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Showing posts with label movie. Show all posts

Illusion Jewelry and Patterns | Genius Movie Stunts from the 1920's

Illusions are clever tricks to fool us into the realm of impossibility. Magicians have long entertained us this way. Jewelry designers also have a whole slew of creations which make us take a second look and in some cases, wonder how they did that!
Illusion jewelry based on near invisible fishing lineshave been around for a long time. This requires very neat gluing of pearls or beads. Really gorgeous when done well as shown in this six layer floating pearl necklace, shown above, by PearlFans.

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Beautiful Heart Jewelry and Ornament Tutorials for Valentine's Day | 3 Love Songs from Film and Musical Theatre

Valentine's Day is coming up and here is a wonderful collection of beaded hearts from different talented designers. I found it hard to pick this selection as there were so many good ones.
First is the beautiful lacy heart tutorial for earrings or pendants shown above by Ruxandra of Margiques. I have featured this talented Romanian designer before - she specializes in delicate and dainty designs.

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Regency Inspired Jewelry and Tutorials | The Costume Designs of the Bridgerton Series

The Regency period in British history is commonly regarded as the years from about 1795 to 1837 which is the beginning of the Victorian era. The actual regency was between 1811-1820 when the then Prince of Wales had to take over for his mentally ill father, King George III. This was the monarch who lost the American colonies.

The Regency period was a time of opulence for the very few but an impoverished one for most of the population. One of the most enduring writers from that time was Jane Austen. She wrote about the society she lived in. It was one where the all consuming aim of women was to get married, preferably someone with money. That's because women back then had so few opportunities to earn a living- they had to get married.

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The Making of Avatar 2 | Costumes and Accessories were All Handmade Before Being Scanned for the Animators

The latest blockbuster just out is James Cameron's Avatar: Way of the Water. It's the much anticipated sequel to his 2009 epic sci-fi film set in the future where humans are trying to colonize and exploit the mineral wealth of a distant planet's moon called Pandora. This puts them into direct conflict with blue humanoid beings, the Na'vi, who live in harmony with nature. The second movie is set in a part of Pandora inhabited by sea dwelling Na'vi.

The 13 year gap between the two movies has seen great advances in the CGI (computer generated imagery) technology used to create the movie. For the first time ever, performance capture of the live actors, was carried out underwater. This required professional free divers to train the cast and crew to hold their breaths for long periods of time. Small cameras were mounted in front of the actors' faces to capture, in detail, their expressions in addition to all their movements.

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Come From Away : Prayer is also for our time

Last week I wrote about the remarkable and uplifting story of Gander and the Come From Away musical. If you haven't yet read it, please do. I have also updated it with a few more additions for those who did.

Last Friday this show went global with its Apple+ TV digital premiere so others can be reminded how people once came together in a time of need. A shining example of humanity and compassion.

It speaks so much for our time, not just 9/11. 9/12 was a time when people collectively mourned, comforted and showed solidarity. But in the twenty years since, we now have so much discord in the face of another calamity, the pandemic. Much of this intolerance, hatred, disunity and misinformation everywhere is now amplified by social media - which didn't exist back in 2001.

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Labradorite, Newfoundland and the Come From Away Musical

Labradorite was first documented in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. This wonderful gem displays an iridescent optical effect called labradorescence when the stone is turned to the light. An Inuit legend tells of a hunter who found the Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis) trapped in stone. He struck the rocks with his spear, releasing most of them to the sky but some still remain.

Picture Credit : Prokofiev

However, labradorite is not the only gem - the people there are gems too. Both the rock and people are ordinary but when circumstances change, they show their true mettle.

For the people of Gander, Newfoundland, that circumstance came 20 years ago, this Saturday.

When the events of 9/11 occured, US airspace closed, forcing hundreds of planes to land elsewhere. Canada launched Operation Yellow Ribbon - "Canada's goal was to ensure that potentially destructive air traffic be removed from United States airspace as quickly as possible, and away from potential U.S. targets, and instead place these aircraft on the ground in Canada." Up to 240 flights were diverted to 17 airports around the country.

Illustration by Duleepa Wijayawardhana, 1998

38 flights with nearly 7,000 passengers and crew landed in Gander, Newfoundland which had a population at that time numbering only 9,000 +. Yet, this tiny community opened their hearts and homes to frightened strangers (and 17 animals plus a couple of bonobo chimpanzees) from around the world. They fed and housed them all for 5 days. There was so much food donated from communities around Newfoundland that they converted the local ice hockey rink into a cold storage facility!

Gander Airport as the planes began to stack up on 9/11

This story of kindness, compassion and care in the days following 9/11 still resonates. It's relevant today as we continue through a difficult global pandemic - a shining example of the triumph of humanity over hate. Of community over the individual. The people of Gander welcomed everyone - no matter where they were from, what religion they practiced, the color of their skin or their sexual orientation. They didn't judge. They didn't hesitate to help.

Come from Away - book, music and lyrics by Canadian husband and wife team Irene Sankoff and David Hein - is the award winning musical which actually commemorates 9/12, not 9/11, and how a community responded to overwhelming need.

