GMK joyas - pieces available in Singapore!

Hi there!

I hope everyone had a good weekend, and that Thanksgiving's turkey was tasty :)
I haven't been posting much last week as one of my best friends was in town for a short while and we had to catch up on a lot of things - we see each other only every two years or so...

Anyway I had promised a post with pictures of the GMK jewelry pieces that I imported in Singapore for your guys to enjoy in a bit of shopping for Christmas...
Here we are: two beautiful pairs of earrings in silver, two rings and two necklaces made of lava beads (!) and seeds/ ceramic beads.

Ring on the left: silver, pink quartz, pearl, amethyst and black onyx - S$90

Ring on the right: silver, red ceramic bead, pearls, amethyst, black onyx, smoky quartz - S$90

Pair of earrings 1: silver, fire agate, brown and blue agate - S$65

Pair of earrings 2: silver, pearls, coral and turquoise - S$65

Seeds necklace: silver, lava beads and seeds - S$80

Ceramic beads necklace: silver, lava beads and ceramic beads - S$80

You can contact me if you are interested in any of the above pieces; starting tomorrow normal shipping is free anywhere in the world - Christmas is coming! Each piece comes nicely wrapped in an organza pouch. I can even mail it on your behalf to your friend or relative with a pretty card and your words in it :)

Have a good week gals!

{Interview with} Gara Martin Kraus of GMK

Hello everyone,

Today I am launching a new column that you will be able to follow monthly here on ECS. I want to introduce you my talented and creative friends whom I have studied with or met while travelling the world.

I am super happy to start with my fantastic friend Gara of GMK. We've known each other for eight years now, and it has been very interesting to see the paths we both took over the years. We met in 2002 in Florence (Italy) while studying jewelry design at Le Arti Orafe Jewelry School (which I highly recommend ).
I have very fond memories of this time filled with amazing people, good food and endless laughs.

Photo credit: Gara Martin Kraus

Gara had already in mind to create her own jewelry brand and she did so soon after finishing the course... 
I think she is better qualified to talk about her work and what inspire her as a jewelry designer:

Tell us a bit of your story: where are you coming from, places you have lived in, where are you currently living (and why), your studies etc…

Hi! My name is Gara Martin Kraus. I am Spanish and was born in Madrid in October 1977. I have been influenced at an early age by the great artists in my family coming from the Canary Island (Spain). As far as I can remember, I have always been interested in art, fashion and handmade things.

I got so inclined that I started studying jewelry and gemology (the study and science of gems) in Madrid in 1998 and I completed my studies with a course in jewelry design in Florence (Italy) at Le Arti Orafe Jewelry School in 2002.

Meanwhile I was making my very own pieces and experimenting new materials; finding my path and eventually discovering what truly inspires me.

Coming back from Italy I then decided to move back to where my ancestors were coming from: The Canary Islands and I set up my studio in Fuerteventura, a beautiful volcanic island with long sandy beaches and lots of volcanic rocks too!

Country town of Corralejo Pueblo - Fuerteventura - Canary Islands

Photo credit: Gara Martin Kraus

It truly inspires me to contemplate the island and its amazing landscapes (I am often feeling like I am moonscaping), the incredible light, the ocean, all textures and colors...

The Canary Islands, my roots. Volcano, magma, fire, water... are the essence of the islands and by extension the essence of my work.

Living by the sea... sand and volcanic rocks
Photo credit: Gara Martin Kraus

I am currently working on a special collection for the Christmas season with oversized pieces of jewelry, expressing the energy that fuses in Fuerteventura. Jewelry imagined for day and night, for fun and extraordinaire people!

Silver, lava, turquoise, coral, pink quartz

Photo credit: Gara Martin Kraus

Describe your creative process. What are you communicating through your jewelry? Where are you finding your inspiration?

The creative process is varied and very intense. Sometimes a simple stone, a particular shape or the metal itself can inspire me to create a piece or an entire collection. Some other time I have a design in mind and I start searching for the stones and various components.

