The Persephone Collection

SOOOOOO...

Drumroll!

THE PERSEPHONE COLLECTION - My Spring and Summer color collection is now mostly out! (By mostly, meaning I still have to upload the hairchains, the bracelets, the long necklaces and rings - but the key collection is released!)

The Persephone Collection is my second officially released collection. Urban Nomad is my unofficial second collection (in creation terms) but it is SO BIG that I actually feel pretty intimidated to upload it all. I will do so in the coming months though as I have more time. 

It seems SO WEIRD to have jumped from Nocturna Collection to Persephone Collection when in reality I had A LOT of time to figure out transitioning away from monotones, to the exciting neutrals and duller colors of Urban Nomad, to where I am now with the Persephone Collection. This little technical gap bothers me and probably leaves my potential stockists' rubbing their heads. I'm sorry, guys!

I had A LOT of fun playing with colors and rediscovering it. Personally, I have always been good at it due to a childhood background in watercolor painting. But, I gave it up a long time ago in favor of academics under extreme parental pressures (something I still regret to this day). But, to finally get to pick something like contrasting and complimenting colors was quite fun. The results are unconventional (for me personally) and the style is refreshingly modern with a slight nouveux-tribal-meets-luxe-boho kind of aesthetic. 

I have posted the collection on my COVEN ETSY and everything has FREE WORLDWIDE SHIPPING. Also, there is a SALE of 10% the whole shop if you use PERSEPHONE10 when you check out. 

You may be asking why I decided to go with FREE WORLDWIDE SHIPPING no matter what. Honestly, as a customer I am an avid online shopper. But, I hate adding things to my shopping cart then later seeing the shipping costs...it's discouraging and a little annoying sometimes. I've adopted a policy to just to incur most of the shipping costs myself to save my customers from that same issue. Yeah, it annoys me THAT much. 

Anyways, no more shop talk. Go look at the collection below!

Photography Assignment - MY STUDIO and The Persephone Collection (Process)

I recently had to do a photography assignment for one of my university classes.

I think I am still terrible at photography and I think it might be that I still don't really know how to use my camera (or it's not awesome enough). At least the class has made me realize that there are a lot more technical aspects to it then I think.

It was based on a phrase and your interpretation of it.

Well, then, I was told not to translate it too literally...but I took it in a literal direction. I'm very uncreative when it comes to stuff like this. Ask me to make something beautiful physically - and I will. Ask me to photograph something? I hit a wall.

Without further ado here is the phrase I chose:

It is something that conveys in my mind the best situation for me. I could have chosen more inspirational or provocative phrases but I liked how it stood for me as what I aspire to. I definitely could have manually focused this picture better. Sigh. I can't tell on the TINY LCD flip screen.

One of things about what you like/love is that it is in a literal sense freedom. For me, it's the freedom to wake up really late. YESSSSS... 11:30 - 1 pm wake-up time as depicted in this picture of my view from my studio. It overlooks Liberty Village a tad and I always see the lake on a good day. 

 

What makes me happy? THIS. This is only around 20% of my studio but this area is where I work almost everyday. Normally, it doesn't look so clean. Under the table is where my more heavy supplies: Italian chain, boxes and boxes of gems, silks, lace, and other notions hide. I like to think I am organized...but let's be honest this is obviously a depiction of a borderline hoarder. See how I gave up even labeling the little drawers?

Designing is also a form of happiness and freedom for the partially self-employed (like myself). The freedom of designing what you want without consequences or supervision. Here's my obviously staged attempt to figure out one of my leather, boxchain, and pearl designs. One of my more recent pieces is a leather wrapped skull. I'm putting it on a clutch but a lack of an industrial sewing machine puts a huge block on that project. 

I ordered replacement tubes for the vintage metalled acrylic I had used the first time around. The angle was totally wrong. So, I made long necklaces since the angle of the tubes gave a pleasant 'U' shape. Here's a sketch of my first piece, then the prototype, and now laying out the next versions of the long necklace. 

Beading process. A close-up. Look at that gorgeous centerpiece of the necklace! It's a rainbow quartz. I call this one the peacock rainbow quartz and it's a weird powdery blue with iridescent shine. So pretty!

More beading...

I end this post with one of my most recent publications from COCO Magazine's April issue which you can see HERE. The necklace is the same one on the model in the editorial. It's actually the second piece I made for the Persephone Collection.

 The team that did the shoot got the cover of the magazine which is exciting. One of my pieces is actually on the cover but you can't see it (except for the chain portion). Still pretty pleased with the results though. I started out pretty avant-garde goth with my designs and playing with colors nowadays has really been an adventure! 

A little update and Ottawa Fashion Week sponsorship

Sponsored INNA Clothing at Ottawa Fashion Week. They closed the look my necklace!

Wow, I haven't updated since last year!

A lot of thing happened since. I have been immensely busy with school, work, and COVEN. Things have died down for Quaintrella because personally my personal fashion evolved a bit to be more on the minimalist avant-garde goth side. Got lots of press recently which is great. You can check out the 2013 Press HERE. 

Perhaps, the most exciting thing that has happened is that I sponsored INNA Clothing last minute for Ottawa Fashion Week this pass February. Special thanks to my favourite stylist, Tasha Farrington for setting it all up! INNA Clothing closed their show with a model wearing one of their most dramatic pieces and my Urban Nomad Collection necklace called The Lion's Mane. It's such a dramtic piece and so perfect for this dress: 

INNA Clothing and COVEN's Urban Nomad Collection necklace: The Lion's Mane

The necklace is extremely architectural and I made it out of findings and beads I bought with no idea what to use them for. What I like most about it is that it closes with 2 feet of leather ribbon with two twin gold spikes that hold it to the huge Italian brass boxchain. When tied in double-knots and worn the leather sways very much like a twin tails. 

What the necklace looks like!