I am

Kissing Mr. Gorgeous in Paris = HEAVEN

"I am your candle in the night. I am." ~ George S. Clinton

My trials and tribulations in creating YouTube videos for Rory's football team inspired me to try my hand at making a music-vid featuring my Paris-inspried jewelry. Oui, I'm a card carrying tech-dinosaur, and there are still a few kinks I've got to work out, but I managed to create this photo-music-vid. I absolutely love it - then again, it's everything Paris so you know I'm gonna. But I would love to know what you think. So, without further ado - here's my first of hopefully many photo-music vids. What say you?

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Temple

C'est si bon

Parisienne

"C'est si bon, ce petit sentiment." - Henri Betti (1947)

For the past week I've been hard at work on my large first order for the store - we still have not ironed out all of the details, so I won't say more than that. But, rest assured, I'll have a big announcement soon. I've been experimenting with adding bling to my jewelry designs, as well as working with new materials and images. Inspiration abounds and I've been updating all of my designs. The latest is - Parisienne...

Parisienne is a hommage to Paris (left to right): 

A vintage postage stamp, Ballerinas-Degas, Mona Lisa, Jospehine Baker, Judith-Klimt, Rainy Day-Caillebotte, Invalides, Chat Noir-Steinlen

  

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Temple

Your advice is needed and much appreciated...

"J'ai deux amours. Mon pays et Paris.

Par eux toujours mon cour es ravi."

I have two loves. My country and Paris.

By them always my heart is delighted."

-Josephine Baker (1931)

FABULOUS NEWS!

I'm still working out the details, but my jewelry WILL be in a Chicagoland 'brick and mortar' store (mid-August?). I don't know which I feel more - nervous or excited. Maybe nervous excitement? But as I prepare to take my jewelry/fine art photography business to the next step, I'm left with a conundrum...

Last night my good friend - K - mentioned a major discrepancy. When someone Googles Temple Designs nothing pertaining to my shop is in the results. You have to Google Sistah-Etsy to find me. K suggested that using only one would avoid all kinds of confusion and make it easier for people to find me. She has a point. But do I choose?

Sistah is a powerful and very personal name that I came into nearly 25 years ago (for the backstory, to better understand what and how much this name means to me, please see here). Temple Designs' meaning is all about my passionate love affair with Paris and my exploring and expressing my creative artistic self. While choosing Temple Designs makes logical sense (it is my name after all ;-} I am very reluctant to let Sistah go. So, until the wee hours of this morning, I mulled over my conundrum - choose one or the other, or try to marry them into a name/word/concept that is both. 

Here's what I came up with:  Soeur 

(the French word for sister, pronunciation - Ser)

So, what do you think? 

*No matter which name I choose, if someone types in my old one (sistah.etsy.com) they will still be directed to my shop (sigh of relief!)

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Temple

Une Soeur a Paris (2000)

Exciting news...

"I could not now repose an instant; I was much too excited."

- Charlotte Bronte, Jane Eyre

Good news. My jewelry may soon be available in an international 'brick and mortar' boutique in Chicago. The deal is by no means done, but I'm so excited about this opportunity. Wish me luck and stay tuned ;-}

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Temple

Timely Inspiration

'Holding Court'

Olympia Theater, Paris (1940)

Photo: Vintage Black Glamour

"...I felt liberated in Paris." - Josephine Baker

Cha-cha-cha Changes

Large bracelet tiles in the raw - Smile Moon

"Time may change me. But I can't trace time." 

- Changes, David Bowie

Bling!

"You've got to have the bling." - Serena Williams

For awhile now, I've been experimenting with adding a bit of bling to my Temple Design jewelry line.

Well I'm so happy and proud to finally say - Eureka! 

Now, all of my bracelets, earrings and pendants are available  with Japanese glass bead accents. Tres bling!

This latest optional addition is so new, I don't yet  have individual pieces listed. Just convo me, it you want one of your pieces blinged-out. 

Yeah, bling is Paris, bling is good.

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Temple

'Tis the Season for a Temple Designs Holiday Special!

"Now we don our gay apparel.

Fa-la-la Fa-la-la-la-la-la!"

 

*Tis the season for holiday parties! You've got your little black dress, your 5" Colin Stuart stilettos, and your tiny purse. What's missing? Your Parisian inspired bling! No worries, I've got you covered...

 

!Giveaway!

"All art is erotic." - Gustav Klimt

 

Giveaway Alert!

The Bird is the Word...

"Paris is always a good idea." - Audrey Hepburn

The fantabulous Belle Inspiration Magazine will soon be 2 years old - my, how time flies! One of the many marvelous ways She is celebrating her birthday is the launch of a special edition - an advertisers' showcase, featuring an exclusive limited collection of businesses (no repeats) - FREE to one-and-all (September to January) online. I'm honored, pleased and tickled pink to announce that Temple Designs has been chosen to be among the few, the proud - yeah!  Bien sur, you know that I just have to share my layout with you...

Page 1

TEMPLE DESIGNS

Jewelry & Fine Art Photography inspired by Paris

sistah.etsy.com

Page 2

"Each of my photographs is a visual love letter to Paris."

Page 3

"I'm a lifelong lover of Paris who decided to create my conception of the perfect souvenir Parisian:

Something a woman can wear with anything/everything/anywhere:

Something colorful and unique:

Something that makes a woman feel beautiful 

and effortlessly chic:

Something that captures the sensuality of Paris 

and the woman who wears it:

Something that is timeless, 

yet is an ode to a bygone era."

