Delicious Freshwater Pearls Samplings at LB o J'zazz

(Fig. 1)

(Fig. 2)

Fig.1: Keshi Purple Iris (10-12mm) and Keshi White (7-9mm)

Fig. 2: Rice Olive Green Iris (6-6.5mm); Rice Silver Iris (5-5.5mm); and Nugget Peacock (5-6mm)

Fresh water pearls add luminosity and shimmer to any beaded object. They also come in rich shades through special dyeing process that creates a broader palette when working with wider colorways. They can be strung in a very simple and elegant fashion or used as an accent bead enhancing silver findings and softening a look. They create very satisfying results when used in extensive embellishment techniques such as fringing and bead embroidery and can be used to create a  layering effect.

Here are some examples of how freshwater pearls create a rich yet subtle contrast when worked with other textures of beads and finishes.

Fig.3 "Ice Queen" by Bettina Al Bakhit employs various sizes, shapes and very subtle variations in freshwater pearls that refract light in a dreamy way. 

  

 

 

Fig.4  Purple Freshwater pearls are selectively used in the fringing to create a rich tapestry of textures and hues in this elaborate beaded collar.  Piece by Lubna Saif Abbas

We have a limited quantity of designer strands of freshwater pearls and we recommend you come by as these pearls are must sees. Don't forget our new shop hours in Shaab El Bahry which are:

Sundays-Thursdays 

9:00 AM-1:00 PM

5:30  PM- 9:30 PM

Saturdays

11:00 AM-7:00 PM

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.

Amal's Jasper Pendant

A few weeks back was my very dear friend Amal's birthday and we were planning to meet and celebrate this special time with her and her amazingly beautiful and talented family.  So, I decided to make her a pendant and then she could decide as to whether it would be part of a lariat, choker, bracelet or pin.  Setting the semiprecious stones ranging from fossils,Jaspers, Agates, Chrysoprase and Labrodorites to name a few on the work table and waiting for one of the stones to emerge from the group and say "pick me!"  Well, this beautiful stone seemed to shine amidst all the other stones that I have such a reverence for.

Beginning at 11 in the morning, the stone was prepared and lovingly embraced with small Delicas to encase and envelope this luscious Jasper stone.  By the late afternoon the piece was completed and ready to take with us.  Upon photographing the piece, the colors emerged in a very rich and subtle palette due to the special rings of the Jasper.  Amal decided that she wanted it to become a brooch.

At this point in time, it has become very hard to go and buy something for those dear friends and loved ones.  The caring attention to selecting, creating and finishing a piece has rewards that become magnified from the fulfillment of the creator and the satisfaction that the recipient gets when knowing that someone took the time, to stitch and create something for them with a few basic elements and items.  

Kindred Spirits: "Empire Of The Sun" In Fermentation

I found this Vintage Button at a Bead Show a few years back and grabbed it immediately not really knowing how and when it would be utilized until the Kindred Spirits pieces began to unfold.  Again, the color palette in my mind was moving to a red palette however,  what it ended up being is completely different.  The shank of this button  was removed with the beautiful lady in her Kimono and fan  jumped out to me with "Empire Of The Sun" resonating in  my conciousness.

It was an exercise in color and form by limiting the palette and creating a focus on rhythm and movement.  The shape was also new to me in terms of how it would sit on the wearer.  This is how it looks at this stage, however, it has a bit to go until it completes itself. This will be part of a larger collection within the Kindred Spirits series. 

Class: Spring Blossom Earrings- this Saturday May 8th

This class combines the delicacy of spiral stitch with the formation of spring petals in peyote.  You will be able to perfect the spiral stitch incorporating our new shape of seed beads; the Japanese triangle bead in a new sequence.  The Czech drops end the piece and are then enveloped in a Peyote based petal to create a unique take on the elegance of drop earrings.  Lubna has designed this project and will be leading the session. 

Venue:  Jabriya Block 9 Street 6 House 13- side basement entrance
Date:  Saturday May 8th
Time:  9AM-1PM
Level:  Intermediate Beginners

For more information regarding materials and tools list, class description and fees please email us at info@lbojzazz or contact us at 5555-7745. 

