Stephanie Jimenez Designs

The Teacher from the Gallery Black Lagoon

2010-12-01T22:35:00.000-08:00

Hello Friendlings!!

I hope all is well on the homefront and you're gearing up for a fantastic

(am I the only one this crept up on?) Holiday Season!!

My friends over at Gallery Black Lagoon created just the event to give

everyone a head start on their holiday Christmas shopping!

Drop by Saturday, December 4th from 2-7

to catch the most beautiful gems and jewels from amazing designers all over Austin!

I'll be there with my holiday collection AS WELL as my Fancy Lady Bookmarks!!!

Hope to see you there and get ready to get your shop on!

Gleek Out

2010-11-16T20:17:00.000-08:00

I don't know about you, but I know you're crazy if you're not obsessed with Glee!!

I too was too cool at first to get into it, but alas, I'm hooked!

In honor of my love for all things Glee,

I've made a paper doll of my favorite character, Emma Pillsbury!

Check out the other Emma Inspired bookmarks here!

Hello Autumn

2010-11-02T22:24:00.000-07:00

Where has the time gone?!

Since we've chatted last, a summer has past, my passport was stamped for the first time,

I started a new job and I started a paper line!!

What?! I know, busy busy bee.

(Don't fret jewelry lovers, pics of the Holiday Collection are coming soon!)

Since the June, I have been teaching fashion illustration at The Austin School of Fashion Design on South Congress and I've loved every minute of it!!

I've not only discovered that I LOVE to teach but it

has also rekindled my deep and burning love of fashion illustration!

As a result, I've begun a paper line of fashion bookmarks and greeting cards!!

There are so many fabulous characters that I can't wait to

introduce you to, the first is a very familiar face.

Say Hello to the Autum doll!!

Autum's sets are available on the website!!

The sets of Three are perfect for the holidays and gifts or just because!

Snatch up both sets!!

Keeping Austin Stylish

2010-05-05T20:57:00.000-07:00

Huge thanks to the wonderfully chic Joanna Wilkinson

over at Keep Austin Stylish for featuring the one-of-a-kind

Nanette Necklace in her recent photoshoot

(inspired by My Fair Lady)!

Here's a special sneak peak of the Eliza Dolittle inspired shoot!

Visit the Keep Austin Stylish Blog for the full post and more delectable outfits!!

Side Note: I'm totally coveting the striped dress from Adelante

(I just about peed my pants over those sleeves)!!

Photo Courtesy of Keep Austin Stylish

Thanks again to Joanna and be sure to follow Keep Austin Stylish

for updates on what's in, what's out and what's happening in Austin!!

Re-Work It

2010-05-03T14:29:00.000-07:00

I was pillaging through my mother's jewelry box a couple months ago

and came across this fantastic necklace.

I was inspired by the delicate bead work around the pendant,

and decided to create a mini collection based around the concept and style.

My Inspiration Piece

Left: Vintage Brooch with decorative dangle found at Room Service

Right: I removed the dangling piece and pin, reversed the direction

of the pendant and began to weave the beads throughout.

The Lawrence Necklace

Here is the final pendant up close,

it's a honker and makes an incredible statement.

I'm so excited to sport it around town for a few days before it goes on sale!

I've also added photos of some mini Lawrence's that I

was moved to make after completing the Lawrence!

I hope you enjoy!

VISIT THE SHOP!

Angela Rawna, Actress Extraordinaire

2010-04-04T19:15:00.000-07:00

Check out actress Angela Rawna in the Poseidon Necklace!

Angela's been in movies like A Scanner Darkly and

can be currently seen as the drug addict mother,

Regina Howard on Friday Night Lights on NBC.

Not only does Angela have some serious acting chops

but she is one of the most genuine people out there!

Talent and Poise, she could have been Miss America.

She even checked herself into rehab to research the role of Regina!

Here are a few pictures of Angela in action!

Kudos to the makeup department for transforming such

a brilliant and beautiful woman into a ragged and worn addict!

