Sondra Celli

Sondra Celli. Her name is synonymous with adjectives such as bling, sparkle, over the top. And that is well earned. Celli worked her way up from the bottom to become the premier dressmaker (second only, in my opinion, to Thelma Madine, but definite #1 in North America) for the gypsy traveller set, among others who are looking for the most unique, impossible to replicate items for their special day. Not only does this book tell us Celli's history and how she runs her business at the present, it also gives the reader patterns and tips to make their own bling-worthy attire. This book was interesting, fun, and an absolute must-have for and "My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding" fan! Five stars and a huge thank you to LibraryThing, Sondra Celli, and Schiffer Publishing for providing me with this book in exchange for an honest review.… (meer)

I was pleasantly surprised by BLING!, a glimpse into the world of fashion designer Sandra Celli known for her work on the tv show My Big Fat American Gypsy Wedding. The book is half how to, half bio and crystals, crystals everywhere.
Some of the dresses where quite lovely but I found many of them to be a bit unclassy for my personal taste. However, It was interesting to read her personal journey as a designer, hear about the non-traditional materials she has used over the years, and of cousre I always enjoy seeing photos of artist personal studios. I did feel chapters 3 & 4 were out of order in this book as it caused me confusion to jump from her life journey, to a day in the life of a designer with the tv show already established, back to how the tv show started.
The projects in the how to section did not necessarily inspire me but they did give clear, easy to follow step by step instructions which you can use to create your own projects. The how to photos are large & clear making following along easy to do.
Altogether, though not my personal design taste, I found the book interesting & easy to read. If you like bling, you'll like BLING!

Recd as part of LibraryThing Early Reviewers program for my honest opinion.… (meer)

BLING! is a fascinating story of designer Sondra Celli. The book highlights scenes from her television series My Big Fat American Gypsy Wedding. The book combines fashion insights, her struggles as a designer, and the pressure of designing.
The second half of the book shows you how to create 14 bling-tasting projects of your own. I loved this part, and plan to create a few of the projects for myself.
The book is loaded with pictures to enjoy and excellent instruction for doing your own BLING!… (meer)