Les ateliers de création de bijoux

Aux mois de février et mars, j’ai organisé plusieurs ateliers de création de bijoux imaginés pour les amateurs de bricolage, de création et de bons moments : nous avons fabriqué des bracelets, des colliers et des colliers avec du tissu. L’espace de quelques heures, en petits groupes de 6, je commençais par parler de ma démarche créative et de ma façon d’aborder la création d’un bijou pour ensuite guider les participantes dans la création d’un collier ou d’un bracelet, selon le cours choisi.

Les ateliers de colliers duraient 3 heures et ceux de bracelets, 2 heures. J’ai adoré l’expérience : pouvoir partager avec d’autres l’activité que je préfère au monde est une bénédiction, un moment de joie intense. Quelques semaines après avoir terminé les ateliers, j’ai envoyé un sondage aux participantes qui répondaient dans l’anonymat : j’ai été agréablement surprise par les réponses très positives et enthousiastes des participantes qui ont pour la grande majorité adoré l’expérience.

J’ai l’intention de répéter l’expérience cet été ou cet automne. Si vous êtes intéressée à participer, inscrivez-vous à l’infolettre en bas à droite du site web (par ici) pour recevoir les infos par courriel dès qu’elles sortiront.

Voici les ateliers qui étaient disponibles :

• Atelier de création d’un collier avec pierres semi-précieuses
• Atelier de création d’un collier avec tissu et pierres semi-précieuses
• Atelier de création d’un bracelet

Quelques créations réalisées par des participantes et photos des ateliers :

Tous les ateliers ont eu lieu à l’accueillante et inspirante Boutique Comme des Enfants sur la rue Bernard, à Montréal.

Je me suis mariée l’été dernier

Le 22 août 2015, soit 2468 jours après que mon chum et moi on se soit échangé nos numéros de téléphone, j’ai dit oui à Jean-Philippe. Il faisait beau, il faisait chaud, on était entourés des gens qu’on aime et on a passé une journée merveilleuse. Ça m’a pris plusieurs mois avant de prendre le temps de rassembler une série de photos à partager avec vous et c’est avec émotion que je le fais aujourd’hui. C’était réellement le plus beau jour de ma vie. J’avais passé un temps fou à tout organiser mais jamais je n’aurais pu anticiper la joie que j’ai ressentie de vivre cette cérémonie si sacrée et unique avec la personne que j’aime le plus au monde. La cérémonie a eu lieu dans la cour intérieur des Accords, un petit restaurant du Vieux-Montréal où nous avons également fait la réception.

Pour mes cheveux, que j’ai choisi de porter très naturels, je m’étais confectionné une demi-couronne de perles, de cristaux et de petites fleurs, entrelacée dans une tresse. Je portais un bracelet de ma grand-mère en perles et diamants que ma tante m’a prêté pour l’occasion. On ne voit pas bien mes boucles d’oreilles à cause de mon épaisse chevelure mais je portais des perles en forme de gouttes.

Mes demoiselles d’honneur avaient toutes des accessoires différents dans leurs cheveux : j’avais fabriqué des couronnes, des peignes, des boucles d’oreilles et elles ont toutes opté pour ce qu’elles préféraient. Pour leurs robes, vu que j’avais trois demoiselles d’honneur au Québec, une en Belgique et l’autre en France, je leur ai demandé de se trouver une robe bleu clair ou bleu gris.

“Let’s get married !”

Au souper, on a vraiment eu les discours les plus drôles. Pas moments, on se croyait dans un show d’humour. Nos petits frères ont relevé le défi avec brio en nous niaisant comme il se doit.

Pour la déco, on a acheté des toiles en bois chez Omer de Serres qu’on a peintes en noires. Puis, avec un gros crayon doré, j’ai écrit “Mariage” pour le petit panneau d’accueil et j’ai écrit tous les noms des invités pour le plan de table sur un grand panneau. Pour la cour intérieure, avec l’aide de ma mère, on a cousu de grandes guirlandes ornées de triangles en toile de coton ivoire. Pour les tables, on voulait du blanc et des tons naturels de verdures et de fleurs. J’ai fait poussé du lierre dans des petits pots pendant plusieurs mois (14 en tout, 2 par tables) et acheté une grande quantité de grosses bougies chez Ikea. Les centres de table réalisés par les Petites Excuses complétaient le tout.

