Where's Waldo?

Anyone who has enjoyed the Where's Waldo children's books knows that you must have an eagle eye in order to find Waldo. Let's apply that principle to find what makes our jewelry unique and remarkable. See if you can spot the vintage component in each piece of our new fall jewelry featured below.

A signature feature of jewelry by The Montage Collection is its use of vintage components. In the dazzling Maria earring pictured above the vintage element is pretty apparent. The fabulous Art Deco posts were created from pieces of vintage pressed glass with marcasite embellishment.

 

The one of a kind Katy necklaces have one feature in common. Their pendants are created with vintage pressed glass center pieces circa 1940's. Each vintage center piece is then embellished with Swarovski cup chain and matte black spikes to give them a modern edge.

 

 

Our Chandler necklace is another great example of reviving antique components to create interest. The bead caps used here are antique pieces yet they work perfectly with this very current leather collar with hand woven beading.

 

Finally our chunky and modern Hannah necklace sports the resin chain and horn beads so popular in today's statement necklaces. The unique touch added here is the use of vintage brass bead spacers that feature a hard to find brushed finish.

 

All of the stunning and unique pieces on today's blog will soon be available on www.myrnahalpern.com. If you can't wait, contact us at themontagecollection@gmail.com.

 

Posted with Blogsy

Finishing Touches

When you are doing a photo shoot high atop a bluff in an amazing garden overlooking Admirality Inlet where Puget Sound meets the Strait of Juan de Fuca, anything can happen. Perfect weather, warm sun, cool breezes, gorgeous model. Life is good.

 

 

These are some candid shots, the finishing touches from our recent photo shoot. You can see the actual product shots on the home page of www.myrnahalpern.com.

Just couldn't pass up the opportunity to photograph the winning combination of a beautiful woman in a beautiful setting.

 

Loving our artsy jewelry shown against this fun and funky garden gate.

 

Could be the first and last time that our jewelry is featured in such a "natural" setting. Gives new meaning to the concept of a hen party.

 

And the final finishing touch to this great shoot was a visit to one of my favorite bistros for a scrumptious dinner of the freshest produce and seafood from the Pacific Northwest accompanied by an incredible bottle of wine and a very talented boogie woogie piano player. All in a day's work.

 

Posted with Blogsy

Cooking Class or Jewelry Design?

 

I know you are probably thinking that I am at some gourmet cooking school learning to prepare mouth watering marrow bones as only the French can do. No. You are so wrong.

 

Actually I am at the end of a dirt road not far from the shores of Puget Sound! I have made a great discovery. I have found a terrific new source for my jewelry, one that gives new meaning to eco friendly.

I admit it. I am a city girl and not so savvy about wild animals. So I honestly did not know that deer, elk and moose shed their antlers. I have now met someone who is an expert on that topic. He forages the woods and retrieves those antlers!

 

 

Look, he has a whole workshop filled with antlers! You had to be there to appreciate the fact that my new best friend Jerry has been repurposing deer antlers for forty years. Jerry has been doing this since long before we used the word "repurposing!"

 

I know you are wondering what in the world I have planned for my new treasures. I definitely have a plan for these goodies as a part of my 2014 collections. Think organic, eco friendly jewelry, very cool and edgy with an unexpected use of contrasting materials. More will be revealed in later posts. Stay tuned!

 

Posted with Blogsy

Art Imitating Art

So often I am asked where I get my ideas for my jewelry. Like most people who design, I am inspired by everything around me. I often take in information, store it in my subconscious, and reinterpret it when I create. Here are some great examples of my latest creations with some accompanying designs that could easily have been a stimulus for my work. In other words, "Art Imitating Art."

 

 

 

Handwoven color block bracelets could have been rooted in either of the above designs.

 

 

 

Is it possible that these fabulous Swarovski crystal earrings were inspired by those countless orange cones we find at construction sites?

 

 

Ever since I was a child, I have been fascinated with pinwheel designs. That fascination took root in my new Katherine necklaces embellished with suede tassels.

