FABULA

The Latest Additions

2011-11-10T08:09:00.000-08:00

FABULA Christmas collection is almost ready. It was a crisp sunny day, so I decided to take a few photos out on the terrace. Gogol, my dog was impatiently waiting for his walk in the mountains.

All necklaces and earrings are made using semi-precious stones, recycled and new chains, vintage metal elements and found objects such as a link from an old chandelier.

Colour Inspiration

2011-11-01T05:44:00.000-07:00

Autumn treasures that I bring from my walks in the mountains and local markets. I love this time of the year!

The Ultimate Recycling

2011-10-25T15:07:00.000-07:00

Forget about jewellery made from plastic bottles, bags from car tyres and purses from beer cans. Talk about the ultimate recycling: beautiful houses built with all the above trash!

I have just watched a fantastic documentary called 'Garbage Warrior' about Michael Reynolds, an eco-architect who can free people from landfills, utility bills and mortgage payment. Far from a hippy or utopist, Reynolds is a down-to-earth passionate hard-working man who provides a practical solution for easing the burden that we humans put on the environment. I am not into the idea of happy community living but I would certainly love to live in one of the houses built by Reynolds!

Watch the documentary here

Brazilian Jungle Tamed

2011-10-17T13:34:00.000-07:00

Who said that Brazilian tree seeds are only for tribal looking jewellery? Look at my new creation: the seed is set on a vintage golden chain with rhinestones, a bow hat pin and a pea-shaped green turquoise bead finish it off and, voilà, the jungle is tamed!

New Goodies

2011-10-13T11:02:00.000-07:00

I have listed new designs in my shop. Vintage Murano glass beads, vintage chains, reclaimed metal and textiles all feature in the FABULA autumn collection. I am finally using the treasures that I have had for a while now: vintage beads that I bought on my flea market hunts, vintage Murano glass beads that were given to me a by a kind stranger who was retiring from his once thriving jewellery making business few years ago, old bangles that I rescued from a friend who was putting them in the bin.

New Treasures

2011-10-06T06:02:00.000-07:00

I went on a treasure hunt around old shops in the area a few days ago. And here is what I found: funky vintage belt buckles from the 70s and 80s and unwanted colourful bangles. They will be all turned into eco-fabulous jewellery in the next few weeks. Watch this space!

The Magic of Red Cabbage

2011-10-03T08:24:00.000-07:00

More experiments with natural dying. Such prosaic vegetable as red cabbage can help to create amazing shades of blue on vintage lace and textile!

Colours of Marrakesh

2011-09-27T09:14:00.000-07:00

I am just back from a weekend in Marrakesh where I found endless colour inspirations. Sparkles of blue, terracota, red and pink were peeking through the dirt and dust of the city, waiting to be discovered. I fell in love with that saffran yellow of the leather and terracota-pinks of the city walls.

Borlotti Beauties

2011-09-21T05:14:00.000-07:00

I just have shelled borlotti beans that I bought at a local market and realised how beautiful they are! Beetroot-red speckles on smooth shiny white... I would love to make a necklace from them one day! But for now, I will just cook a lovely vegetable bean stew. Yummmm...

Bracelets Made from Damadged Fishing Nets

2011-09-18T13:01:00.000-07:00

What a great idea for fundraising and recycling! A group of women from Japanese town of Sanriku that was badly hit by the tsunami are making wonderful misanga bracelets from the fishing nets damaged by the tsunami. Not sure if it is possible to buy them outside of Japan but I would certainly love to have a few of those!

The Project's Website

Natural Dyeing Rocks!

2011-09-12T06:39:00.000-07:00

I am soooooo excited about my experiments with dyeing vintage lace and reclaimed fabrics using only natural dyes. Everyting I can think of goes into the pot with my textiles: berries, onion skins, wine, malt drinks. The results are absolutely fabulous!!! I am using the dyed textiles for making jewellery and DIY kits.

On the photos below textiles are dyed using (from the top): barley drink, onion skins, wine (a quick boil), wine (long simmering).

DIY kits from FABULA

2011-09-08T04:20:00.000-07:00

Just listed a new product in my FABULA Destash shop - DIY kits for making textile cuffs.

Each kit has silk scraps, pieces of antique and vintage trims and lace, some of them are hand-dyed by me using only natural dyes (fruit, berries, vegetables and various plants!). I also put in reclaimed and vintage beads and buttons with some surplus semi-precious stones beads.

Let me know what you think!

I am back with cocktail napkins!