• Photographe : Renaud Philippe
• Fleuriste : Les petites excuses
• Lieu, boissons et nourriture : Les Accords, Vieux-Montréal
• Coiffeur : Antoine Jolicoeur
• Maquillage : Marie-Josée au Local B
• Accessoires : Charlotte Hosten

 

Take a peek into my studio

I have been wanting to share some pictures of my studio for a long time but I kept telling myself I would do it when my desk would be better organized, when that frame would be up the wall, when the ceiling light had been changed : in short, when everything would be perfect.

I have been fighting this perfectionist-control-freak-narcissist side of me for some time now so today is the time I let you take a peek into my jewelry studio even if it is not perfect. I am actually very happy about how it looks in the pictures : looking at them, it gave me some distance that allowed me to really enjoy my workspace.

I am a very lucky girl because I get to use 2 rooms in our beautiful Mile-end apartment. I used to have only one and the other one was supposed to be a painting studio (but was mainly used as a hockey gear drying room). But because I have been having a lot more customers coming over to my studio then I thought I would and because I have not been painting a lot (and also because my fiancé’s hockey gear could live in the laundry room), well we decided I would organize a little shop in that room. All that to say that I now have the blue studio and the shopping room (where I can do my yoga and still paint if I wish to) :

The Blue room, where I create and make all the jewelry and accessories you can see on my website :

The jewelry desk with my very comfortable no so pretty chair and my gorgeous yellow lamp I love

The office space where I never sit but keep all things “serious” like the production binder with all the technical specifications sheets

The drawer units where I keep all the beads, pearls, stones, leather cords, chains, millinery flowers,…

And right next to the blue room there is the big room :

Don’t you love this gorgeous antique wooden chest ?

On the board, a drawing by my grandmother Francine Hosten, a picture of a cook I took in India, an ink drawing I made and a small picture of my brother and I when we were kids

I am planning on putting a curtain to hide all that storage space. On the left, a painting I have been working on.

It is in that big room that I am also planning on having jewelry workshops. I will let you know when the dates and prices are set.

So this is it for the tour. You now know where I work (but honestly, right now I am in my living room, sitting on my couch, writing this post on my laptop). Montrealers, you are always welcome to come see the jewelry in person if you wish to 🙂

Wedding inspiration : my flowers

Once my wedding date was set, I was sure about two things : I was marrying the man of my dreams & Les petites excuses were going to make my wedding flowers. I have known Anaïs, the talented florist behind Les petites excuses, for a few years and I have been patiently waiting all this time for the day I would finally get to work with her.

Left : Anaïs (photo lespetitesexcuses.com) | Right : A bouquet by Anaïs (photo Esther Gibbons)

Anaïs works from home. When you meet with her, she welcomes you in an adorable living room with flower inspirations all over a wall and many thank you cards on another one. Her big flower studio is in her basement :

(Photos lespetitesexcuses.com)

When we met, I showed her some floral inspirations I found on pinterest :

Left : Floral Artist : Pedro Navarro, Photography : Joseba Sandoval | right : One love photography

top left : flowers by Fleuretica, photo by Kurt Boomer | top right and bottom left : flowers by Cara Lard Finch of Mum’s Flowers, photos by Jeremiah and Rachel Photography | bottom right : photo by Elizabeth Messina

Later on, she sent me a few beautiful inspiration boards for my wedding flowers. She totally understood my vision and came up with amazing ideas :

Moodboard made by Anaïs

Photo by Sylvie Gil

Moodboard made by Anaïs

I enjoyed every second of my meeting with Anaïs. I know a wedding is only once in a lifetime and so I knew, as I was brainstorming ideas with her, that this was a very unique and special moment I would never experience again. I can’t wait to see what she comes up with and feel very lucky she accepted to be my wedding florist.

Photography Kristina Malmqvist

New addition to the shop

When I shared the necklace I made for a client a few weeks ago, a lot of my clients asked me if I was going to make it available on my website. Well, this day has come ! I made a few changes to the original version but the overall look remains the same. Let me introduce the Elena necklace :

I named the necklace Elena because of the Italian author Elena Ferrante I have recently discovered. I read the english translation of the 3 volumes of her Neapolitan novels and I am impatient for the 4th volume to come out (early fall). I was so passionate about the story that I read nearly 1200 pages in about two weeks (something I never do). She is an incredible writer, I have never read a book with such plausible, elaborate and complex female characters. Ferrante understands and depicts human relations in an admirable way. Elena is also the name of the narrator in the Neapolitan novels and I have grown very attached to her.

