Ruby, Ruby, Ruby

"Let it never be said that romance is dead" ~ Kaiser Chiefs "Ruby".

I adore precious gemstones in their raw state. Here are two examples of delicate ruby and sapphire slice pendants, with oxidized sterling silver. Always one of a kind, these geometric lovelies were sliced from naturally occurring hexagonal crystals in the corundum family.

This season on Breaking Bad, Hank, the cranky bedridden family narc and gunshot victim, who's new hobby is collecting mineral specimens, scored a premium example of natural blue corundum on eBay. "Sapphire", I screamed out loud to the TV, to no one in particular. I love mineral specimens too.

Cynthia Rybakoff Ruby, Ruby, Ruby Pendant, $138, currently available online at Supermarket and weekends 10-7pm at Artists & Fleas.

Sapphire pendant photo courtesy of Ashdel Handmade.

Heavens to Murgatroyd!

That's what gay cartoon icon Snagglepuss might say, if he saw you sporting this chunk of ruff rock crystal points around town. I don't know which galaxy Murgatroyd is located in, but just think of all the gems that might be found there! Exit, stage left!

Cynthia Rybakoff Murgatroyd Crystal Pendants with oxidized silver foil bezel on a heavyweight sterling silver chain, for boys and girls, $128. Available at Supermarket and Artists & Fleas.

Swede Times

One chilly June, in the late 90's, I spent a blissed out two weeks in Sweden, scouring flea markets, pristine antique shops, salvation armies, tony mid-century galleries, and dusty old junk stores, until I had filled several suitcases with treasures representing over 100 years of Scandinavian design in wood, glass, metal and ceramic. It helped to be staying with an expert Swedish design picker, who led me through the modern city of Stockholm, into the cobbled streets of the historic Gamla Stan, and out into the surrounding provinces like a pro, on what was to be the design trip of a life time.

Waxing nostalgic for 11pm sunsets, Josef Frank prints and crayfish, I couldn't resist this recent aquisition of colorful limited edition vintage Swedish map charms; eye catching mod souvenirs of a country that personifies good design. Celebrate your love for all things Swedish with these collectible kitsch pendants in the shape of one very cool country.

Cynthia Rybakoff one of a kind and limited edition vintage travel charm collection, available weekends at Artists & Fleas, Brooklyn and online at Supermarket.

Bunny Love

Rabbit with color fade, by Perch

White Rabbit Necklace, by Georgia Varidakis Jewelry

Screen Printed Organic Cotton Rabbit Cloth Napkins, by Oh, Little Rabbit

Rabbit Jumps the Laurel Necklace, by Christine Domanic Jewelry

White Rabbit Ring, by Georgia Varidakis Jewelry

It's the Year of the Rabbit, and I just love those little clover mowers! Yesterday, at Artists & Fleas, jewelry designer Georgia Varidakis was babysitting a sweet little black bunny, and I just wanted one right then and there! My two kittehs would probably not approve, so I've assembled a collection of cute bunny inspired designs instead.

Images courtesy of Perch, Georgia Varidakis Jewelry, Oh, Little Rabbit, Christine Domanic Jewelry.

Boo!

Meet Numbskull Van Dyke Brown No. 256, a modern vintage photographic print by Matt Shapoff for Handmade On Peconic Bay. A proponent of sustainable design, Matt uses solar radiation to expose his Van Dyke brown prints outdoors, while the sun is shining. Combining a 19th century photographic printing process with 21st century digital design, each print is a unique exposure, with a brush mark signature of the photochemistry applied to 100% cotton rag fine art paper.

Numbskull is a perfectly creepy yet memorable hostess gift for that Halloween bash you're attending. He's also ready for framing in something dusty, dark and old, for that year round Gothic touch!

Image courtesy of Supermarket.

The Sea Will Tell

Nautical themes are my fave, when it comes to home decor. I like my place to feel beachy year round! I even married a sailor, although Matt's more of a photographer-artist these days. You can find his modern vintage nautical prints in our Handmade On Peconic Bay Supermarket and Etsy shops.

Matt Shapoff creates his one of a kind prints of sloops and lighthouses using a 19th century photographic process called the cyanotype. The nautical series is also an artistic collaboration with Second Life virtuoso RJ Kikuchiyo. Matt takes RJ's 3D digital images and makes special negatives for the cyanotype process, printing them outdoors in sunlight just as it was done over 100 years ago. Then Matt blind embosses the Handmade On Peconic Bay logo on each print, using his 1895 Pearl letterpress. Finally, both artists sit down to co-sign the work.