2011-09-07T10:42:00.000-07:00

Gosh, I really have been ignoring my blog for a while. The summer is over, so no excuse now.

I am a big advocate of re-using vintage and salvaged textiles in any possible way to save them from going to landfills. I use a lot of them in my jewellery and is thrilled to see great ideas on the internet. Here is one of them: vintage sheets cocktail napkins. Throw a cocktail garden party before cold days arrive!

Design*Sponge

Black and White

2011-01-30T04:03:00.000-08:00

After the trade show in Paris I managed to squeeze in a visit to the gallery Jeu de Paume at Place de la Concorde where an exhibition of phtotgrapher André Kertész was on. I love black and white photographs and this was an absolute treat.

Eclat de Mode - success for FABULA

2011-01-26T04:48:00.000-08:00

I am just back from Eclat de Mode - the international jewellery event for professionals in Paris. On my desk is a big heavy golden Sheriff star, which I am thrilled with. It came with a title of a Fashion Sheriff, which signifies that FABULA is at the cutting edge of jewellery design. It calls for a bottle of champagne to be cracked!

The Brighter the Better!

2011-01-16T02:42:00.000-08:00

I am absolutely in love with the jazzy colours of my new Spring-Summer collection! Putting last finishing touches before showing it at Eclat de Mode - Bijorhca in Paris in a few days. The new season promises to be bursting with colours.

See below: brass cuffs from The Bubblegum collection by FABULA, Gucci SS2011, Vogue Italia 2007 (source COLOURlovers.com), cocoricooo

Colour Inspiration

2011-01-13T11:31:00.000-08:00

It is grey and drizzly outside. I am supposed to be working on my spring-summer 2011 collection where the colours will be screaming happy and loud. But where do I find the heart-warming rainbow-coloured inspiration for that? In these Jonathan Zawada's bursting with colour landscapes. They brighten my day!

Source: Trendland

Adorable Moths

2011-01-09T09:54:00.000-08:00

I am absolutely loving these recycled cashmere moth appliques by Stella Neptune from Los Angeles! They are iron-ons, so you can cover up those nasty holes or stains on your favourite sweaters. But I have a better idea: I want to put them on a chain and, voilà, an eco-fabulous necklace is ready in an instant!

New collection: chunky and bold!

2011-01-05T04:19:00.000-08:00

I am so excited about my new season collection!! It will be launched at Eclat de Mode - Bijorhca in Paris later this month, so I am getting ready for a lot of stress and last minute running around! This time I decided to take a step aside from the delicate romantic mood of my previous collection and have some fun. The new collection is full of bold colours, chunky shapes and character. I am using repurposed cords, recycled and vintage buttons, silk scraps and jersey remnants. Here is a cuff bracelet from one of the lines in the new collection.

Happy Christmas!

2010-12-23T07:41:00.000-08:00

Dublin is a fairy tale city these days: so beautiful and inspirational, all covered in snow. We are going to have a white Christmas here after all!

Happy Christmas, everyone!

Here are a few of my festive Flickr favourites:

From top down: Lord V, Paul Keleher
,eleri5

Pins with Vintage Buttons

2010-12-14T13:05:00.000-08:00

Recently I went to visit a friend in Abruzzo, Italy. His grandmother used to have a small haberdashery shop. Since the shop closed many many years ago all its lovely little treasures were stored in dusty boxes waiting to be discovered again. My friend kindly allowed me to rummage and take whatever I liked. I loved everything! Vintage lace, buttons, ribbons, it was a paradise for me!! These pins with the beautiful vintage buttons are the first of many pieces that I will be making over the next few months using the Italian treasures.

New Autumn-Winter Collection is in the Shop!

2010-10-15T10:47:00.000-07:00

FABULA autumn-winter collection is finally in my Etsy shop! Take a look at the adorable woolly eco-bling earrings, recycled bib necklaces and more!

Italian Vintage Treasures

2010-10-08T12:42:00.000-07:00

I am always on a look out for imperfect, old, worn and torn things, that I can recycle in my jewellery. But during my last trip to Italy I just couldn't resist and bought loads of beautiful hand-embroidered vintage linens at local markets. I couldn't cut them up and use for making jewellery, they were too perfect! So I decided to share my treasure finds in my destash shop on Etsy. These vintage Italian table toppers and cushion covers are full of charm and character and were made with love in the 60s and 70s.

Autumn-winter Collection is Launched

2010-09-09T13:38:00.000-07:00

FABULA is back from Bijorhca, Salon Eclat de Mode in Paris where the new autumn-winter collection was successfully launched.

