After a few too many gin and tonics last night I thought my day at work would be dreadful.. But it totally roCked! The Zobel store had to get a lil' makeover for spring and easter... and I got to pick out and merchandise all the jewellery for the ten or so display cases inside! I went through all the drawers picking out my favorite, most eye catching pieces... for a second I thought maybe I shouldn't display so many BIG rings and GiAnt Couliers etc etc but then I thought to myself... This is Zobel..Go Big OR gO hOme:) After coating the walls with bright green and violet paper and the drawers with faux grass, we layed the jewellery out in the collections I thought looked nice together :) I used to be in my glory merchandising at a surf shop, so today doing it for Zobel was way FUN. Not to mention I got to try on all the big rings and dream of the day I will own one. I've heard I can pay month to month so this could be a dream that just might come true! Also being featured as of today in the Atelier Zobel are the ceramic designs of Thomas Kummer http://www.thomas-kummer.com/. The website does not do much justice so check out the photos on my facebook fan page. My blog isn't allowing my photos to show for some reason so I've also posted photos of the two recent clasps I finished for Zobel. But wow... these bowls, cups, and vases by Thomas Kummer are absolutely bad ass! Some with spikes, some with polka dots in gold or silver, and the cups with quirky handles and curves. We featured alot of the pieces in the front window and they actually really compliment the jewellery. It is days like today that I remember very clearly why I am here and how lucky I am to be working for this inspiring company. To contribute to Atelier Zobel is a very VeRy rewarding feeling.
So this weekend I have no plans, so I've heard that across the lake are some great vintage shops (which I miss so much about Vancouver, we kill it for vintage) but I'm not expecting to buy anything because this shop is more like Marc Jacobs Vintage and so on. But it wont hurt to have a peak. Until next time... and remember to check out the pics! Click Here For Pics Xo
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
When You Climb a Mountain you Must Turn Around
I had such a awesome weekend in Konstanz. Took a lazy day on Saturday filled with running a few errands seeing as everything is closed on Sunday.. and a nap or two in between:) Saturday night I hit the Kantine with an awesome girl from work and the two amazing daughters of the couple I used to live with. It was really nice to have all the girls out because I miss my ladies back home so SO much. The Kantine was bumpin' electro all night. As much as I love to dress up, I am diggin' the casual styles of the local students at the klub. No ones there to impress, we are just there to DANCE and have a fantastic time. So after another weekend of mayhem, work on Monday was a bit of a challenge, so I decided to get back to my roots and take a long jog around the lake... actually I should say ALONG the lake because to jog around the lake would probably take you a few days.. Something so simple as a jog along the lake can be a really blissful moment for me. The weather was a mix of sun and misty rain. I took a break at a point that was crucial to take a break because it was so freakin' beautiful and the sun was beginning to set. I layed down on a ledge that hung a bit over the rocky beach to strech and take in the views of the alps, with my music on and then it started to POUR! It was so amazing, I wish I were in that moment forever. I pretty much do anything possible to stay out of my cave that I call home. I was excited about it at first because it was MINE! But now I just feel claustrophobic in there, so thank goodness that weather is beautiful these days and I can spend the afternoons having coffee in the city or out for a jog. In the Zobel headquaters things are Fun FUN. I've been working on two clasps, one with Sterling Silver, Platinum and Diamonds and one with in the same but with Moon Stones set in yellow Gold. I finished one already but it got quickly shipped off to the Atelier and I didn't snag a picture first... So I will have to get on that and I will post photos of them soon. One of my coworkers is making a Chi BAng Chi BAng Cuff. It is screaming my name and I can't stop staring at it from across the work bench. It's in Sterling Silver with an amazing Platinum pattern flowing across the surface. Rouch Black Diamond beads flow in the same direction leading the eye to a HUGE Black Drusey Quartz Crystal. The whole thing is sparkling.. I WANNA MAKE ONE.. I can I can I swear. Until next time... XO