A theatre recording will premiere and stream on AppleTV+ (also viewable on other devices which have the app) tomorrow, the day before the 20th anniversary of 9/11. A one night only concert performed by the Broadway cast, will also be held on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial on Friday at 6 pm. No tickets are required for that performance.

The London, UK production at the Phoenix theatre has restarted. The Broadway production will resume on September 21, the Toronto production on December 7.

I am a lifelong musical theatre fan and got to see this inspirational show in Toronto before the pandemic. Totally awed. Not surprisingly, every show has received standing ovations no matter where it played - London, New York and other US cities, Toronto, Australia. I highly recommend this musical on so many levels - the message, the performances, the moving story telling, the music and the simple but clever stage production of what is essentially a musical documentary.

The music has a distinct East Coast Celtic flavor - a large proportion of early immigrants to the province was Irish. The people of Newfoundland call their home "The Rock" because it is a large rocky island. Their accent and phrases are also unique. They call people who are not from Newfoundland as those "who come from away".

This is the opening number, Welcome to the Rock filmed at the 2017 Tony Awards with the original Broadway cast:

The "plane people" were totally bewildered at first because they did not find out until much later the full extent of 9/11. Few had cell phones back then and it took awhile before Gander could help them connect with their families to tell them they were safe.

This utterly beautiful Prayer shows how the people of Gander found places for people to pray, no matter their faith. The actor who plays Kevin T sings the Peach Prayer of St Francis. The translations for the other prayers are in the video comments. It begins with Hannah, who doesn't yet know the fate of her NY firefighter son.

There were passengers who spoke no English so the locals learned how to communicate with them. Some whose cuisine was very different from that of Gander. Yet the locals rose to the challenge to make everyone feel welcome. School was closed for a week as the spaces were needed for the plane people. Gander teenagers volunteered and it was a transformative experience for them - an intense cultural exchange they would never have had otherwise. It changed their lives.

There is also a lively scene when some passengers take part in Newfoundland's delightful but optional screech-in ceremony. Happy hour with a difference! It's for people who want to become honorary Newfoundlanders. It involves a shot of the local rum called Screech and kissing a fish - usually a frozen cod. Here is an audio version of the Screech In complete with lyrics!

And an extract from the lively number, Heave Away complete with the ugly stick and fiddle music:

One of the funniest memories recounted by the passengers was hearing the local radio station appealing for more toilet paper donations. A scant 30 minutes later, another announcement came : "For the love of God, stop bringing toilet paper to the Lions' Club!" They had run out of room to store them all. What a contrast to the selfish people who hoarded toilet paper at the start of the pandemic.

Each of the 12 cast members deftly represent a few characters. Some are real individuals and some are composites. One such person depicted in the musical was Beverley Bass who was the pilot on an American Airlines flight. She was the first female commercial airline captain in history. This is studio recording of Jenn Colella, who plays Beverly, singing Me and the Sky :

Meet the real Beverley Bass who recounts her experience :

And this heartwarming number comes near the end when the passengers get to leave. The cast performs Somewhere in the Middle of Nowhere for Macy's Thanksgiving Parade in 2017.

In the aftermath, the people of Gander and the people who came from away, developed lasting friendships. Those bonds still hold today. Gander, not a wealthy community by any means, refused all offers of payment. They truly don't regard what they did as anything unusual. How would your community react if faced with the same formidable situation?

Do watch this wonderful documentary about the real people who were there from 9/12 and beyond : Gander's Ripple Effect: How a Small Town's Kindness Opened on Broadway. It was very touching to see the cast meet the real people they played and to deliver their performances in Gander before the show opened in New York.

The director of the show, Christopher Ashley, said in this recent ABC News article :

The show remains the same, but people look at it with these different lenses at different points in time. People will absolutely be thinking about the pandemic and that sense of uncertainty that we’ve all had to learn to live with about what’s going to come next, which was very alive and heightened during 9/11.

Irene Sankoff, one of the writers, said :

That’s the point of the show: You overcome differences and you take care of one another in response to darkness.

Come From Away is truly a musical gem for all time. Not to be missed.

Disclosure

This blog may contain affiliate links. I do receive a small fee for any products purchased through affiliate links. This goes towards the support of this blog and to provide resource information to readers. The opinions expressed are solely my own. They would be the same whether or not I receive any compensation.

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Original Post by THE BEADING GEM

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The Jewels of the Crazy Rich Asians Movie

I went to see the new hit romantic comedy movie Crazy Rich Asians just a few days ago with no preconceptions of what it was all about. Ended up thoroughly enjoying this funny and engaging movie. While it had all the elements of a typical rom com, it is also a satire about the over-the-top conspicuous consumption of the super rich. Much has been said about how refreshing it was to see an all Asian cast - all of whom are from incredibly diverse backgrounds themselves - but you don't have to be Asian to recognize the universal longing for love and acceptance for who you are, and not where you're from or who your family is.