On the shorter strand of the Elena necklace, you can see 14 faceted pale peach jade stones with agate stones on both sides. On the second strand, beautiful champagne freshwater pearls are combined with a few agates. On the third strand,  you will find a combination of glass beads with brass, semi-precious stones and vinyl beads from Africa. Here and there, a few gold plated charms can be found and in between the strands, 8 delicate golden chains complete the necklace.

I would wear the Elena necklace on a light pink or peach dress for a summer garden party or to a wedding. It can also be very beautiful worn on a simple white or grey top on a working day.

You can shop this necklace on my website. Or, if you are in Montreal and wish to try it on, you can always come to my studio upon request. And remember, I am always happy to customize my jewelry for my clients. Email me if you are interested so we can start chatting about it 🙂

 

My love for vintage jewelry

I always enjoy hunting for vintage findings, brooches, earrings and other jewelry parts to use in my one-of-a-kind necklaces. I have noticed that through the years, the use of existing jewelry in the making of my own jewelry has shaped my creative process. Instead of starting with a clear idea of what I want to do, I look for a piece of jewelry, a stone, a bead or a fabric swatch that will tickle my inspiration. I usually build a necklace around the jewelry piece that I feel inspired by. Sometimes that piece doesn’t even remain in the necklace : that’s ok. It doesn’t have to. It inspired me and maybe that was its only job.

I now buy a lot of vintage jewelry online because it’s easier. I can look for a specific color or shape I wish to use. I used to go to garage sales, flea markets and church sales hoping to find a nice piece of jewelry but I got lazy and now shop from the comfort of my home.

I have collected a nice selection of vintage findings. Some were given to me by generous people. Once, a lady who worked her whole life as a costume designer and had just retired came to my studio and dropped me tons of millinery flowers, vintage earrings, brooches and feathers. I made the Moulin rouge necklace, using a lot of the things she gave me :

Today I thought I would open some of my drawers to show you some of my vintage jewelry findings :

I have recently started to use vintage millinery flowers in my jewelry. I am fascinated by the details and the beauty of these flowers and they remind me of those movies I have seen of Coco Chanel making hats :

Those purple flowers you can see can also be found in the Ana necklace available on my website :

I use those gorgeous vintage flower branches in the Marika necklace :

These days I have been working on a new one-of-a-kind necklace, using a few different vintage findings, along with stones and silk.This necklace has given me a very hard time, made me doubt myself at times and required a lot of patience and stamina. But I think I have finally come to a design I love (I still need to give it a few finishing touches…) :

Getting ready for the sample sale

The past month has been filled with things to do to get ready for the sample sale I am having on May 1st and 2nd (122 Bernard Ouest, Montreal).

Tout le mois d’avril a été rempli de choses à faire en vue de ma vente d’échantillons qui aura lieu les 1-2 mai au 122 Bernard Ouest, Montréal.

Today I spent the entire day putting price tags on almost 200 products (I am not done yet). I took a few pictures of some of the bracelets, necklaces and earrings that will be on sale on may 1-2 for you to have an idea of what selection you will find. Please note that I will also be offering 15 % off everything on my website.

Aujourd’hui j’ai passé toute la journée à mettre des étiquettes sur près de 200 produits (je n’ai d’ailleurs pas encore terminé). J’ai pris quelques photos des bracelets, colliers et boucles d’oreilles qui seront en solde les 1-2 mai pour vous donner une idée… Notez que j’offrirai également 15 % de rabais sur tous les produits de la collection actuellement affichée sur mon site web.

If you want to make sure you always hear about sales, events and new things, you can like my facebook page or register to my newsletter on my website (I send emails once or twice a month).

Si vous voulez vous assurer de toujours être informé(e) des ventes, événements et nouveautés, vous pouvez aimer ma page facebook ou vous abonner à mon infolettre directement sur mon site web (j’envoie des nouvelles 1-2 fois par mois).

See you on friday ! xoxo

À vendredi ! xoxo

Sample sale coming up !