Thursday, March 24, 2011
☆ ★ ☆ One Single Moment and Nothing is Like Before ☆ ★ ☆
Just a quicky post... I've been working in the Atelier for the last few days learning to properly string necklaces...It's not as simple as I imagined and definately not something I'm used to. But really just having fun being in a great environment, seeing what kind of people pass through the gallery and looking at all the wonderful designs. I got to complete a necklace with the silver and fine gold beads I had made last week. This necklace is strung with Boulder Opals and each Silver element has one little blUe diamOnd. At first I wasn't a fan of this mixture of gold and brown, but on the neck it looks amazing and very elegant. Today I made a black diAmond and gold necklace, this was a fun and easy day. I layed out the order of the beads and diamonds I wanted and strung them together. I felt like I was 15 again except beading with diamonds and gold :)
Last night I enjoyed Raclette ( a swiss specialty with cheese, cheese, some veggies, and more cheese ) with the couple I used to live with and their two daughters who really are so sweet and I enjoy their company very much. I ate so much cheese though that I was dreaming such MaDness all night.. I really have to wonder where these ideas and visions are stored up there and why they only come out in my dreams.
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| Boulder Opal Necklace with Silver and Gold Elements and Blue Diamonds |
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| Details:) What beautiful lines through this Opal |
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| Black Diamond and Gold Necklace |
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| Black Diamond and Gold Necklace |
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
OuT of SiGht
So I hopped on the train on friday morning, put on some beats and could NOT wipe the smile off my face for the rest of the weekend. When I got to Zurich the weather was SH*t but ♫ aLL I wanNa do Is DanCe so I dOn't ReallY caRe ♫ My girlfriend and I had dinner that night at Lasalle.. Which is an amazing restaurant located in a huge warehouse building that has a whole bunch of other restaurants and clubs inside. I had Guava and Scallop salad and Beef Tartar. YUM! After dins we hit up a few different places before we fell in love with Cabaret! It's right beside Supermarket, which everyone says is the best club in Zurich but believe me it's not, Cabaret speaks for itself. Funky wall paper, disco balls, and chandeliers make this club PoP. The staff were wild with sequin wigs and there were male Go Go dancers in female attire.. But my favorite part was the mUsic. I could have danced all night..wait a minute I did. So the next day we had brunch at Hiltl, a super yum yum vegetarian restaurant. Then we managed to bring ourselves back to Konstanz. We were SO lucky to wake up the next morning to no CloUds in the SkY what so ever. Everything is closed in most cities in Switzerland and Germany on Sundays so we decided to take a day trip to Meersburg. From first glance this city is teeny tiny but it's built up onto a hill so there are actually a ton of great restaurants, pubs, and shops. We did a little bar hoping here for the day, great prosseco, great beer, and great pizza. The next day we took our bikes to Mainau, an island about 7km from Konstanz. The bike route there was absolutely amazing! Country orchards along the lake with the bluest BluE bluE water crashing against the docks. The smell of fresh cut grass and the beginning of summer. We brought along a picNic and enjoyed the sUn and the peace and quiet. Shawna left today and I miss her! Back to work.. Tomorrow I work at the Atelier ( the store in the city) for the rest of the week. So Alles Gute! Until NeXt timE...
