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Mosaic Portraits Made From Real Diamonds, Sapphires and Gemstones: The Ultimate Custom Luxury






Looking for an incredibly personal and decadent gift to give someone special? How about a custom portrait made of diamonds and sapphires and set in 18k gold? Too much? Okay, then how about some semi-precious stones set in sterling silver? Either way, Gemstone Creative of the UK can make it for you.

Whether it's a photo, artwork, a company logo or anything special to you, they will turn the image into a very valuable and unique piece of art. Talented and skilled artists and craftsmen hand-set gemstones to recreate the image in a bespoke wall mountable piece for you.

Here are some examples of their work:
Marilyn Monroe:


Jay-Z:


Queen Elizabeth:


David Beckham:

President Barack Obama:

Tiger:



Almost any kind of gemstone can be used from diamonds, sapphires, emeralds, and rubies, to semi precious stones such as amethysts, peridot, tanzanite, and quartz. All the stones are brilliant cut (round) so as long as the stone can be properly cut to size and ordered in volume (if applicable) then there should not be any problems.



Since each piece uses anywhere from two to tens of thousands of 0.25ct gemstones, the final price can not be determined until the type of gemstone and required quantities are decided on along with the precious metal they are to be set in.



As you'd expect, precious gemstones will be more expensive than semi precious stones, and 18k gold will be more costly than sterling silver. The prices are based on current market values and hence will fluctuate accordingly. They will provide you with a final price prior to starting any work on your design, and upon acceptance of this, payments will take the form of three separate installments.

All of the pieces are produced in London, England, where many of the world’s best jewellery craftsmen are located and having them made here ensures the highest level of workmanship. In fact, all the members of their team are based in or around London which prevents lag time delays occurring which is crucial for a business where each piece can take months to produce.

The Artists
Adrian Firth, Tessa Hunkin, Claire Milner and Ed Chapman, some of the world's most acclaimed mosaic artists, have all been commissioned to produce international mosaic projects at the highest level. They have honed their expertise in the ancient and delicate art of renovation of intricate mosaics in landmark cathedrals and important cultural heritage sites, as well as developing contemporary installations in public and private spaces.

The Process:

above: clockwise from upper left, Byzantine mosaic as inpiration, peacock artwork, peacock set in gems and detail.

The Craftsmen:



detail of the final product:


Their craftsmen have between them over 100 years experience in creating magnificent pieces of jewellery for acclaimed designers, celebrities, royalty, and private clients. Each Gemstone Creative piece is intricately assembled, and depending on size will use anywhere from several thousand to tens of thousands of gemstones which are all individually set in precious metal, be it gold, silver, or platinum. Gemstone Creative has spent a considerable amount of time sourcing, developing, and perfecting the artistic process.

The final product:


Ethical Sourcing (No blood diamonds!):

They only source quality gemstones and precious metals. Their suppliers follow the guidelines laid out by the Responsible Jewellery Council which is committed to promoting responsible ethical, human rights, social, and environmental practices in a transparent and accountable manner throughout the industry.

All their suppliers are members of the following trade associations:
• British Jewellers Association (BJA)
• International Coloured Stone Association (ICA)
• London Diamond Bourse and Club
• World Federation of Diamond Bourses

As far as how long it takes to get your custom product, it entirely depends on the size of the piece and the materials it is made from. Our smallest piece, 20cmx20cm, will take approximately 2-3 months to complete and this may increase slightly as the size of the piece gets bigger.

Gemstone Creative is an ambitious collaborative project that has opened a new chapter in the history of mosaic art. The idea is the brainchild of co-founders Sarah Sultman and Mark Hirschel who have spent over one year attentively assembling a team of renowned mosaic artists, specialist jewellery stone setters, and skilled craftsmen whose combined talents have made it technically possible to create complex, contemporary, luxury mosaic pieces.


Gemstone Creative

Special thanks to Luxury Launches!

Your Own Motorized Steampunk Tank- The JL421 Badonkadonk Land Cruiser!




OMG! A product that Jules Verne would die for (again).
This is a real motorized product that you can actually purchase from Amazon. It's not new, but it's the first time I've seen it available for purchase. The JL421 Badonkadonk Land Cruiser is nicknamed "The Donk" and the friggen thing even throws fire.



To look at it, one might think it to be a hovercraft, but in fact it runs on four off-road wheels, concealed by a unique industrial-strength rubberized flexible skirt that shields and protects the wheels to within an inch of the ground, while still allowing for enough flex to give clearance over bumpy and uneven terrain.