Handmade On Peconic Bay one of a kind Cyanotype nautical prints by Matt Shapoff, $38 each at Supermarket.

Turquoise And Marine

Memorial Day Weekend has arrived, the traditional starting point of the summer fashion season. I don't know about you, but I already wore white two weeks ago, gasp! This season is ripe for a true turquoise revival, but I'll be mixing it up with deeper shades of marine blue for a fresh take on a classic summer look. You can see what I mean with this BCBG ombre gown and APART swirl patterned top, which artfully blend shades of turquoise with ultramarine blue to stunning effect. Wear either with my Blue Is Versatile Wrap Bracelet, a cluster of tonal blue stones on suede cord you can wrap around your wrist or wear as a necklace.

Cynthia Rybakoff POP collection oxidized sterling silver and semi-precious stone bracelet available at Supermarket and recently featured on Kitten Lounge.

Images courtesy of BCBG and APART.

The Royal Treatment

WHAT designers is a curated website that promotes the work of bold, modern, independent designers. Be sure to check out their Spring 2010 Independent Design Guide called The Royal Treatment in which indie designers put their spin on brilliant blue-hued designs. I've featured highlights here, including my Blue Is Peace Pendant. You're also invited to vote for your favorite design! The designer with the most votes will get a feature in the Summer 2010 design guide.

Cynthia Rybakoff sterling silver and blue quartz Blue Is Peace Pendant, $105.00 at Supermarket, Shopflick and CynthiaRybakoff.

Images courtesy of WHATdesigners.

Let's Get Minimal

I stumbled upon this romantic minimalist set at Polyvore with my Bubble + Chain stiletto earrings. I love the neutral taupe colors, the softness of the slip dress and all the different textures going on with the accessories. The blunt-toe platform shoes are an interesting contrast... don't you think?

Image courtesy of Polyvore. Cynthia Rybakoff sterling silver Bubble + Chain Earrings $22 at Supermarket.

Spring Ahead!

It's official. My new flagship website has launched in previews, with more fabulous jewels and pages to be posted over the next few weeks. It's a fresh start for Spring 2010, and one that feels as good as an old fashioned closet purge of items that are sadly no longer relevant. The old site was a labor of love, yet it was no more than a pretty face for the brand. And with the surprising success of my Supermarket store, which launched one year ago this month, I wanted something akin for my higher end Collection and Estate pieces. The new site is built on a solidly reliable e-commerce platform, powered by fine folks who make shopping easy at Supermarket, so you can imagine my excitement in presenting my fans with a new and improved home for the Cynthia Rybakoff Collection.

Crystal Palace

Joseph Paxton's Crystal Palace of 1851 was grand cast-iron and glass building erected in Hyde Park, London, England. It's revolutionary modern design referenced the great cathedrals of antiquity with it's monumental and awe inspiring presence.

Another magnificent crystal palace, albeit fictional, is Superman's frozen Fortress of Solitude, the  inspiration for my super popular sterling silver and crystal spike Fortress Of Solitude Series.

The Fortress Of Solitude Series available exclusively at Supermarket.

Here's my Smallville hero Clark in his Arctic fortress and a certain superwoman wearing the Fortress Of Solitude necklace with super styling!

Good news for Superman fans, the fortress actually exists! This awesome image is from a giant crystal cave called Cueva de los Cristales in Mexico..

Images courtesy of Wikimedia Commons, Dylan Cole Studio, Cynthia Rybakoff, TV,  all the mountains...

Crazy Lace

All I can think about for Spring is filling my closet with a mix of pale pastels and neutrals. But baby it's still cold outside! So until warmer weather officially hits NYC, I'll be craving some hot pops of color to liven up all those winter greys. Like ruby crazy lace agate with blackened silver.

At home a little bright color goes a long way - we have a rocking chair like this in white leather but a bold print is much more fun!

While we're still on the topic of hot colors and bold prints, I think this vintage classic says it all!

Cynthia Rybakoff blackened sterling silver and crazy lace agate bracelet, $58.00 at Supermarket and Shopflick. Other images via Blinkdecor and Love.

Wings Of Inspiration (And A Winner!)

Birds are a constant source of inspiration for Matt's photography and video, as well as my own jewelry and graphic design. Our most treasured find is this darling nest, found one spring on our deck, with the partial remains of three tiny bright blue speckled eggs. It's the source image for Matt's Nest & Egg Cyanotype prints and my duotone note cards for our line of one of a kind prints and paper goods, Handmade On Peconic Bay. You can find our designs on Supermarket, along with these awesome bird inspired picks for spring from some fellow Supermarket designers!

