Northern Lights

I love Fluorite and I love pairing it with silver! I bought a strand of these pillow faceted gemstones several years ago and I use them very sparingly (some might call it hoarding!). I oxidized the sterling ear wires, washers and wire with liver of sulphur. One of the things that I find most interesting about using gemstones in my jewelry is the healing powers associated with many of them. Fluorite is known as the "multi-tasking" gemstone. It is what they call multi-dimensional, in that it advances the highest aspect of the mind and balances the negative and positive aspects of the mind and ego which allows one to experience inner peace. Sounds good to me! It is also such a gorgeous gemstone.

Picture found at Shimmerlings.com

These earrings are available here on my website.

Have a fabulous weekend! Oh, and remember next Friday Erin will be posting an inspiration for our monthly "We're All Ears" challenge. This month's challenge was a lot of fun so be sure to check it out. 

Thanks,

Kristy Abner

Kristy's Kreations

Spring Thaw

Spring Thaw

Yeah, it's not quite here yet (woke up to 0 degrees yesterday), but a girl can dream! These earrings make me think of early spring, when the first tender green shoots appear through the ice and snow and the sky is brilliant blue. I love the sound of running, trickling water everywhere here in the mountains when the snows melt, and the sun flashes off of dwindling icicles. I can hear Copland's "Appalachian Spring" in my head just thinking about it!

Here is a little Copland to get you in the mood for Spring:

We're on the home stretch!

Keirsten
Lune on Etsy
The Cerebral Dilettante
Lune's Photostream

Spring Fever Earrings

I bought a set of 8 of these great, curved copper components, from Melinda Orr,  a couple of years ago.  I've made several pairs of earrings with them, and I keep thinking of new ways to use them.  This week I strung a pair of them with orange WoolyWire and accented them with lampwork glass beads from Beads and Botanicals.

Spring Fever Earrings

 These would look great on the weekend or with causal work attire.  They'd brighten things up, without being overpowering. 

Spring Fever Earrings

Like so many of us, I'm getting restless for spring to arrive.  So thinking ahead, I'd pair the Spring Fever earrings with a pretty blouse like this, along with jeans and boots.

Long Stem Spectrum Blouse, Anthropologie

 Wishing you sunny weather!

Linda

Linda Landig Jewelry on Etsy

Linda Landig Jewelry on ArtFire

The Crow

The crow bird. 

To some- a sad, lonely, even mean bird. 

Dark, and mysterious. 

Not what I imagine when I see the crow.

I see my (late) aunt on the lawn... feeding them bread. 

I asked her why she fed the birds- she said- 

because I like them. A simple answer. 

What else did I expect?

It's funny what inspires our art, our creations. 

A memory, a lost love, a color we are drawn to. 

Whatever it may be, we know what it means to us. 

Our jewelry doesn't always have to have meaning behind it- 

but more often than not, I think it does. 

That's what makes us reach for it and wear it and love it. 

This set of earrings was inspired by the love for this woman who raised me as her own daughter. 

 Alzheimer diseases took her away from me long before she passed away last fall. 

So now I too am drawn to crows and have a special love for them that I never would have otherwise. 

I found these white bronze charms in a small bead shop in Port Townsend, WA. We took a road trip around the Hwy 101 loop in 2012. An amazing trip with my best friend and partner of almost 30 years. 

Lots of story and love and memories behind these earrings. 

Thank you for reading along and allowing me to share. 

Available in my Etsy shop. 

Peace & blessings ~ Cindy

We're All Ears :: February (+ winners!)

Welcome to the first We're All Ears Inspiration Blog Hop!

We are so excited that you are joining us for this fun adventure. And we hope that we can continue to inspire you every month to make earrings and share them with us!

Here is the inspiration for February:

Damselflies in Love
Photo credit: National Geographic, Yeo Weng Sang

Here is what I created:

Unfurling

 I was inspired by the colors, shapes and textures.
I loved the heart shape that their bodies made. So I fashioned that in a swirly form (slightly referencing a heart) out of copper wire, hammered and antiqued.
I wanted to bring in a bit of that lovely aqua and grass green so I wrapped the swirls in some wooly wire from Karen Totten of Starry Road Studio in her Atlantis colorway. They sort of remind me of ferns slowly growing toward the sun and unrolling their slender stalks.

Doesn't Miss Delia look lovely in these Unfurling earrings?

And those bug eyes! They look like droplets of water! I found these amber glass drops from Cindy Gimbrone for that perfect water droplet effect. The copper rosette ear wires were hand made for me by Rebecca Anderson of The Curious Bead Shop. I bet she would make some just for you!

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Nothin' But Blue Skies

 For the second pair I focused more on the color.
I have these beautiful denim blue enameled beads from SueBeads. I was waiting for just the right occasion to use them. No time like the present!
I found some funky little brass bead caps and decided to add some patina to them to make them look like verdigris. Tiny agate rounds brought in the pop of orange. These sort of feel like party balloons and streamers!

Nothin' But Blue Skies

I can't stand to have un-embellished ear wires. So I added these frosty iridescent Rizo beads in a salmon color. They remind me of the shape and movement of those damselfly wings!

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Let's see what you created!
Please take the time to hop around to the participants.
Leave kind, encouraging comments.
Visit their shops.
Make new friends!

