The Convenience of Customizing Your Wedding Ballet Flats

When it comes to weddings, being able to customize your accessories provides you with so much more flexibility and uniqueness  Nothing is more special than having something made just for you, in your color palette to match the rest of your wedding decor and your wedding setting.

Sol Bijou ballet flats are not only crafted in your wedding colors, which means selecting the fabrics and decorations you wish, but also, they are made in your size.  Commercial sizes not always provide brides with the proper fit.  To address this dilemma, I make my flats according to the unique measurements of each client and each foot.  Let's face it, our bodies are not completely symmetric.  In most cases, one foot is longer or wider than the other.

Being able to customize your ballet slippers allows you to have a pair of elegant wedding flats in any size and color. Tall brides no longer have to worry about not finding feminine, original and chic foot-wear.

After many years creating wedding accessories, I have come to learn that white and ivory are no longer customary wedding colors.  Today brides are very creative, bolder and more willing to break  past wedding "norms" and "traditions".  This is the case of Susan, who chose a beautiful and delicate wedding palette: white, mint, purple and lilac.  Susan approached me with a photo of her wedding bouquet.  She mentioned that her wedding "theme" revolved around the general look and shades of her bouquet, as such, she wanted a pair of comfortable wedding flats to match.  She knew she wanted her pair in white lace combined with mint, utilizing lilac and purple as accent colors.  Moreover, Susan suffers from Fibromyalgia.  A painful condition which calls for flexible and soft shoes, crafted in a comfortable size.  She was not prepared to sacrifice fashion, femininity and elegance.  The result: The pair of ballerina flats shown below crafted just for her (I am also showing her bouquet)

Alexa, on the other hand, was getting married in Aruba.  She wanted her flats to be made in a fabric that would capture the beach setting where the ceremony would take place.  I recommended linen for her shoes, as this fabric is breathable, fresh and its color reminds me of  the color of sand.  She provided me with a photo of her venue, as well as the beach where she would be tying the knot.  You can see for yourself, how unique her flats turned out!

Sophie, a bride from the UK, desired a pair of flats for each of her 4 bridesmaids. She provided me with a photo of  the dress she had selected for them.  As her own wedding dress was ivory, we came up with this pair of ballet flats which complimented her bridesmaids dresses beautifully!

Rhonda, a bride from Australia, dreamed of having a mint and blush wedding.  She provided me with plenty of photos which captured, not only her bridesmaids dresses, but also, her venue, cake, place setting, bouquet and boutonnieres.  I just LOVE this delicate color combination.  Here is her pair of ballet flats

Sonya was having a garden wedding.  She selected coral, ivory and turquoise for her wedding colors.  In fact, she provided me with a photo of the wedding bouquet she would be carrying, so that her ballet flats could be made to match it.  I just love how her pair of shoes turned out!

I take pride in the fact that I can match any shade of any color, as I strive to make your wedding as unique as you are.  You no longer have to settle for conventional, cookie-cutter flats!

In no time flat- The birth of Sol Bijou Ballet Flats

It never ceases to surprise me how inspiration works.  You are in the midst of doing something, completely engaged in the activity, and all of the sudden an idea hits you like a lightening bolt.  I now recognize that feeling more easily than I used to.  That very familiar feeling.  The feeling of creativity. It is something one must act upon, and has to be done quickly...You see, you are "given" a very small window of opportunity. It is up to you to "take it or leave it" Just like a dream that is so real while we are asleep, and yet it seems to vanish once we awaken, creativity works the same way.  It does to me, anyway.  The longer I wait to carry out what my inspiration guides me to do, the more momentum the creative forces shed.  One of those moments was when I was inspired to come up with my first pair of wedding ballet flats.  It wasn't an easy task.  There was nothing out there quite like what I envisioned, so I proceeded to make a sketch of it. 

It took trial and error. Numerous sleepless nights, and endless brain-storming sessions to come up with a pair of ballet flats that would not only be pleasing to the eye, but also be comfortable to wear.  

I sold my first pair of ballet flats on Etsy back on August 14, 2011.  

