Jewelry Fun: Boho adventures from the Levant
Boho Jewelry Fun: Bracelets, rings and earrings from the Levant. This is my new collection of handmade jewelry - by Karboojeh Jewelry. I had great fun working on these, and more, to be revealed soon inshAllah.
The first piece is called the Karboojeh Color Power Boho Bracelet. The three wooden rings above are nicknamed, Karboojeh Wood & Blue Boho Rings. The three earrings below are just a sneak peak into a boho earrings collection I might reveal here or over at my other blog karboojeh.wordpress.com.
I made a couple of key-accessories, I am showing one here below. I’m calling it, Karboojeh Blue Levant Key Charm.
I’m particularly in love with seed beads (little glass beads that if stacked together can make a big impact): In this piece, turquoise beads go lovingly well with bronze. This (below) is called, Karboojeh Mixed Brass Levant Pendant Necklace.
And here is its sister, Karboojeh Mixed Levant Pendant Necklace.
That’s it for now. Take care… :)
(Source: karboojeh)
Jewelry Charms: Lobster clasp takes the lead
Source: anthropologie.com via Karboojeh on Pinterest
I’m back from an Anthropologie adventure. I just visited their genuinely genius “lobster clasp” charms collection, which they are offering as stand-alone jewelry items to please the DIY crowd.
Source: anthropologie.com via Karboojeh on Pinterest
I’m in the middle of finishing a few pieces for a local bazaar, and I couldn’t be more pleased with such a pleasing jewelry idea (I know, pleasing redundancy, hehe).
Source: anthropologie.com via Karboojeh on Pinterest
So basically, you can turn anything into a charm!
Boho details: Tassels, pom-poms, patterns & beads
The method behind what’s boho. This photo is for those who make jewelry, like myself, with a bit of an insider look on “technique.”
Packaging Inspiration from Anthroplogie. An enclosure of generously gilded leather enveloping: hand-bound pages wrapped by a tassel cord.
Vintage nomadic boho: Mirrors on Pillows. Gypsy belt from an Indian accessories tradition.
Boho Cushions for Comfort. Indian mirrored cushions.
Anthropologie ethnic cushion. Beautiful colors & prints.
Pom Pom beauty. A fusion pom-pom necklace marrying different jewelry-making techniques, found at Anthropologie.
Tasseled Boho Necklace. Anthropologie is now posting this necklace on their website, and it is an absolute darling.
I posted an older tutrorial about making your own tassel on my other blog, karboojeh.wordpress.com.
There, you can also find a little story about the origin of tassels, and how it relates to my culture & spirirtual heritage.
Tassels are everywhere in the Levant. They are part of daily life, rather than being a fashion trend that comes & goes.
They adorn prayer rosaries, and go all the way to decorate curtains, cushions, and so many other decorative items.
Now they are on necklaces and bracelets; which is not their usual place.
My personal belief, without really researching my claims, is that Ottomans spread ‘the tassel’ in the world!
I love tassels!
Let’s not forget to go back to wire-lashing, and again it’s a necklace from Anthropologie…
(Source: karboojeh)
Bohemian Surrender: When romantic shabby-chic wins over
Nothing can defeat a boho soul like a dash of shabby chic. I love bohemian, colorful, and sometimes earth-toned decor. I love busy Moroccan, Saharan, folk, ethnic, and nomadic motifs. But nothing can defeat my boho soul like a shabby-chic, white, tired, rustic, and worn-out piece of decor, like this birdie cage.
I’ve been looking up ways to upgrade my jewelry packaging and branding ways, and although most of my jewelry is boho, the labels I am working out for them are so-going the romantic, shabby-chic way. Until I saw this picture, I was all composed and ready to modify my ways, but I am all done now. Shabby-chic wins over boho - for tags and packaging.
I will need a long time to get over these and regain my boho ways. SIGH.
Source: stipje.blogspot.com via Karboojeh on Pinterest
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Romantic-vintage is also very hard to get over. Who can resist tags like these? Not me!
Source: Uploaded by user via Karboojeh on Pinterest
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And of course, all of this can snowball into a romantic kind of packaging, like this one here.
Source: google.co.uk via Karboojeh on Pinterest
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I learnt to follow my heart in everything I do. If my jewelery turned out boho, it’s because I followed my heart - after many attempts to be someone else with my designs. My mom saw my first batch of handmade jewelry and told me: “don’t try to please anyone, make jewelery that you like.” And I did. Thanks mom!
If those tags want to be shabby, then I’m all for it :-)
I leave you with more shabby-chic, romantic-chic, vintage-chic, & retro packaging ideas…
(Via Eat Drink Chic)
(Nostalgia Organics on etsy. Pics above & below via the the Dieline - via Eat Drink Chic)
(via Nostalgia on Etsy)
(via Nostalgia’s website)
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(via Kenzo Crafts)
( via Folksy)
Ideas for Handmade Jewelry Display & Packaging
Jewelry Display Ideas. I just found this fantastic website that offers jewelry display ideas for crafters like me: hmade.co.uk.
Very cool website. I like.