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| Hello my Love.. Alexander McQueen Clutch in Zurich..DRoool |
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| WaitIn for The Bus |
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| At Lasalle |
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| Smile |
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| Dance |
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| Feel The Beat |
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| Diva Go Go dAncer |
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| Lunch In Meersburg |
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| Ice Cream In Paradise (meersburg) my new sunday hang out place |
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| YUm |
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| Absolutely LOVE this picture, on our way to Mainau |
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| My Sea Green Bike, My Love |
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| The Beautiful Flowers at Mainau and the Beautiful Lady |
Thursday, March 17, 2011
On My Own
So I guess I should change the title of my blog now because I am truly now On My Own. When I'm in my new place I can't stop smiling. It is so tiny and old and wonderfully Ghettofabulous. But I spruced it up last night with fresh orchids from the market which were only 10Euro! In van you can't find orchids for under 30! I found an awesome craft store to replace the hole in my heart (michaels... I know I'm a totally geek) and bought a canvas, paint, feathers, and sparkles...lots of sparkles.. so I can create something to hang on the walls. Today I popped by an antique shop and found a pair of antlers mounted on a nice dark wood plague. When I was in Fussen there was a gallery selling antlers like this but with crystals covering the entire antler... So this is another project I plan to create for my space :) Everything is put away and I officially have a little comfy spot just for me. And the best part... When I opened the curtains, directly across from my window is a goldsmiths workshop and I can see them working away in there all day. To the people in Konstanz this is somewhat normal but for me this is totally awesome and I am SO in my element here.
At Zobel I am feeling more and more at home. I'm getting to know everyone, slower than usual because of the language, but surely. The projects I've been working on (all the silver and gold elements and clasps) are going to be finalized next week when I go to the Atelier in the city to work for three days :) :) The gallery is where they string the necklaces and of course sell and display the beautiful jewellery. I'm SO excited to work there for a few days because I get to work around some lovely ladies for a change and I get to wear whatever GORGEOUS jewellery my heart desires for the day. One of the necklaces I'm working on in the moment is strung with a strand of Tahitian pearls. This strand alone retails for 11,000 Euros. Then I will add a silver and platinum clasps with diamonds and three silver and platinum beads with diamonds. I always get giddy when they tell me the value of these pieces that I'm working on because I'm obviously not used to it. But at the workshop everyone is like "ah that's nothing, that's cheap." I tell them they are spoiled and continue play with all the shinny and beautiful things with a big smile on my face :)
Tomorrow I will catch the train to Zurich to meet my friend from London. Zurich is awesome, all we need is a little bit of sunshine and we are in for one unforgettable wochenende! (word of the day: weekend)
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| My home, the window behing the TV is where you can see the goldsmith studio, like right up against my window :) |
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| Bedazzle Bedazzle, what I do best |
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| Finished Product |
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| Decorating with what I can |
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
That's Life
Just a quick post...
After many conversations and words exchanged with a friend over a not so broken but battered heart one day, the next we're exchanging words about how bewildering life is one day to the next because everything can change from one moment to the other. And in the same time as she experienced this sudden change of heart, I had the same realization. My time here is joyful and empowering but like anything there are obstacles that are hard and sometimes merciless. So from one day to the next I went from doubting and wanting to give up to thinking I must have been crazy to have thought that and went on my day blissfully content. So what I'm trying to say is that dwelling on the tough things is an aBsolutE waste of time because if you love to smile you will always, forever, and indefinitely have a moment where all those negative feelings and thoughts are squashed by feelings of inspiration and joy. And for a triple hit of this far out thought that crossed my mind today at the workshop, I went for a bike ride after and my ipod was set to shuffle and the first song to play was That's Life by Frank Sinatra. Word for word this song is what I mean throughout this post.. Muah!