It was a simple ivory satin pair. Dainty and feminine. It wasn't perfect, yet, the bride loved her flats.  Her feedback allowed me to continue improving them.  I invested numerous hours in order to come up with the right fit, the right design, the final master piece.  Have I accomplished perfection?  I believe so, and I am very proud of this long journey.

Today, I offer a HUGE variety of ballet flats, crafted in various fabrics, such as satin, lace, sequin, faux suede, cotton, velvet, to name a few. Plain designs, or designs with embellishments.

I custom-match wedding colors to ensure your flats are designed in your wedding palette. My ballet slippers are custom-made.  This ensures that the pair fits each of my clients like a "glove".  A pattern is created for each foot in order to achieve the perfect fit. 

Who purchases Sol Bijou ballet flats?  Brides who love comfort, impeccably-crafted shoes and aesthetics.  Many of my brides (like me) have one foot longer than the other, or a wide-shoe fit.  I have also encountered brides who have physical limitations, such as fibromyalgia or asymmetric feet who are unable to find a flexible, cushioned and soft pair elsewhere.

Imagine your bridesmaids wearing a unique pair of ballet flats that displays your preferred shades, beautifully made and decorated, in perfect sync with your wedding palette and decor....

In my Eyes: The Perfect Marriage

I just posted on Etsy my newest creation. I consider it to be the perfect marriage between both my passions: Fabric and Wire-Wrapped gems.

"Breathless", as I named this mini-bib was created with rolled satin roses in shades of champagne and cream - these flowers are made by me, and have been embellished with an assortment of findings, pearls and rhinestones to complement the colour of the blooms. In order to create texture, I added silk flowers and tiny ribbon rosettes to the mix. Finally, I created "floral branches" by twisting non-tarnish silver artisan wire with quality faceted Fluorite marquise, faceted Kyanite briolettes, Rock Quartz briolettes, Swarovski Pearls, Moonstone and Rose Quartz. A feminine satin ribbon in lilac and champagne completes the look. Unfortunately, the pictures don't quite capture the detail and lustre of the stones, and the richness of this piece.

Spring is in the air!!!









Just found out that the necklace was just included in an Etsy Treasury - Check it out!

Sol Bijou Introduces: Etsy Shop stucktogether

Once you find out what this shop is all about you will see how appropriate the name is!!!! Stuck Together – as her owner Wendy says – "is dedicated to the glory of the magnet”. Indeed, you will find the coolest, cutest magnets in a variety of colors and shapes, and if for some reason you can’t find what you are looking for, just ask Wendy!!

“My name is Wendy Parker and I am a single momma to an amazing four-year-old girl. We live happily in Apex, NC, just outside of Raleigh. I have always been a crafty person and have dabbled in various types of crafts for years. I recently opened a jewelry shop on etsy and made some glass pendants for that shop and really loved the process. Those pendants led me to making the magnet sets and I opened Stuck Together in January. I love looking for images and fun papers to use and get very excited when I find one that I know will look beautiful under glass. I try to create something for everyone because I think they make a universally fun and affordable gift”

Learning New Tricks!

As much as I love working with wire, I am also very intrigued by fabric. So, slowly I have been immersing myself into a new world...Recently I created various types of Statement Necklaces - Last night I learnt a new technique: how to create fabric roses. I purchased a few yards of organza and ribbon - in serveral colours - and I let my imagination run wild. Below is yet a new style of Bibs. This time, I have incorporated some of my new roses, which I placed in the centre of the necklace. I have to admit that I am pretty happy with the outcome. There is more in the works...I have some night pieces, as well as bridal pieces waiting to be born!

What is Gold Filled?

We all know that gold is not inexpensive, and these days the spot price is going upwards of $500 an ounce. So there is an economical alternative that keeps a solid layer of 14 karat gold in contact with skin! 14 karat gold filled is the affordable solution. Gold filled is an actual layer of gold-pressure bonded to another metal. Gold filled is not to be confused with gold plating, as gold filled literally has 100% more gold than gold plating. Gold filled is much more valuable and tarnish resistant. 14K gold-filled jewelry will not peel or flake and can be treasured as heirloom pieces. By law, it has 1/20th by weight layer of 14 karat gold permanently bonded over a core of base metal. It has far more gold than the few microns coating of gold in gold plate, a hundred or more times the amount of gold.

