Category: Belly Dance

Ideas, hints and tips on improving your dance from practice to performance.

Categories
Belly Dance Design Jewelry

The origins of a jewelry designer

First Byzantium Collection Necklace - Cat's Eye by Davina

The Origins of a Jewelry Designer

The Byzantium Collection

As many of you have realized, 2011 marks a year of intensive change for me and my company.  I moved into a new studio (just to find out that the building is slated for demolition and my time here is limited) and discovered all kinds of treasures.  As I start purging the UFO’s (Un-Finished Objects) and sift through raw materials in preparation for using them or letting them go, I’m finding all sorts of lovely things that had gotten buried.

In one corner of the workroom is a pile of boxes full of beads and jewelry making supplies.  I have already sent many of these supplies out into the world in the form of raw materials to fellow jewelry artists, finished pieces for my patrons, and even a few gifts to myself.  As I’ve been working through a rather epic pile of tribal jewelry components, I found the very first piece of jewelry I designed and made myself.

I hired my good friend and jewelry mentor Laura Thompson of Beadzilla Jewelry to come and host a “ladies lunch & tea with jewelry” at my home.  There were five of us around a table, crafting away, and I made this necklace from a handful of beads and a piece of kuchi jewelry I adored.  Needless to say, I was instantly HOOKED on jewelry making and sucked up as much knowledge from Madame Beadzilla as I could.  Before I knew it, I was making and selling jewelry as a creative side-line to my costumes.  As time passed, I realized that jewelry making is fun, but it’s just one facet of my life as a designer.   Now, I make jewelry when called upon to do so.  I also make a few pieces and take them to art shows now and again.  But the truth is, I’d rather be making a head-to-toe costume than just focusing on the neck.  The Byzantium Collection is now created on a piece-by-piece custom for each client, sometimes even including a coordinating necklace.  But I’ll always treasure this very first piece.

It’s fun to sometimes peek into the past and see the personal relics and marvel at how things got started.  I’ve had a ton of fun as a jewelry artist.  Be sure to try your hand at jewelry design at some point!  Take a class, buy a book, or just get some materials to experiment with.  It’s fun, relatively easy, and you never know where you it will end up.   Enjoy!  ~ Dawn Devine ~ Davina

Categories
Belly Dance Publications

Belly Dance Magazines, Newsletters & Blogs

Belly Dance Magazines, Newsletters & Blogs – Belly Dance Information in the Information Age.

Do you subscribe to a belly dance magazine?  I must admit, I do!  I find it enjoyable to read articles written by dancers in far-flung areas with different perspectives, views and ideals.  I learn things, live vicariously through travelogs that document exotic trips, and am frequently amused by the warmth and humor that pours forth from our community.   There are dozens of magazines to choose from in print and eMag format, and at the end of this article, I’ve a not-quite exhaustive list of readily available print publications.

But in this era of the internet, there is much-much more information available.  Today, social networking has taken the world by storm, and thousands of dancers are logging on to FaceBook, starting Yahoo Groups or are blogging away about their unique experiences.  There are monthly newsletters, quarterly magazines, daily email missives available on a myriad of topics.  There is truly a mind-boggling array of resources to choose from.

Digital Magazines
Print magazines have not yet been replaced, but rather, have been enhanced by the development of the digital magazine.  Unlike a print magazine, they take up no space on the shelf, allow you to access large archives, and because they are limited only by the size of their site, they can publish as many articles and authors as the choose. The web’s oldest and largest digital belly dance magazines is The Gilded Serpent – with 1000’s of articles in their ever growing archives it would take an age to read them all www.gildedserpent.com. Other digital magazines include, The Hip Circle www.thehipcircle.com and iShimmy www.ishimmy.com.  Several print publications are beginning to offer digital version of their print magazines at reduced costs and are a greener alternative.  One magazine, Fuse, a tribal/fusion themed mag now offers a digital version www.fusetribalmag.com.  I recently switched, and I love that I can easily store the issues on my computer saving both money and space.

Social Media & Internet Groups
There are numerous message-board based communities that have belly dance groups. A quick web search will turn up thousands of belly dance themed groups on sights such as Yahoo.com, FaceBook, Linked In, Tribe.com and LiveJournal.com to a name few.  If there is a major social community group – there probably is a belly dance presence. Two of the most influential communities exclusively devoted to belly-dance are Bhuz bhuz.com and Belly Dance Forum www.bellydanceforums.net.

Clubs with Newsletters
All over the world dancers come together to form like-minded community groups that produce informal newsletters or professional publications.  Many major belly dance magazines have emerged from humble roots.  In order to access these newsletters, you often have to join a club or simply subscribe.  Two that I personally have participated in are MECDA – www.mecda.org and San Diego based SAMEDA – www.sdsameda.com You should look around for a club near you.

Blogs, Blogs, Blogs
If you’re reading this right now, you’re probably reading my own blog, Costumer’s Notes – www.davina.us Simply use your favorite internet search tool to type in the words that best identify your belly dance style and the word blog, and you will find there are hundreds, if not thousands of blogs everywhere.  Two that I’m following include. Belly Dance Diva – bellydancingdiva.com and Dilara’s Hip Mix – www.hipmix.net.

