Roses... in black and white.

After much searching and many side-by-side comparisons I've chosen my favorite flowers.

Then I took away all their pretty color and ramped up the contrast using Jack's very advanced version of iphoto.



I'm thinking the next step will be to soften edges, cut out the background and re-create the image in two contrasting colors - making a sort of screen-print-esque 2 dimensional look. This I can then emblazon all over my website, business cards, and use to make stickers that will personalize my packaging.

The question is... Pink? Is that too obvious?

I mean you ALL know what color I'm thinking here...right?


No?

You Should, so you'll just have to *wait for it*!

Photoshop, here I come!
(Thanks Diana!)

PS - They look pretty hot with the colors popped too...

Request Accepted.

Stay tuned for a behind the scenes look at EmmaRoses's photography studio!
COMING SOON.

New Zealand Paua Shells...

These are what started it all. These exact shells you see before you.

I found them at The Bead Shop in Victoria BC. These were the first pieces of jewelry that I ever sold, all the way back in 2003. Unfortunately when your materials start at $22 a set it is hard (read: Impossible) to turn a profit - especially after the shopkeeper takes their commission, And you pay yourself for parts and labour - so after a few sales I hung up my hat, thinking that was that.
Fast forward 6 years to 2009 (what!?!) and the wonders of the interweb can now more easily connect me directly to suppliers in New Zealand where these beautiful shells are found, thereby cutting out the middle man and making me very happy indeed.

During a recent troll on ebay I found a great seller with a huge selection of paua at a GREAT price. Rather than spending $7-$11 a piece, he sells LOTS of 10 - 100 for $9-$15. I am a happy woman.
My project this weekend was to set up a photo studio in my apartment and take some photos of the types of shells I'm looking for. I'll be sending these to the seller in the hopes that he will create custom orders for me so that I don't end up with a bunch of mismatched shell pieces that I really don't need.
These are all from my collection. Aren't they pretty? It was verrrry difficult to get these to photograph well and show their true colors. I ended up getting frustrated with the camera set up after a while and dejectedly retired to bed before getting the shots I was looking for. Lucky I did, because when I opened these pics up in Jack's new version of iPhoto the ext morning, I was able to boost the colors and reduce the highlights... giving me what you see here.

These are the first two lots I've bought from said ebay seller. I always work with large pieces because that's what I like wearing, but I thought I would branch out into medium and smaller pieces. At first I was just thinking of turning these into small drops as is my usual route, but now that I'm sitting here looking at all these pieces, I'm wondering about layering. Combining color and sizes... They make a great little twinkling sound as they bounce against each other...

Too bad. I'll have to play with them when they get here... ; )

Don't worry, I'll show you what I'm up to.

I wish...

I wish I could make it so that the older posts are at the top of my blog...
Everything is up-high-side-down!

My first EmmaRose Ebay Purchase!

Yesterday I missed an Awesome lot of about 50 gold tone charms and was only out-bid by ONE DOLLAR! Today I joined auctionsniper.com and won my first EmmaRose related auction.

Look what I got!

Cute, n'est pas?!

Cross your fingers for me, cos I reeeeeaaally want to win these babies...

...Couldn't you just see one on a gold chain alongside a little shell and a gold charm??

I'm glad I get to sleep in tomorrow and let auctionsniper take care of these Instead of getting up at 6am to bid. (Thanks Dad!)

Yes Aunty Dale, I still have an aversion to 6am.

A Heckovalotta Roses

Wow. I did not not know that one could stay up until after 3AM looking for the perfect rose...

Now I know.

These first three I love for their silhouette... Love.

(this last one might be a teeensy bit too perfect)

These three I like for their lovely spiraling centers...

(I love how simple this one is)

That first one might be IT, but I didn't want to post only one photo after looking for so long!
Let's take another look...



I'd like to take this (or a combination of these flowers) and do something like this:





Then Again... Mum reminded me tonight that the Rennie MackIntosh roses are very simple and beautiful. Something like this would be really nice too.

What do you think?

A Note on Centers...
When I was little, we used to go on these looooong car trips (from London to FLORIDA) with my Nona who is this skinny little bit of a thing from Boston. She used to carry this big plastic bag of little sugar-free candies in her 'pocketbook' and would launch them my way any chance she got. She always used to say 'DON'T chew! Suck on it and when you get to the middle, there is a soft chewy Santa'. Well. Let me tell you. I would take that candy out of my mouth every two seconds and look and loook, waiting for a chewy Santa to appear in the middle of my dime sized sugar-free candy. It took an embarrassingly long time to comprehend that she was saying 'center' in her wicked-thick Boston accent ...sadly... NOT Santa. Every time I think the the word center, I think of all those little candies I ate in vain, looking for that chewy little Santa.
Now you Know...

Herrre We go! Welcome.

Well, well, well. I'm finally doing it. I'm FINALLY starting a jewelry line. Wow.

Welcome one and all to EmmaRose Jewelry!

DAY 1:

EmmaRoseJewelry.com and a store at Esty.com are coming soon, but for now I thought that I would document the process of getting set up - and also create a forum for feedback as I get started. Please! Comment! Tell me your thoughts and your feedback.
What do you like? What would you do? What do you think?

Share with me people.

I thought I would get started at the beginning. A Logo.

The FABulous Miss Diana Deaver has been lovely enough to extend a hand in this department as I understand she is now a Photoshop. Master. (Mastery she will undoubtedly deny, but anyone who can get that program to do what they ask it is a Master in my books!)

Logo:
I like Roses. I LOVE Roses. Everytime I pass flower stands and florist shops I stare longingly at the roses wishing that I could grab a huge bouquet and take them home. I don't, usually, because it really is sad to see them wilt so quickly. They are Expensivo in Manhattan, and the ones I could afford are wrong. There is something SO wrong about a rose that has no scent.

My favorite roses are always the fluffy imperfect ones that smell like... smell like....

Heaven.

I am going off in search of the Roses.
Aren't you jealous?