Getting Your Bling

You've seen those fabulous Swarovski-studded phones, and think you might want one for yourself?



If you're a bling fanatic or aspiring to be one, one of the first questions to ask yourself is: how???

I've been-there-done-that and asked some of my "crystal-endowed" friends too. So I thought I'd share what I know. The more $$, the more expensive the option, but you'll usually also get higher quality or more service:

1. Stickers $

   You've probably seen it in stores like Best Buy and Target. They come in sheets with crystals on them. You just buy, peel it off and stick it on your phone or iPod or whatever. Here's one on Amazon and, of course, these guys.
   
   Pros: Inexpensive, easy, quick, variety of designs, not permanent
   
   Cons: Honestly, this is lame. These are not Swarovski crystals, usually they're not crystal glass at all, but plastic. It's like a fake tattoo: convenient, cheap, impermanent and obviously fake.
   




2. DIY Kits $$

   There are actually lots of these out there, on eBay and online stores. Just search for it in your favorite search engine. Shop around, there are lots of kits places: eBay, BlingDiva, CrystalIcing, LetsCrystalIt and lots more. The one I've personally had good experiences with is GlitterRing, they have a nice crystal color-picker, use a non-toxic glue, ship for free, great prices. Hey guys, how about some free crystals for the plug huh? *grin*
   
   DIY kits usually come with some kind of adhesive, some kind of applicator tool because those pesky crystals are small, instructions and of course the crystals. You're mainly paying for the crystals.
   
   Free tip: Make sure you're getting genuine Swarovski crystals. Beware of deals that look too good to be true, especially on eBay.
   
   Pros: Make your own design, color flexibility, can be fun, can have excellent results if you're patient and go nice-n-slow
   
   Cons: Make your own design (we're not all artists!), time-consuming, gluing can get messy, you might mess up




3. Bulk Crystals $$$

   
   I don't know anyone who's actually done this, but it's possible: instead of buying a kit, go out there and get what you need yourself: crystals, glue, applicator. This option may work better if you have used a kit before. I gave this option three dollar signs because in the end I think you will pay more and probably spend more time to get the same results.
   
   Here's why: let's say you've got a 3-color design in mind. For a normal sized phone you'll need a few hundred of each color at least. To get a price-break from a bead or crystal supplier, you need to buy at least one 10-gross Swarovski package (1440 crystals: $50-70 per package). But for three colors, that means you're buying 4320 crystals, much more than you need. You still need to run out to your local crafts store and find a good crystal glue. Do not use super glue. Plus most kits come with smaller crystals to fill in gaps. So you'll either have to buy those smaller crystals in quantity too, or live with the gaps.
   
   Pros: More crystals to work with, cheaper-per-crystal but not for the project, guaranteed Swarovski,
   
   Cons: Usually more expensive and time-consuming in the end, like buying anything in bulk, you'll pay more, have fewer options and get more than you probably need
   




4. Let The Pros Do It $$$$

   Now we're talking Paris Hilton, and by far the priciest option, this can easily cost more than your phone itself. Though people seem to get good prices on eBay for their used blinged phones. Best thing about this option is the quality work and peace-of-mind if you pick a reputable provider. The biggest ones seem to be NYC Peach, CrystalIcing and GlitterRing. I'm sure there are other good ones, maybe I just don't know about them; do a search. My advice, shop around a lot. Don't just look at price, send them emails or call them. They should get back to you promptly and professionally. Ask them about specific colors and designs you want. Some of the best phones I've seen are done by these pros.
   
   Pros: Done by pros, usually full-flexibility in crystal sizes, colors, designs
   
   Cons: You have to live without your phone for a few days (I know, this sucks)
   

There you have it. I left out one of the best and hardest parts of all this: picking your colors and figuring out a design. Look at everyone's photos for ideas. Remember that once you have crystals glued on, they are on. There's no turning back, but you won't want to!

Motorola Razr K1, aka KRZR, Passes Muster

The FCC gave it a thumbs up anyway, and that counts for a lot, right?

Cosmetically, looks to me like it's basically the Razr V3 - still thin, but now narrower too, which is great for people with smaller paws like me. That V3 is just sometimes too wide for me, especially after adding the Swarovski crystals. :-)

The last Razr V3 I had got pretty scratched and dinged up a bit. So you know what I had to do with it. Yep, you guessed it, I crystallized it with a "bling kit" I ordered online. Razr was good as new afterwards. The nice thing about an old scuffed up phone is that I'm not afraid to get set aside an afternoon or two to bling it out on my own. I only had to redo a small part of it, otherwise it was pretty easy. Soon I'll write up something more about that whole experience. So stay TUNED!