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Amazing Costume and Jewelry Designs from the Black Panther Movie

You don't have to be a Marvel Superhero movie fan to notice the roaring opening success of Black Panther. This movie tells the tale of the new king of Wakanda, a secretive but highly technological African nation harboring a metal which imparts superhuman capabilities. He has to face a vengeful challenger and naturally, save the world in the process. Lots of action all round (see trailer ) but what really caught my eye were the amazing costume and jewelry designs. I can't wait to see the movie soon.

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Moana Inspired Heart of Te Fiti Necklace Tutorial

The 2016 Disney movie, Moana, was a delightful hit with beautiful animation, outstanding music by Lin-Manuel Miranda (Hamilton musical fame) and vocal talent. The strong young female lead has captured the attention of many girls. One asked for the Heart of Te Fiti necklace so her mother, Melanie, of A Peace of Creativity on Etsy, made her one! The Heart of Te Fiti, according to the story is "an ancient gem belong to the living Mother Island."

moana heart of te fiti inspired necklace tutorial

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Geeky Jewelry Designs by Paul Michael Design

Star Trek Ring

Paul Michael Bierker is the goldsmith, designer and technologist behind Geek Jewelry. His small jewelry company, Paul Michael Design, is located in Pittsburgh, PA. His amazing designs reflect not just his affinity with pop culture but his commitment to the technological advancements available to jewelry designers today.

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The Making of Amazing Game of Thrones Inspired Metal Work

The popular HBO Game of Thrones series is not just about powerful story telling but the set, props and costume designs are all incredibly good. The artistic work for the series has inspired many artisans. One of the finest of the fan art work - the Dragon's egg and the Direwolf emblem of the Starks - is by Rextorn Metalwork

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Game of Thrones Jewelry Tutorials

I think I can safely say Michele Carragher's Amazing Bead Embroidery from the Game of Thrones TV Series blew our minds! Well, almost all of us are certainly nowhere near her caliber but we can content ourselves with other DIY Game of Thrones fan material!

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Swarovski Costume Designs for New Romeo and Juliet Movie

Julian Fellowes' (Downton Abbey) recently released film adaptation of Romeo and Juliet is the celebrated scriptwriter's attempt to make Shakespeare's play palatable for modern audiences. He said, "Every generation is interested in love. But there is something about young love that is heartbreaking, and I think every teenager in the world would agree. All of that is very powerful. The point about teenage love is it’s before cynicism comes in to reshape one’s attitudes. You love when you’re young in a way that you’ll probably never love again."

Douglas Booth and Hailee Steinfeld as the star-crossed lovers

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Amazing Bead Embroidery from the Game of Thrones Series

The Game of Thrones is the highly acclaimed HBO TV adaptation of George R.R. Martin's fantasy book series, A Song of Ice and Fire. It is a rich tapestry in every sense of the word. Many compelling and sometimes morally ambiguous characters, engaging multiple plot lines, great acting and strong designs and backgrounds have all made it wildly popular. The use of nudity and violence drew some criticism and no doubt also contributed to its appeal.

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Tiffany Jewelry for The Great Gatsby

Jewelry lovers are in for a visual treat if they were to go and see the latest movie version of F. Scott Fitzgerald's, The Great Gatsby. The tale of decadence, betrayal and murder is set in the 1920's. From a jewelry design perspective, the movie beautifully evokes jazz age glamor with the stunning art deco pieces.

Carey Mulligan as Daisy Buchanan

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Downton Abbey Inspired Jewelry Tutorials

Are you a Downton Abbey fan like me? I enjoy period dramas and this one is excellent. The writer, Julian Fellowes, did a super job bringing history to life. His drama series outlines the changes the First World War and its aftermath brought to British class structures. He certainly cooked up some delicious humor and added a generous helping of soap opera which made this series a runaway success.

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Swarovski Crystals Sparkle in Skyfall's Severine's Spectacular Dress

I don't usually care much for the testosterone laden James Bond movie franchise. But I will be making an exception for the upcoming movie, Skyfall, for several reasons. Daniel Craig arguably the best Bond yet, Judi Dench, Adele's rendition of the theme song and one superb costume design in particular.

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Cathy Waterman's Jewelry for Snow White and the Huntsman

Planning to see the latest movie Snow White and the Huntsman? The special effects, the medieval style and a cool retelling of the fairy tale all combine to make it a spectacular feast for the eyes.

Colleen Atwood, the renowned costume designer picked Cathy Waterman to create the special pieces for the movie worn by the evil Queen Ravenna (Charlize Theron) ,Snow White (Kristen Stewart), her mother (Liberty Ross) and other characters.

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How to Make an Easy Hunger Games Necklace Tutorial

My feature on Hunger Games Inspired Jewelry was a popular one. No wonder as the movie has proven to be a popular one ever since it opened.

Do you know a fan of the Hunger Games movie? Or are you one yourself? Either way, here is a really easy Hunger Games necklace tutorial by The Wandering Reader.

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Hunger Games Inspired Jewelry

Some of you may have been dismayed with the huge amount of jewelry listings (more than 2.5 million on January 6) on Etsy I wrote about in A Day of Jewelry Selling on Etsy. But you needn't be. There is a way to get into a smaller niche with much less competition. Just tap into your other passions.