Give a Yikes! Studded Stacking Bangle. Get Joy.

Stock up on stocking stuffers from YIKES! Studio's selection of handcrafted Studded Stacking Bangles!

Need a different color that you do not see offered online? You are invited to contact me with your questions and color requests. Just email suzanne@yikesstudio.com.

To see more views and select your perfect color, visit bit.ly/sstackers.

Tips on Wearing Bangle Bracelets

By Jeannette Ponder, via overstock.com.
 

YIKES Studio polymer fashion stacking bangle
in fall harvest yellow, black and white. $72 at Etsy.com.

Bangle bracelets are a popular jewelry item and a quick way to spice up an outfit. They are often inexpensive and are easily paired with other bangles to create a slightly bohemian flavor or worn alone for a more modern, sleek look.

Bangles come in many shapes, sizes and colors, with designs and materials that fit every category of fashion. They also come in many different materials, including silver, gold, acrylic and stainless steel.

There's a bangle bracelet for every occasion, and they're very simple to wear stylishly.


 
Wearing Bangle Bracelets:     

1. Avoid wearing too many. Bangle bracelets are often sold in multiples at very low prices. Because of this, it can be tempting to purchase many and pile them on. Remember, as with all other accessories, moderation is important. Too many bangles take away from each piece's unique design and charm. Put on the ones you like, and then take one or two off before you leave the house. If you like wearing a lot of other jewelry items, then consider keeping the bangles even more minimal to avoid overpowering the rest of your outfit.     
   
2. Mix up designs, colors and textiles. Homogeneity is to be avoided when wearing bangles. These bracelets are an excellent opportunity to combine colors and designs for a unique look, so don't go for perfect uniformity. However, try to stay in a common color family and temperature for best results. Cooler tones like silver and pale pastels look best with like colors, while gold looks great with red and deep jewel tones.

Read the rest of the article at Overstock.com >

New Fall Gold, Red and Black Bangles and Earrings from YIKES! Studio

What's new at YIKES!? Here's a new bangle with a lovely autumn hue and an interior richly detailed with red and black.

I've been working with lots of red and black this fall, and I'm loving the combo. I think the gold really plays it up and makes it a perfect fall piece.

To go with the bangle, there are a pair of earrings in matching hues, in a new YIKES! Studio style.

It's a very contemporary design that combines intricate, traditional milliefiori-style polymer caning on the inside with a modern design overall-- really revving it up with that rich golden hue!

The ear wires are sterling silver. The earrings are approx. 4" in length.

Both of these newbies are available online from my YIKES! Etsy shop. Check out more views there. ❉


Suzanne Anderson is the creator of YIKES! Studio Jewelry. Suzanne has been busy creating for most of her life. After graduating with a BA from Maine College of Art, she worked as a graphic designer and a painter. Suzanne works to ensure that YIKES! Studio creates work that is fun, beautiful, always interesting, and adorns the wearer with joy. Catch up with her on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, or Etsy, or her website at www.yikesstudio.com.

Elegance: Black Cuff Bracelets and Bangles

YIKES! Studio: Black bangles and black starfish cuff

Black is the color of elegance, considered to never go out of style, to go with everything. Fashion designers have always had a great deal to say about black. Italian designer Gianni Versace said, "Black is the quintessence of simplicity and elegance." Dior defined black as the essence of elegance, a quality which he said was a "combination of distinction, naturalness, care and simplicity."

Black has enjoyed multiple periods of being in style throughout history. Black was the favored color of nobility throughout the 14th through 16th centuries in Europe, with the trend beginning in Italy and spreading across countries to all the monarchs of Europe. Black fabric was long considered special because a truly deep black required the very best dyes.

Black may also have become popular because wealthy merchants favored it. After laws prohibited these merchants from wearing certain flashy and expensive clothes in bright colors because they were not royalty, the upper classes took to wearing black. Ironically, this may have served to popularize the color black as a color associated with the upper class-- and royalty. By the 16th century, black was what all the monarchs were wearing!

In 1926, Coco Chanel popularized the ubiquitous little black dress as the fashion article that all women needed, saying "A woman needs just three things; a black dress, a black sweater, and, on her arm, a man she loves." French designer Yves Saint Laurent said, "Black is the liaison which connects art and fashion."

Do you love black? Is it a fashion staple for you or does it only make an occasional appearance? Black accessories can be elegant, striking additions your wardobe. A black dress and matching bangles with a touch of sparkle can be the perfect, timeless combination for a wonderful night out on the town.

I will be at the Maine Crafts Guild Damariscotta Show this weekend,  Saturday, July 6, 2013 from 10 am to 5 pm  and Sunday, July 7, 2013 from 10 am to 4 pm, with my newest studded starfish cuffs and bangles in black. I hope you'll consider adding one to your collection.

