www.pimelia.com.au is 'home to the creative exploits of Leah Sawyer' - who happens to be my niece! Leah was a graphic designer and photographer, but in recent times has poured her creative energy into upcycling vintage jewellery. Her jewellery was carried in quite a few boutiques, but working with 'found objects' made her feel more like a bricoleur than a designer, so she decided she had to create a line of jewellery that she had designed 'right from scratch' combining contemporary technologies with handcrafted finishes - and still adding small components from vintage jewellery to her pieces.

Leah is constantly sketching ideas in a journal. Using the Illustrator Programme, she created computer files from sketches that had a 'feel' of the Art Deco for her first collection as a designer. She found a green powered laser firm in Sydney to realise this collection. Sustainably sourced birch wood has been used for these pieces. Leah, who is also a very accomplished oil painter, has painstakingly painted areas of the jewellery, using layers of acrylic paint to achieve an absolutely smooth and matte finish. She has also added an iridescent medium to the acrylic paint just to make it scintillate a little. There are boutiques in Sydney and Melbourne now selling this collection, but you can go on to her website to purchase your piece.