Jet Set

I don't know exactly why, but these earrings make me think of jetliners and rocketships--old-timey rocketships out of a 1950s Flash Gordon episode. They're copper with sterling silver wirework (including hand-forged earwires), and little antiqued-silver-plated flower caps over foiled glass beads in fuchsia. I think they need a long, lean silhouette--maybe a drapey, old Hollywood silver screen-style gown like you might see Charlize Theron wear to the Oscars.

Via Polyvore

(Mixed metal bracelet above by TheBeadGirl on Etsy)

These earrings will be available in my Etsy shop later this week.

Pop My Top

I love quirky and fun. Bottlecaps the definition of quirky to me. They are an affordable type of kitsch that brings back memories of our childhood, or afternoons tipping back a cold beverage. Good times.

{Pop My Top earrings}

In 2011 I met Cathy Collinson at Glass Garden Beads at the Bead & Button show. I had admired her bottlecap beads for some time and as I pawed through her bins of thousands of different bottlecap beads I asked her if she had ever seen the Point Root Beer guy from the Stevens Point Brewery (they make beer and soda). Yes! She told me that she sells out of them almost immediately because they are so fun with the signature conehead guy (do you remember the Coneheads from SNL? The Pointer guy looks like their grandpa) and the quirky sayings on them. Things like... Get the Point... Turn Me Loose... Twist & Shout... Point Well Made.

{back of the earrings - Turn Me Loose - can spin around depending on your mood!}

I told Cathy that I could get her all the Point bottle caps she could want just by going down the street to the little pizza place. I did that for a few months, stopping by now and then and carting out a bag of bottlecaps at a time. I ended up with a full gallon bag of Point Root Beer bottlecaps and a second bag of other caps. Then I met up with Heather Lawrenz at the booth during this years' Bead & Button and presented my offering and my request: would they take what was useable from this bag and make me 100 bottlecap beads with assorted messages on each side? (Usually they try to match the message.)

{bowl o' bottlecap beads}

Within about a week they had made up the bottlecap beads for me - super speedy! - and I had them in my hands. I have ones with holes from top to bottom, a few with two holes near the top for stringing, and some from side to side, with the images upside down so no matter which way they flip it will be right side up! Clever!

I plan to make fun necklaces and bracelets and earrings like these for sale in our little home town where the Stevens Point Brewery is located... and the University of Wisconsin Stevens Point, home of the Pointers.  In this pair I used some quirky pixies from MyElements in the Pointers' colors of purple and gold. I hope that the fans snatch them up in time to cheer their team on. Go Pointers!

{Stevie Pointer}

What about you? Do you love kitschy and quirky? Do you have a favorite bottlecap in your collection of things? Do you ever make earrings appealing to a sports team or activity? Do tell!

Erin Prais-Hintz invites you to go on a journey of inspiration at her blog Treasures Found :: Inspiration is Everywhere. You can view a gallery of her work at http://www.tesoritrovati.com/ or purchase her new line of 'Simple Truths' in her Etsy shop.

Bohemian Wrapsody

I have a new component I'm calling Earring/Bead Bails, last week's Snakeskin Swivel Earrings Everyday post from me was the first time I showed them off.
 Now I've made them bigger and turned them upside down.


Bohemian Wrapsody on Etsy

My friend Staci of Staci Louise Originals inspired and encouraged me to go bigger and bolder!!

So I did just that!

Earring Bails in Copper with Houndstooth texture outside Paisley texture inside.

Bronze Freshwater Pearl discs, Lampwork by Radiant Minda and

amazing Green Kyatnite daggers.

Kristi
KristiBowmanDesign.Etsy
KristiBowmanDesign.Artfire

Layered

In keeping with what seems to be my consistent habit of adding flowers to all my earrings lately, here are some layered filigree components that I torch-fire enameled together, and embellished with Czech glass.....um, flowers!  I can see these paired with a fun, flirty maxi sun dress!

I have been having fun layering these components and will have a few of them added to my Melismatic Morsel  arsenal soon!

These eclectic earrings and more can be found at my website...Melismatic Art Jewelry!

Bumble and Bumble

Warm summer days and lots of bumble bee activity in my gardens these days. This is the basis for inspiration in my studio too! Always a fan of nature but  never a fan of the bees, they have me dodging them and throwing my back out in the process. I want to love them, I really do. But it's a love hate relationship. SO instead, I've used these sweet little polymer bumblebees from Tree Wings Studios. Dangling on bits of delicate brass chain behind some polymer pinwheel flowers, layered with vintage flower buttons.  Easy and lightweight to wear and perfect with any summer outfit. You can find these earrings in my webstore, here.

Damian Synnott Photography

Blue by Blue ~

Fun textured copper links are so fun.....

sky blue to ocean blue....

a beautiful range of patina finishes....

little crackled beads dangle easily....

While looking for places to take some interesting pictures, 

I found this little fellow....

I think the camera likes him! 

Melinda Orr....Melinda Orr Designs

Plummy Orbs

Subtly Plummy Orbs

These earrings feature beads from one of my favorite beadmakers--Alisha White. I just love the hollow globes she does. These are in a mysterious taupe-plum, so subtle it's almost impossible to identify. There's almost an iridescence about them, like a soap bubble. And of course they're light as air to wear!

