The New Apple IPAD Gets The Crystal Treatment

After the Diamond encrusted iPad was brought to life by Mervis Diamond Importers, the next blinged iPad will come from Crystal Roc, studded with over 6000 individual Swarovski crystals.





Obviously at $20,000 no-one is going to be buying that diamond-encrusted iPad, or get diamonds to Do It Themselves.  For some people, $2,250 for a Swarovski iPad might seem much more reasonable.….
But since I am so anal about my swarovski crystals, I calculated how much it would cost to crystallized an Apple iPad if you wanted to do it yourself. 

So take 6,000 crystals and divide by 144 ( which is one gross) and you would have to buy 41.6 gross (lets just round up to 42).  So multiply 42 gross x $31.75 (the price for a full package on MerchantsOverseas.com) and you get $1,333.50.  So add $1,333.50 to $499 (the price of the iPad) and you get $1,333.50.   So take $2,250 (what Crystal Roc is charging) and minus $1,333.50 (the cost to DIY) and you will save yourself $916.50!!


Now THAT makes a different to someone on a tight budget!


However, if you have the money and don’t want take up your time gluing tiny crystals onto an Ipad, the Swarovski version from Crystal Roc will go on sale sometime late April.

Getting Crystallized for the Red Sox Season Opener!

I love my Bejeweler and my Flat backs with Hotfix.  As I practice more, I am learning what to do better and what NOT to do all together! With the Red Sox Season Opener against The Yankees coming up this Sunday, I wanted my Red Sox 2004 World Series Champions Hat to stand out in a crowd and look its best! So I bejeweled some larger ss34 Flat Backs with Hot fix in Indian Pink!





The bejeweler comes with a few different tip sizes so you can basically use the tool for any size flat backs. The Bejeweler also gets very hot quickly so depending on how thick the material is that you are working with, the longer you should keep the bejeweler on the flat backs.  For example, the threading on this pink Red Sox hat is very thick and required a little bit more heat time!

I also decided to bejewel my Tapout shirt I got for Christmas this year.  My boyfriend loves Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fighting and we went to a show over the summer which was a lot of fun.    Now with a shirt like this, the MOST IMPORTANT thing you should do, is putting a piece of Teflon paper in the shirt in between the front and back.

This will avoid the chance of gluing the front of the shirt to the back of the shirt and then possibly ripping it when you try to undo your damage (this has happened to me alot when I first started out).  If you can’t get some teflon paper, newspaper or even magazine paper should do the job.  You just have to make sure the paper is under the part of the shirt you are working on. For this shirt, I used ss20 Flat backs with hotfix in Light Sapphire:

That's Me Hotfixing!

With a shirt as thin as this one was, I only had to hold the bejeweler down over each flat back a maximum of 10 seconds! And once they are on, they are on for good! So if you make a mistake, don’t count on being able to pop them off.  You can machine wash or dry clean these babies! I recommend laying out your crystal design before starting to apply heat.

The Bejeweler is a great tool to use with Swarovski Flatbacks with Hotfix.  It does take some time, and if you are bejeweling for more than an hour you might need a neck massage afterwards.  But atleast you know you can crystallized your designs and make them beautiful without having to pay someone else to do it!

Easy DIY Crystallized Easter Egg Decorations

These are not the type of Easter eggs that belong in your Easter Egg hunt! But they make for great room decor!

Materials Needed:

• 1 Metallic Gold Plastic Easter Egg
• 1 Metallic Silver Plastic Easter Egg
• 80 ss20 Swarovski Flat Backs No Hotfix in Crystal AB
• 40 ss20 Swarovski Flat Backs No Hotfix in Crystal
• Tweezers
• Liquid Fusion Clear Urethane Glue

Directions:
1.  Pick up each crystal and apply a TINY drop of glue on the back.
2.  Apply each crystal on to make the design of your choice.  (The Gold egg has a crystal egg design and the Silver egg has a cross design)
3.  Let the crystals dry for 30 minutes.

New Summer 2010 Color Trends!

Every season the trend watchers at Merchants Overseas compile a Trend Guide with the hottest colors in Jewelry, Apparel, Home Decor, Weddings and more! This summer you will see ALOT of Sandy Whites, Calming Corals, Trendy Turquoise, Luxurious Violets and Sunshine Yellows!  I also love the fact that they use exact Swarovski Colors and add in a contrast color to help with mixing and matching colors opposite each other on the color wheel:

The Beadelle(TM) Collection of Pave Beads, Clasps, Rhinestone Balls, Rondelles and Squardelles

I finally found a website and more information on the new BEADELLE(TM) Collection of Crystal Components! These beads and clasps are AMAZING! I bought a few packages and I absolutely love them, they look WAY better in person!