And what's with the metallic blue? Is dark blue the new pink, (which was the new black)?

I guess they're trying to appeal to the broadest audience. Pink, black and silver just don't cut it anymore. Now with 50 million Razr's out there, I figure that's about enough for every adult in Australia and Canada combined to own one (July 2005 UN Population Estimates: 20M + 32M). Wow.

Question for you folks at home is, how many of that 50 mil get the custom kitty treatment like the one pictured here. It's a little to cutesy for my taste, but you know me, any crystal is better than naked!

100,000 Years Later...We're Still Blinging

Think bling is the new thing? Think again! Archaeologists recently dug up beads used by our ancient diva ancestors from 100,000 to 135,000 years ago. Scientists believe that back then "beads were used as markers of ethnic, social and personal identity." So what's new?!?


The Sun online in the UK has a more lighthearted take on the story. I got a laugh out of this line:

"The only difference was that while today’s girls like to go clubbing, in the Stone Age they were more likely to get clubbed over the head."

You know, come to think of it, this is still happening today. Just tell the hired help for certain celebrities that no one gets clubbed anymore. Nothing's quite as neolithic as getting whacked by a Swarovski crystal-studded Blackberry.

Sidekick 3 Hazardous To Your Wallet?

Two friends of mine have the new T-Mobile Sidekick 3. They haven't had any problems with the phone, but some guys apparently did some experimentation and found that the magnet that latches the flipscreen is so strong it can pick up kitchen utensils and de-magnetize credit cards. We just had to try it ourselves on a blinged Sidekick 3, enjoy:




But that Amex still works, so I'm not sure I'm ready to panic yet!

Crystal-crusted LCD TV (Gizmos)

These crystal-studded flat-panel TVs are "limited edition featuring insets inlaid with crystal stones – crystallized with Swarovski". Special order only guys and gals, from International-Dynamics.

I'm holding out for the pink edition.

King of Bling? (Headlines)

From time to time, or maybe more frequently, I'll drop in some bling-related news of the day. Here's some hardcore bling:

Dwayne Wade Takes 'King Of Bling' When I first read this, I though we were going to see some crystal bling on these H2's, like what Burkitt & Burkitt did with this mini:

Okay, so it's actually a model of a mini, but it's still insane. If you haven't seen it, check out more on their website, this thing's amazing. According to them: "This one sixth scale Mini is encrusted with over 35,000 Swarovski crystals each individually placed by hand." And they want to do one for real, with over 1 million crystals.

That's what I'd call a Bling ride. Imagine this thing running into another car and the brilliant crystal shower afterwards.

What's Bling Anyway?

We all know what bling is, right? It's like the Supreme Court's definition of obscenity: you "know it when you see it." Especially if it catches the sun!

This is bling

I personally love exploring my local flea market / swap meet or shopping eBay for stuff like this.

Sometimes you can find something really nice at a great price. We all know that's the best kind of bling.

They're a little heavier than most, but I love these crystal hair clips. When you're wearing these they bring sparkle to your hair, draw attention to your head. And they work great as hair clips too. What more could a girl ask for?

I always look for the best quality crystal. For me, that means genuine Swarovski leaded crystal, the real deal, baby. If you want to know why, I'll blog more about that topic sometime.

This is bling:

A lot of girls are wearing butt-bling and boob-bling these days, thanks in large part to designers like bebe. Go bebe!

And who hasn't seen all the different rhinestone T-shirts, for bridesmaids, or just because? You can even have them custom made with your favorite expression, zip code or whatever.

This is definitely bling:

Some people think bling's a new Paris Hilton thing. There is nothing new about bling, as every princess who ever went to a ball knows. Bling's been around a long time. And I'm not talking about gangsta bling-bling.

This diamond and pearl tiara was made for Dutch royalty in 1839. Sweet. Me, I'll have to settle for a crystal rhinestone tiara, and my other blinged accessories.

My favorite bling of all:

Easy. Hands-down: Gizmo bling! Blinged cell phones and accessories are timeless ways to express your personality, be a diva, draw some fun attention. Whenever I'm on my blinged Razr I always get stares and nice comments from people.

Bling is the new Black!

Bringing Bling

Crystals are my passion. And I mean Swarovski crystal studded cell phones, iPods and more. So this blog is where I'm putting together all the news and information in my world about the fabulous world of crystal bling accessories. I hope someone out there loves crystals too! Some topics I hope to get to include:

• Who's been seen?
• New photos
• Best designs and ideas
• Wacky things with crystals
• Where to buy crystals
• How to do it yourself
• Info about crystals and working with them

The main goal is to spread the word and my love for all things crystal studded! Join me!