These are on a slightly longer earwire, so they will swing just a little:

I had in mind a little "Coyote Ugly" ensemble, with just a hint of faux-demure:

Via Polyvore

You can visit my Etsy store by clicking HERE. (And here's what sounds like an interesting recipe for making your own plum liqueur...)

Earring Swap

I like to participate in swaps and hops. Recently I had the good fortune to get into an art bead earring swap organized by the lovely Miss Diana Ptazynski of Suburban Girl Studios. Diana matched each of us up with two partners that we would send earrings to that included art beads. I was paired up with the sweet Miss Patti Vanderbloemen and the ever delightful Miss Mary Harding. Here are the earrings that I was sent:

{Earrings from Mary Harding featuring her own earthy handmade charms backed by clever little translucent mica washers and dangling from copper links with Swarovski crystals}

{Patti sent me not one but two pairs! I love the beautiful ceramic beads (I think they were from SueBeads) on these and the pretty bronze clay dangles from Lesley Watt. This color will go with everything in my wardrobe!}

{This second pair has the most amazing charms from Kristi Bowman-Gruel and some cool blue stones. These are delish!}

{What I sent to Patti: vintage new old stock lampwork glass beads from the White Snake company in Japan, made in 1948 and some swirly green ceramic charms from Marsha Neal Studios}

{What I sent to Mary: (unfortunately I had the wrong address so they came back to me, but these are now on their way to her!) sweet ruffly little glass headpins from Mallory Hoffman as the center of the bloom with brass leaves and some leaves and vines I made using seed beads.}

You can organize your own earring swap with some friends either with ones that you make yourself or ones that you buy. A great way to share earring love!

Erin Prais-Hintz invites you to go on a journey of inspiration at her blog Treasures Found :: Inspiration is Everywhere. You can view a gallery of her work at http://www.tesoritrovati.com/ or purchase her new line of 'Simple Truths' in her Etsy shop.

Starry Skies

Without a lot of time to work lately I decided to show you something that I made about a month ago. Fun Polymer Clay stars with loads of dangles! Surprisingly light for their size!

 For my American Friends the 4th of July will be here before you know it so why not celebrate in style!

You can find these and many other designs in My Etsy Shop!!

Marie

Earring Display: Monogram It

I discovered a site called Earring Holder Gallery. Their motto is "If you see them, you will wear them." So true! I can't count the number of earrings that I have forgotten about or thought lost, only to find them lurking in the back of a drawer someplace. I love monograms and especially fonts. This Monogram Swirl display brings together those two loves and solves the dilemma of what to do with all those earrings I have amassed. I think that this display from Earring Holder gallery would be a beautiful gift to give to the girl who just got her ears pierced... with a few pairs of earrings attached of course!

And for a clever add-on, their Jewelry Sticks are designed to complement the earring displays and when hung underneath the display allows you to untangle your necklaces and bracelets as well!

Erin Prais-Hintz invites you to go on a journey of inspiration at her blog Treasures Found :: Inspiration is Everywhere. You can view a gallery of her work at http://www.tesoritrovati.com/ or purchase her new line of 'Simple Truths' in her Etsy shop.

Snakeskin Swivel

Snakeskin Swivel on Etsy

Funky Copper Snakeskin Bail with large rough Turquoise Rondelles nestled between.

I'm firing more of these bails tonight so they will be available in my Etsy Shop soon.

I'm working on several other styles too.

Don't ya just love Turquoise, wouldn't this funky scarf look good with these earrings.





Felted Scarf by SilkShop

Kristi

KristiBowmanDesign.Etsy

KristiBowmanDesign.Artfire





Pale Tropics

I have been holding on to these pretty floral porcelain charms created by LeAnn Weih of Summers Studio for a while!  I love the pale green glaze with just a hint of blue in the depths.  They are so sweet ...to me they didn't really need anything else...I could just put them on earwires and call it a day.  I didn't do that, though...I added some pale green fluorite beads that are carved into flower shapes, the wrapped sterling wire around them in a "herringbone" weave for a little extra somethin' somethin'.

I can envision wearing them at the beach or boardwalk with an outfit similar to this I put together on Polyvore.

Summer Knockabout by melismatic featuring short sleeve t shirts

These earrings and more of my eclectic jewelry can be found at Melismatic Art Jewelry!

Earring Display from Australia

{Gum Tree Display}

I love trees for displays. Can't get enough. But I also have a fondness for quirky buildings. These two displays from Australian company Polli features locally sourced wood in intriguing cut out shapes that would be perfectly at home on my mantle with tealights behind it as it would on my dresser holding all my earrings.

{Amsterdam Display}

Erin Prais-Hintz invites you to go on a journey of inspiration at her blog Treasures Found :: Inspiration is Everywhere. You can view a gallery of her work at http://www.tesoritrovati.com/ or purchase her new line of 'Simple Truths' in her Etsy shop.

Copper Obsession Earrings

I'm calling these latest earrings, Copper Obsession, and that's because lately I have been obsessed with hammering copper and then using liver of sulfur to patina on the pieces. I just can't stop, I took a break from it a year or so ago and now I'm back to it. Copper has to be my favorite metal to work with AND to wear. These gorgeous lampwork beads are by Bubby & McGurk Beads.

I think they'd look great with this cute summer combo!

You can find bead pairs like these HERE on Bubby & McGurk Beads. To see these earrings and more of my work visit my website.

Thanks for looking :)

Kristy Abner

Kristy's Kreations