The roof of the Donk features a guard rail and durable rubber matting, making it the ideal place to carry up to 3 friends or several hundred pounds of cargo:



Slide open the roof hatch and you'll find the interior fully carped and cozy, with accent lighting, glove box, controls and room to seat up to 4 people, or 2 comfortably:



The Donk was designed to be as versatile as possible, and that includes the ability of the craft to be piloted from either a seated position within the armored shell, or from an exposed, standing position out the hatch, thanks to a pivoting control stick and special one-way armored windows.



The control stick is topped by the throttle handle, and steers the Donk left to right. But it also pivots up and down- up for when the driver is standing, down for when he's seated inside.



Above: The armored windows consist of stainless steel with a fine mesh of holes that allows occupants to see out without outsiders seeing in, and still protects the occupants from flying debris without risk of shattering.



The exterior of the vehicle is light-armor steel with a rust patina- providing plenty of protection against paintballs, pneumatic cannons, and flamethrowers.






Specs
Drive power comes from an air-cooled, 6hp Tecumseh gasoline engine, with centrifugal clutch, giving the Donk a top speed of 40 mph unladen. Total weight is 900 pounds. Wheelbase is 72", total length is 108", height 54", and width 53". This width is slightly narrower than a standard golf cart, which allows the Donk to fit through many narrow spaces and pylons that would restrict a full size vehicle.

Electrical
The sound system consists of a 1000 watt amplifier and 4 channels, each with a speaker mounted behind a window to project sound primarily outward from the Donk, but of course into the cabin as well. Exterior lighting consists of rope lighting, underbody lighting, custom sequenced 12-channel window strobes, head and tail lights, turn signals, and brake lights.

Power for all these electronics comes from a high-capacity 12V deep-cycle battery array that is charged either from a wall outlet or by the engine and alternator, and has the capacity to supply power for a full day's worth of driving, music, and lights. Lights, power, stereo, battery monitoring, charging, and ignition are all controlled from a single switchboard to the left of the driver, accessible from both the seated and standing positions.




The Donk was designed and built in 2002 by NAO Design of Palo Alto, CA. It was originally conceived as something which was at once both malevolent and benevolent, being battle-ready and armored, yet cozy on the inside and irresistible to people with its lights and sounds.

In the years since it's invention, the Donk has appeared in the desert of Nevada for the yearly Burning Man festival. And now you can own one of your own.

In the dark, with lights and fire spouting capabilities, the Donk transforms into party-mode. The Donk has also been featured in several television and film features, including MTV's Wildboyz and Discovery Channel's Monster Garage.





Designed by NAO Design, the awesome looking JL421 Badonkadonk Land Cruiser/Tank will ship in 3 to 5 weeks directly from NAO design if ordered through Amazon, although you are advised to contact NAO first as there are many options that can affect total cost. Engine, chassis, interior, and lighting, and other elements can vary, and as such Donks are built on an individual basis. Be advised also that this vehicle is not street legal in most areas, and may be a tempting but ill-advised replacement for your regular car . . . and it'll set you back $19,999.00 USD (without shipping).



The 2010 Artist Beach Towels Are Here!



Once again, the Art Production Fund and Works on Whatever have come out with their artist beach towels. This year, they are only adding two to the fourth annual artist towel series, each created by acclaimed artists Peter Doig and Yoshitomo Nara.

Yoshitomo Nara:

Peter Doig:





They make great gifts for the art lover in your life, or for yourself. Each towel measures 60" x 70” (double width), is made of 100% cotton and costs $95. each. Buy them here. No longer available

• To see the 2008 artist beach towels, go here.

• To see the 2009 artist beach towels, go here.

New Michelin Ads: Proof That The Right Execution Changes Everything.




above: a still from the second animated Michelin spot in the new global campaign, Saddest Road.

Michelin's latest advertising campaign, "The Right Tire Changes Everything" has refreshed an ad icon that was fast fading into "Speedy -Alka Seltzer-land." But thanks to a new advertising campaign by TBWA/Chiat/Day, New York, the lovable white tower of tires, known in the US as The Michelin Tire Man, is back with a vengeance.

The recent animated Michelin television commercial "Evil Gas Pump" directed and edited by Pysop, has been making the rounds on blogs and magazines and winning honors and accolades in several trade publications. With its digital rejuvenation of the beloved Michelin Man, the spot deserves the kudos.


above: a still from the animated Michelin spot, Evil Gas Pump

But the next one, is just as fabulous, if not more so. Saddest Road is the second in the animated series, soon to be followed by a third. Once again, the animation and music are wonderful and Bibendum, (our tire man's actual name) is once again a hero worth worship.

Take a look at "Saddest Road":


I am not sure the same creative team at TBWA/Chiat/Day New york did all the spots, but at the end of this post are the credits for Evil Gas Pump, which, if you have not yet seen is right here:




The print work, while attractive, is no breakthrough creative, given it is just a lift from the television and the headline is a disappointing rehash of the tagline. But I suppose you could argue the cop out that it's a cohesive campaign because both the tv and print showcase the wonderful animation.