And be sure to check out the season premiere of Friday Night Lights on May 7th on NBC!

Joan of Arkansas?

2010-03-28T23:29:00.000-07:00

This weekend was pretty fantastic!

Saturday lunch was spent with my love at House Pizzeria,

one of our favorite new spots!

Try the Subterranean (or as I like to call it,

The Subterranean Homesick Alien)

pizza when you drop by, you won't be disappointed!

Then I played assistant to fabulous friend and photographer

Holly Williams,

which of course was followed with Proseco at

The Grove Wine Bar and Kitchen

(I can't lie, I was back there for dinner on Sunday night

(Happy Birthday Matt!)).

That leads me to today, after a great lunch

with my loves Derek and Loren,

I headed over to my favorite bead store,

Sea of Beads where I found these fantastic vintage brass connectors!

I've been hanging onto this brass chain for the longest time,

waiting for the perfect project to come along and I just about

wet my pants in the store when I found these checkered findings!!

The project is close to completion but I'm still not satisfied.

I'm playing around with the idea of leaving it plain

or adding the extra chain as pictured below.

Let me know what you think and I'll be sure to post the final images!

Toodaloo my friends!

Charmed

2010-03-25T15:37:00.000-07:00

For about a year, I've been working on a series of

one-of-a-kind repurposed pieces of jewelry.

It's a side project that has been a great way

for the Gemini in me to unleash the

creatively thrifty side that coexists with the more refined one.

Anyway, The Poseidon was the first necklace I created

that really jump started the whole thrifty creative process.

Through that one necklace, a whole series of charm necklaces was born,

not to mention a boat load of other fantastic one of a kind gems!

The Poseidon Necklace
Photo by Davis Ayer Photography

Here's a brief viewing of some of my favorite charm necklaces!

And scroll to the bottom to check out The Shades Necklace

that will be available for purchase on the website early

next week as well as the rest of these beauties!

The Charmed Necklace

Photo by Holly Williams Photography

A series of gold tags that have been transformed with the

power of a few vintage charms and a little jewelers glue

The Sally Seashore Necklace

A nautical inspired necklace with an assortment of vintage charms and chain

Shades

Now you can really wear your sunglasses at night.

I snagged all I could find of these vintage sunglass charms,

ran straight home, busted out my Dremel drill(courtesy of my beloved Pops)

and voila, a fancy necklace just begging to be worn!

Stay tuned, all of these goodies will be available

for purchase in a matter of days!

Til next time, Adieu my friends!

Jewelry and Illustration

2010-03-14T21:50:00.000-07:00

I've been so thrilled with the website and the fabulous response it's been getting!

Thank you all so much for your kind words and excitement!

The Spring Line is going to be a success,

I can just feel it in my bones,

Just like my boobs can feel when it's raining (anyone get that reference?)!

Tally Earring

On another note, I am priveliged to be teaching
fashion illustration classes at the Austin School of Fashion Design!
The school was founded a few years ago by
a former professor of mine, Mary Margaret Quadlander.
She's a brilliant designer and phenomenal teacher.
She singlehandedly encouraged myself and my peers to take
creative risks and stay true to ourselves when many
other academic leaders at the school simply put, encouraged mediocrity.

I'm excited to be able to share my fancy of illustration with those anxious to learn!
Here are some previous and very rough illustrations of mine
(this was a daily series of 10 minute sketches I did a while back)
and will promise a new series to come!

3-2-1 LAUNCH!

2010-03-08T09:52:00.000-08:00

www.stephaniejimenezjewelry.com

The time has finally come...

The Stephanie Jimenez Website is

Officially Up and Running!!!

Be the first to check out the full collection as well as scope out some fantastic baubles made just for the site!!

www.stephaniejimenezjewelry.com

Cover Girl

2010-03-04T09:58:00.000-08:00

Check out the Louise Earring featured on the Cover of February's Issue

of Tribeza Magazine!

Patience is a virtue;

THE WEBSITE WILL BE LAUNCHED MONDAY!