Bib necklaces, long chains and cuff bracelets for the new season are made from recycled Donegal wool and silk, vintage lace, cascades of brass chains and rhinestones.

FABULA setting trends

2010-08-21T04:47:00.000-07:00

Great news! Two FABULA pieces have been picked for the Trends Section at Salon Eclat de Mode-Bijorhca in Paris. A textile brooch and a bib necklace will be displayed among a selection of headline creations for the forthcoming season.

I am veeeeery excited!

Paris is waiting

2010-08-14T03:22:00.000-07:00

I am back in action after a long and wonderful holiday in Italy. Getting ready for Eclat De Mode Bijorhca in Paris, the hottest jewellery trade show, which will be attended by 15 000 buyers from around the world. FABULA will be featured in the visitor's guide!

For more see Bijorhca website

FABULA is a Featured Member on the EcoEtsy Blog

2010-06-09T06:08:00.000-07:00

I am very happy to be a featured member on the EcoEtsy Street Team blog today! Yay!

For more go to:

Parisian Paradise

2010-06-04T14:38:00.000-07:00

I am just back from a short buying trip to Paris (sounds glamorous till you see me dragging a bag full of findings, chains, stones and fabrics in and out of metro!). Every time I go to the city of fashion I find something special. This time I found a paradise for fabric remnants lovers like me. Les Coupons de St Pierre is a little shop full of improbably beautiful fabric ends. They have synthetic mix fabrics for €5 per 3 metre cuts. But I was after silk and, thank God, I only had a limited amount of money in my wallet. It took me a while to find silk remnants under piles of other fabrics and then I just couldn't stop pulling them out. Priced at €15-30 for 3 metres they were so good I wanted to stuff my bag full of them!

If you don't like digging through mountains of stuff looking for treasures and easily annoyed by fellow shoppers going crazy around you, this little Parisian shop is not your place. Go across the road to it's bigger brother Marche St Pierre (the kingdom of tissues, as they call it on their website) to shop in a civilised manner and pay 3-4 times the price.

As for me, I love the thrill of unexpected finds, no matter how much of a stampede around me or how deep I have to dig.

Les Coupons de St Pierre, 1, Place St Pierre, 75018 Paris, metro: Anvers.

FABULA Giveaway on Crafting a Green World

2010-06-02T13:48:00.000-07:00

Becky at Crafting a Green World wrote up a lovely profile on FABULA and announced a giveaway where one lucky winner will get a piece of jewellery from my Etsy shop. The winner will pick whatever takes her or his fancy.

To enter the giveaway please go to

Showstoppers Sex and the City style

2010-05-30T14:11:00.001-07:00

I went to see Sex and the City 2 last night. Oblviously, not for the sophisticated plot lines or to pay a tribute to the talents of the actors. I went to look at the accessories, why else? And, boy, was I impressed! Big, bold, showstoppers were in every shot (I am not talking about those sporty hunks, no). And I loved it! Now I have a Sex and the City inspired wish list for high impact finds from Etsy. Here it is.

From left to right:
1st row: maslinda leather bib, Tattered elegance silver bib,
2nd row: vividcolors earrings, StudioLeanne's big ring,
3rd row: DolorisPetunia floating bib, blackmarketbaby velvet turban.

FABULA necklace featured on EcoEtsy

2010-05-26T16:35:00.000-07:00

I was doing my habitual browse through my favourite blogs and sites tonight and, hey, what do I see on the EcoEtsy Team blog? It took me a few seconds to realise that it was a photo of my recycled black bow FABULA necklace. It was featured for their weekly theme nomination.

They are pretty fussy over there about the pics quality, so I have to say a huge thank you to the fantastic Julia Kobalz, who took the photo and beautiful Sara Dunn, who modelled the necklace.

Destash Emergency

2010-05-23T14:16:00.000-07:00

I got a little greedy the other day. I bought an enormous bag full of exquisite vintage trimmings from the 60s and 70s. The lady who sold it to me said she bought the treasures some years ago from a Dutch lady, who had kept them on her attic in Amsterdam. When I came home dragging the huge sack, sweating and puffing, up the stairs, I realised had more than enough. And not all of them would suit for my delicate recycled jewellery. So I made a wise (I hope) decision and opened a destash shop on Etsy.

Take a look here

And here are a few snaps of the vintage lace and trimmings I'll be using for making my jewellery. Some of them are on bits of Dutch newspapers with the dates on! 1971 and 1975! I think some lace is even older than that.