All of the Beadelle™ products have the look of glamour and luxury without the expensive price tag.  Not your typical bead or crystal accent, these pieces shine at every angle and come in a variety of shapes, colors and sizes.  From jewelry making to wedding décor, they can be used in a variety of ways to achieve a sophisticated look.

Features: 

v  Brilliant crystal stones hand set in beads
v  Options in both Silver and Gold-plating, Clear Crystal/Multi-colored or Colored Crystals
v  A wide range of sizes:  4,6,8,10,12,16,19,21,25,28mm
v  Creative inspiration for the DIY Event Planner/Designer

Shop the collection now at:

http://www.glitterize.com/beadelle-crystal-components/cat_21.html

Crystallized Eyelashes!

Eyelash extensions has grown in popularity over the last two years.  While it can cost a pretty penny to get them done well, they make your eyelashes look amazing!  My friend is a professional Eyelash Extensionist and was kind enough to do my eyelashes for me at home.  And since I love crystals so much, she also glued on some cute Swarovski 2000 Rose Cut Flat backs in the very very tiny ss4 size in Light Colorado Topaz just in the corners for a subtle golden look:

Using a durable and non-irritating glue, most Estheticians either glue one eyelash at a time onto your real eyelashes, or glue eyelash clusters to your real eyelashes which can last anywhere up to 4 weeks.  

If you have a few missing or thinning eyelashes, this is a great solution for you. Unlike store-bought strips of false eye lashes, that usually last only a night or two. Individual eyelash extensions make a dramatic difference but are still very natural looking.

Some salons use glue containing dangerous chemicals such as Formaldehyde or Cyano Acrylate (which is crazy glue). This semi permanent eyelash glue can be hard to remove and eventually you will pull your own eyelashes off.

Always ask and make sure the glue that is being used for your eyelash extensions is Formaldehyde or Cyano Acrylate and can be removed without harming your own lashes!

Next I am going to use either Crystal AB or Fuchsia crystals.  Can't Wait!

4th Annual Independent Handbag Designers Awards

CRYSTALLIZED™ – Swarovski Elements has partnered with the 4th Annual Independent Handbag Designer Awards to create a unique category dedicated to crystal innovation, titled “Best Use of CRYSTALLIZED™ – Swarovski Elements.”

This collaboration inspires handbag designers to incorporate crystals as a creative ingredient, resulting in one-of-a kind, luxury designs. The FIVE best designs will be chosen by a panel of judges including InStyle, Carlos Falchi, Deborah Lloyd of Kate Spade New York and Lisa Smilor of the Council of Fashion Designers of America.  These five selected designers will have access to CRYSTALLIZED™ – Swarovski Elements to execute their final handbag for the annual awards ceremony on June 16th where the final winner will be announced. 

The winner of the “Best Use of CRYSTALLIZED™ – Swarovski Elements” category will receive a crystal sponsorship with access to crystal and Swarovski know-how.  It will also be featured in several CRYSTALLIZED™ channels and communication tools in the US and internationally.

Submission Requirements:
- Sketches of bags must incorporate CRYSTALLIZED™ – Swarovski Elements

- Sketches must include the silhouette type and which materials (e.g. lambskin leather, suede, PVC, canvas, etc.) and CRYSTALLIZED™ – Swarovski Elements used

- Please be as detailed as possible including measurements, prospective swatches, hardware, embellishment and color palette where applicable

To Apply to the 4th Annual Independent Handbag Designer Awards:
http://www.handbagdesigner101.com/handbags?m=signup&page=register

For additional information, visit: www.swarovskicrystallized.com

 
Applications will be Accepted until April 15, 2010 and is Open to All!

Ever Had A Shoe-gasm Before?

This knee-high stiletto boot from Stuart Weitzman's 2010 Red Carpet shoe collection was embedded with over 22,000 Swarovski crystals.  The thigh-high boot that took over 200 hours to create, because each Swarovski crystal was hand placed.

According to the "Socialite Life" a boot like this has the ability to cause the biggest shoe-gasm (word of the month?) known to man, and only two pairs of this shoe are even in existence meaning it's Very Exlusive! 

I see these and I think two things:

How much are they?
And who would wear these?