 

 

The ropes and chains of the Tess necklace may be based in some home interior design I have admired similar to the effects in the above photo.

 

 

And if you are fascinated by grids, you can easily understand the basis of my matte hematite and iolite Ellenore cuff bracelet.

 

Posted with Blogsy

Creative Paradise

This is the perfect creative environment.

I can't think of a more perfect vista to enjoy, and it's one that helps my creative juices flow. My creative paradise is here, where Puget Sound empties into the Strait of Juan de Fuca, at the tip of the Olympic Peninsula, just below the San Juan Islands. I often sit on this bench in the backyard of my "summer studio" atop a very tall bluff overlooking the kayaks, ferry boats and sail boats floating along Admirality Bay.

Garden "friends" and flowers provide an inviting backdrop for me to ponder my next collection or analyze an upcoming marketing endeavor.

Color schemes are easily snatched from nature.

Patterns evolve from textures and shadows.

I am often asked where I get my ideas, and my answer is always, "My surroundings." I am currently conceiving my 2014 collections, and launching an innovative way to market my products. Surrounded by nature's beauty, and fortunate enough to live (at least temporarily) in this creative paradise is the perfect incubator for creative thought. Stay tuned to follow my progress!

Posted with Blogsy

The Instant Gratification Trunk Show

Who doesn't appreciate instant gratification? So we decided to apply that principle at our trunk show this past week at Potpourri in Atlanta, and it worked! We love Potpourri, a fabulous, well established, upscale boutique in Atlanta with devoted customers, some of whom have been shopping there for  30 years.

We had a great time there, enjoyed meeting their loyal clients, and loved being able to thank them for supporting Montage Jewelry over the years.

Most trunk shows require patience. You fall in love with an item, but have to order it and wait a few months before receiving it. We decided to take a different approach and the Potpourri girls appreciated being able to take their special item home with them the very day of their purchase.

Who couldn't resist our fabulous chunky necklaces and bracelets? Both were a big hit. We found out that Atlanta girls love bold bracelets!

A big shout out to Potpourri for hosting a fun and fabulous trunk show. We enjoyed meeting everyone and hope to come back soon.

Here is the link to our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/TheMontageCollection 

And don't forget to visit the website: www.myrnahalpern.com

Timeless Curiosities

If you have ever read the About section of my website, you will see that I describe my jewelry as "timeless curiosities." The operative word here is timeless. My hope is that Montage Jewelry will be passed on to future generations because it will never go out of style. I tend to stay away from trends. Have I ever put a skull in any of my jewelry? No. While I think it is fun, edgy and quirky, I don't think it is an element that is timeless. Someone asked me if their necklace from six years ago was still in style. The answer is, "Yes, and hopefully it always will be." To further emphasize that point I thought that it might be time for a walk down memory lane.

Here is a stunning piece from the Montage archives. Honestly, I wish I still owned it. The pop of emerald green is amazing, not to mention that emerald is the Pantone color of the year for 2013. Is this necklace still in style? YOU BETCHA!

And what about this head turner? A sparkling rutilated quartz teardrop is enhanced with an antique cut steel connector and mixed metal chains. Not only will this piece always be in style, you really can wear it with just about anything. Timeless, yes. Versatile, yes. In style today, yes.

Moving on to bedazzling earrings. These pass every test. Eye catching, colorful, classy, timeless, and so on and so forth. If you had bought these five years ago, you would still be enjoying them today. If you own them, congratulations!

Drum roll, please. This antique shoe buckle is one of the prettiest I have ever found. Spectacular shoe buckles like this one are still being incorporated in today's bracelets. Whether you mix them with leather or metal, they always add an interesting touch and are great conversation starters.

For those of you reading this blog who covet a piece of your Montage Jewelry, please take a picture of it and put it on our Facebook page. It will be fun to see some of the favorite oldies but goodies. Here is the link to our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/TheMontageCollection 

And don't forget to visit the website: www.myrnahalpern.com