Saturday, May 4, 2013

Hats Off :: The Many Sides of Audrey Hepburn

I just love Audrey's sense of style and man did she like to wear hats! Check out this great Middle-Eastern looking hat she's sporting here. It is one of my favorites of all the hats she wore. Seriously, who could make tassels look that elegant but Audrey? It is wonderful inspiration for me, and for my Hat's Off project for Bobbie's challenge. I'm going to attempt to make a few pieces to match Audrey's style without using any of those pearls she is so famous for.

I just happened to have a tassel sitting on the bead table. It is one of the tassels that come with stones when you buy them one, or two at a time. I did a simple beaded band around the top of the tassel and then connected it to a long basic spiral patterned necklace. But it still needed something? I pulled out some grey sari silk that my friend Christine gifted me from Darn Good Yarn. And that was it! The fiber was just what this piece needed. I thread it through the grey beads in the pattern so it really brings out the color of the sari silk.

I just love Audrey's style, and she had so many hats to match up with that I wanted to try at least one (maybe two) more. Next up is this cute Southwestern style outfit. Problem is that with the shirt she's got on the pattern is too much for a necklace. Ok, so earrings it is! These are etched silver that I got from my mom. I didn't like the original setting, so I pulled them apart (as I always do), and "upcylced" them with a touch of bamboo coral. With Audrey's hair up like that, these earrings would look fantastic with that outfit.

One last piece. Christine also gifted me this very cool wood focal. And it was screaming at me to figure out how to use it in a pattern. I started with a ladder stitch, and then a stringing pattern with a mix of red seed beads. But it still needed something? When I saw this picture of Audrey, same hat but different shirt I realized this was what I was looking for. Look at the thin black in the hat and how that brings a richness to the red. I added just a thin layer of black matte beads along with daggers at the end of the stringing. I finished with black suede to keep the necklace itself simple. It has a tribal feel to it somehow. And the little something extra in this piece are 5 faceted red beads mixed in to the red stringing. These are a beads from Christine's Gram. It gives it just a little bit of attitude, kinda of like that look on Audrey's face!


Arlene Dean        www.aglassbash.blogspot.com                                 Bobbie Rafferty       www.beadsong.blogspot.com
Charlie       www.505indiechick.blogspot.com                                     Cheryl Dunham        www.renaissance-jewelry.blogspot.com
Chris       www.furzalsjewellry.blogspot.com                                       Christine Altmiller       www.onekisscreations.blogspot.com
Cindy Wilson    www.itsmyseaofdreams.blogspot.com                         Cynthia Machata       www.antiquitytravelers.blogspot.com (You Are Here)
Deanna Riles-Cox https://www.facebook.com/deanna.rilescox                                     
Debbie Rasmussen       www.kepirasmussen.blogspot.com                   Dini Bruinsma      https://www.facebook.com/dini.bruinsma?fref=ts   
Jasvanti Patel       www.jewelrybyjasvant.blogspot.com                      Jean Yates       www.prettykittydogmoonjewelry.blogspot.com                              
Jennifer LaVite        www.drygulchbeadsandjewelry.blogspot.com/       Karin Slaton       www.backstorybeads.blogspot.com
Kashmira       www.sadafulee.blogspot.com                                         Laney Mead       http://laney-izzybeads.blogspot.com/
Leah Tees       www.mybeadylittleeyes.blogspot.ca                              Liz E       www.beadcontagion.blogspot.com
Lola       www.beadlolabead.blogspot.com                                           Micheladas       www.micheladasmusings.blogspot.com
Nan Smith       www.wirednan.blogspot.com                                        Robin Reed       www.willowdragon.blogspot.com
Sally Russick       www.thestudiosublime.com                                      Shiraz       www.secretsongdesigns.blogspot.com
Susan Nelson Bowie       www.susanbowie.wordpress.com                    Therese        www.theresestreasures59.blogspot.com
Vera       www.veradesigns.blogspot.com

28 comments:

  1. I love Audrey
    I love the first hat
    I love all your pieces :) The last one is my favorite, very interesting what you have done with the suede!

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  2. As always...everything is stunning!

