Eco-Chic Made Easy by ISH Fashion Accessories

A jewelry maker gone green, Mary Karen Woolbright of ISH Fashion Accessories recycles beads from plastic food wrappers and trinkets from chunks of circuit boards. The vision behind Cebu-based ISH creations is awareness in environmental issues.

Your everyday pancit canton wrappers (Instant Noodle wrappers)

turned into recycled Beads!

Art in consumer refuse: A Lucky Me necklace might just be your lucky charm!

By collecting these post-consumer materials, ISH Accessories creates an income opportunity for lower income families in Cebu.

Ingenious! This Chili Pancit Canton bracelet is extra spicy!

A colorful bangle made from microchips and motherboard parts. Nanotech glam!

Bracelet made from circuit board parts. Hey, futurism is sexy!

For more info and that touch of Eco chic contact:

ISH Fashion
374 Quezon National Highway
Pusok
Lapu Lapu City, Cebu 6015
Philippines
ph: 0063 32 514 1863
karen@ishboutique.com
http://www.ishboutique.com/

The Luxurious Elegance of Capiz Shells

A fine material in Filipino jewelry-making, Capiz shells have a pearly luminescence that makes them divine. I love Capiz shells for they are always elegant and easy to match with outfits- casual or formal. 

A large pair of Capiz Shell Earrings, a gift from my sister from Davao City. 

Photo by The Malacological Society of London

Capiz materials are one of the Philippines top-most exports and are used to embellish almost anything from lamps, curtains, plates and home decors. They are commonly found in Philippine homes, as decorative parts in windows.

They are made from dried bivalve shells of the Placuna placenta akin to the Panay Group of Islands particularly in thr province of Capiz. They are very productive and easy to propagate in aquafarms.

My other really fave Capiz earrings:

My 2 inch Capiz earrings with leopard spots

My divine green Capiz earrings with animal prints

These earrings make great conversation pieces in parties, as long as you don't mind having people stare at your ears all night.

Basic Bracelet Tutorial: How to String Beads Together

This is a simple tutorial on how to make your first bracelet using an elastic nylon chord. Nothing fancy. The fanciness will come with your bead selection.

I would recommend this as a great activity you can do with your kids.

1. Get a piece of string preferably an elastic nylon band. These come in various thickness and colors.

Estimate or Measure your desired length or tightness for the bracelet.

Put each bead into your string. Feel free to experiment with the colors and your beads. Hollow or light beads are a good choice for elastic bracelets. However, heavy beads or stones will only weigh down the elastic and it will sag in places.

Knot the ends. Knot it tight. No need to do some special knot, just secure the ends in place. Hide the knot inside one of the beads.

Voila! Your first string bracelet!

As for looping or creating a basic bracelet with wire connectors and pins, this is my old tutorial

Frozen in Time

I love you free form peyote technique. 

I love fabric and embellishing beads on them. But being in the crafty zone makes me forget about everything else (like feeding the house pet) Baaaad BeadSnob!

My fingers are addicted to thread and beads. But I never ever get things done. Maybe in 2010. Hah!

Single Strand Statement Necklaces from Avatar Accessories

Avatar Accessories is a phenomenal fashion accessories company in Cebu City, Philippines. They are known for their award-winning designs and for making it in the Swarovski "Trendsetter" List. Here are some of their statement pieces:

All rosy single strand botanical necklace

Catch attention with these dramatic dreamcatcher pendants

They work with natural and organic materials - wood, fiber, shells. Their metal components are made through model making, casting and plating technqiues.

 Intricate knots remind me of macramé

Embrace the look and embellish!

This one's my personal fave! Going Goth with black pearls (maybe acrylic or the real deal)