• Well, summer vacation is over for me and it's now back to work. I spent my usual 1 month in California with it's wonderful weather, beautiful beaches and nothing but sunshine. The highlight of the trip was a jewelry party arranged by a friend in Palm Springs and where I was able to unveil some of my new designs. The party was a total success with plenty of shoppers to keep us busy. What's interesting to note is that the jewelry styles here in France and those of California are notably different. As a result, many new designs needed to be created in order to satisfy the tastes of the Californian women. I'm looking forward to repeating the experience again next year...

• During this year's Bead & Button Show held at the beginnig of June in Milwaukee, Wisconsin I was honored to be awarded 3rd prize in the Swarovski© 1st Online Community Design Award for my bracelet design "CHENILLE" and which can be seen here .

  What made this competition different from others that I've entered in the past is that the winners of this competition were chosen not by a jury, but rather by other jewelry designers who are members of the Swarovski Online Community . A tough crowd to please ! The large crystal that can be seen on the front page of Kenem Bijoux is the trophy that was awarded to me, as well as a very generous gift certificate . More sparklies to make jewelry with !

• What's new in the way of jewelry designs at Kenem Bijoux? Well, while in California I had the opportunity to try my hand out at wire wrapping pendants and I was immediately conquered by it. The design possibilites are endless and every stone, with its own "personality", demands its own particular style. A lot of practice though is now on the agenda before you'll see the first of the pendants on the website. Stay tuned...

I just love this bracelet ... This month's featured jewelry is my TOURBILLION D'OR bracelet made with some absolutely beautiful handcrafted glass beads made by American artist Carol SWOON, faceted black onxy beads, gold foiled Murano glass "noodle beads" and finished off with 24K gold vermeil beads and toggle clasp . This bracelet is a 2-strand style bracelet strung on 20 gauge, or 0.75 mm, stainless steel wire. Hurry and check it out on the TOURBILLON D'OR page for further details .

Serving as a wonderful base color, Shady Glade delivers a natural elegance to the fall palette. Taking green in an interesting direction with its true green characteristics, this hue is a departure from greens of seasons past, which have had distinctively yellow undertones.

Reds are a steadfast favorite for fall and Aurora Red is no exception. Versatile and universally appealing, this true red adds a splash of energy to the palette. Soft, dusky Withered Rose, with its pinkish qualities and brown undertones, is a versatile hue that blends with every shade. Ochre, a beautifully mellow yellow with a hint of mustard, adds a touch of lightness and spice. Orange has had a long run, and now, more than ever, consumers are gravitating toward intense shades like Burnt Orange, bringing this once steady background color to the foreground. The complex yet modest Shitake is an intriguingly understated shade, especially when teamed with the robust colors of fall '08.

The colors featured in the PANTONE Fashion Color Report are culled from the PANTONE FASHION + HOME Color System, the most widely used and recognized color standard in the world. Each season, Pantone surveys the designers of New York Fashion Week to collect feedback on prominent collection colors, color inspiration and color philosophy. This information is used to create the PANTONE Fashion Color Report and serves as a reference tool throughout the year for fashion enthusiasts, reporters and retailers.

The top 10 Fall 2008 colors for women:

Blue Iris (PANTONE 18-3943)
Royal Lilac (PANTONE 18-3531)
Shady Glade (PANTONE 18-5624)
Caribbean Sea (PANTONE 18-4525)
Aurora Red (PANTONE 18-1550)
Shitake(PANTONE 18-1015)
Withered Rose (PANTONE 18-1435)
Twilight Blue (PANTONE 19-3938)
Burnt Orange (PANTONE 16-1448)
Ochre (PANTONE 14-1036 )

Read the report ...

After a successful launch of the wedding initiative by CRYSTALLIZED™ - Swarovski Elements at Hôtel de la Monnaie in Paris in January 2008, the crystal wedding spectacular continues with a series of rollout events taking place around the globe.

London was the kick-off of a global roll-out campaign including appearances of the exhibition in places like Dubai, Barcelona, Tokyo, China, India and the US.

The first event - displaying the glittering collection of unique wedding-related showpieces created by world-renown designers and recorded in a beautiful coffee-table book - took place in London in April in the recently opened retail store Swarovski CRYSTALLIZED™ Cosmos & Lounge on Great Marlborough Street.

After a cocktail evening that included participating designers and international press, a one-month exhibition was then unveiled to wow store customers. Moving from the City of London to Dubai the highlights of the wedding exhibition were unveiled in the newly opened Raffles Hotel in Dubai, where the large ballroom and two of the presidential suites were transformed into a bride´s dream. Including dresses from western desginer like Galliano or Vivienne Westwood to traditional gowns for the region from Rami Al Ali or Sohad Acouri to a large range of interior and home décor inspirations, the beautiful setting in the Raffles hotel inspired fashionistas and interior designers alike.

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