Unfortunately you have to be someone like Lady Gaga to be able to afford these and wear them without looking too much like a diva! However, I wouldn't be the queen of All Things Crystal if I didn't say "Hotfix or glue your own damn boots!"  Now THAT'S what you call Exclusive!!

Michael Jackson, the King of Sparkle!

I definitely grew up loving Michael Jackson and his music.  I was very young when Thriller came out but I knew it was my # 1 favorite song.  I loved watching his music videos and his awesome dance moves. 

It's kind of funny how things always come full circle and now that I am writing an All Things Crystal blog, I am realizing how modern and ahead of the curve he really was.  Way back when, people including myself thought Michael was a little crazy for wearing all of the crystal sparkle that he did.  Especially as a male, it really wasn't something that you saw other males doing on or off the stage.

Now that he's gone his legacy still remains of course, but most importantly all of his sparkly attire (which at the time was made with Swarovski Crystals by the way) are now all up for bid and selling for a very large amount of money.

Now you see men everywhere rocking crystal sparkle!  Especially with the rise in popularity of clothing lines like Ed Hardy's menswear with Swarovski Crystal designs, we're about 20 years too late!

For more on man crystals, click here! 

Shimmering Red Carpet Fashion at The 2010 Oscars

This year at The Oscars, the fashion on the red carpet shined like no other.  This would have to be the best dressed red carpet show yet! The dresses this year were all about unusual, futuristic shapes and silhouettes, with of course, amazing crystal and gem detailing.  Everyone looked absolutely stunning and it was very hard to choose “best dressed” or even “worst dressed” winners.

Amanda Seyfried looked elegant in a futuristic-style, strapless Giorgio Armani Privé ball gown, accented with Swarovski crystals.

Jennifer Lopez looked stunning in her shimmering and strapless, blush Giorgio Armani Privé gown and matching Armani Privé clutch.

A very hot red carpet trend that shined beautifully at The Oscars, were creamy shimmery neutrals.  In a range of milky, creamy, and metallic hues, these dresses looked elegant and romantic in every style.

AND THE WINNER GOES TO…………………

Miley Cyrus was golden at the 2010 Oscars in a strapless Jenny Packham gown with upswept hair.  This dress incorporated all that is glamorous and sparkly with a modern/edgy twist and deserves the All Things Crystal “Best Dressed” Award!

Man Crystals

Adam Lambert helped Jay Leno kick off his return to late night on The Tonight Show on Tuesday, March 2nd.  On the show he debuted a new single “Sleepwalker”.  For any of you who don’t know who Adam Lambert is, he was the runner up on American Idol Season 8 and is well known because of his rocker crazy hair and make-up image. OH and also because of the fact that he publicly announced that he was gay.

Adam deserves a post all to himself on All Things Crystal because of his choice to rock MAN CRYSTALS around his eyes on the Jay Leno show!

 Sorry this was the best picture I could find of the Man Crystals.  Can you see them?

I’m thinking he used some kind of crystal tattoo or tattoo like adhesive to get those flat backs on securely.  Very original! Since I love to make crystallized projects, I was inspired by Adam’s daringness and I decided to make him some Crystallized Man Sunglasses just by gluing some ss22 Flat backs with no hot fix.  As I looked at the crystallized sunglasses I could not imagine them looking good on someone, EXCEPT Adam.  So these are officially my Adam Lambert DIY Man Crystal Sunglasses:




They are basically just an old pair of Oakley look-a-likes.  You think he would like them??  =)

Back to the Maid of Honor Grind

I mentioned way back the fact that I am the Maid of Honor in my friend's wedding which is in October of this year.  It seemed to be so far away but has suddenly creeped up behind me FAST! When I first found out that I was the chosen one and was going to be her maid of honor I was very excited.  In pure Sarah fashion, I made a list of my duties in order to ensure I was on top of my responsibilities and new what I had to to.  After doing some research on typical expectations this is what I came up with:

A Maid of Honor's Duties:

• Help the Bride with anything she needs
• Throw or help with throwing her bridal shower
• Throw her a Bachelorette Party

Well basically now I am at step # 2:  Helping her mom with the bridal shower.

This means I am helping with picking out invitations, sending them out, and decorating the restaurant.  The theme for her wedding is a dark violet purple and silver.  So I was thinking I should incorporate those colors into the shower as a sneak peak for what is to come.  And I also think that is what she would want too.