Monday, March 14, 2011
Freiburg Town
I loVE Freiburg! I visited this university town for the day on saturday and it had me wishing I was a student there. This city ROcKs! The shopping was the best I've seen yet, finally a city with unique fashion at a price that wont leave us starving, no department stores here or the opposite.. D&G. Just funky boutiques and adOrable kitcHy shops where I fell in love with an all PINK coOcoO cloCk. It was 150Euros though so I opted to eat for the next month instead. The streets were packed with people, mostly young people and of course, like most cities I've visited, the streets were lined with Goldsmiths. One caught my eye. Not because it was different but because it looked strikingly familiar to the work of Zobel... I hate to point fingers but I'm GoIng TOo! http://www.graseck.com/eindex.html. In Konstanz most jewellers have their own styles and don't try to copy the work and style of Zobel, but I guess just a few cities over they will try. It really got me thiNking about how hard this indUstry is to be origiNal. Although I have and will learn a lot during my time here at Zobel, the things I'm learning are so distinctly ZOBEL that I'm not sure how to incorporate these techniques into my e|e Designs without it screaming Zobel. So again I sit at the lake sketching ideas for my collection when I return to Vancouver. I'm on a mission to come up with something strOng and BolD that flows throughout my collection, into yOuR heArts and onto your FinGers :) On Wednesday I move into my oWn place. I'm looking forward to feeling like I LivE here in Konstanz, because for the time being I do :) On Friday I will go to ZuriCh. There couldn't be a better time for hanging with an Old friEnd and lots of dAncing ♫
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| The chain I made being displayed in the Atelier with a GiAnt broOch |
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Pink CooCoo CLocK Graseck Designs that I thought were Zobel. |
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| Graseck Designs that I thought were Zobel. |
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| Beautiful Street in Freiburg in the winter when I was there... |
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| The street in the summer, stole this off the internet, Amazing.. Can we please do this in Van!? |
Thursday, March 10, 2011
e|e in the eu
So Fasnacht (carnival) is over, and thank goodness so! I couldn't hear one more marching band if my life depended on it. Not to say I didn't have a blast but now that we're back to reality here in Konstanz the city is much more peaceful. The other night I took a long bike ride across the bridge to the other side of Konstanz and along the giAnt lake to Staad and back. The sun was setting and the wind had calmed down, it was one of the most tranquil moments that I've had in a long time. Last night (wednesday) after Fasnacht, it is a tradition to eat Escargo, Froschschenkel (froglegs), and other kinds of small creatures... The lovely couple who I stay with took me out for a fabulous dinner of mussels, froglegs ( I know what my boyfriend is thinking at this very moment, frogs are endangered, but I enjoyed ever last bite...if that helps ;) and escargo. It was fantastic.
I'm almost half way through my time abroad and everything is beginning to sink in and settle in. Before I arrived here I was preparing for this big step for some time both financially and emotionally. To be honest I didn't think I could do it. The big renowned company, the language, the complete independence. But now that I'm doing it everything has changed for me but without noticing the changes as they flew by. They say day by day nothing seems to change, but when you look back everything is different. Well this is what happened for me. I didn't just jump into this new world and this new me, I fell into it and managed to come out in one really whole piece, more whole than I've ever been. I'm learning my strengths as an artist, something that will only blossom for me when I return home to my love...e|e designs. I'm also learning my weaknesses as an artist of course but also as a person. Everything becomes crystal clear when you are alone, not all answers solved of course but they are definatly brought to the surface. So not only am I using this dReam come tRue as a stepping stone on my road to success in my career and passion, but also as a time to bask in my thoughts and come home with a fresher perspective and a biG ass sMile:)
And of course I'm going to talk about whats going on in the Zobel headquaters... I've been making a dozen Silver element, six decorated with Platinum, diAmonds, and rOse cut diamOnds, and six decorated in Fine GOld with diAmonds...Music to my ears. I've been very efficient this week and finished both sets. So tomorrow I'm hoping I will arrive at work and they will say to me, "Emily, enough with this bead nonsense, you are going to make a hUge bAd AsS rouGh diAmonD and RubY rIng."