Karl Lagerfeld, explaining why black was so popular, said: "Black is the color that goes with everything. If you're wearing black, you're on sure ground." Timeless and elegant, striking and simple, it's easy to see why black has been so popular and continues to be today. ❉

Starfish and Stripes

Summer is flying by! Summers in Maine are short but sweet, and I've been enjoying working by the beautiful lake at my studio in Lucerne. Oftentimes on the fourth of July, our neighbors send up fireworks around the lake. The pop and sparkle of color over the still lake makes a beautiful, almost private show and a perfect ending to a summer evening.

 
 I've been working on some "star" jewelry-- starfish cuff bracelets adorned with swarovski crystal and "seafoam" star-shaped earrings. Each one is unique. The process for creating each one is very involved. The result is something that I think can go equally well with a beautiful dress as with a button down shirt and jeans. They really can go anywhere, and they're made to be treasures enjoyed for many years.


 Besides working on new cuff and earring designs, I've been busy getting ready for my summer season of craft shows. This coming weekend, you can find me and my Yikes! jewelry at the Maine Crafts Guild Damariscotta Show, July 6-7, at the YMCA, 525 Main St., Damariscotta, Maine. 

The Maine Crafts Guild Damariscotta show features the highest quality Maine craftsmanship, with approximately fifty vendors in the market. Admission is $5 for adults and free for those under 12. Hours are Saturday, July 6, 2013 from 10 am to 5 pm  and Sunday, July 7, 2013 from 10 am to 4 pm. To learn more, click here.

I've been working on a new booth set-up for a great shopping/browsing experience. It's been a busy time lately, but that's nothing new! I'd love to see you at my upcoming show, so stop by and say hello-- & have a wonderful fourth of July! ❉
 

Suzanne Anderson is the creator of YIKES! Studio Jewelry. Suzanne has been busy creating for most of her life. After graduating with a BA from Maine College of Art, she worked as a graphic designer and a painter. Suzanne works to ensure that YIKES! Studio creates work that is fun, beautiful, always interesting, and adorns the wearer with joy. Catch up with her on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, or Etsy, or her website at www.yikesstudio.com.

What's On My Workbench: Summery Stacking Bangles and Cuffs

Here are a few recent items from my workbench, where I've been exploring Swarovski-studded starfish cuff bracelets, summery stacking bangles, and lots of color. When creating I like to drift between the real and unreal – fantasies and reality.
















 Constructing the red and turquoise starfish cuff








 

















Red and turquoise studded starfish cuff: Ready for its final curing

 














Details, details!

Royal blue starfish cuff: the sculpting and molding portion of its creation. Here, I am adding the Swarovski crystal and the textural "nubbles" of the starfish.
 

A view of the inside pattern of the royal blue starfish cuff, and the cane used to create it.

 















New stacking bangles in royal blue, hyacinth and tangerine!



 

Starfish earrings and pendants ready for assembly. ❉

 

Yikes! Studio Summer Selection is Going to Make You Feel Beautiful

Next weekend is Memorial Day weekend and whatever your travel plans (or your stay-at-home-and-relax plans!) I hope you travel safely! This week I've been working in the studio to bring you my fresh summer collection, full of bright summery hues.

My beautiful, exciting and wearable pieces of jewelry are handcrafted with an artist's attention to detail and craftsmanship-- although when you're wearing them, you'll simply notice how beautiful they make you feel.

First up, I want to show you the necklace that I consider the "perfect summer necklace" (Okay, I might be a bit biased.) But I think you will agree!

The beads are handcrafted individually by hand using multiple polymer techniques. They are then cured and lightly sanded. The sparkle comes from generous Swarovski crystal embellishment.

Tangerine Dream is the name of this bright sparkling orange, fushia and gold polymer necklace. Easy elegance, it's an ideal necklace to accentuate a pretty sundress, or add dressiness and a feminine sparkle to a crisp button-down shirt. What do you think?

See it here on Etsy.

My cuff bracelets this year embrace the nubbly textures and cool colors of the echinoderm-- the sea star! These pretty, sparkly and bright cuffs are so fun to wear! 

These cuffs are handcrafted through a painstaking and careful process to create one of the most interesting and eye-catching bracelets you'll find anywhere.


To order one of these limited edition starfish cuffs, visit yikesstudio.com (see the bottom of the page for quick ordering!) or contact me directly to order yours-- just email suzanne@yikesstudio.com!

 I have one more special piece to show you today-- the fuchsia bangle bracelet. An amazing, brightly colored polymer bangle bracelet made with great attention to detail and excellent craftsmanship.

I've decided to run a limited-time sale on these bangle bracelets. These fully hand-crafted, lightweight, bright and beautiful bracelets are made to last and bring you joyful color for a long time. Right now they are just $72 from my website. Scroll down to see your choice of splashy, vibrant colors and choose one that is you, through and through! ❉