I am filling up my sketchbooks with hundreds of drawings and sketches until I find what I need to develop an entire collection. I love to look for new stones with shapes and textures that work well with silver... In a sense I am in constant evolution myself!

Once I have a clear idea of what I want to create I start sculpting the metal with fire; I shape every piece with my hands, and embellish the metal with semi-precious gemstones (amethyst, agate, opal, turquoise, smoky quartz to name a few), raw material like lava and seeds, fabric, ceramic beads...

One the creation process is completed, it is time to care about packaging and presentation to the customer.

Gara making jewelry at a fair... silver rings of the Atomic Beauty collection

Photo credit: Gara Martin Kraus

 What are your favorite materials to work with?

 My favorite material is silver. I love the way it shines and the possibilities that it offers. 

 Lava stone represents is the heart of my inspiration. I adore natural stones! 

Atomic Beauty rings - Pink quartz, pearl, amethyst and black onyx for the ring on the left;

Red ceramic bead, pearls, amethyst, black onyx and smoky quartz for the ring on the right.
Styling & photography by Etincelle Creative Studio

What makes your jewelry so special?

GMK is an exclusive jewelry brand with an original and unique twist. I am creating contemporary jewelry pieces that are inspired by landscapes, textures and raw materials from the Canary Islands. 

My aim is to communicate all the energy and beauty from the islands in to each and every piece.

Pair of earrings with turquoise, pearl and coral - Atomic Beauty collection 
Styling & photography by Etincelle Creative Studio

Your wildest dreams are...

I would love to:

•             Have my work recognized worldwide and give a new and audacious vision to the world of jewelry and accessories.
•             Have my very own workshop  and develop a special relationship with my clients
•             See the handmade movement flourish and more people to appreciate the quality of one’s creation and art 

Silver, lava and seeds necklace - Lanzarote collection
Styling & photography by Etincelle Creative Studio

Hobbies: what are you doing when you are not at your desk creating jewelry?

I love to take long walks on the beach with my dog. I like staring at the ocean for meditation and as a way to get inspiration flowing in. I love to listen to music, to go shopping...  and to surf the internet!

Playa de Jandia - Fuerteventura - Canary Islands
Photo credit: Gara Martin Kraus

Fashion magazines and fashion blogs are amazing sources of inspiration and allow me to keep focused on trends and stay informed of what is going on in the world while living in a stunning but quiet remote area.  

Ring from the Atomic Beauty collection 

in silver with pearl, pink quartz, black onyx and amethyst

Styling & photography by Etincelle Creative Studio

Thank you Gara for sharing  your story with us!

GMK's collections are available online: {website}{etsy shop} and you can become a fan and follow her on {Facebook} too.


I hope everyone enjoyed the interview, I would love to hear from you about it and about the new column too. I will post later today or tomorrow photos of the jewelry pieces that are available here in Singapore. I have sampled a few of them for you so contact me if you are interested!

Have a good week!

{Christmas} in Black and Gold

Let's kick start the holiday season since everyone seems to be in the mood! I was feeling like black and gold yesterday when I curated this treasury and I am quite happy with  my selection  :)

Do you like to highlight a black outfit with golden jewelry?

 From top to bottom, left to right:

symasmallworks, whiteowl, bagatellesandco, lexluxe

brilliantfound, dolorispetunia, illuminatedperfume, maefairvintage

sweetanthem, NYmetals, theindiecollective, acommonthread

simplehearted, joiedecleve, odettenewyork, sohomode

  

On an other topic, and since it is already Saturday - and raining, I have decided to start my Christmas decoration with my daughter including the tree and a wreath for our front door, and maybe garlands. 

Have you started anything? are you making decoration yourself? Nina from Stylizimo has prepared beautiful DIY projects for Christmas, I encourage you to have a look and try them on. I am tempted by the candles...

Candles decoration on Stylizimo blog - Photo credit: Nina Holst

Happy browsing everyone, and there is a wonderful weekend ahead of us, make the most of it!

Coming up on Monday...

