to my other Etsy Design Shop. More original LRD designs coming soon!

I will also be making a conscious effort to update this blog more frequently with news about my etsy stores and other web projects. Subscribe to my feed and stay tuned! Many exciting things to come...

etsy mail call. . .

2008-01-25T13:55:00.000-08:00

I just received the best package of the year so far today from fellow etsy member B'rie from Earth & Antiquities & Bries Boutique. She has a stunning assortment of natural stones... I am always amazed with the treasures I get... they are truly inspiring!

Add some natural flair to your filigree designs with her destash section, best prices and amazing selection.

good news. . .

2007-08-17T10:09:00.001-07:00

my poster for etsy recieved an honorable mention! :)

so I decided to do a fun sale. anyone who comments to this post will recieve 25% off any one item of choice in either shop. promo code will be sent to participating etsy members via etsy convo.

my etsy poster contest submission

2007-07-27T18:56:00.001-07:00

etsy shoutout : : scarlettcat

2007-07-06T11:02:00.000-07:00

scarlettcat is one of my favorite artists here on etsy and her work is one of inspiration, whimsy, and character.

"My art is always character based - birds, mermaids, pirates and plenty of flirty girls. I love the idea of suggesting a story or a fleshed out character with a single image. . . . It's not deep and meaningful, it's not too serious or heavy, it's just a fun, light-hearted escape from the real world - and that's what most people need these days! If only for a few minutes at a time. "

i can't wait until he gets home

2007-07-06T06:51:00.000-07:00

so I can hug him for these...

he is currently camping in sequoia national park so I can't even call him to say thanks. i am very very fortunate and happy to have such a wonderful guy :)

grant's vacation

2007-07-04T10:08:00.000-07:00

my fiance, grant is away on a cross country road trip for two weeks while I'm back home busy working. when he sends me pictures like this, i can't help but miss him more! Besides being a super talanted musician and composer, he is becoming quite the budding photographer. (proud moment :) )

more fun with filigree: vintagefiligree spotlight

2007-06-29T16:29:00.000-07:00

I am proud to spotlight two brillant filigree designers in the etsy world: Pura and Gine from vintagefiligree. Their jewelry is nostalgic, romantic, and most of all beautiful. Each creation is unique and captures an essence that is purely their own. Here is what they had to say about business, jewelry, and passion.

How long have you been designing with filigree?
We’ve been designing jewelry and many other arts for the past 20 years. We are passionate about creating! 10 years ago we established our own boutique here in Wisconsin and the majority of our stock was all made by both of us. We specialized in filigree during the past 4 years.

How did you get into the jewelry business?
My biggest influence came from two of my uncles, Samuel and Vincent. They were goldsmiths who specialized in making gold filigree jewelry. As a child I recall many afternoons spent in their respective studios watching them make their own beautiful and romantic lace like filigree designs in gold; my favorite combinations were with Emeralds.Influenced by my uncles’ work and an extensive study of jewelry design and fine arts, I started making my own jewelry and passing my knowledge on to my daughter, Gina. She started designing very intricate jewelry as far back as the early 80’s (I still keep a pair of Asymmetrical earrings she made for me back in the 80’s). We’ve combined our skills and the result is Vintage Filigree ;)

What tips do you have for other Etsyers who are trying to make their jewelry business successful?
Art is not about competing, it’s about creating; don’t allow anyone to take away your inspiration to create. Art and design is a universe in itself and does not belong to one person only…Therefore allow your creativity to flow freely and work at it constantly. The rest will follow. What is your favorite era of jewelry?All, each era has it’s own artistic value. Artists leave part of their lives on each item they make, so we have respect and admiration for all.

etsy spotlight: begurple

2007-06-25T08:59:00.000-07:00

begurple is multicolored, fun, fashion-forward, and well... pretty!

So... why does she deserve to be featured??