Perch Shake-a-Leg Salt & Pepper Shakers

Chakra Pennywhistle Little Modern Birds 2

Victore NYC Love Bird

And thanks to all who entered this week's giveaway for the Thomas Paul Nest Pillow. The winner is... Elisa Sugar for her sheer enthusiasm, gobs of love and sharing her vision of the green pillow on her beat up turquoise leather loveseat!

Lovebirds

The term lovebirds was used as early as the 16th century to describe a couple with a tendency for PDA. Lovebirds and doves remain popular symbols in Western culture, representing love and fidelity. A bird is also slang, used by blokes looking upon the fairer sex with a slightly more carnal eye. With that in mind here are some avian inspired goodies for the season of love.

A very feminine amethyst and pink tourmaline partridge charm necklace and dangling partridge charm ring make cute love tokens for your bird on Valentine’s Day.

In nature lovebirds are a small and social species of parrots, noted for human-like affection for their mate. Lovebirds sleep sitting side-by-side and turn their faces in towards each other, like the pair on this note card by Handmade On Peconic Bay.

Cynthia Rybakoff sterling silver Love Bird Necklace, $48.00 on Supermarket and Shopflick. Mrs. Partridge sterling silver charm ring, $28.00, on Supermarket. Love Birds note card by Cynthia Rybakoff for Handmade on Peconic Bay, $3.50 at Supermarket and Etsy.

Heartfelt

I’ve just launched my Spring 2010 card collection for Handmade On Peconic Bay, my husband’s line of unique art prints and paper goods. The un-retouched photo of a spectacular sunset over Peconic Bay, used in my Sunset Love design above, was created with Valentine’s Day in mind but is perfect for sending a heartfelt note to someone special on any occasion.

New this season are botanical blank note cards in a range of hothouse colors like Chive Flowers, shown above in Iris. Based on a scan of dried and pressed edible wild flowers from Matt’s Long Island chef’s garden, I’ve taken some liberties with modern software in creating a 2D graphic photo illustration of the original. We print and fold our cards by hand, using a high end Epson ink jet printer with archival inks on fine quality Strathmore paper. Each card comes with an eco-friendly recycled paper envelope and contains a little bit of our Peconic Bay.

Cynthia Rybakoff for Handmade On Peconic Bay Valentine’s Day cards, $3.50 each at Supermarket and Etsy.

Crazy At Heart

Love is in the air, and it smells so sweet. Dear husband, it's not red long stemmed roses that I crave for Valentine's Day, but bunches of fragrant pink peonies, velvety garnet calla lilies and majestic purple irises. This Valentine's Day, I am tickled pink and purple and maybe just a little bit crazy at heart.

Inspired by our annual spring landscape on Peconic Bay in Long Island, with it’s bursting pink peonies, pink and lavender hydrangea blooms and rich carpeting of shocking pink and purple petunias, I’ve put together a not so understated Valentine’s Day collection of stylish jewels and cards, available at Supermarket.


Highlighted by modern engineered stones that have been dyed or heat treated to create impossibly rich shades of magenta, purple, pink and ruby, the collection features fabulous items like my Dear Heart agate pendants, pictured at top, which are slices of pure color on blackened sterling silver chain. You can also find my Spring 2010 jewels listed on the Kitten Lounge Love Guide, which is all about things we would love to have or do.

Cynthia Rybakoff Spring 2010 Crazy Heart collection, $28 - $125 and Handmade On Peconic Bay art print cards, $3.50 each at Supermarket.

11th Hour Gifts

The holidays are such a busy time around our studio that I always end up dashing out at the last minute to buy gifts, as the occasion arises. I haven’t even sent my holiday cards yet, and so they will probably end up becoming a New Year’s greeting by default. By the third week of December, I’m already so over Christmas anyway, and happily at work on my Valentine’s Day and Spring collections, so a New Year’s card makes perfect sense to me. Our Earth colored duotone Nest & Eggs cards will be a perfect way to greet 2010, and the set of 8 blank note cards tied with a satin ribbon also makes a wonderful last minute hostess gift.


Speaking of hostess gifts, we've had a full calendar this season, so I came up with a chic and easy gift idea that would be appropriate for any type of holiday gathering. I filled mini Kraft shopping totes with a bunch of goodies, including a packet of our Handmade On Peconic Bay cards, some yummy Li-Lac Chocolates and a decorative but not necessarily holiday themed ornament from Anthropologie, and topped it all off with some brown tissue and an iridescent peacock colored ribbon bow.


