Soda Pop Bling | Totemic Flights At Gallery Tilal November 29

This Tuesday November 29 there will be a Bejeweled Exhibition at Gallery Tilal featuring four participants.  I am really looking forward to welcoming you to LB o J'zazz's first local participation at a gallery level which is the ideal medium for our select artisanal work as each piece is unique and is never repeated.  Soda Pop Bling is a quirky collection playing on elements we see everyday that have been modified to a more elevated status.
In addition, Totemic Flights is a new body of work that comprises a sub grouping  within the Kindred Spirits Project.  Iconic symbols such as the totem and cross have been some of many attempts of man to connect the physicality of the body to a cosmological connection with the skies.  The vertical reaching attempts are evident in this collection of man reaching to the heavens and the cosmos.

Fareed Abdal will also be introducing a stunning select collection of new pieces of body adornment in the form of bangles that are a continuation of his play and discoveries of the letter forms and letters in the Arabic language.  These will be available by order.  The 28 Faces Of The Beloved Rings Collection will also be available by special order.

Date:  Tuesday November 29- Thursday December 1
Time:  10:30 AM- 2:00 PM
  5:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Venue:  Gallery Tilal at Tilal Mall Shuwaikh

Holiday Cheer at the AWL Charity Bazaar This Friday November 18

LB o J'zazz and Decopatch along with our friends will be exhibiting at the upcoming AWL (American Women's League) Annual Charity Bazaar we will be located with our fellow entrepreneurs in the BPW Zone.  This is a one day event so make sure to head on over to Salmiya at the Salwa Al-Sabah Hall at the Marina on Gulf Road.  Come early as parking fills up like crazy!

We will have our Decopatch Gift Sets, Papers and creative molds to cover along with Gift Certificates for Classes and for the shop and some one of  a kind jewelry by Bettina and myself.  You can also replenish on your bead stashes to use for embellishing and decorations during the holiday and giving season. You will also get to pre-order a custom ring from our ever popular yet unique 28 Faces Of The Beloved Rings by Fareed Abdal. 

Event:  Annual Charity Bazaar
Venue:  Salwa Al Sabah Hall - BPW section
Time:  10:30 AM- 9:00 PM

Upcoming Beading Classes September 28 - October 9

We would like to welcome you all back from Eid celebrations and hope that you are rested, well fed and ready to master some new projects that will surely challenge you, engage you and fulfill the need to bead!  Bettina and I got a chance to revamp some projects, bead some new ones and create new colorways.  Still, we need to guarantee seat availability, ample numbers of kits and times so you are kindly requested to pre-register at our Shaab El Bahry location in advance of the class. This is another reason why we are posting the classes ahead of time, so you can peruse and choose those of interest in addition to planning your own personal schedule with ease.

The first two classes were created and made by Bettina and the subsequent two classes are created and made by Lubna.

Arabesque Earrings
September 28 Tuesday

Technique:  Netting



Inspired by Arabesque designs and geometry, Bettina has come up with a circular design combining seed beads and crystals.  Bettina created this as she was exploring Islamic design and art from the Isfahani tiles during the Holy Month of Ramadan.  Once you master this new netting technique you can create and assemble more elaborate units as the variations and colorways unfold. 
 

Waterflowers Ndebele Bracelet
October 2 Saturday
9:30 AM-2:00 PM
Technique: Tubular Ndebele and Fringing 

This is our first introduction to Ndebele; the famous and resilient Zulu Stitch from South Africa. Bettina has created this delicate piece emulating the shimmery sense of Monet's water flower series. She will be employing color refracting Japanese Triangle beads along with our special Czech Spacers and Japanese drop beads.


Level: All levels

Mashrabiya Earrings
October 5 Tuesday
Time:  5:00PM- 7:00 PM
Technique:  Single Needle Right Angle Weave (RAW)


Inspired by the architecture of the Moors and the geometry of Mashrabiyas that are prevalent and celebrated across the Middle Eastern Region and Spain.  This earring set echoes a poignant reflection of the beauty of the objects of the craftsmen of the period.  This piece combines the rich softness of Czech Firepolished Crystals and Machine Cut Crystals in 3mm along with hand crafted Pressed Glass Daggers.

Mucha's Nouveau Bracelet In RAW*
October 9 Saturday
Time:  9:30 AM- 2:00 PM
Technique:  Single Needle Right Angle Weave (RAW)


Mucha was a pioneer and innovator who triggered the Art Nouveau Movement whilst designing a poster for the great Sarah Bernhardt in the 1800's.  Born in the Czech Republic his style created a romanticism of the feminine form in a garden like setting.   Mucha's stylization, form and use of colors inspired this bracelet. 
A simple yet innovative recipe to create a whimsical and floral style bracelet.  Five luscious garden colorways have been carefully concocted with 5mm and 4mm Czech Crystals.  Inspired by the Art Nouveau's approach to floral motifs you will learn the technique of RAW* (Right Angle Weave) and experiment with patterning and different effects of embellishing.

LB o J'zazz at Buqshat Turath Exhibition August 19-21

We will be participating in our first experience within a Ramadanesque Exhibition called Buqshat Turath that is organized by several young local men and women.  The overall theme and layout of the exhibition is Kuwait in the 1930's.  It will be interesting to see how far they take this concept thematically.