Newsletter Marketing
Practically every pro dancer now has a newsletter. Part of the brave new world of internet marketing, these newsletters vary in quality from well crafted and informational with articles and useful links, to banal listings of classes and events.  I must admit, I’ve signed up for dozens of newsletters in an effort to learn more.  I particularly enjoy Mahin’s BellyDance Quickies,  www.shes-got-hips.com/Quickies.html and her monthly newsletter which always has cute YouTube links. Another great newsletter is the .pdf formatted Hawaii Belly Dancer  Monthly Magazine www.hawaiibellydancermagazine.com

Of course, (insert shameless plug) you might be signed up to receive my own, costume-centric belly dance newsletter & digital magazine, Costumer’s Notes. I think it’s got excellent content, but I must say – I’m a big biased!  (Psst – The sign-up is on the top right!)

With so many informational options, no one person can read them all. So explore and choose the ones that are best for you.

Good luck and enjoy your hunt,
Dawn Devine ~ Davina

Print Magazines Worldwide

United States:

Belly Dance: A Raqs Sharki Magazine – http://www.bellydancemag.com
Chronicles – http://www.isisandthestardancers.com/
Fuse – http://www.fusetribalmag.com
Jareeda – http://www.jareeda.com/
Shimmy, Spirit of Dance – https://www.shimmyspiritofdance.com
Yallah – http://www.yallahmagazine.com/
Zaghareet – http://www.zaghareet.freeservers.com/magazine.html

United Kingdom:

NADA – http://www.nada.uk.com/Magazine.asp
MOSAIC – http://www.mosaicdance.org/magazine.htm

Australia:

Oasis – http://www.bellydanceoasis.com/

Germany:

Tanz Oriental – http://www.tanzoriental.de
Belly Dance Divas: Annual – http://www.belly-divas.com

Japan:

Belly Dance Japan – http://www.bellydancejapan.jp/english/index.html

 

Categories
Belly Dance Costuming DIY Publications

Belly Dance Costumes to Color – Coming in August

Belly Dance Costumes to Color by Dawn Devine
Belly Dance Costumes to Color by Dawn Devine ~ Davina - Coming in August 2011

Belly Dance Costumes to Color
new eBook coming in August

I’m so happy to announce that I’m nearing the end of the drawing phase of the coloring book I’ve been working on for the past few months.  I’ve spent a lot of time at the drawing table, and have created a lot of good drawings, a lot of bad drawings, and a few that are simply lovely.

Belly Dance Costumes to Color by Dawn Devine
Belly Dance Costumes to Color by Dawn Devine ~ Davina - Coming in August 2011 - Free to Costumer's Noes Newsletter subscribers or $5 for no-strings-attached download.

Over the past few weeks, I have been showing off the working sketches in progress. I’ve had several dancers ask questions and offer me advice about which ones to include, which to delete, and where to make changes.  “What’s wrong with her nose?”  “Are her hands supposed to look like that?” and “I’d wear that!” are all things I’ve heard recently.   But by far the most common question is “How much will this cost?” and “Where can I buy that?”

Belly Dance Costumes to Color is going to be released as an eBook and will be available in August.  For subscribers to the Costumer’s Notes Newsletter – good news – this coloring book is going to be FREE as a thank you for subscribing to my newsletter.   For those who want a no-strings-attached version, it will be available as a $5 downloadable .pdf.  Not everyone wants to read my newsletter and I totally understand, so I’m going to offer these two options.

Drawing pictures of belly dancers has just been a ton of fun!   I’m hoping that my readers and fans will enjoy having this opportunity to get creative with these pages.  I recommend colored pencil or fine-tipped marker, but if you want to use a more traditional crayon, by all means, enjoy!

Me – I’m heading back to the drawing board to see what else pops out.  I think I’m in a folkloric mood today!

I’ll post a few more samples next week.  Until then, Happy Costuming!  ~ Dawn Devine ~ Davina

Categories
Belly Dance Costuming DIY

Jean-Jinglers

Jean Jingler

Jean Jingler

Jean-Jinglers ~ Fun and Versatile Costume Accessory

I adore this little crafty jewelry making project.  It’s fairly easy to craft and can fit many budgets.  You can use recycled materials if you have excess jewelry pieces in your collection.  Versions of the jean jingler can be made in upscale rhinestones to earthy versions like this one, made from heavy tribal components.

What make this project special is the large swivel clasps on each end of the chain.  These clasps allow you to hang these things from nearly anything.  I like to wear them suspended from my jeans, hence the name Jean Jinglers.  But I’ve worn longer versions around my neck, shorter ones as anklets, and multiples can be linked together to make custom coin belts.   I’ve even constructed fusion costumes edged with chain so multiple unique jinglers can be suspended, arranged and rearranged for a myriad of looks.  To make these all you need is a pair of jewelry pliers to twist open the chain loops to apply your jewelry and coins. Let your materials and supplies guide your creativity.  Although this sample is symmetrical, this technique is great for charm-bracelet style accessories too.