Rare Handmade Cabochons to Feast the Eye and Soul

We had featured our Czech Artisan Jindrich Ceska from the glass making region of Bohemia a while back and are now showcasing and displaying his work available for you to acquire, horde and purchase to your heart's delight.  These are ideal to attach to Lacy's Stiff Stuff and to embellish and secure with bead embroidery. The cabochon designs may never be repeated as some of the molds are over 50 years old. 

If you are interested, we will be offering a class using Jindrich's rare cabochons to make a beautiful set of earrings and to embellish and fringe with new techniques. This ancient technique is rarely used today, LB o J'zazz are one of the few establishments globally who are still willing and committed to maintaining this important component in our repertoire of rare and special finds.  These are collectibles in their own right. 

Decopatch Orientation for Hope School For Special Needs Team

Last Tuesday April 13th, we got a chance to visit Hope School For Special Needs in Dasman and meet with teachers and support team during our orientation session with Decopatch.  This school has wonderfully large and spacious classrooms in addition to a dedicated team of teachers and support. I was quite impressed to see the facilities and interact with the Hope School For Special Needs family based on our invitation by Mrs. Linda Fouke the school Principal. 

The Hope School Team was able to sample the product in addition to getting a complete safety and feature overview of the materials that focused on the fact that our beautiful papers are water based inks and our award winning glues and varnishes that can be safely used with children as young as three to ninety three!  Some of the participants pulled out eye glass cases, mirrors and wallets from their bags and started Decopatching these items in perfect upcycling fashion.

Upcycling with Decopatch on Sabah al Watan last Wednesday April 7

For the first time, live viewers in Kuwait were able to see how easy it is to upcycle with Decopatch.  Starting at 8:30 in the morning, anchor lady Fatma Bou Hamed and I started to work on a chair throughout the show.  Celebrating and recognizing that old things can and are more beautiful and meaningful as those things bright shiny and new. 
To the extent that since we only had one brush available during the program, Fatma had the team look for another brush!  I had to give mine over as she basically worked on the chair during breaks.  So, now we have a new project underway with the Sabah al Watan team and that is we will go on a scouting trip to the Friday market and the rest will be a surprise for viewers as the project unfolds. 

New Decopatch papers for 2010 will be in the store in the weeks to come and we'll keep you posted. 

Redesign your life with Decopatch on Sabah Al Watan tomorrow at 8:30 AM

Take an item that you have moved to your storage area, dust it off and get ready to transform your object in an artful piece with Decopatch!
Tomorrow, Lubna will be showing how affordable, safe and creative you can transform your everyday objects in a relatively short amount of time.  Join us as we get to reap the rewards of recycling and upcyling in more ways than one. 

The show kicks off on Al Watan TV at 8:00 AM, our segment will begin at 8:30 and we'll be Decopatching throughout the segment. 

Life, Art & Love; A Collaboration

The past two weeks, the LB o J'zazz family has been experiencing a whirlwind of activities at the business and personal level. For the founders, creating an extension that reflects our life philosophies has been instrumental in our development and evolution.
Lubna and Bettina have been running the store, administration, government paper work, marketing and school events in addition to gearing up for a life changing event of one of the partners; as Lubna is getting ready to tie the knot.
Creatively and personally, the demands have never been more challenging as a small entrepreunerial outfit. We were able to use this very personal day and incorporate meanings and nuances at several levels.
Whenever I had the chance to communicate with my dear friend, creative inspiration and designer Claudia Shames, I would say: " Claudia if I ever decide to take the plunge, you will have to design and make my wedding dress." Due to the short notice this was not possible and I had to find something that suited my persona fast. So, the focus then moved to creating a bridal veil that would be the focal point of the whole ensemble. So just three days ago, Claudia, Bettina and I began a creative and material collaboration. We selected the tulle, a silvery beige dream of a material. Then Bettina seeing my anguish when Claudia asked if I could create a bejeweled band, jumped in and offered to design and make it for me.

As ideas were thrown around, both Bettina and I realized that as we have been espousing quality materials in the textile realm here in Kuwait, we saw this as the ideal opportunity to only use LB o J'zazz Czech Crystals, our Premium Japanese beads and C Lon thread as the perfect sampler combined with my favorite designer who has a keen understanding and sensitivity of how to enhance our individuality in her creations.
We will share with our friends and readers the joys of colloborating in a field that will end up creating an adorned piece that will be part of our memories, joy and celebration of a special day of matrimony. This is what makes us tick. Artfully living, and creatively loving. This is who we and this what we do.