Spring Awakening

2010-03-02T23:44:00.000-08:00

I know it's been December since my last post

but that's only because I have been a busy little bee

crafting a gorgeous line of baubles that will make any fashionista stop dead in her Manolo's!

It's been long awaited but here is your first sneak peak at the

2010 Spring Collection!!

The Cecelia Earring

Amazonite draped with 14k gold fill curb chain

The Sicily Earrings

Linked turquoise stones cascading down a tassel of gold fill curb chain

The Lizzie Earrings

A cluster of semi-precious stones drizzled with luxurious gold chain

Psssssss...

Be sure to stay tuned for more jewels as well as the launch of the Stephanie Jimenez Website,

where you'll be able to purchase all of the jewelry you just previewed!!!

COMING SOON!!!

Tis The Season... to gift your family with jewelry by Stephanie Jimenez

2009-12-17T00:10:00.000-08:00

I wanted to fill you in on a fabulous trunk show that will be graciously
hosted by Anna Gray tomorrow, the 17th!
The festivities begin at 5:30 and will include fantastic cocktails and delicious appetizers!
Drop by, say hello and enjoy the new jewelry and mingling!
Hope to see you there!
side note: if you're unable to make tomorrow's trunk show,
be sure to drop by Adelante on 35th St from 10am-5pm for a
second chance viewing of my fabulous collection!

A few of my favorite things

2009-12-10T12:30:00.000-08:00

It's been forever but even still, at this very moment I have nothing to write.
No stories, no tips, so I'm just going to show a few pieces from my Refined Collection that I love and can't live without!
Perhaps you will love them too.
I promise, tomorrow I'll get back into the swing of things.

For now, I'm going to relax, stare at the wall and hope my cat will stop scratching at my legs.

Bizarre in NYC

2009-11-05T10:09:00.000-08:00

This photo op with the perfectly chiseled bum was taken at Trattoria Del Arte,
a restaurant that is known for their huge sculptures of various body parts.
This is a tiny sculpture at the entrance but the other sculptures are massive!
I mean car sized ears, bosoms and some major butts!
Not to mention, they served the best thin crust pizza I've ever had in my life!

To honor the Halloween spirit, here are some creepy and crazy pics
from my recent trip to the Fabulous NYC!

We couldn't resist!

this is a modern lamp that you can customize to your fancy.
initially in a solid egg form, there is an added hammer that allows you to
chisel out where you wat the light to shine from!
where do i sign up?

Jelly Belly

2009-09-20T10:54:00.000-07:00

Phara's Backyard Patio

On Friday night, I went on what was possibly one of the
greatest date nights of all time with my sweet little gal pal, Erin Framel!
We went to a favorite spot of mine and one of Austin's best kept secrets, Phara's on North Loop.

This place is amazing for many reasons:
1. Scrumptious authentic Meditteranean cuisine
2. Phara's is BYOB!
3. They have an outdoor dining area and hookah lounge
and last but not least
4: The restaurant houses their own world renowned Belly Dancer, Phara!
Phara

Unfortunately for us, Phara was unavailable but that didn't stop us from sipping on Peroni, eating delicious kababas and reminiscing about the good old times.

Hanging out with my little doodle bug brought back great memories of a
photoshoot we did with our good friend Holly Williams.

Erin in a SJD Asymmetrical lioness blouse, SJD high wasted green velvet skirt,
Kendra Scott Crystal Nugget Necklace

Here are the pictures of Erin modeling clothing and jewelry I designed in college.
Kudos to Holly for such an amazing photography job!

Erin in a SJD Asymmetrical Strapless dress,
SJD Mixed Pearl Cluster Necklace (I teared up when this was sold)

And if you haven't been to Phara's, GO! Right now!
Take your love on a romantic date or just get some friends together
and enjoy one of my favorite local restuarants!