Swivel Clasps
The essential component for this project are a pair of swivel clips that allow you to attach your accessor virtually anywhere.
Tribal Jewelry and Middle Eastern Coins
Along with large looped chain clasps, you will need a selection of embellishments. i like to use Middle Eastern coins and tribal jewelry components. For this sample piece, I am using a shield-like pendant drop and an assortment of Pakistani coins
Applying Coin to Chain
For this project, you simply use jewelry pliers to twist the loops open and slip the coin or jewelry element onto the loop twisting them closed.
If you have a large center medallion or a larger focal coin, be sure to make your jingler an odd number of links. This will allow it to hang in a balanced way, with the larger and often weightier showpiece in the center.

 

Once you have your pattern mapped out, keep applying the coins until your piece is finished.
Once your piece is finished, wear it where you like. I like to use a 16" chain for a necklace length jingler, 8 - 10" for an anklet and 7.5" to 6" for a bracelet. If you are planning on making a belt, you can use one long length the size of your hips, or you could make four or five jinglers that can then loop together to form a belt. My example piece is an 16" length.

 

Categories
Belly Dance Costuming DIY

Egyptian Pressed Coin Trim with beads

Egyptian Pressed Coin Trim with beads
Step-by-Step DIY tutorial

This is a classic technique for applying pressed coins to any costume piece. This method is great for edge finishes, but works equally well when stitched to the surface of the garment.

These photos are from a major assuite project I’ve been working on for the past few months. These head-to-toe ensembles are composed of a purchased assuite robe, and custom bra and belt sets. Along with a black bra and a pair of black harem pants, these five pieces create three fantastic head-to-toe looks.

The assuite robes were purchased on the internet. These robes didn’t fit very well, being exceptionally boxy. Our goal was to transform the robes, reshaping them into beladi dresses by nipping in the waist, reshaping the sleeves and neckline and adding coin trim to the hem and sleeves. The trim adds movement, shine and the lovely light tinkling sound we associate with Egyptian coin costumes. This last step is documented in this tutorial.

Materials:
Pressed Metal Coins – These coins were purchased via the internet (Check eBay for best prices – but don’t forget to shop your vendor friends to support your local dance community!) They come in a variety of sizes, this .5″ diameter coin is pretty standard and widely available. Rule of thumb – the bigger the coin – the less time spent sewing! How do you calculate how much you need? Measure all your edges. Lay-out how dense you want the coins to appear when you are done. Measure how many coins per inch. In this case, I needed 70″ of hem per dress. I wanted the coins to be 2 per inch, so I needed 140 coins per dress. But always buy more – I recommend double what you need! Why? Well, these are pressed metal, which means the hole you will be sewing through is really sharp. These coins will cut through the threads faster than you can say yallah, so keep a pile in reserve to make repairs.

Beads – Stitching through a bead allows the coins to flip and twist and are the key to allowing enough movement to create that light musical jingling sound. Because I prefer to stitch using a milliners needle, I try to buy beads with large holes. These were purchased inexpensively from a local craft store. Any small sized bead will work for this purpose including seed beads and rocailles.

Thread – The sturdier the thread, the more resistant to cutting and breaking your finished work will be. I like using a heavy weight button twist or an upholstery thread. Nylon thread will be more cut resistant than cotton. Rayon thread is the most delicate and I recommend avoiding. I once new a dancer who liked to work with kevlar thread for this kind of work. This thread is the strongest in the world, has a high price tag and is difficult to work with. But she never lost a coin! For this project, I’m using upholstery thread.

Needle – Your beads will determine the type and style of needle you choose to work with. I bought large seed beads to accommodate my needle and because they are easier to work with and add a little bit more shine when done. get needles that will easily pass through the beads you have.

Other items – Other tools you will need complete this project, you will also need a pair of scissors and I highly recommend using a thimble. I also recommend using beeswax or thread conditioner to help keep your thread from twisting or knotting as you stitch. You might want to measure and mark your stitching locations using chalk and a tape measure or ruler to measure.

Order of Construction:

First Coin - Pull thread from back to front.
Pull thread through bead.
Next, run needle through the coin. At this point, you want your coin facing up, though, they will be able to flip around, it's a good habit to be consistant in the positioning of your trims
Pull your thread back up and through the bead again.
Run your needle through the cloth and knot. Don't pull the thread too tightly, or the coin will not bounce and move. Also, if the thread is too tight, there is more chance that the coin will cut through the thread.
Once you've knotted the thread above the coin, use a slip-stitch to move to your next location. With assuite, you can really see the needle sliding through the fold made by the hem.

The final result, an edge finish with that touch of Egyptian bounce, shine and musical jingle.

Pack a repair kit – Pressed coins are sharp where the hole is punched. This style of coin will slice through the thread over time. Since you’re stitching this yourself, you can prepare a kit to mend and repair your costume as needed.

Top Tip – Recycled candy tins are my favorite way to store specialized repair kits. I use inexpensive bobbins so matching thread is available without hunting for everything. Be sure to label your tin with a quick hand-written label or get fancy with a photo of yourself decoupaged to the top.