Repurposing Vintage into Bridal

Repurposing Vintage into Bridal

Once upon a time about 8 years ago, I married a bald headed man in the midst of sleeping grape vines in Wine Country.  It was December, cold and clear – and to keep costs down, we got married on a Sunday and DIY’d most of the decorations, floral and table settings.  I even made my own jewelry – because as a jewelry designer, I definitely could make exactly what I wanted.

In the midst of the flurry that is wedding planning, I forgot something pretty important. 

 Something old, something new

Something borrowed, something blue

And a silver sixpence in her shoe.

Words from an old English poem that every bride knows by heart.  Well, maybe not the “silver sixpence in her shoe” bit, but the rest…definitely.  And I don’t know about you – but when I was a bride, it was a scramble at the last minute to find all those things and somehow carry them in a dress with no pockets.  After my honeymoon, while sitting down to think about Spring and Bridal design ideas, I remembered that scramble.  And thought about how I could help my Bridal clients from having the same problem. 

The repurposing of vintage/antique components into modern design is not a new one.  Every one of us has bits and pieces of broken costume jewelry that most times gets thrown into a junk drawer or thrown out.  But in my case, a love of vintage/antique costume jewelry started early thanks to a very image conscious grandmother who loved her sparkles.  I’d amassed a collection of vintage jewelry pieces as well as bits of broken jewelry along the way.  While looking at these pieces next to my collection of antique chandelier crystals, I had an idea.

Why not combine vintage and new elements and knock out these all at once? 

 

Something old -  Use a vintage rhinestone pin/pendant/locket

Something new – Use new gemstones as accents 

Something borrowed – Work with a bride to add a piece of her own costume jewelry into the design

Something blue – Add a piece of blue to the design, a crystal or bead at the clasp. 

And voila – suddenly an easy way to add a single item that had all these elements in one.  No need for pockets or trying to wrangle an evening bag while meeting and greeting or walking up the aisle.    

Hands free to hug and dance the night away.

Cultural Appropriation in Art & Jewelry Design

Cultural Appropriation in Art & Jewelry Design

As artists, we are inspired by everything around us – from nature to books, other designers, other cultures.  Inspiration abounds.  Artistic movements like Art Nouveau, Impressionism, and Art Deco where inspired by nature and the female form, geometric shapes and a need to see beyond the surface.  Those movements were also inspired by the art forms of other cultures.

Art has always been about expressing ideas and feelings in a way that captures the imagination and touches the soul.  Human beings are compelled to create things that endure.  To question the world around them as they endeavor to create beauty. 

But there is always a fine line between appreciating and celebrating a culture other than your own in your work, and cultural appropriation.

Cultural Appropriation is defined as the adoption or use of only certain elements of a culture not one’s own in a way that demeans or is disrespectful because of lack of understanding.

Artists have to be especially careful when marketing items they have made that are inspired by other cultures.  There are specific Federal Laws, like the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Indian Arts & Crafts Act of 1990 which protect cultural arts from copycats and misrepresentation.  If you are not a recognized member of a Native American tribe, you cannot market your art/craft as Native American and to do so will subject you to fines and/or prison terms.  That goes for meta tags and hashtags as well.

We, as artists, also have to be respectful in how we are portraying a culture not our own in our work and should endeavor to educate ourselves in the culture that inspires us so we don’t inadvertently create something offensive.  If you have questions, ask.  Be curious.  Open a dialog.  Learn and appreciate the many cultures that the U.S. has to offer – but realize that each culture has their own unique narrative.  And cultural appropriation can overshadow that narrative.  

 So be mindful and respectful.  And be inspired.

Ongoing Series - Everything You Ever Wanted to know about GEMSTONES

Blogs.  It's all about blogs.

If you own a small business, the first thing you become intimately conscious of is SEO, or search engine optimization.  I am a creative person in general.  I love color and working with my hands.  But computers and their inner workings does not come naturally to me.


I actively hear the Charlie Brown teacher whenever anyone in my family starts talking about computer code.  My eyes generally cross in the midst of any explanation of such things too.  But SEO is crucial to getting a brand in front of followers, so I am endeavoring to pour some time into blogging regularly as well as coming up with new and exclusive content for our Facebook and Twitter pages. 

In February, I introduced three new series: Gemstones & Their Meanings and Gemstone Pairings to my Facebook page and Color Theme of the Day to my Twitter page.

It's my way of sharing my love of gemstones and their amazing colors and textures with the world.

Gemstones & Their Meanings explores individual gemstones and offers readers meanings for each gemstone.

Gemstone Pairings are all about color!  It's a way to share my favorite gemstone pairings and give ideas and inspirations for color palettes.

Color Theme of the Day is just a fun way to start each day on Twitter - with bright, beautiful pictures of Reyna Red items in the daily color.

I have started to use scheduling tools on Facebook and Twitter to assist me in making sure content is posting even when I have to be away from my computer.  With an active toddler, that happens quite often.  I am also committing to update my blog at least twice a week.

So stay tuned!

Origin Stories - Not Just for Superheroes

Origin Stories - Not Just for Superheroes

I'm a bit of a super hero nut - the opening of a new Marvel movie is enough to make me giddy with anticipation.  The best part of the movie is always the origin story - especially for characters I am not as familiar with.  The origin story shows the hero's journey from ordinary to extraordinary.  From zero to hero.

And just like super heroes - I have my own origin story.  It's not filled with explosions, radioactive spiders or mayhem...but it's my story.  It's the way I went from Reyna to Reyna the jewelry designer.

I started making jewelry at the tender age of 3 - from random bits I confiscated from my older brother and things I unabashedly pilfered from my mom's knitting basket. My first masterpiece was a glorious concoction of yarn, peeled and broken up crayons, q-tips, felt, and a lovely balloon focal.

My mother was rightly impressed and so things progressed from there. I took beading and weaving classes in grade school and then metalsmithing classes in high school and college. And then I became a travel agent for 12 years...while doing the jewelry on the side. A soft economy and a chance lay off - pushed me to go at this gangbusters and full time.

And so Reyna Red began in 2008 - and offered artisan handmade jewelry with oodles of gemstones and pearls and oh the precious metals! Bridal and Hair Accessories soon joined the product line. And for 3 years, I did every craft show in the area and reveled in the all the gems, beads and lovely schtuff I had collected over 30 years. I loved working with brides to make that one piece that would complete her look. I loved the fun giggles from little girls when the sparkle of their Reyna Red barrettes would catch the light.

And then in 2011 - I welcomed my own little bundle of joy. Who frankly was opposed to mommy holding pliers and working for hours on end. So Reyna Red took a little detour while I got to know the little person I created. I switched over to jewelry supplies because I already had the stock, the contacts, the expertise and let's face it, the house busting fanatical collecting bug.... Reyna Red took a little nap and Reyna Red Supplies was born! 

So that's my story. Live, laugh, love and have a cookie.