"You could call it Bubble Trouble on Glam-Rock Crack"

2009-09-18T15:44:00.000-07:00

The Miriam Necklace

Despite scalding both hands on a boiling lava hot lean cusine,
Davis the Great managed to pop out some more amazing photos,
particularly of The Miriam Necklace!
You could call it bubble trouble on glam-rock crack!

Be the first to snatch up these fabulous gems at my Etsy Shop! Now open!

The Miriam Necklace on Justine List

I'm also thrilled to have worked with the beautiful Justine List!
Check out some of her modeling for Boudoir Queen,
an amazing clothing line specializing in deconstructed vintage!

Fabulous, darling, fabulous!

The Artist at Work, Davis Ayer

There goes the bride...

2009-09-15T22:53:00.000-07:00

From what I've heard,
this was the wedding of the century
(next to the other wedding of the century that I attended this summer, of course)!

The newly married Kate Parkhouse Coultas (R)

Not only was this wedding on top of a mountain
and have what appears to be the most beautiful dessert in North America,
but the bride as well as bridesmaids all wore Stephanie Jimenez jewelry! The Valerie Earring

Kate and her bridal party all wore custom versions of the
Valerie earring from my Refined Collection.
Congratulations to Todd Coultas for winning the heart of such a beautiful person!
I'll be sure to post more pictures from their fabulous wedding as soon as they trickle in!

On a side note,
I'm also extremely proud to announce that pieces from
The Refined Collection can now be found at C. Jane on The Drag
as well as Beyond Tradition on 2nd Street next to Shiki!
Be sure to check out these great local boutiques!

Fabulous Mysery Dessert

Back it Up

2009-09-15T22:27:00.000-07:00

Tally's Tassels

I'm obsessed with tassel necklaces!
Whether it's because it evokes the romantic in me or just plain reminds me of my dear old mum, I love the idea of pretty fringe draped around your neck (or in this case around your backside).
Here's my rendition of the tassel necklace using fresh water pearls and these awesome tiny linked roman coins for the tassels!

Expect more of these doozies to come in different styles and textures!!

And again, I cannot thank Davis Ayer enough for the fabulous work
that he's done capturing the nature of my jewelry!

New Digs

2009-09-14T10:22:00.001-07:00

Poseidon Necklace on Beth Vasquez

Alas!
Photos from my recent photoshoot with the talented Davis Ayer
are beginning to surface!
Special thanks to my beautiful friend Beth Vasquez
who so generously donated her time and neck to the jewelry cause!

I hope you enjoy and continue to look for new pics as they trickle in!

One Man's Trash is Another Man's Treasure

2009-08-24T19:34:00.000-07:00

The King William Necklace

This has become my new favorite piece from my one of a kind Rococo Vintage Collection!
This has been an incredibly exhilerating project,
taking charms and baubles that I've collected over the past ten years
(thanks mom for letting me dig through all of your jewelry every time I come home!)
and turning them into one of a kind treasures!
Expect to see some fabulous editorial shots with all of these great gems from
the fabulous Davis Ayer, a former colleague and talented photographer!
Visit his Flickr site and get excited for what's to come!

Until then, eat lots of chocolate and keep tuning in!!

This will be our year, took a long time to come...

2009-08-21T10:56:00.000-07:00

My Best Friend and fellow goob!

The Bridal Party

The Bridal Party: L-R Jen, Sandy, Pilar, Becky, Sabrina, Kacee, Derek, Loren, Myself, Jason, Jonathan, Micah and Chris.
All females decked out in Stephanie Jimenez Designs

the happy couple, Mr and Mrs. Derek Tarnow

special note!
All of the photography was done by the extremely talented Sweet Caroline Photography
Check out her blog to see more fantastic pictures of the wedding as well as Derek and Loren's engagement pictures which are TO DIE FOR.

Kudos to Loren Green Tarnow for planning a rediculously amazing wedding!

Alas! Two of my dearest friends, Derek and Loren, are now betrothed to one another in what was nothing short of a blissful ceremony! And alas, after all that hard work the bride and her maids looked delicious in Stephanie Jimenez Designs original dresses! Much thanks to all of the maids (Becky, Jen, Pilar, Kacee and Sandy) for enduring all the fittings and accidental pricks to the skin! I wish the Tarnow two nothing but happiness and in the words of The Zombies "This will be our year, took a long time to come." Much Love!