I personally think the picture speaks for itself but if you need more convincing, she says:

I currently make (mostly) fabric flower accessories, where each petal is a different material and color. I enjoy playing with the fabric and coming up with interesting color combinations. I make hair pins and brooches, but my favorite products are my fascinators. By combining multicolored flowers with complimentary feathers, I create fun and fancy hair accessories for special occasions (like weddings and racing carnivals).

special etsy interview with VINTAJ

2007-06-16T15:39:00.000-07:00

Want to make your craft into a successful business? That's precisely what Wendy, Jeanne, and Jess have done with their passion for filigree. Not only do they offer to us their beautiful jewelry designs on etsy: vintaj, they also have their own line of vintaj natural brass findings (some of which I am honored to have in my etsy supplies shop). They have become great friends of mine in the filigree world and their support and wisdom has been very refreshing. I recently interviewed Wendy, the voice of vintaj.etsy.com and this is what she had to say about business and jewelry design.

Why filigree?
There are so many stones and gorgeous things out there that are just waiting to be shown off. With using filigree, you are not limited to anything! There are no boundries with the settings, you pick the stone and start tweaking twirling and twisting until you are happy with the setting. I love not having limits. I guess it's my barefoot and free spirit personality that comes out in designing with filigree. I just feel free... free to create anything my heart desires!

When did you start designing with filigree?
I have spent the past sixteen years pursuing jewelry design. I began crafting jewelry in 1991 when I owned a small antique shop on Main Street in my hometown of Galena, IL. My first jewelry medium was spoon art. This was the art in which I began developing my metalworking skills. While selling antiques and spoon art, I also worked in the old technique of hand beading when repairing old Czechoslovakian jewelry for resale... This intricate hand working evolved into my and my sister’s discovery of “creative settings”, (the technique of creating brass filigree settings for stones, by hand). Jeanne and I discovered this technique in 2000 when teaching a group of women from church the art of jewelry design. I've been designing these settings ever since. My first objective has always been quality and my second, good design; these two objectives are just a nose length apart, in my eyes, and I have fashioned my entire life to pursue both of them.

What do each of you bring to the table when it comes to designing?

Wendy - My specialty is creating the focal center pieces. I love to wrap filigrees around anything! I think my 2 favorite types of design are layering filigrees and creating free form settings. I would say Jeanne's forte would be a kind of enchanted forest type of design theme. She is extremely talented. You could see any of her designs on an elfin fairy princess. Jess brings bounds of creativity to the design table. Her designs are innovative and very earthy. She has a wonderful way of mixing metals. Silver, copper, pewter with Vintaj natural brass. I usually pick her designs for our ads and featured projects in magazines. She's awesome.

Describe what it's like starting a company from scratch being a woman?

Hmmmm.... very hard! I have been walked on, taken advantage of, stolen from, cheated and lied to and by people that I thought were my best friends. Funny, how the people you do the most for are the ones that end up turning on you. I suppose a good warning sign is if they are taking taking taking and you are always giving giving giving. Yet on the opposite side of the spectrum... I've also been treated with extreme respect, thoughtfulness, charity, compassion and been the receipient of extremely great friendships with competitors. That's my favorite part of the artist community!

Did you think it would be easier if you were a man?

No, I was raised with all boys and I just learned to think like them. I actually love working with men and find that a big barrier between men and women in business is simply communication.

What tips would you give other entrepreneurs out there starting their own business?
Choose your friends and business associates wisely (my favorite saying "line your pockets with gold"). In business, surround yourself with talented and giving people that want you to be successful. Greed and jealousy are so destructive. If you see signs of this in a friend or business partner, part ways as soon as possible, because eventually this will end up directed to you. My maxim is "sharing brings you wealth"... in friendships and in business. Work hard, never cheat (because what comes around goes around). Honesty should be at the very core of your business and with your associates. One nice thing about honesty is it takes much less work since there aren't any tracks to cover.

i always wondered...

2007-06-14T17:24:00.000-07:00

why stained glass artists never sign their work? One of our local artisans says all the blood shed accounts for their lack of signature... the blood is their bond to a piece. Well! I believe stained glass work is just as intricate and noteworthy as many other forms of artistic expression: so give yourself credit.

Rudywc sure deserves some... just exquisite! Through life changing experiences, she found her art and it in turn found a beautiful place in this world.

another reason why i love re-purposed vintage

2007-06-13T06:12:00.000-07:00

Not quite sure what you are looking at? rikrak puts the 'fun' back into bright vintage fabrics. This array of colors is actually a set of gift cards! Now that is a creative use of fabrics that may have otherwise been thrown out. rikrak says:

"i love crafting with beautiful and bright repurposed vintage fabrics. i have come to love the fun possibilities of upcycling wonderful vintage heirlooms, already brimming with nostalgia, into modern delights, such as vintage quilt bibs, and vintage fabric cards."

