Behind the Scenes: Look Book Spring/Summer 2015

The last few weeks have been full of developing and producing the new honey my heart collection. A mix of minimal and major, gold lines and beads, and lots of love, the collection reflects me and life. In preparation for the reveal of the new collection at the upcoming shows, we shot the honey my heart Spring Summer 2015, and here are some behind the scenes photos!

Fresh purple blossoms I picked while on a neighborhood walk. I like forage gardening ;)

A few of my display components got a fresh coat of paint. I think the light lavender and deep gold/bronze colors work nicely with one another and complement my gold jewelry nicely.

So many earring pairs ready for their turn. Also some new rings and updated styles to current rings.

Playing with various wood pieces (panels, canvas, and cones) to set the scene for each mini collection.

My photographer, and cousin, Nicole Espina shooting the jewelry and teaching Hannah the fine art of photography.

I got a sneak peek of the photos and can't wait to share them all in our upcoming Look Book!

An Afternoon at Griffith Park

My days are usually filled with nesting, planning, designing, and reading (w/ some tv shows & espn), but today was a bit different. In anticipation of baby and ready to plan the next few months for the jewelry line, we scheduled a dual maternity and jewelry look book shoot with one of my favorite photographers and online friends Nina of Love & Lemonade Photography.

We spent the late afternoon shooting at Griffith Park. First up was jewelry. I am building my classics collection and slightly transitioning my style, so I wanted a look book full of what's familiar and what's coming for this year. It's also going to help our re-branding project that is currently in the works. Nina took charge and styled the shoot so well! My brain is currently always on baby mode, so Nina's creativity for display and lay out of the jewelry through nature was so great. I caught some glimpses from her camera and am so excited!

After the jewelry came the maternity shoot. The light was soft and the temperature was cool. As photos of us were snapped, we felt completely at ease and loved the of focus on the bump. We brought some props (baby's name banner and yesterday's ultrasound photos) and our instant camera for some quick fun. In my current uncomfortable state, Nina made me feel comfortable and good :)

 

Nina and Mark at work.

Half way through the jewelry.

I liked the shadow that these connected hearts cast.

Oh bump, how you grow! So fun to look down and see this.

A little sneak of the maternity photos. Love these instant prints!!

It's such a treat to get out of the house and enjoy a beautiful LA day. Hope you are all doing well :)

Behind the Scenes: My Heart Ring

This week's afternoons and evenings have been full of prep for our next event: POOL Trade Show! I have been hunched over my jeweler's bench heating, hammering, and heart-making the hours away. It gets repetitive and each piece requires it's own care/attention, but I like it because I get in a zone and happy hearts are created. Here are a few "behind the scenes" shots of my last few days.

Attaching the band to the heart.

My Heart ring in the quench bowl.

Finished products!

I completed 40 rings and 40 stud earrings tonight! Now to assemble necklaces, label rings, package earrings... and about 100 other things to-do. Wish me luck!!

Hope your week has been good :)

DIY: Glittered Push pins

An important part of my table design is the push pin. I use white map pins that secure each necklace to it's respective heart display. It works really well but I found that with the addition of new pieces, I'm running out of pins! I figured I could go buy more white pins, or style my own with a little sparkle.

Inspired during a recent trip to Paper Source, I gathered some items to create glittered push pins. It's a simple diy and easy to create in one afternoon.

The ingredients: glitter, glue, and pushpins.


The before.


Step 1: Apply a light coat of glue all around the pin head.


Step 2: Dip the glued part in the glitter and roll it around making sure all sides are covered. Then tap the pin part on the edge of the container to get the excess glitter off.


Step 3: let dry and you're ready to go!


You can also add a coat of lacquer or clear nail polish to seal the glitter in :)


The finished product held the packaging of my carved shell flower studs onto a frame.

I heart simple diys. Happy Tuesday!!

UniqueLA Spring Show Recap

How can I even begin to describe the awesomeness that is Unique LA? The 3rd annual spring show was so high energy, full of wonderfully amazing design and designers, had so much inspiring style, drew very cool crowds, rocked a mean play list, provided such tasty food, and the list goes on...

Below are just a few photos from the weekend.

Unique LA booth welcomed vendors and patrons, and kept everyone excited about the day.


Sass & Peril with cute screen printed posters, cards, and bags.


Witty greeting cards by Sweet Perversion.


Chic and shiny necklaces by ROYALISTIQUE. We love Roya, her kindness, and her style :)


le petit elefant was just one of many vendors whose wares were just too cute!


With luxurious feathers for earrings and hair extensions, AyaPapaya was natural and fun.


oh, hello friend's booth space was amazing. Transformed into a mini vintage shop, it was just so awesome. I also loved her laser cut signs.


Another favorite space was Christina Elaine's "table" spot. Loved how she nixed the table and opted for shelves, a bust, and wall decal. Yay purses!


Driftwood horse stood among many comfy couches provided by HD Buttercup.


For some more fun, wood ties! Loved seeing guys walking around with these on :)


Also loved these wishbone earrings created by our table neighbor, fruition. Absolutely admire fruition's modern and organic aesthetic.


Our other table neighbor, Vintage Remade, up cycled vintage materials into fun purses, clutches, wallets. Love their commitment to the environment.


Finally, the honey my heart table. Shades of pinks and purples, pink fringe on boxes, glitter paper table liner, hearts as necklace displays, white plates and vases, and lots of fun :)






Official honey my heart company photo :)


And there were a few celebrity sightings, one of them being Ross the Intern from the Jay Leno Show. My bro got a photo :)

I am so thankful for the opportunity to have a table among so many great designers. The weekend was a whirlwind. Thank you Sonja and Unique LA for this experience. I can't wait for the next show!!

Double Flower Rings

I love a great cocktail ring. Anything with sparkles, charms, flowers, hearts... basically anything that makes a statement. I always wanted to incorporate rings into my etsy shop, but had trouble finding a unique base for the rings. Luckily I stumbled upon these great vintage brass rings. With their adjustable settings and double charm pads, they fit my needs perfectly.








Each ring comes with two places to glue a charm.


Simply separate the pads.


Then glue one flower charm, hold in place for a bit, set aside for it to dry (I usually wait 2 days), and then glue the other.


The finished product wraps around your finger in a fun and flirty way. I love that (when worn) sometimes, in some angles, it looks like the flowers are floating on your finger (does that even make sense?) Overall it is an interesting piece and very sweet. You can find a few double flower ring options here :)