New Featured Artists Corner

  I have recently acquired some awesome new jewelry from artists that I have met at shows. I wear this jewelry and get a gazillion compliments on it and I almost always fess up and give credit to the artist. There are some situations where it is easier to just say "yes, I made it." Even though I don't feel completely right doing that.

  I have decided to feature a new up and coming artist on my blog and in my online store (and possibly at shows if it fits with my aesthetic).  I am thinking the features will run for 2 -3 months at a time. I am still working out the details of everything. I will blog about the artist, post on facebook and upload the products to my online store. The artist doesn't have to be limited to jewelry but it does have to fit the "Bella Vita look."

If you are interested in having your work featured on my site and blog please send me an email, brandy.elizabeth@gmail.com. And stay tuned for our first featured artist that will be up in December!

Muted but Colorful

Muted but Colorful by bella-vita-jewelry featuring leather heels

Stripe dress
dressrail.com

Christian Louboutin leather heels
£495 - brownsfashion.com

Bottega Veneta tote hand bag
$3,480 - bottegaveneta.com

ABS Allen Schwartz teardrop jewelry
$40 - bloomingdales.com

Jigsaw bangles jewelry
£39 - jigsaw-online.com

I-Mark crumbles
meetmark.com

Essie Mint Candy Apple Nail Polish
£9.95 - liberty.co.uk

Harvestfest in Hillcrest

  Hillcrest is the neighborhood Matt and I lived in when were in Little Rock. We had a little carriage house on Ridgeway Drive... I think it was about 500 square feet and somehow we managed to live there for over two years with Arlo being an inside dog. It was interesting to say the least, we often reminisce about "Tiny House" as we liked to call it. The rent was cheap and the neighborhood (and the neighbors) were wonderful it was really hard to leave. In fact I think I had a break down and cried when I emptied the house into the moving van the day I left.

  So needless to say, I was more than excited to be doing a show in our old stomping grounds this past Saturday. The weather was perfect, the crowd was perfect and I got to see many familiar faces and old friends throughout the day.

As soon as I got my booth set up a young, sweet lady came up to me and expressed how she loves my jewelry and follows me on facebook and aspires to be like Bella Vita someday. She said she had been looking forward to meeting me all week. I can't think of a better way to start a show! It was so sweet of her to compliment me. In return I invited her to one of the classes that I am teaching this week at Argenta Bead Company.

My booth at Harvestfest! I only managed to get one picture :/

  I also met the owner of Toad Hall Antiques in Memphis and will soon be shipping an order of my jewelry to her store. Bella Vita is branching out! Kansas, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, North Carolina, and now Tennessee! 

This means I HAVE TO GET BUSY MAKING, MAKING, MAKING!

  I am spending the next 3 days here in Little Rock, teaching classes, working at the bead store and meeting with clients. I even picked up a space planning/design job with a client here. Then, on Thursday mornign I head to Leesville, LA to do a show at Threads Boutique. Looking forward to heading South for a night:)

I'll post about that trip when I return!

Biting My Nails

  About a year ago a learned of a Jewelry Design school in San Fransisco and was immediately impressed and wanted to go. After browsing the site for a while I found  a link to some scholarships they were offering. I worked on a portfolio of work, an artist statement and a "why I want to attend the Revere Academy" statement. I completed everything, sent it to my editor (sounds so fancy, I know, but Matt does my editing, he is the KING of grammar and punctuation and would probably die if he saw all these commas...) then I packaged it all up and mailed it off to San Fran. 

  Well, I didn't get the scholarship. I'll have to admit I was a little sadden by the news. They did send me a $100 gift certificate to any class I wanted to take though. Their classes are completely affordable but the lodging is what would kill me. 

  Anyway, I have applied for the same scholarship and another one for "beaders." So this time around I have two chances to receive a scholarship. The results will be announced in 8 days. I want it soooo bad. The scholarship is for any 3 day class, lodging and travel! It would be amazing. Please send all your good vibes, prayers and well wishes my way and maybe a few to the judges in San Fransisco. Please and Thank YOU!

  I am also considering attending this school for a 2 month intensive Jewelry Technician diploma. I just don't know when I could leave my business, my part time job, and my husband for two months.

I have dabbled in metal work before and absolutely love it. The problem is I've only dabbled... I want to be fully immersed in it for a period of time so that I can come home and set up my studio with torches, polishers and all the other studio items it takes to be a full on metal smith. I want to feel fully competent with my skills so that I can work from my own studio and do my own thing. My ultimate goal is to create my own one of a kind pendants and findings to embellish the designs I have been creating for the last 18 years. I think that is what will take my jewelry to the next level artistically. Sometimes I feel like my designs are all over the place! To me it is hard to focus on one line of jewelry or one style of jewelry. I love all materials... from Czech glass to semi precious and precious stones to all things vintage. I think being able to create my own focal pieces and findings might just be the perfect way to tie it all together.

So, in eight days we'll see if I get one of the two scholarships I have applied for. If I don't I'll be ok ;) It will all happen in time.

And a pretty picture b/c I can't write a blog post with out a picture. This is my new favorite color combo, turquoise and rusty chalcedony! These earrings will be up on my site this weekend.

Blogging from my phone.

Just testing my new blogger app on my phone. Now I can blog from anywhere... Check out what I made today.

My first Polyvore!

My first Polyvore! by bella-vita-jewelry featuring skinny jeans

LnA off the shoulder sweater
£63 - oxygenboutique.com

Armani Jeans skinny jeans
£130 - vanmildert.com

Dr. Martens biker boots
$150 - infinityshoes.com

Marc by marc jacobs handbag
$285 - stylebop.com

House of Harlow 1960 dangle earrings
$75 - shopthetrendboutique.com

Nina Designs Giveaway

 As you might know, Nina Designs is one of my favorite vendors in the bead/charm world. I was featurede in their "Jewelry Designer Showcase" about a year ago and I also competed in their "Studio Contest" for the best studio. 

I learned of Nina Designs a few years ago while reading one of my Craft Journals and immediately placed an order for their beautiful sterling silver and vermeil charms. 

 Due to extremely high silver and gold prices and a down economy I have not been able to order from them as much as I wanted to. 

Until now... they have just recently started casting their beautiful, one of a kind charms in bronze. Not only are the bronze pieces more affordable but they are just as stunning as the gold and silver charms are. 

New bronze charms from Nina Designs. Examples of the charms I'll be giving away in this contest.

  I have been given a handful of these beautiful charms to create  some new designs with. The best part of it all is that I am doing a giveaway featuring these new pendants each Friday in the month of October! 

-Friday, October 7th - The peacock feather pendant for you to make something  beautiful with.

-Friday, October 14th - Earrings featuring the bee charms.

-Friday, October 21st - Necklace featuring the tree of life pendant.

-Friday, October 28th - Necklace with a hand stamped charm. (custom letter, name or initial available)

To win this giveaway leave a comment on this post telling me what your favorite season is.

To get additional entries you can:

- tweet this giveaway
- blog this giveaway
- facebook this giveaway
- become a new blog follower, facebook fan, or twitter follower

  You can get up to five entries but please leave a comment (on this blog post) for each so they will count. I will put all the entries in one pot and draw from the same pot for all four Friday giveaways.

Good luck!!

The materials above were provided as part of the Nina Designs blogging program. The author of this blog has not received any payment from above-mentioned company. The post above represents only personal opinion of the blog author.