I came a across a very pretty and easy to navigate site:  Invitations By Yvonne
I like sites that are easy and this site is great because it is organized by the type of event right on the homepage.  All I needed to do is click on Bridal Shower (she has a bunch of themes from wedding to baby to bat mitzvah to sweet 16 to graduation, etc)

She had a bunch of different options and unlike most of the sites I have looked at, there were a number of options I would have been happy with purchasing. These were my favorites which I then had to make a decision from:









Along with the invitations you also have the convenient option to purchase regular or colored envelopes with your return address printed on them.

What I also like about these invitations is the fact that they are simple and leave things open for some DIY fun.  A small little crystal flat back will definitely make its way to my invitations some how!

So in order to make my decision I really had to step outside myself and decide what my friend would like the best rather than what I actually like the best.  However, in my mind throwing a bridal shower is all about celebrating the bride and her big day. ......and that's why I made the decision to buy.....

This One!!!

I love this invitation because it actually looks like the dress she is going to be wearing on her big day.  Now what's a wedding without the dress right?  So exciting!!!

Cool Website: ChunkyBling.com

I recently came across a really cool and affordable website called ChunkyBling.com. They specialize in interchangeable beaded watches which are customizable.  They have a bunch of different beaded bands to choose from and a bunch of different watch faces which I thought was really cool.  The best part though, is the fact that they are only $20.  This is definitely something I can see females of all ages wearing.

But they've also got a great selection of other chunky jewelry like bracelets, rings, and interchangeable charm necklaces that are cute charm clusters that I love:













Most importantly their pieces look high quality and are extremely cheap in price.    I also saw for the first time on their site the possibility for anyone to host an online jewelry party with friends to earn FREE jewelry (Like Silpada and Lia Sophia parties but online).  Interesting...

If you are a bead/crystal lover and haven't checked them out, you should definitely take a look at their site. They seem to be a very up and coming modern site with most importantly, amazing prices.
http://chunkybling.com/

DIY Crystallized Finger Nails (Real or Fake!)

I was browsing all of my favorite celebrity gossip blogs and I came across this amazing picture.   These nails are from the hands of a certain celebrity, but I have no clue who haha.

But anyway, these nails are completely covered in Swarovski Crystals and I love this look!  When I see them I think Christmas or New Years Eve Party! However, this look is chic anytime of the year for any occasion! So I of course, tried to figure out how to Do-It-Myself! It's actually pretty easy to do and you can switch up the colors  or make  your own custom designs depending on how creative you are.

To get this look, I would recommend using a very small size like 3ss or 4ss Crystal Swarovski Flatbacks with No Hotfix (you can also use larger ones for a different effect).   For your nail polish I would recommend using a high quality polish that won't chip easily like O.P.I., in the color of your choice.

This will probably take around an hour, so if you don't have any patience or hand eye coordination =)  you might want to make it a "girls night" and do each others' nails like I will be doing haha!

Materials needed:

Colored Nail Polish
Clear Nail Polish
Tooth Pick
Nail Glue (find this at your local Beauty Supply Store)
Tweezers
CRYSTALLIZED™ - Flat Backs No Hotfix (www.merchantsoverseas.com)


Step 1.) Paint your colored nail polish onto your nails and let them dry for 10 minutes.

Step 2.) Put a small drop of glue onto your tooth pick and place it on your nail in the spot where you are applying the stone.  Pick up the CRYSTALLIZED™ -Flat Back No Hotfix with your tweezers and place in on top of your glue spot. Keep doing this until you have covered your nails completely like the picture above (or in a design of your choice).  Wait 5-10 minutes for glue to dry.

Step 3.) Paint clear nail polish over nails.  Let them dry another 10 minutes and you are ready to go!

Keep Up With the Kardashians!

If you want to keep up with the crazy Kardashian sisters, then that means designing your own jewelry! (That also means having a tv show, perfume line, clothing line, a baby, get married in a month,  but we wont go there!)














 News is that The Kardashians recently designed a new jewelry line for Virgins, Saints and Angels (VSA), a Los Angeles-based jewelry brand.

 The Kardashian Collection by Virgins, Saints and Angels features rings, necklaces, bracelets and earrings crafted in sterling silver and bronze with Swarovski crystals. Prices range from about $300 to $500.

The collection made its debut with retailers at a show held in Las Vegas last week, and the designs will officially hit retail stores in April.


According to Kloe Kardashian, "The designs are inspired by our Armenian heritage and there's a great deal of symbolism behind each piece." 