Another interesting display idea:
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All photos are via hmade.co.uk. *click the images to go to the source
Vintage Necklace from the Levant: When global vintage meets my heritage
Handmade, vintage, boho, necklace from the Levant. The center glass piece spells: Allah. It sits on a handmade crochet flower, with vintage beads that used to be part of an old pair of earrings. A golden vintage clip-on earring, snuggles nicely below the blue glass focal piece.
In Ottoman times, wearing the name ‘Allah’ was for protection and remembrance of the love of God. This necklace has something holy about it, it needs to be treated with utmost respect.
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Original work and photo by Karboojeh Jewelry
(Source: karboojeh)
The rustic earth-loving boho. ‘The Rustica’ is a new handmade boho bracelet by Karboojeh Jewelry. It comes with a pair of earrings made with natural wooden seeds.
This is the most close-to-earth design I have made up until now, it works with every boho wardrobe, and it’s neutral, no pop of color, just a calm way to run a bohemian look with the least bit of fuss.
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- All photos are original & posted for the first time (By Karboojeh Jewelry).
Ottoman-inspired Boho Chic Hoops. Handmade by Karboojeh Jewelry, these earrings come from the heart of the Levant, where Turkish influence in jewelry-making is spreading so fast, only a few people can guess what’s happening.
I made these earrings a while back using craft wire, pearls, crystal beads, chain, shell, and a singular golden metallic bead. My inspiration for these are 100% Ottoman.
Handmade Turkish jewelry is now all the fad in the Levant, and so many countries around the world are following suit, but I found out that a lot of small sellers on the net are referring to this kind of jewelry as being ‘Moroccan’ (just because it doesn’t have a western aesthetic)!
I love Turkish jewelry, it’s so colorful, eclectic and bohemian. Plumo, the ethnic on-line boutique (not sure if they’re off-line too), is selling a few bracelets from the Ottoman culture, such as the one above (click the picture to go to Plumo).
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(pic 1 & 2 are by Karboojeh Jewlery. Pic number 3 is via Plumo)
(Source: karboojeh)
Boho glam with a Tassel. Global Glam beaded bracelets. This is Juicy Couture’s boho-chic twist on a bracelet. Isn’t she a beauty? Last year I used to wear my Sufi rosary as a necklace, and of course it had a tassel, and everyone looked at it as if it was an odd thing to wear. Now, it’s fashionable, and it’s OK to wear tassels. That’s so unfortunate. People wait for designer labels and the fashion industry to Okay their cultural aesthetic, and until it is fashionably recognized you remain an outcast.
Tassels are a part and parcel of my culture, like many other beautiful things (harem pants, kaftans, etc). Only when the fashion industry comes and creates a replica of our heritage do people accept it as ‘modern’, cool, and ‘fashion forward’. They don’t have the courage to look into their own culture and heritage and appreciate the beauty they have. Anything that their ancestors used to wear is ‘backwards’, unless fashion comes and declares it ‘inspiring’. This only tells you, people are sheep, and they move with the herd.
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(All photos are via http:www.net-a-porter.com)
A trio of handmade boho bracelets
Blue boho bracelets. The theme of these handmade bracelets is “The Sky loves the Sea”. Together they can mix colors to create a canvas of blue, turquoise and green-blue on the sea surface. Both Sky & Sea are God’s ancient 3-in-1 brush, paint, and canvas.
Here in the Levant and the Mediterranean, the sea is really blue. I saw the ocean when I was in England, and it was grey, so I guess the Mediterranean has a special glow to it. I guess Italians would agree :)
These bracelets are handmade by Karboojeh Jewelry using beads that remind us of the color blue in several possible marriages of color and variation.
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P.S. All photos are by Karboojeh Jewelry & are taken by me, the creator!
(Source: karboojeh)
Visions from The Levant: Charms on a leather boho bracelet
My boho bracelet carries memories from the Levant. A cowrie seashell from the ‘Barjees’ fabric-based board game (famous in Turkey, Syria, and the Levant), nestles happily on a leather chord, next to wooden and seed glass beads. The relatively over-sized clasp is my favorite signature item used in most of my handmade bracelets. In the picture’s center, the natural-looking wooden bead reminds me of cardamom, often used to aromatize bitter-sweet Turkish coffee.
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(Words and Photo are by Karboojeh Jewelry)
(Source: karboojeh)
Beads of love. In my free time, I make jewelry from beads and metallic findings, mainly. I try to mix and match colors in a way that reflects a bohemian, earthly feel. Even when I use glitter, or gold, I try to bring them down to a more natural look by mixing them up with seashells, twine, or something completely boho.
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(Photo by Karboojeh Jewelry )
Boho Touch. This is a good day to discover bohemian-looking jewelry on the net. And I did!
Catchall Jewelry makes tribal ear-wraps out of brass wire… and guess what? ‘You don’t need any piercings to wear them, there is a wire in the back that wraps around your ear and keeps the ear-wrap in place,’ the artist tells us on her website, Junk.
I’m particularly interested in the intricate detailing of these ear-wraps; very delicate, and absolutely beautiful.
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(Pic via Junk)