We celebrate Hanukkah as well as Christmas, and fortunately for us it’s a very forgiving holiday. My husband Matt and I love the fact that we have 8 days and nights to find last minute gifts for each other, and we shop right up until the 8th day, which happens to be today! Matt is always happy with the gift of chocolate, and Li-Lac specializes in cute holiday themed items. Golden chocolate coins are a tradition in our house, but this year my favorite choco-gifts were Li-Lac's dark chocolate Christmas Moose and Hanukkah themed chocolate pops tied with blue and white raffia.

Handmade On Peconic Bay Nest & Egg note cards, $18 for a set of 8 at Supermarket and Etsy.

My Stars!

The holiday season is in full swing, so it’s a good time to take a step back from the shopping madness and whirlwind of social events crammed into a few short weeks, and contemplate the universe for just a moment. But that’s literally impossible to do in New York City, where the grid is brightly lit 24/7, canceling out any perspective of the actual night sky. I do love a crisp starry night, and just once I’d like to spend the holidays in a true winter wonderland, dashing through the snow and taking lovely after dinner strolls along Main Street, gazing up at the stars.

I’ve always been fascinated by the night sky, so naturally stars are a favorite motif of mine, ever since I first saw this particular star illustration (top), by my first artist crush Peter Max. Not long ago, I found these ultra-pure blue lapis star shaped beads (above), and it was love at first sight! Not only did they remind me of my favorite Peter Max illustration, but the phrase “blue is celestial” just popped into my mind and I pictured a cascade of falling blue lapis stars jewels.

Stars are also favored by Kelsey Merritt, who incidentally IS a rising star in the pop music biz. Kelsey and the Chaos! has been ripping through stages and exciting fans all over the country, so be sure to preview their smoking hot new single “Life Goes On”, and buy it on iTunes December 15th, when you’ll also get Kelsey’s very cool cover of “Santa Baby” free with your purchase. Kelsey was a guest model for my Blue Is Collection, and here she is wearing her own star patterned top with my Blue Is Celestial lapis star earrings and necklace. Can one wear too many stars? I think not.

Cynthia Rybakoff Blue Is Celestial oxidized silver and lapis star earrings, $78 and necklace, $110 at Supermarket and Shopflick.

Holiday Blog A Day

Check out my Blue Is Earth pendants in this special holiday feature slash Coach handbag give away on Kitten Lounge today. There are only three of these one of a kind hand crocheted blue agate slice pendants, and they are available exclusively at Supermarket!

Kitten Lounge is one of 30 lifestyle blogs selected to team up with Coach for their Holiday Blog-A-Day online event. Kimmie Smith styled my pendants with this fabulous Coach Audrey bag, which Kitten Lounge is giving away on December 24th. J'adore the indie-urban grey and blue color story, and have already made a mental note of items from my own closet that would rock this look: long grey top and leggings, check; grey suede boots and leather bag, check; blue and silver jewels, absolutely!

Cynthia Rybakoff Blue Is Earth sterling silver and blue agate pendants, $128 on Supermarket.

White Christmas

One can't hope for a white Christmas in NYC these days. Maybe some holiday sleet or soggy gray ice. You can always count on copious amounts of rock salt to be sprinkled over the sidewalks if that happens, which is about as white as it gets. But, you can always create a festive holiday mood indoors. Some evergreen garlands and red berry branches in a vase make for a great low key forest recreation. Maybe some twinkle lights around the windows and a glass bowl of vintage ornaments on the table to complete your holiday theme.

Matt and I live/work in our conjoined "studios", and the apartment is just crammed with our stuff. There's not much room for elegant holiday tablescapes, so I prefer to watch them on TV. However, I'm currently collecting white ornaments, which work nicely with Matt's beloved white fiber optic techno-tree. I'm obsessed with white decor in general, and have amassed an eclectic array of ceramic and glass objets blancs, including a cute Jonathan Adler ceramic owl, some fabulous Tiffany art glass and a series of white terra cotta Japanese inspired table top pieces I designed for a restaurant in the 90's.

So when choosing the perfect frames for a new series of Matt's Cyanotypes, some of which would grace our walls, I struck white gold when I found a guy who had just scored some Wyoming snow fence. He claimed that brutal winds and raging snowstorms had weathered the wood in 10 years as much a barn that stood for 100 years in a gentler clime. Handmade on Peconic Bay is a green design studio, and the wood we use is reclaimed and upcycled by skilled artisans into our vintage inspired frames. The lick of white paint over the surface of the snow fence is new, allowing the wood to retain it's weather-beaten surface, and giving these frames a rustic wintery look.

Handmade On Peconic Bay whitewash framed Cyanotype prints by Matt Shapoff, $125 - $145 at Supermarket.