I absolutely love the Armenian Tiara shown above in the 2nd picture.  I thought it was really interesting how the collection is centered on "Points" and that the Swarovski Crystals are used for the Points.  Instead of over blinging their jewelry, they use minimal crystals per piece.  It also looks like a lot of their pieces are using darker colored crystals like jet and black diamonds for a more "gothic" crystal element.  Very interesting and not exactly what you would probably expect from them right?

New Beadelle(TM) Crystal Splash: A Wedding Season Must-Have!

I just came across a great site www.glitterize.com that carries Crystallized(TM) Swarovski Elements as well as a new line of crystal components called BEADELLE(TM).  They carry beautiful Crystal Rhinestone Balls, Pave´ Beads, Magnetic Clasps, Buckles, frames, and something they call "Crystal Splash."

This website caters to all things wedding and special event. The Rhinestone Balls, Pave´ Beads, and magnetic clasps are great for jewelry making, cake decorating, etc. 

What really caught my attention was their line of  "Crystal Splash" made with very very small Crystallized(TM) - Swarovski Chatons used to throw on a table or display case to add sparkle and glamour.



They sell this in 1oz, 4oz, 8oz, 1lb, and 2lb bags.  Depending on how big your party or display is.

I took this picture from their inspiration section to show you what the crystal splash looks like on a place setting:



This picture includes a really cool knife holder made from the Rhinestone Balls,  Gold and Rose Crystal Pave´Beads in the spoon, an antique gold and light colorado topaz crystal mini frame, and crystal splash thrown on top.  I think it's just beautiful!

Crystallized(TM) Swarovski Flatbacks: Size and Color Information

You all know I am always doing a ton of projects with flatbacks.  What really helps me to decide which size or color is right for my specific project, are the sizing charts and color charts I've received from Merchants Overseas.  Sharing is caring, so here you go! Feel free to go on there site to print your own charts!

View all of the Flat back colors here:

http://www.merchantsoverseas.com/store/flatbackcolors.asp

There are also a bunch of "color effects" or special codings that Swarovski makes in their flat back colors and other stones.  To view the Flatback effects click here:
http://www.merchantsoverseas.com/store/flatbackeffects.asp

Not sure what the difference is between SS sizes and MM sizes?  Me either! Haha....but here is a sizing chart to help you figure it out!

New Spring/Summer 2010 Color Trend Guide!

Every season Merchants Overseas Inc., does extensive research in Fashion, home decor, jewelry, and Pantone color trends in order to make their seasonal color trend guides.

I love posting them up because they are really helpful when deciding on what to buy if you like to DIY.  These trend guides also include a contrast color to help with color pairings and mixing and matching.

This Spring and Summer look to have a lot of Turquoise, Corals, Blues, Purples, and Tuscany Neutrals that are great as gold alternatives:

New Ceramics Line from Crystallized(TM) Swarovski Elements!

We all know that CRYSTALLIZED(TM) – Swarovski Elements is known for perfectly cut crystal and innovative, inspiring shapes and colors. With its new line Fusion Concepts, the brand uses the unique grinding technique that has been continually developed by Swarovski since 1895,  to offer designers and manufacturers something completely new:

Using unusual materials and combinations of materials – perfectly cut and finished as you would expect from CRYSTALLIZED(TM) – Swarovski Elements. The Fusion Concepts alone or in combination with crystal – provide stunning, exciting contrasts.

The new 2010 line of “Ceramics” is the second product range after the Crystal Mosaics from the Fusion Concepts line.

Marbled Blue

The 4 colors available in the Ceramics are marbled blue, marbled yellow, marbled ivory, and marbled black and are available in the following shapes/sizes:

2520/B Cosmic Flat Back

Sizes: 14×10mm & 20×14mm

3265/B Cosmic Sew-On Stone

Sizes: 20×16mm& 26×21mm

4139/B Cosmic Ring

Sizes: 14mm, 20mm & 30mm

4739/B Cosmic Fancy Stone

Sizes: 14×11mm & 20×16mm

5000/B Round Bead

Sizes: 8mm & 10mm

5601/B Cube Bead

Sizes: 6mm & 8mm

6620/B Avant-Garde Pendant

Sizes: 20mm

6680/B Cosmic Pendant

Sizes: 20mm

Call a Merchants Overseas Sales Associate Today to Order 800-333-4144

Or To view the new CRYSTALLIZED(TM) Swarovski Innovations brochure go to:
http://www.merchantsoverseas.com/public_download/crystallized-innovations-spring-summer2011.pdf