PS. I was told that the necklace I made is being displayed in the Atelier in the city at the moment :) If you wAnt to knOw the rEst, buy the rights ;)
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| Silver and Platinum elements |
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| Elements after the DiAmonds and Zobel signature were added:) |
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| Silver and Fine Gold elements, before Diamonds have been added |
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| With Kathrin at the Klimperklasten, my fave place |
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| Me as a Bear for the Sunday Parade |
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| Xo My new Leather Jacket to replace my lost black blAzer :( that's carnival for you Xo |
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| Sun set by the Lake, Konstanz in the distance |
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| Crossing the Bridge |
Saturday, March 5, 2011
FasNacHt
So being Carnival weekend there's not much to write about other than Carnival. Thursday was the big day and therefore the only day for me. I like my liver and my liver sort of likes me. The city was totally AliVe from the crack of dawn until the sun came up the next day... There were bands at every street corner and drums could be heard all throughout the day. Everyone is in costume and there are some large groups of 10 or more people all dressed up the same. There are lots of traditional songs that everyone is chAnting. Me of course am singing along... La LA la Blah blAh La lA. They tried to teach me but c'mon, I'm on a one word a day program. The city felt like one giant festival. You could bounce from bar 2 club and then into the streets for one giAnt pArty. I'm pretty sure I ate about five bratwurst. So you can imagine I'm having a quiet rest of the weekend until tomorrow which is a big parAde in the streets. I will go this time as a big fuRRy bear. It's not like halloween here. If you look good then you didn't try hard enough. You have to look absolutely rEdiculous. I'm actually missing work after having 3 days off. This is my last week living with a very sweet couple and then its off on my own. So for the rest of the day I will ride around on my bike, try to enjoy the little sUn that is peaking through the cloUds. Today I especially miss my friends, family, and my love. Until next time..
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| mE being A monkEy |
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| The SheEp(kathrin) and I |
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| CloWn KiSseS |
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| At our work party |
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| My SavIor for the nIgHt |
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| MonkEy LoVe |
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
~HeArtS oN FiRe~
I'm back from Munich and it was a really rAd experience. It was late when I arrived for the Inhorgenta Exhibition on Sunday. There wasn't much time to look around when I arrived, so I just hung out at the Zobel showcase instead drinking champagne and watching the whole process go down. The chain I made was displayed :) and I got to wear the necklace that I posted about in my last posting, Rock'n'Ruby. The thing is worth 7000euros! So you can imagine I was totally rockin' it and having a great time doing so. That night we all went out for dinner and along with us came the Munsteiners http://www.munsteiner-cut.de/. These great men are one of the top stone cutters in the world, if not the best. They are very close friends to Peter and the Zobel crew. The next day I was feelin' a little hurt from the many glasses of champagne the night before, but I wouldn't miss halls and halls filled with fine jewellery for a bad hangover. So off I went to the exhibition grounds and spent the whole day walking around trying on bling and scoping out stones and really cool boxes for my e|e designs. I also got to visit Irene Wolf who I taked about in my last posting. She had a great reaction at the exhibition and I told the Zobel people about her and they totally DiG her work. And of course while doing all of this I was wearing my BliNg BliNg 'on loan' necklace for the weekend :) Can you tell I was sUper excited about this! Now it's wednesday, the night before FAsnAchT! (Carnival). Tomorrow morning the whole city will be woken up and 5am to the sound of music parading through the streets. Of course I will be prepared with ear plugs or muffs or anything! Then everyone goes to work until noon, and by 1pm everyone is already half drunk and dressed in costume ( we have a Zobel parTy at the workshop from noon until 3, then it's off into the stReEts to parade around and be wiLd and then off to the cLubs. I've got my hands on a bear costume from a friend.... I know. There are many "canadian" jokes going around the workshop that i'm coming as a grizzy bear or why not a moose! But tonight I got creative and pulled together a preTty rAd clown costume with a typical huGe pleated neck piece, striped socks, gloves, a corset, and my McQueen Tutu! And of course the fun makeup and lotsa SpArkles! So I probably wont be blogging for a few because Carnival runs all weekend and the city is, so i've heard, an absolute gong show.
Happy Fasnacht! |
| That's my chain at the bottom :) |
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| My Rock'n'Ruby Necklace for the weekend :) |
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| A Munsteiner Stone, Gorgeous |
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