Stay tuned everyone, I will introduce you to my friend Gara Martin Kraus, jewelry designer extraordinaire of GMK Joyas, through an interview and photos of her jewelry...

Rings of the Atomic Beauty collection by GMK Joyas - from left to right:

 silver ring with pink quartz, pearl, amethyst and black onyx,

silver ring with red ceramic bead, pearl, amethyst, black onyx and smoky quartz

Pretty ways to display your earrings...

If you are like me and love cute dangling earrings, then you might be facing the question: what is the prettiest way to display them? A few months ago I have come up with a simple and easy way to do it, it takes minute to complete if you have everything in hand.

Basically I have used an Ikea frame and two bamboo sticks (the ones for cooking, yes). How simple is that?  I haven't planned for a DIY today, but if you would like it, I could prepare one. Just let me know!

A selection of my dangling earrings, pretty in their frame...

Bluebirdheaven on Etsy has come up with an amazing idea and I would love to own one of her jewelry display. Can you believe it is made of an antique printer drawer? it looks amazing, doesn't it? You can visit her shop, she has a couple of other options/ colors and you might suddenly feel the need of such display for your own jewelry. And what a pretty gift for Christmas!

bluebirdheaven' s dark wood drawer jewelry display

I hope everyone is having a lovely week, I know I can't complain as things look pretty bright for me at the moment! xoxo

About displaying jewelry...

My dangling earrings on display

Hi there! I am preparing a post about how to display your earrings... stay tuned!

4 years ago today...

4 blissful years... Love you darling!

"Les Pastels" bags

The process of making this type of bag is a long and tedious one, but how enjoyable! I love choosing the color combination for each and every bag I make, and I especially enjoyed making these three bags as I only had one piece of each color (mint, bubble gum and a light yellow).

The central flowers are cut from a piece of Japanese fabric that I bought many years ago. Each bag has a different pattern as I hand cut and place the flowers following my own feelings. I then choose the color combination for each bag: the pom pom trim, and the two layers of lining (a mesh fabric and a silky lining). 

I like colors to clash and pop out!

Once this is done, I fix the flowers on the bags, then I am ready to start the embroidery work with the sequins, which can take me several hours to complete. Labor of love...

Then I sew the pom pom trim, the linings, and a new bag is born!

"Les Pastels" bags are unique pieces that will be available only once for sale... I wont replicate these color combinations in the future. 

Do you like the color combination of these three bags? Which one is your favorite?

Edit: oh shame, I forgot to give credits for the pictures! my awesome husband took all pictures of the bags, modeled by... me :)

Cooking up a storm...

... making the bags, organizing a photo shoot, selecting and editing the pictures, uploading them and writing the description of the bags... this is just a few things amongst 1000 that I have to do by the end of this month!

one of the new bags, on sale in the shop soon...

My dolls...

... I started making the little dolls back in 2008... now two years later I am planning to stop. First were the Comfort Dolls (Zaza is the last one), then I came up with the Mini Me Dolls, smaller but as colorful and cute.
Things have changed in the past two years and I want to concentrate on making bags and jewelry, so my little dolls will have to finds new homes :)
They will still be available in my Etsy shop for the coming two weeks if you are tempted...

From top left, clockwise: Martha, Dina, Maya, Zaza

Au Revoir...

Artist Amy Perrotti

I have been away for so long  although I have been constantly thinking about this blog and about you dear readers... I have been busy with some extra work, not much related to my actual activities though... which means I am still very much behind my schedule to introduce you the awesome work of my friend and my latest creations as well... arghh, perfection... I can't imagine presenting you half done projects, so I am afraid you will have to wait a tiny bit more...

In the meantime let me introduce you the colorful world of American artist Amy Perrotti!
Aren't these dolls just beautiful? my heart melts just looking at them :)

{ENJOY}

From top to bottom, clockwise: Chilean, Indian and Peruvian Matryoshka,

Russian Doll & Snowman, Japanese, Chinese and Cambodian Matryoshka,

Winter Snow Russian Doll and Russian Dolls Classic

{HAPPY DEEPAVALI}