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  3. I love Audrey Hepburn, she was a star in every way. That necklace is gorgeous :)

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  4. What a fun challenge and what inspiration "Audrey Hepburn". Who would have thought to reuse the tassle from your bead strands, what a great idea. I love that gray necklace with the pearls and those earrings are just my style (or at least they were in my younger days). Great job.

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  5. Audrey is beautiful and timeless and so is your work! I love all of the pieces you created for this challenge but am really drawn to the elegant grey necklace with the tassel.
    Great job!

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  6. How great! Audrey is so wonderful and you have evoked her divine glamour and her amazing charm with everything you made! You are inventive and incredibly talented!
    jean yates :)

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  7. What a fabulous collection of pieces! Audrey is a grand inspiration -- and your pieces perfectly capture her elegance and her sense of fun. The tassel necklace took my breath away, but that last necklace is a knockout! Thanks for being part of the challenge - and since Audrey's birthday was this weekend, thanks for helping celebrate an icon of style!

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  8. You love Audrey's sense of style and I love yours! Your creations are stunning as always!

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  9. All Stunning and beautiful and most importantly, wearable! That tassel piece is Gorgeous! It must feel so nice in your hands and wrap and drape nicely too~that is a wonderful design! Audrey would have been very fortunate to wear your jewelry. I Love the cowgirl earrings~and that they are repurposed from another time and another person. You can really see them on Audrey's ear lobes, can't you?! And the last piece~WOW! So much to say, but it looks like a flapper dress or a piece of nice lingerie and is truly awesome!!! And I am not just saying that b/c of the stash I sent you ;-) It is absolutely unique and a real statement piece, fun, fringy, a tad naughty, native influenced and not just anyone can pull it off...yes, Gram's beads are right at home here. Thank you, my friend! You have a vision unlike any other person I know. And that's a great thing!

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  10. Audrey, sigh. The days of style like that seem almost lost. But not completely. Your work connects with that classically beautiful thread from the past in such a positive way. Each piece spoke to me differently. The rope with the tassel, simply delightful. The earrings bright, fun and fresh. However, my favorite is the last necklace. You knocked that one out of the park. The fringe with black edging is so perfect. WOW!

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  11. Wow! Gorgeous! I love what you created- so colorful and chic!

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  12. What a great inspiration, your pieces are all gorgeous, love love the tassel necklace.

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  13. You are so talented at creating a piece of jewelry to match an outfit.
    Audrey would have been proud to wear any of these beautiful pieces!

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  14. Audrey would have loved your pieces! They are all so gorgeous and it was fun hearing your thoughts behind each piece!

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  15. Beautiful Cynthia! I love your vision and the ability to bring it to life and well it does not hurt when you are inspired by Audrey.
    Therese

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  16. I like how creative you are. Very nice pieces.

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  17. I have never seen her in all these hats she does make everything look elegant! Love the firt macth up most of all!

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  18. That necklace rocks!!! Audrey would have loved it! The earrings are stunning ;o)

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  19. You are so talented and Audrey is beautiful!

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  20. Wow, love your inspiration. The tassel necklace looks really neat, the earrings-very Southwestern, love them, and the last necklace is fantastic-it has plenty of attitude!

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  21. Lovely jewelry, you really captured her style in your pieces.

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  22. Positively brilliant - taking a ready-made component right off your bead table and creating that sophisticated tassel necklace! Just love everything about that design. And I love the drama of red, black and gold in your final design.

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  23. I love these Audrey inspired pieces Cynthia! She is my all time favorite actress. I can never get sick of Breakfast at Tiffany's, Charade, Sabrina, Roman Holiday, etc, etc!!! She was such and amazing style icon, especially with this hats! The piece of wood looks so cool with the work you did!!!

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  24. O my goodness, these are brilliant! I especially love the earrings -- you got the style and everything down pat. Coincidentally, I just posted something on Ms Hepburn too!

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  25. Very nice inspiration!!!
    Have a good week!!! and my g+ for you!!!:)))

    Besos, desde España, Marcela♥

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  26. WOW! What beautiful interpretations of Audrey's classic style. I love how you added your own unique touch, especially with the seed beads. I especially love the earrings with that cow girl influence!

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  27. You did Audrey proud, Cynthia! Very proud! Love every last one. Now I wish I'd saved those tassels... :)

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  28. I really love those earrings. The look FABULOUS.

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