IMPORTANT etsy artist: arian is inspiring

2007-06-12T12:12:00.000-07:00

arian is an up and coming etsier who I think is going to be the next big graphic artist! I am completely honored to have her featured here. Not only is her work inspiring, it is engaging. In fact, 25% of her earnings here at etsy go to different causes. Right now she is donating her money to help fund a trip to New Orleans into the heart of the ongoing Hurricane Katrina relief. So seriously, buy one of her cards and not only pick up a great piece of art, but help out your fellow citizens in the process.

wake up and smell the roses

2007-06-12T07:01:00.000-07:00

silverbugsjewelry creates one-of-a-kind pieces that I stumbled across early this morning. Jewelry is a tough sell because quantity sometimes overwhelmes quality. However, this particular piece and designer spoke to me. Her copper bracelet is inspiring because I saw the roses, even in their absence. In any jewelry design, inspiration is key.

"the deep red swarovski crystals strung along a swirly copper wire reminded me of antique roses growing wild on a fence, winding and wandering any which way as they just keep growing." - kelly from silverbugsjewelry

go green

2007-06-11T18:02:00.001-07:00

Thank you, artlife for a simple yet empowering pledge through your art to keep our world greener...

small things matter: I started my quest for a greener USA (gotta start somewhere) by recycling my packaging... think of how much bubblewrap and paper we waste: reusing a bubble mailer is a great way to somehow make a difference.

etsy featured artist: strawberryanarchy

2007-06-11T16:45:00.000-07:00

strawberryanarchy brings me back to the good ol' days when leggings and big hair were accented with large plastic hoops and snap bracelets. Not only are her designs reminiscent of retro 80s glam, they also have a nostalgic link to childhood in general. The innocent yet quirky character displayed in her pieces makes me smile and allievates (if only for a moment) any adult-induced stress. I feel strawberryanarchy and I share a generation; we both grew up in the 80s where we were able to be girls without the pressure of cellphones, push-up bras, Lindsay Lohan... Nothing against that type of life, but I will take plastic strawberries over fake tans and lipgloss any day of the week, and that is why, my friends, I think I am so attracted to and inspired by these designs. Miquette who is one of our international etsiers from Scotland says it best:

"I try to have an essence of childhood captured in all my jewellery. I love to use bright colours and old t0ys and make my designs bring happiness to those who wear them and people around them; the designs can be described as wacky, eccentric and fun so they are sure to bring a smile to a few people's faces! STRAWBERY ANARCHY!- Anarchism in a kawaii way!"

new jewels

2007-05-04T08:18:00.000-07:00

Large supply of vintage jewels just in:
Can't wait to design with them!

SABRES

2007-04-12T16:30:00.000-07:00

So yes, I've loved hockey for years now but jumped on the Buffalo Sabres bandwagon last year in the playoffs. Now with this years playoffs under way, I am very psyched! Since I can't grow a playoff beard and my hair is too short for playoff pigtails, I decided to do something else :) . . .

Opened New Etsy Store

2007-04-11T17:12:00.000-07:00

In order to keep my supplies and jewelry seperated, I decided to open a second etsy store

laurenrosedesign.etsy.com

within the next month (once school is over) I will be listing my jewelry pieces at this site so keep checking back!

New Website!

2007-03-27T16:25:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone!

Grant and I are currently working on my website -
the URL is going to be: www.laurenrosedesign.com

I am also listing a few things on etsy right now, though I expect to list more over the summer once the craziness with school has subsided. For now I will be updating this blog occasionally and hopefully get the chance to make some more jewelry!
www.laurenrose.etsy.com

Some sites to check out:
www.altusanima.com : grant's recently launched website full of his original compositions, abstrast guitar improvisions, and much more in the lines of music and photography. good stuff!

www.astiantiques.com : our antique shop's website. we recently revamped it for the new year and are working on getting more pictures and information online. eventually we'd like to open an online store which would be very cool.

-lauren