Last year when I closed the shop, I organized a huge sale on my jewelry from past collections. It was supposed to last 3 days but we sold out in one day. It was such a great success I thought I should repeat the experience again. And there it is : May 1st-2nd, run to my pop-up shop at 122 Bernard O. (Montreal) for big savings, big time !

L’an dernier, quand j’ai fermé ma boutique, j’ai organisé une grande vente de bijoux de collections antérieures. La vente devait durer trois jours mais à ma grande surprise, nous avons tout vendu en une journée. J’ai tellement aimé l’expérience que je me suis promis de la renouveler. Et le moment est enfin arrivé ! Les 1er-2 mai, venez nous voir à mon ancienne boutique pour profiter de généreux rabais sur beaucoup de bijoux !

 

This little world of mine

When I was a child, a teenager and even a young adult, I was very concerned with getting people’s approval. I spent a lot of time trying to please people. I didn’t have much self confidence and worried people didn’t like me. I was a very anxious kid that often felt unworthy and “not enough”. I could barely spend time on my own : being alone felt painful and scary.

As a young adult, with time (and a lot of therapy) I gradually learned to know and love my true self. I learned to make the difference between what I wanted to do and what I was doing to get people to like me. And on that path, what really helped me heal my wounds and grow a sense of self is jewelry.

Sitting for long hours in my studio, making necklaces, playing with beads and fabrics slowly taught me to spend time on my own. It became fun. It felt good. I didn’t need to be with people all the time anymore. I wasn’t running away from solitude anymore : I was enjoying it. In fact, I often think that I still spend a lot of time alone because I have to make up for all the years I spent running away from myself.

Jewelry showed me intimacy. My studio became this little world of mine, this secret intimate universe where everything was possible. I learned that the journey was more important than the destination as I embraced the long hours it could take me to make a necklace.

Making jewelry taught me hard work and to take pride in what I do. I had never been fully dedicated to anything before. I began to look for inspiration everywhere around me. I would hunt beautiful color combinations and interesting material textures. I spent entire evenings embroidering beads and crystals to fabric to build a necklace, with  “Project Runway” playing on my computer, its young designers giving me a sense of community.

My first big fabric necklaces were kept secret for a while. I loved them so much : not only because of what they looked like but mostly because of the deep joy I felt when I was making them. For a while, they all hung on a coat rack in my studio, hidden under a big sheet. At first, I didn’t want to show them to anyone, not even my flatmate who was a close friend.

I had finally learned to respect myself, my process, my need for intimacy and secrets. I had found my voice, my passion and what would become my work. For the first time in my life I was dedicated to doing something that came from inside and not from an outside pressure or a desire to please.

And that is how making jewelry became a huge part of my life…

Wedding inspiration : beautiful wedding dresses

When I was shopping for my wedding dress, I realized how heavy and uncomfortable a wedding gown can be : staring at myself in the mirror, I looked like a princess but felt like a prisoner. I thought : how can I have fun at my wedding if I am wearing this tight fitting heavy thing ? And with my wedding being in august, I could also picture myself sweating like crazy in those dresses.

So I decided to look for a lighter, simpler dress. I ended up picking a dress from Grace loves lace, an Australian brand that sells exclusively online. All I had to make my decision were a fabric swatch and pictures and testimonials from brides wearing the dress. Having a pretty standard shape, I am confident that the fit will be perfect. And I was happy to order a dress made by a small company with local workers.

For obvious reasons, I won’t be showing you my dress until after my wedding but here are some of my favorite inspirations from my weddding dresses Pinterest board :

Grace loves lace dress

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Life with Emily blog

Laure de Sagazan

J.Mendel dress, photo by Xavier Navarro

Lihi Hod wedding dress

Grace loves lace Avril dress

Truvelle wedding dress

Laure de Sagazan wedding dress

I could go on and on with more pictures because there are so many dresses out there that I absolutely love. You can see more of my wedding inspirations on my Pinterest.

And if you are in the process of shopping for your wedding dress, here is my advice. List the things you want to find in your dress and stick to it. Don’t settle for something that looks great but that is totally not you. You will be getting a lot of different opinions from different people and that can make you lose sight of what you like and need : comfort ? style ? sleeves ? no sleeves ? light ? princess style ? simple ? over the top ? long ? short ? Most importantly, trust yourself, be patient and keep it fun !

How about you, any advice you would like to share ? xox