2009-08-18T22:16:00.000-07:00

I just banged my head against my sewing machine reaching for my needle nose pliers, reminding how much i prefer making jewelry over clothing. It's not that I don't adore making clothing... on the contrare. I adore it. But with the tiny loft (and I say loft loosely) that I'm confined to, the construction process is just abhorring. I do however love the jewelry making/designing process because I can see my vision happen right before my eyes. Whereas clothing may take days upon days to perfect, i can spend hours upon hours freeing my mind to create a beautiful masterpiece necklace. I do love my clothing but at the moment am FASCINATED with jewelry! These are a few of my masterpieces that I've been perfecting hour by hour, day by day. I hope you enjoy.

Austin Fashion Week

2009-07-02T13:37:00.001-07:00

It's almost here! This is the first year for Austin Fashion Week and I could not be more excited! Come check me out at Oh Baby! in Westlake where all of my jewelry will be showcased the week of July 13-19th! We're going to have fabulous events with wine aplenty! Stay tuned! And in the meantime don't forget to vote for me as one of Austin's top designers!

http://www.fashionweekaustin.com/designers/stephanie-jimenez-designs/

You put the lime in the coconut...

2009-05-25T22:23:00.000-07:00

Evil Eye Athena Earrings

Peas in a Pod Necklace

my lovely friend and peeersonal photographer Holly Williams has graciously taken photos of some of my jewelry for the new collection. Here are a few of my faves and a fun one of a kind necklace that I threw together one night whilst watching a marathon of Lost with the boo. Let me know what you think!

Happy Trails

2009-04-22T20:07:00.001-07:00

This beauty is titled 'MODesty' by Stephanie Jimenez

So I told myself I'd be better at posting, but yes, I skipped a week.
I've completed my first jewelry collection and have already sold 7 pieces
in the store in just a matter of days!
I've been meaning to post pictures of the earrings and necklaces but that has proven difficult since I ran over my camera last August after the Heart House Fashion Show.
I wasn't drunk just exhausted.
I'm 'borrowing' my love's camera tonight so I'll have some pics up stat.
Anyway, Here is one of my fashion illustrations.
It's my personal favorite next to my illustrative rendition of my NaNa. Priceless.

Dissapearing Act?

2009-04-08T11:06:00.000-07:00

Illustrator Amelie Hegardt

Where it was once fashion's most prominent form of advertising and communication, fashion illustration has been dubbed a "dying art."
In a modern world where fashion photgraphy has taken the helm,
illustration has been left in the dust.
Luckily for us, there are still those who fight to keep the art alive and keep the fantasy in fashion.
With pen and paper, these artists achieve what photographers only dream of achieving.
Here are a few of the illustrators that continue to inspire me with their creative point of views and yes, their passion for fashion...

Illustrator Julie Verhoeven

Illustrator Ruben Toledo
(my personal hero)

Second time around

2009-04-04T21:22:00.000-07:00

Alright, so it's been a while and I'm getting lots of requests to keep my lovelies informed on life in fashion and the development of my small business. I'll keep you guys updated every step of the way from new samples, illustrations, inspiration and just things/people/images that I love. Here's your first look at my ready to wear collection. Hope you love!

hmmm, i didn't realize boys still wore skinny jeans...

2008-11-07T18:15:00.000-08:00

So I'm incredibly new to this blog thing, but hey, i like to try new things. I'll have pics up soon of a holiday line of jewelry that I'm working on. I've learned this incredible weaving technique and the earrings are fantastic! I'm hoping to finish all of the pieces before I leave for Hawaaaaiiiii for Thanksgiving break. Boy, do I love my boyfriend's parents. Anyway, hooray for blogs! Because I have no other pictures yet, here's a pic of my baby girl, B. She's a heartbreaker.