by
Marjorie Miller JEWELRY SPOTTER
Great Finds On-Line
blog.landofodds.com
by
Marjorie Miller
Hello, if you don't already know by now, as millions surely already do, my name is Marjorie. People know me as a bead jewelry designer with an obsessive penchant for gemstones, pearls, more gemstones, more pearls, even more gemstones and even more pearls, and, of course, all the other stuff, like chain, wire, sterling silver, and you know what else, I don't have to tell you. And if you have heard that I spend more time on the internet than God, well, you might be right. I am always on the lookout for the next great thing in jewelry. It could be yours. (Actually, it should be mine, but you know me....) I hang out at Land of Odds (www.landofodds.com), and you can reach me there anytime. Point my nose in the right direction -- jewelry on-line that people will want to talk about. And, darling, you better believe this is my real nose. The jewelry ain't fake either. Let me take your hand, and guide your eye to see the treasures I have found ....
CURRENT JEWELRY SPOTTER BLOG ARTICLES
BEA VALDES
This is it folks, “it don’t get no better than this.” Bea
Valdes designs and creates awe inspiring, stunning hand embroidered jewelry,
bags, scarves, and even sculpted animal figures embellished with crystals and
semiprecious gemstones. When I first laid my eyes on Valdes’ pieces I
gasped, dropped my jaw, and stared lovingly at the most beautiful bead embroidery
known on this planet. One can aspire to such perfection in creating beaded jewelry.
It has been said that Valdes will actually calculate the space between crystals
and the slope of each feather until every piece is perfect; she is painfully
meticulous, and the results are beyond any mathematician’s wildest, most
beautiful dreams. Stringing together millimeters into momentum - This is Valdes’
method. It is a process based on spontaneous evolution: Tactile qualities vary,
and so the design must adjust. Patterns are gently worked on layer by layer.
Sections are carefully altered bead by bead. Until a bag or piece of jewelry
is nurtured and coaxed out of the embroiderer’s hoop. Each one is distinctly
individual, never to be replicated again. There are occasional twins, sharing
hybrid histories. But they are never identical, always fraternal.
Valdes’ bags and jewelry are featured in all “the” fashion
magazines, yet she chooses to create in Manila over New York. It is important
for her to maintain a creative environment that allows for the time-intensive
embroidery work to be carried out. As Valdes says, "We don't stress the
process. I can see if someone's having a bad day. It's old-style artisan work.
We're taking a step back to move forward in our own sort of way. This is the
only place where I feel it can be done right". The jewelry, bags, belts
can take up to eight weeks to be created. Valdes’ company is also a family
affair with her mother Pamela managing the 40 artisans and her hardworking,
enthusiastic sister Marga is getting new markets abroad, nurturing and establishing
business relationships.
Enjoy Bea Valdes just don’t leave too much drool on your keyboard.
Source: Jane, Couture Lab and W