Gold Filled has been referred to as the "Gold of the Future" because it offers all the same physical characteristics as solid gold such as beauty, durability, and strength, but at a fraction of the cost. Since the gold is on the outer surface area, it is nearly impossible to tell the difference between solid gold and Gold Filled, except when it comes to the cost!

To care for your gold-filled jewelry take a small bowl that will hold about a quart of water and line it with aluminum foil. Add hot water and a tablespoon of Tide washing powder (not liquid or with bleach) and stir. Place your jewelry in the solution for about 1 minute and rinse with clean water and air dry. This works great on Sterling Silver too and it will not hurt any stones. If you have a build-up of dirt in hard to reach places, just put a little dish washing liquid in a bowl of water and soak over night.

This necklace was created using 14k gold filled. It is a mosaique necklace with Aqua Chalcedony, Amethyst, Aquamarine, Citrine, and Czech Glass. I used hair-thin gold filled wire to coil and wrap the precious stones. The results can be seen below.

Sol Bijou Introduces: Etsy Shop Riorita

Etsy has some of the best talent I have ever encountered. As such, I will be dedicating every Wednesday and Friday to feature some Etsy artisans and their creations. Today I wanted to show off RIORITA. Irith handcrafts beautiful silver and gold jewelry. Her designs are unique and her creativity is endless. Below is some of her beautiful work. Thank you Irith!











"My name is Irith Rita Mashiah but I call my Etsy shop Riorita. I have been handcrafting silver and gold jewelry for the last 15 years or so. I live on Mount Carmel in Haifa, Israel, and travel everyday to my jewelry workshop in a small artists “colony” in Kibbutz Ein Carmel, not too far away from Haifa.
I design jewelry in silver and gold. When designing my jewelry, I like to be a little inventive but also create jewelry which will make women feel elegant and feminine. I like to search for various gems, unique pieces of glass or semi precious stones, and then I try to combine them in my jewelry. I call some of my items " ancient style". I do so without copying ancient designs, but try to craft a new idea which reminds us of jewelry which was created centuries ago. Other items are free form jewelry and natural forms, such as leaves, flowers etc., side by side with classic, symmetrical shapes."

The BIB - a Statement Necklace?

From time to time I enjoy putting my wire, gems and wire-wrapping techniques aside to try something different. This time I used a gorgeous lace applique to create this one-of-a-kind necklace.

Though it has a rather infantile name, celebrities and tastemakers alike are going ga-ga for a decidedly grown-up accessory: The Bib Necklace. Although I am working on some "Night Out" bibs, I wanted this one to be fresh and romantic, so I used hues of pink and purple. Tiny handmade silk flowers, as well as wire-wrapped Chalcedony and Czech Glass (to form one of the larger blooms) went into making this lace applique quite unique. To complete the look, I attached a feminine lilac velvet ribbon, which ads versatility to this piece. Wear it tied high, low or in between, with your favourite outfit, this unique necklace will earn endless compliments!

Inspired by Butterflies!

Today my husband and I took our 5 year-old to "Wings of Paradise",a butterfly conservatory in our town. The place features 2000-3000 live free-flying butterflies and over 12 bird species on exhibit year round. The tropical butterflies are raised in Costa Rica and the Philippines. These colorful species are kept in tropical gardens, which create a lush and colourful backdrop to the free-flying butterflies. This tropical experience was a wonderful contrast from the frozen temperatures we have been experiencing in Ontario-Canada.

While at the conservatory, the most beautiful butterfly - in hues of purple and pink - caught my eye, and became today's inspiration for my most recent creation: "Sigry in Purple", which I haven't posted in Etsy yet.





Here is a shot of the necklace before it was oxidized. I really like the colour contrast between the darken sterling silver and the purple/lilac of the gems



Here is the link for more information on "Wings of Paradise"