Saturday, January 12, 2013

Today I'm sharing something very special for me with you

Last year when I started to think about "What am I gonna do. I have a baby, I need to do something to be able to provide this little one" I came across with the blog of +Mariella di Gregorio and found her jewellery absolutely stunning. As I liked so much what I saw I tried to know a bit more about her, which one was her background, where did she studied jewellery, from where she took the inspiration to do such a beautiful items and so and so. So I found out she was actually a graphic designer with passion for jewellery and one day decided to give up everything and start to make jewellery as she wanted. She risked as I intend that (with a job in Milan went back to her homeland to set up her business). That inspired me, yes, she did inspired me. I thought, why not? I love this, I always did, I don't have a formal education into that, on the contrary I've studied advertising and PR and a bit of design.. I was prepared to be the though business person who makes all the deals in the advert agencies, who knew about marketing, strategies of communication, law but out of my own love of learning, when I went to Italy to study I chose the subjects I liked like web design, graphic design, photography, lithography, sociology and Italian language. Went I moved to London I worked a bit in cinema so I did a course in art direction but jewellery?? Jewellery? I had no clue about it!! But, hey! I always loved earrings, I always loved leather and I thought, let's make what I like, let's make earrings... More I got into it, more I felt the need of doing different things, I started to sew, to make curtains, to customize prams, to do items for prams and recently I've moved into fabric leather free items. I love what I do, I found fulfillment each time I finish a new item. It's love what they carry and what I give to others.
Even if we don't know each other personally, thanks +Mariella di Gregorio for inspiring me!!

Here I leave you with some of her items and a link to her blog.

Please enjoy!

Aria by Mariella di Gregorio

Friday, January 11, 2013

What about some Earrings?

Of course!!! Here you have some fabric earrings. Absolutely stunning and so so light you barely will feel you wear them, only people pointing at them and saying how beautiful there are will remind you about wearing them!!

Rosa Earrings just for you!
Let me show you them better

Loving them


Carmen necklace from Leather Free Collection

Here you have another item from our successful Leather Free Collection!!

Carmen Necklace.

We have use handmade fabric roses and 100% cotton strings out of an old T-shirt. We added a little touch, a brown clip. I'll post the photos of how we did as soon as I get them edited! In the meantime, enjoy these ones!

Carmen Necklace
With a clip to put it on

Tuesday, January 8, 2013

Blogs we like

Here you have a selection of blogs that we like. Sure you'll like them too!

1. +Vicki Mote Bodwell created this blog http://www.kidsbeddingblog.com/:
"My quest is to show moms how a creative life is simply better! My company, the Warm Biscuit Bedding Co. celebrates the handmade, handcrafted and custom made".
2. +Laura Walcot and her blog http://www.tapestryface.com/:
"I'm obsessively creating things for an imaginary world in my head. At the moment i live a daydream existance with my daughter. Pretending im a lady of leisure on a private income instead of the velour tracksuit clad, macdonalds going, single mum im supposed to be! oh and i have another one due anytime now, so i will have to find a box to squeeze him into while we live in this tiny shoebox flat....Until then its painted rainbows, giant stuffed animals and extravagant masks all the way....... please, no one wake me up".
3. +Candy Soap. Great handmade soaps made in London: http://naturalcandysoap.blogspot.com.es/ 

4. +Nickedshirts and his blog: http://www.nickedtshirts.co.uk/artworks
"The Nicked philosophy aims to make a difference by delivering individual, quality designs
that are hand screen printed and use only 100% organic cotton which helps to maintain
the brands environmental concious approach to quality art and design.

Nicked aims to spur its customers to have dignity and stand up for their individual rights".
5. +Nítdia created this great blog about recycling. Awesome ideas! http://compartetusecoideas.blogspot.com.es/search/label/Juguetes

6. +Christina Clouse is the owner of this so beautiful blog: http://coffee-girl-crafts.blogspot.com.es/

And more and more blogs.... We'll keep sharing with you our discoveries!!

x

Coming soon....

Here you have a little taster of what is coming soon by DORADO.....


Soon with you

Just few days away.... x

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DO YOU LIKE ISABEL NECKLACE? WHERE TO GET IT

If you liked Isabel Necklace and was wondering where could you get it.. Don't look more!

I made them upon request so,yes, exclusive for you! Just contact me in any of those places and after clear payment I'll send you the necklace.
How much does it cost? Only £30 P&P included. Payment by Paypal, the easiest way to do transactions online and Please allow 15 days to get it after payment if you live outside UK.

Love,

DORADO
Isabel Necklace

How did we do Isabel's fabric rose necklace?

Isabel's fabric rose necklace
If you do craft  is purely because you love to do it. You spend so long time doing everything!!! Why do I say this? Unfortunately I've notice in markets I've been doing recently people don't appreciate something done handmade... And that is a bit sad :-(
Some many of my craft colleagues with whom I've done some markets repeat the same thing:

"People don't appreciate what is handmade and with good quality, most of the people want to buy cheap and don't consider neither the quality, neither the creativity or time spent in making an item".
Unfortunately not everyone is like that but somehow is true that that is happening... What can we do to change that and make the beauty of the craft items get the value that really have? I do my bit, I share with you how Isabel's necklace is done. I spent nearly 6 hours doing it in between designing, choosing fabrics and making the pieces and sewing.


Here you have all the steps to make it:
First we need to cut strings of fabric, some pieces work.
We make a not at one extreme of the string and roll over it so that's how we make our fabric rose
And we make more roses of different sizes
Now we have to decide the shape we will give to our necklace
We cut a piece of jeans with the shape we chose and sew each rose over it
Sewing and sewing...

We have our roses in place! Now strings for the necklace


We take a 100% cotton old T-shirt and cut some strings
We make the knot
Adding the strings, knot and go
Isabel Necklace


And you were wondering how did we made that knot... Please check in HOW TO MAKE A KNOT






How do you make the knot?


The knot is really easy to make, here you have step by step how to make it! Enjoy!


Cut some strings from an old T-shirt 100% cotton (the oldest the better because strings roll over them easily)
With the string fold it once and make a ribbon shape. Fold over the other string and place it as a smile over the ribbon

Take the right extreme of the smile and place under the right extreme of the ribbon
Take the left extreme of the smile and place it under the loop of the ribbon
Take the right extreme of the smile and pass over the right side of the ribbon, under the left extreme of the smile and over the left side of the ribbon



Pull from the four extremes in opposite directions and you have your knot ready!!




We have use it for our necklace but you can do whatever your creativity will bring you to with this ribbon: headbands, bracelets, customization of clothes, handbags....

Leather Free Collection 2013

2013. New year new collection new approach for DORADO. We have been asked to do some leather free items because there are lots of you guys that prefer to use other materials rather than leather. We love to hear what you have to say to us, to suggest and this is what we have done!!!

Isabel Necklace

Only fabric and love, lots of love!