FABULA at the Summer Fair in Marlay

2010-05-21T02:45:00.000-07:00

I will be showing and selling my new recycled jewellery collection (as well as some semi-precious stones showstoppers)at the Summer Fair in Marlay Park, June 11-13. Drop in for a browse and a chat!

FABULA showcase on cosa verde

2010-05-10T15:30:00.000-07:00

I believe in doing my bit for the planet, so I opened a new showcase store on cosa verde and they planted ten trees for me through Trees for the Future. This wonderful online marketplace makes it easy to find great green goods. Now every month as I pay my shop fee cosa verde will donate 10% to Accion charity that provides microloans and business training to poor people who start their own businesses, giving them the tools they need to work their way out of poverty.

See my eco-friendly jewellery on cosa verde

Photo by Julia Kobalz

Sunday Pick

2010-05-09T10:45:00.000-07:00

The temperatures are rising, woolly jumpers are stored away, bare-legged girls are out in the streets. So what do you do with your hot water bottle that kept you warm all winter? You turn it into a bag!!! Cool German online shop Abteil sells super-funky bags made from hot water bottles formerly used by the German Army.

For more Abteil bags click here

Thrifted Treasures

2010-05-05T13:48:00.000-07:00

I am lucky to have a very weighty excuse for my regular thrift shopping: it is for my business! This time I found some beautifully aged silk and cotton scarves, crocheted doilies with some charming imperfections and a bit of metallic yarn. In the next few days I'll be busy tea staining the lace, tattering the scarves and turning them into lovely jewellery.

Sunday Pick

2010-05-02T13:36:00.000-07:00

Silver with bright recycled plastic jewellery sounds like my kind of bling. I am loving Finnish designer's Alexandra Lindqvist stunning shapes and colours!

See more here

Spring Butterflies Bag

2010-04-30T08:30:00.000-07:00

The greenest product is often the one that already exists! Restyling is a way of making this planet greener. Here is a new adorable little number for my line of restyled bags.

Sunday Pick

2010-04-25T04:54:00.000-07:00

A lazy Sunday morning, the weather is throwing mood swings (sun-rain-sun-clouds)... Doing my habitual quick trawl through ethical fashion websites I found this fun recycled tote by Korean non-profit design shop, Eco Party Mearry. It is available on Poketo

Earth Day

2010-04-22T11:22:00.000-07:00

Today is Earth Day, so I celebrated it by recycling scraps of textiles and making lovely little FABULA brooches with the sun shining through my window. But, hey, every day is a green day for me as I am running an eco-friendly fashion business!

Reduce, Reuse and Recycle

2010-04-19T05:38:00.000-07:00

Hooray! I have become a member of EcoEtsy Team, a global team of eco-minded Etsy sellers. My designs are lovingly made from vintage, thrifted, antique, reclaimed and recycled fabrics and materials with a past. As other members of EcoEtsy I am constantly trying to come up with ways to extend the life of objects, postponing the moment when they get discarded and transform scraps into something beautiful.

Here are a few lovely eco-fabulous things from my fellow team members:

From the top: cloth market bag by RosyUndPosy, caffeine necklace by molecularmuse, wallet by cocoandmilkweed.

New Recycled Jewellery Collection

2010-04-08T06:41:00.000-07:00

Oh, I am so excited about my new Autumn-Winter (yes, already!) recycled jewellery collection! I am using a lot of vintage and recycled textiles, tattered handmade lace, brass and copper chains, old lurex threads, rhinestones (many of them recycled) and semi-precious stones. The colours are so decadent and earthy: bronze, copper, dusty plum, reds.

Here is a sneak preview:

Happy Easter!

2010-04-04T07:44:00.000-07:00

Here is my selection of eco-fabulous lovely things for this sunny (but cold!)day:

From left clockwise: celery green bag by eveldasneverland, industrial necklace by crayonmonster21, Easter necklace by eveldasneverland, vintage glass earrings by [metamorphosis].

Pile them up!

2010-04-01T13:16:00.000-07:00

I have just launched my new line of recycled jewellery. Funky and cheerful bangles and necklaces are made from upcycled cotton/rayon cord, reclaimed silk and lace. Pile them up and wait for the spring to arrive!

See more in my Etsy shop here

Waiting for the spring

2010-03-12T10:26:00.000-08:00

The daffodils are starting to bloom! My new restyled bags are inspired by the spring sunshine.

New Line of re-Styled Bags

2010-01-15T14:46:00.000-08:00

Time is flying! It is mid-January already! I am busy working on my new still-winter-but-thinking-of-spring line of re-styled handbags. I go around charity shops buying forlorn and tired looking bags and re-vamp them.