Page 4

"When you wear one of my bracelets,

you're wearing a piece of Paris."

Page 5

"There's something about Paris..."

Page 6

"Parce que chaque jour est précieux"

Because every day is precious.

What do you think?

*Special Thanks to:

~Mimi - founder/publisher extraordinare, Belle Inspiration Magazine

~Kim (Silly Me Design) - graphic artist/designer extraordinaire.

~Audrey (One & Only Paris Photography) - photographer/artist extraordinare (pages 3 & 5).

~Mr. Gorgeous - my love, #1 fan and benefactor

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Temple



Encore!

Paris, 2012

Nearly 2 years ago, I debuted my first Temple Designs/Pour l'Amour business cards. Well, so much has happened since then. I've grown so much as an artist, worked really hard, and I've been seeing some great results. 

Recently, I have had the joy, honor and thrill of becoming a staff writer & photographer for Belle Inspiration Magazine. Wandering the streets with my friend Mimi, seeing Paris anew through her eyes, chronicling our adventures (and having them published!) have been the experience(s) of a lifetime. 

But after my Paris-photoshoot with the extraordinary Audrey, I knew that it was time for me to update my business cards. More adventures, and hopefully, success are on the way. So, drumroll encore...

I decided to be a bit more 'artsy' with these new ones.

And more prominantly feature Pour l'Amour

 

*Bien sur, there is only one woman/artist that could make these cards, - Kim {Silly Me Designs}

Yeah, Kim totally ROCKS!

What do you think?

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Temple

I'm walking on sunshine, yeah!

"The key to realizing a dream is to focus not on success but significance - and then even the small steps and little victories along your path will take on greater meaning." Oprah Winfrey

I'm thrilled and honored to announce that one of my photographs has been chosen as the cover photo for the July/August 2012 issue of Belle Inspiration - woo hoo! During my May trip to Paris, Mimi, Mr. Gorgeous, Coco and I spent an afternoon in a magical boutique in Versailles - L'Armoire de Camille.  The results of my photo-session and Mimi's interview is a gorgeous multi-paged feature - check it out when if you get the yen. I'd love to hear what you think.

Temple 'teaser'

Photo collage of Belle Inspiration feature.

I'm walking on sunshine and, yeah, it feels damn good!

*Coming soon: my 're-print(s)' of my Postcards from Paris series. 

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Temple

Coco and I taking a quick coffee break at Camille's

The French Connection

"Everyboody gets to go to the moon."

- The French Connection (1971)

A few days ago I sold one of my La Diva Bracelets (Josephine Baker inspired) to a friend I met while she lived in Paris. Today she messaged me to say that she loves it so much that, when she's in New York next month, she's going to show it to Josephine Baker's son! Fingers crossed that he likes it. This is SO exciting! If you want a La Diva for your very own, go here.

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Temple

New Earrings

Several pairs of earrings in their earliest stage

"...beauty is its own excuse for being."

- Ralph Waldo Emerson

I've spent the last few days happily working on a custom order for two of my bracelets. My customer, Sarah, chose from my art-tile images then asked me to create a few one-of-a-kind versions of my tiles. I love a challenge ;-}

Elle est ici!

"I thought of Paris as a

beauty spot on the face of the Earth."

- James Weldon Johnson

She's here! My photo article, "Paris, An Urban Garden" is a feature story in the March issue of Romantic Homes Magazine (pages 70-73). I'm walking on sunshine baby!

*The editors only used a small fraction of the photographs I submitted with my article, plenty left for a "Postcards from Paris" entry...

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Elle est la!

Belle Inspiration - Jan/Feb 2012 Issue

"Arriving at one goal is the starting point of another."

- John Dewey

She's here! The 1st installment in my Postcards from Paris series has officially arrived. Get 'em while they're hot!

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Temple

Je suis une allumeuse: Postcards from Paris

"Somewhere, something incredible

is waiting to be known."- Carl Sagan

I was browsing Belle Inspiration Magazine's Facebook page when I came across an announcement that 'Postcards from Paris' will officially make her debut on their gorgeous pages this week! Woo Hoo!

This is a dream come true for me. And I can't help but feel that working with Belle Inspiration will get me one step closer to my ultimate dream - making my love of Paris into a full time career! Something incredible indeed...So, coming soon: 'Postcards from Paris,' a Belle Inspiration!

Oui, je suis encore une allumeuse (yes, I'm still a tease ;-)

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Temple

Palette

 

"...the material teaches the artist." - Ilya Ehrenberg

As I was putting my art tools away, it struck me how beautiful these obstensively utilitarian artisan pieces are. Yep, I pulled out my camera...

Je suis une allumeuse

Romantic Homes Magazine - February 2012

"Anticipation, anticipation.

Is makin' me late. Is keeping me waitin.' "

- Carly Simon



I was reading the February issue of Romantic Homes, gorgeous and inspirational as usual. Look what I found when I got to page 86, the 'Coming Next Month' section. Third on the list, Urban Garden - that's me! ;-) 

So, it's officially official, my 2nd Paris/Photography article is going to be published in a national magazine - a dream come true. I just had to share this exciting bit of news with you. To 'taste' Urban Garden see here. 

Yeah I know, I'm a tease (je suis une allumeuse)!

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Temple