Best Wishes

All the best to all the fairy-hearted followers of FairyFiligree. Best wishes to you and yours for a lovely Christmas season & a fantastic start to the New Year!

Aldo Campione Jewels - From Sicily with Love

A Wreath of a different nature - Stunning Aldo Campione bracelet

Aldo Campione is the newest name in high-quality fine and luxury jewellery. Started in Sicily, Italy, the brand was born a few years ago as part of his experience in the world of precious stones. A trained diamond analyst, he travelled to different parts of the world, purchasing precious gems and diamonds that are used in the creation of stunning pieces. Today, the brand is supported by Aldo Campione's daughter Vera Campione, a gemmologist trained in the US, Antwerp and India.

Gold Angel Trio - the perfect jewellery for Christmas-time from Aldo Campione

In collaboration with various specialised Sicilian jewellery makers and Serbian jewellery designer Ana Morganti, Aldo Campione jewels have been created with uniqueness and finesse in mind. Each piece is an original, hand-crafted item, lovingly and dotingly created 'su misura' for the right owner to wear it and cherish it as an heirloom. None of the pieces are duplicated, so once you wear an Aldo Campione jewel, you are unique. Each fine quality jewel comes with certified diamonds, pearls or gemstones including emeralds, sapphires, rubies, topaz.....

Aldo Campione Luxury Jewels are now being launched on the Mediterranean island of Malta. For private viewing and enquiries call 00356 99992614.

Pocket that Square

If you're in the mood for wearing tailored jackets perhaps you might think of dressing them up with anything from brooches and pins to scarfs and cravats. But one tiny detail is perhaps indicative of style and uniqueness in more ways than. The humble little pocket square which men use to brighten up their jackets, speaks to me like a dressed up handkerchief or a miniature scarf that is only usable inside the wee breast pocket on my jacket. And the finesse of silk coupled by these gorgeous and inspiring colours and styles add to the impact. 

There are four options here..... buy them for yourself in all colours or buy them for your partner and share; third option is to get one of every colour and stuff into Christmas stockings (whilst keeping one for yourself); or else make the best of a seasonal promotional offer from the unique Mediterranean menswear range of Gagliardi. All pocket squares featured here belong to this brand which is currently offering a  FREE seasonal pocket square with all online orders in excess of €100. 



 

All about PInk Roses

John William Waterhouse (1849 - 1917) 'Gather ye rosebuds while ye may' 1909

I'm a sucker for yellow roses and have chosen to have yellow roses for my wedding bouquet as well as found (by coincidence where coincidences are not actually so) that our new house came incorporated with a bush of regularly flowering yellow roses.

However there is something about pink roses that is particularly enticing. I love these images by Waterhouse, created in the early years of the 20th Century in the pre-Raphaelite phase, where his depiction of roses are exceptionally touching.

1908

Looking out for pink roses amidst my many social contacts, I came up with quite a handful of particularly exciting specimens. 

The Enchanted Home

Laughing with Angels

Cut-out Rose Handkerchief

Pink Cabbage Roses

Roses Scarf

I actually discovered a website called Pink Roses and am quite excited to add it to my regular reading list.....

Pink Roses Blog

Pin Parade

As winter approaches, I've been thinking of jackets, coats and hats that will soon be worn on a daily basis. Usually most of us only have a handful of these in our closets and we can perk them up according to whichever outfit we're wearing, with a good dose of accessories. 

Pins and brooches are some of the most eye-catching, conversation starters and today I am collaborating with BaileySistersVintage to bring you a wide variety of gorgeous bling. there's a bit of everything here - enamels, rhinestone, faux pearls, sterling silver, copper. And the inspiration comes from the varied vintage periods and styles. I like the pearl cascade pin from the late 1950s best. 

Try to spot the Trifari pin.....

Dressed in Mosaic

I was impressed by the creativity behind these mosaic creations - dressed made so beautifully with pieces of broken china, pottery, glass, beads.... This is just one category of mosaic are created by Susan Wechsler. 

She was only 18, when she first created an artefact - an abstract painting on a downtown billboard in Cincinnati, Ohio. Later she trained in Theatre Design in NY, working as costume designer in New York City Theatre, in LA with the movie industry and eventually as designer for Esprit in San Francisco. It was during her years as costume designer that she fine-tuned her skills of using colour, pattern and texture, inspired by diverse cultures and history.

Susan went on to develop her mosaic skills to create masterpieces such as these. If you have ever tried your hand at composing a mosaic, you will appreciate how difficult it can get. And if you've never tried it, perhaps you'd love to attempt during one of Susan's workshops.

For those living in Europe, Susan will be in Cortona, a picturesque town, cultural and artistic centre in the region of Arezzo, Tuscany, Italy, next May 2013. (Poster further down the page)

Find out more about this mosaic artist, her work and her workshops here.