Our exhibit will be located  within a zone dedicated to BPW ( Business Professional Women) and other members . This is a premier launch for our Artist In Residence Extraordinaire Fareed Abdal.  We will be introducing  The 28 Faces Of The Beloved Artisanal Huroof Collection and in a  new precious metal casting, in addition to our standard sterling silver castings. This will be combined in collaboration with our Caftan and Thawb Designer Claudia Shames as she will be echoing and reflecting these interpretations through a Limited Collection of  hemp style vests, mens shirts and Thawbs.  Both The 28 Faces Of The Beloved Rings and the Caftan -Thawb Collection will be available by order and special fitting. 
Wait, there's more! You'll also be able to sign up for our upcoming beading classes and peruse  our beads and findings selection.

Venue:  Mishref Fairgrounds Hall 5
Date:  August 19th-August 21
Booth #:  71

LB o J'zazz Shaab El Bahry Shop New Summer Hours

After three months of tedious paperwork, follow-up, paperwork, long and unruly lines while waiting, system shut downs, system chaos, citizen chaos, record high temperatures, new rules and requirements every five minutes, bored and yawning government employees, paperwork, bouts of frustration, going to yet another room another ministry another signature, exasperation and then highlights of elation, of wonderful individuals going out of their way and diligently helping us expedite the newly revised government enhancement processes along the lines of this mythical way of integration called Maikanah..... Bettina and I are done!
On behalf of the LB o J'zazz family, we apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused when we were forced to cut our hours to deal with this very critical yet sometimes petty requirement. LB o J'zazz is back full force and we've been busy with new orders, working on bringing your favorite items and new luscious colors, beads, tools, freshwater pearls and much more eye candy along with our LB o J'zazz Bead Kitchen concocting some fun beading and stringing kits for classes and new in-store samples for the summer season.

Starting with our new operating hours for the summer, the team will welcome you on the following days and times:

Sundays-Thursdays:

9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

5:30 p.m- 9:30 p.m.

Saturdays:

11:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m.

We would also like to thank those government staff, who greeted us with a smile, believed in our efforts as entrepreneurs ( and self employed ladies) and worked diligently and with something called ethics despite the overall disorganization, chaos and apathy we usually face when getting these requirements done.

LB o J'zazz at KTAA event Saturday November 21

Pass by this coming Saturday the Sadu House as the Kuwait Textile Arts Association will have an arts and crafts bazaar. 
 

We will be showcasing some of our recent hand crafted off loom beadwork in addition to our creations in Decopatch.  For beaders and crafters you will be able to purchase loose beads,crytals, findings and special Beaders Gift Baskets in addition to the Decopatch range to create your own unique handcrafted projects.  

The event will start at 10 AM and end at 1 PM 
Saturday November 21

Venue:  Sadu House near the Seif and Amiri Diwan and adjacent to the National Museum on Gulf Road, Kuwait City

Above image is Snow Queen Beaded Collar; beaded embroidery by Bettina Al Bakhit

Czech Crystals Extravaganza

Our trek to the Czech Republic this past March is bearing the fruits of our labor. Beadaholics Bettina and Lubna in search of the finest, the unique and most beautiful crafted beads were on a mission. The mission was to find and bring to you what we call MC Beads which is Machine Cut Crystal. It is the crystal of Bohemia that has been of world renown for centuries.

You will be able to peruse and experience the shimmer, the mystery and sparkle of the finest Bohemian Crystal beads at J'zazz Beadz our new outlet in Shaab el Bahry. The whole collection was selected while we were in the glass making region of Bohemia, as the snow melted and in the wee hours Bettina and I, hand selected and previewed each and every color, size, shape and finish. Our partners in the Bohemian region, cook all their glass in-house. Mixing, and concocting the recipes to create consistently some of the best glass available today.

We hope that you will join us and celebrate the beauty and mystery that crystal has had on many people before us and many yet to come.

Kashmiri Beads, you say?

With many delays, hiccups, trials and tribulations thanks to the not so efficient services of TNT, it took us over two weeks to recieve our special order of Kashmiri Beads. Coming your way from our friends and crafters of the Indian Subcontinent.
These beads have a very tactile, and handmade feel to them and come in rounds, barrels, tubes and ovals. Each bead has the same pattern but differs with handmade pieces of glass, wire and metals embedded in a special clay like material and has rivets on both holes.
They are excellent focal beads, and can also be used as tassles and embellishments for clothing. For jewelry crafters they can be strung on yarns, silk ribbons, Soft Flex Beading Wire, cotton threads in a very eclectic style or combined with metal links or chain for a sleeker look. Some of them actually look like candy! Really!
They will be available at our shop mid this week. You will also be able to take some of our first workshops using these funky, colorful and exuberant beads for the summer.

Prague and Beyond

Bettina and Lubna after four years of talking and dreaming about a buying and sourcing trip to the Czech Republic in search of artisans, glass, beads and more beads to bring back to you here in Kuwait finally did it!! From February 25th until March the 8th the beadaholics headed up north to the cold weather in Prague and the snow laden hills and slopes of Jablonec.

We will give you a photo and travelogue update that includes visiting the famous glass capital region of Jablonec and the cottage industry of pressed glass, seed beads, machine cut beads and special stones and cabochons. We would recommend visiting Prague as it is truly a city of beauty, layers of architecture, craftsmanship in the Medieval, Gothic, Baroque and Art Nouveau styles and periods abound.