Examples of the print work for Michelin:



According to Michelin Corporate's press release "The new campaign’s slogan – “The right tire changes everything” – is intended to illustrate the competitive advantages of Michelin tires in media outlets around the world." The worldwide campaign initially launched in the United States in early October and then will gradually be deployed in 55 countries – in Europe and Asia in early 2010, followed by Africa, the Middle East, India and South America.

They also designed a new US site for the brand:

 
 above: the home page of the new site.


According to Adweek, the fourth quarter advertising effort cost $20 million.
       

Credits:
Agency: TBWA\Chiat\Day
New York Chairman & CCO: Mark Figliulo
ACD/Art Director: Anthony DeCarolis
ACD/Copywriter: Erik Fahrenkopf
Executive Producer Media Arts: Matt Bijarchi
Director of Broadcast Production: Ozzie Spenningsby
Senior Producer: Jason Souter
Production: Psyop, New York
Director: Psyop
Creative Director: Marie Hyon/Marco Spier
Executive Producer: Lucia Grillo
Senior Producer: Lydia Holness
Producer: Lisa Munoz
Lead Designers: Anh Vu, Helen Choi
Designers: Kitty Lin, Jaye Kim, Ben Chan, Pete Sickbert-Bennett
Lead Technical Director: Tony Barbieri
Lead CG Animator: Pat Porter
CG Animators: Gooshun Wang, Royce Wesley, Kevin Phelps, Michael Shin, Angelo Collazo, Russ Wooton
Lead Ligthing TD: Anthony Patti
CG Lighters: Cody Chen, Szymon Weglarski, Helen Choi, Jeff Chavez
CG Modelers: Soo Hee Han, Tom Cushwa, Rie Ito, Tony Jung, Dan Fine
CG Rigging: Goo-shun Wang, Stanley Llin, Jordan Blit
FX: Miguel Salek, Jonah Friedman
Lead Compositor: Jason Conradt
Compositors: Manu Gaulot, Gabriel Regentin
Editorial: Psyop
Editor: Cass Vanini
Mix: Sound Lounge
Sound Engineer – Philip Loeb
Sound Design: Sound Lounge
Sound Designer- Marshall Grupp
Producer: Martia Guinn
Music: Human
Composer: Human
Executive Producer: Lauren Bleiweiss

Say It With Jewelry. Heather Belle's Post-It Bracelets.


I ordinarily don't blog about gold-plated jewelry, since, personally, I'm a bit of a jewelry snob. However, these fun "Post-It" bracelets by Heather Belle Co. would make great stocking stuffers.

The collection consists of 6 different words (be nice, help, listen, smile, stop, and why?) embossed on a matte gold-plated hexagon which is strung on dyed leather. There's a cuff and multi charm bracelet as well.



The individual bracelets sell for $65.00 a piece but she also offers them as a trio or a complete set of the six for a discount.








And the cuff, also 14k gold-plated on leather, sells for $225.00:

And for $275.00 you can get the gold-plated Post-It Chic bracelet:



In Heather's own words:
Family, humor, provocative thoughts, classic style and human expression are just a few of the ingredients that I use to push myself to reach beyond the obvious. I admire anyone who can reframe current thinking and create something new.

Pablo Picasso is one of those people. He once said, “Art is a lie that makes us realize the truth.” This idea resonated with me and inspires me to see “art and truth” in different aspects of life, including fashion and accessories.

My love of design sparked the desire to create h.belle. I’m excited about the launch of this collection, titled “Post – it”. Why Post-it? Because I live a “post-it” life. It must be genetic because my brother has “call mom” tattooed on his hand. I’m actually scared of needles, but, like him, I’ve always needed daily reminders to keep me on track and get me through the day.

above collage by Heather Belle

Originally influenced by Ed Ruscha, I started painting my reminders a while back, such as the one I named Breathe (remembering to breathe, although obvious to most, is tricky for me). I can’t carry my paintings with me everyday. They’re far too heavy and not the most fashionable accessory strapped to my back and paper post-its aren’t much sexier. Well, maybe two of them used as a bikini top, but then they would get wet and it would quickly turn X-rated.

My childhood values add to the mix. Simply helping myself is not what ultimately does it for me. It’s that rare mix of impacting the world, changing someone’s day for the better, creating something beautiful and connecting to our humanness that motivates me. So, it’s with pride (and a little fear) that I present to you h.belle by Heather Belle.

I hope it inspires in you in ways I can’t imagine and makes you smile.

All the best, Heather Belle

Shop for Heather Belle jewelry and other items here.

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