Here is one of my first creations for the new line. It was an almost new bag that looked boring, the handle was quite stiff.

I made cheerful dots out of a white leather skirt and an emerald felted jumper and embellished the bag. The handle was replaced with an old cahin belt. The bag is rejuvinated and ready to be loved again!

The Demise of The Clutch?

2009-12-23T07:05:00.000-08:00

After a long break I am back blogging. The break was fully justified: I was busy selling my jewellery and handbags to bewildered Christmas shoppers. I almost sold out and was horrified to discover that women are becoming either too sensible or losing the plot! They prefer a bag with handles to a clutch!!! Have they all gone blind and oblivious to the sex appeal of the timeless clutch?

I have always had clutches in my closet, fashion trends or not. When I was a student, I reclaimed one of my mother’s forgotten handbags, took the strap off it and turned it into a slinky small clutch. And guess what? I went to lectures with it! It barely fit two fat notebooks and a pen in it but I was happy. The seams burst under the weight of knowledge but by then I had found an oversized red patent leather heart-stopping clutch.

In my new collection of recycled handbags I have a number of oversized clutches and adorable small vintage ones, which I embellish with recycled textiles. They sell but slower and with an extra push. Younger girls seem to be more attracted to them and some fashion savvy gals, like Alice of Quirky Fashion. But many others are worried they’d lose a clutch in a pub crawl and say they need their hands free for a pint and a ciggie. But wouldn’t you rather hold a sexy clutch in your hand than a pint, girls?!

Zana gives you wiiiiings!

2009-12-07T13:38:00.000-08:00

When I saw them I nearly cried with envy! I wish I had designed them! Leather Wing Boot Straps by Zana Bayne are certainly innovative. They enhance the shoes that you already own - changing the silhouette and adding removable detail. Zana reckons they can be strapped on any type of shoes and boots.

The leather wings have some Prada vibe about them but they are, undoubtedly, more practical, sexy, with a touch of craziness but wearable. The price bites, though: $85 for a pair. On the other hand, they can help you to re-vamp your entire shoe collection.

They only come in black, given Zana's austere colour palette. Let’s hope that, maybe, one day she will see the world in colours and make her shoe wings in red or purple. Or pink, anyone?!

Keep an eye on Zana’s blog for fresh designs.

Be Warm and Huggable

2009-12-06T03:42:00.000-08:00

So soft, cheerful and bright, they'll make you very huggable and warm. And a little bit happier, I think. I just love Made in Mongolia accessories: scarfs with flower motifs, colourful hats, comfy slippers.

The happy range of felt accessories is made by a small charity that enables women from impoverished Mongolian households to become self-sufficient by using their traditional skills in new ways. All fashion accessories are sewn by hand by 50 local women.

Made in Mongolia accessories are sold in Avoca and Kilkenny Design stores and good craft shops throughout the country (for stockists go to Made in Mongolia) at reasonable enough prices: €36.95 for slippers and €39.95 for scarves. It also sells in Japan, the US, Italy and France.

I am in love with the red hat!

Lovingly Painted

2009-12-05T12:30:00.000-08:00

While trawling through Etsy.com I came across ScholarlyArticles, a shop featuring one-of-a-kind hand-painted vintage shoes and bags with an environmental conscience. Sounds like my type of accessories!

They are lovingly painted by a PhD student from Long Beach, California. What a great idea for updating your old scratched shoes and tired bags!

ECO-FRIENDLY ELEGANCE for FRUGAL FASHIONISTAS

2009-12-04T11:42:00.000-08:00

Elegance does not consist in putting on a new dress, said Coco Chanel once. To celebrate this wisdom my small eco-friendly label FABULA launches a collection of accessories to jazz up your winter outfits.

For this line I make affordable cuffs, ruffs and hand warmers from recycled textiles, fabric ends and vintage trimmings. I trawls through thrift shops and flea markets in search of colourful shirts and sweaters, which I then turn into one-of-a-kind pieces. I especially like working with men’s shirts as their masculine stripes look fantastic with feminine lace and opulent vintage ribbons. And they are bigger, which means I have more fabric to work with!!!

My FABULA range of accessories is built on creativity that doesn’t harm the environment. I find ways to repurpose and re-use as many materials as possible. Handmade lacy doilies are combined with silk chiffon and recycled cotton and, viola, a magnificent Elizabethan style (with a nod to Chanel!) set of cuffs and a ruff is born.

Prices for my cuffs, ruffs and hand warmers range between 25 and 55 euro.