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An InLinkz Link-up

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Want to add the InLinkz code to your own blog? 
 Click this link to get the code!
get the InLinkz code  

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Of course, to kick off this new feature, we also have our Earring Love Fest giveaways. Nine of them! And they went to these lucky, randomly selected ladies. Congratulations!
If you are a winner listed below, please email enjoytheday@tesoritrovati.com the following:
Your full name & address 

I will pass that information along for your prize to be sent.
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Giveaway #1 from Claire Lockwood

Winner :: BeadRecipes

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Giveaway #2 from Keirsten Giles, Lune Artisan Designs

Winner :: Sarajo Wentling

 
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Giveaway #3 from Linda Landig Jewelry

Winner :: Jean Yates

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Giveaway #4 from Cindy Pack, Cindy's Art & Soul Jewelry

Winner :: Shaiha

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Giveaway #5 from Kristi Bowman Design

Winner :: Louise

Giveaway #6 from Kristi Bowman Design

Winner :: Deb Fortin
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Giveaway #7 from Kristy Abner, Kristy's Kreations

Winner :: Tanya Goodwin

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Giveaway #8 from Erin Prais-Hintz, Tesori Trovati Jewelry

Winner :: Shannon Chomanczuk

Giveaway #9 from Erin Prais-Hintz, Tesori Trovati Jewelry

Winner :: Cindy Martin

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Tell us what you think about the new We're All Ears Inspiration challenge! Didn't get a chance to play? It is not too late! The InLinkz code (see above) will be live for one week. 

C'mon and join in the fun!

Amber Iron

It's going to be a short post from me today.  I woke up at 5.30am following a nightmare and I don't function well with too little sleep!  I have managed, however, to fix up some new earrings to share with you today. I'm picking up where Nikki left off yesterday, with more crustiness.

The rusty droppers are some I made a while ago and they've been hanging out on my desk, as beads do, waiting for a fit.  I particularly like this rusted iron patina, which I've dotted with yellow dye-oxide.  You wouldn't think they have a polymer clay base.  These earrings are available now in my Etsy shop.  Similar beads can be found in my bead shop.

Before I go, a quick reminder about tomorrow's blog hop.  I hope you'll think about taking part.  I've got mine made!  There are also some beautiful earrings up for grabs, along with some fabulous components and a rather splendid earring stand and there's still a chance to enter.  Click here to read all about it and get involved.

Bye for now, Claire

(something to do with your hands)

Embrace the Crust

Can we talk about crust for a second? Now I know what you're thinking - crust is the stuff of early mornings and dirty dishes. It shouldn't be glorified, should be swept under the rug, and should never be mentioned. I'm going to whiplash your opinions on this topic - behold a wee pair of earrings I recently made using lampwork glass beads from Kimberly Rogers of Numinosity Beads.

She describes the style of these beads as crubbly - a combination of crusty and bubbly. To me they look like the beginnings of a swirling cosmic universe. 


I pulled out the caramelly ambery tones of her beads by using some Baltic amber resin chips and then added some textural play using two small "urchin" style African brass baule beads. Small little myrrh resin nubs at the bottom add a faint exotic fragrance. 

These earrings make a statement without being too heavy or too over the top - they're tribal, futuristic, organic, and primitive...all at the same time. 

So the next time your wrinkle your nose at the mention of crust, think twice...


Happy mid-week <3
Nikki
LoveRoot on Etsy

Rustic Roman Glass

Roman Glass Earrings

I love the delicate look of these thin slivers of Roman glass! It was somewhat of a challenge to me to figure out how to use this fragile glass, because I generally lean toward chunkier beads that are not as likely to break as I handle them. So I decided on a "Nikki"esque wire wrap with 26 gauge oxidized copper wire. I added some primitively stamped copper charms and tiny yellow Picasso Czech drops, also wrapped with darkened wire. Thank you, Nikki Zehler, for the inspiration.


Gloria Ewing
Chrysalis Too on Etsy
Chrysalis Jewelry on Artfire

Persian Empire

Persian Empire Earrings,

 Purple Recycled Sari Silk,

lots of messy copper wire, 

Handmade Original Texture Copper Component

 and Agate Bead drop.

Persian Empire

Available HERE in my Etsy Shop.

Kristi

KristiBowmanDesign.Etsy

KristiBowmanDesign on Artfire

Boho Love

Happy Valentines Day everyone!  Well, I knew this post just had to include some hearts and preferably red ones! The patinated copper pieces are by Melinda Orr and unfortunately I do not remember who I bought the red lampwork hearts from since they were one of my first purchases at a bead show when I started making jewelry several years ago. I have hoarded them for quite some time!

These earrings are available here. To see more of my designs please visit my website.

***We're having an inspiration challenge and GIVEAWAY here at Earrings Everyday! If you missed Erin's post then just click here. ***

Thank you and have a fabulous weekend,

Kristy Abner

Kristy's Kreations

Winter Skies

We have had glorious sun here lately in northwest Montana--deep blue skies, puffy white clouds, and of course snow and ice. I can deal with just about any temperatures if the sun is out! These earrings make me think of winter in Montana.

USGS Photos by Blase Reardon

"Cornflake doodad" Mykonos patina drops from Stinky Dog Beads, and Indonesian glass seed beads in muted turquoise blue from Happy Mango Beads. I just love the contrast of the dark, rustic copper and the clear glass beads.

I'd love to share more, but I'm off for a mammogram!

Keirsten
Lune Artisan Jewelry

Heart Earrings

Hello!  Let me introduce myself.  I'm Linda Landig.  I'm a longtime follower of this blog and the newest addition to the Earrings Everyday team.

True Love Earrings

 Lately I have been dabbling in Polymer Clay and since Valentine's Day is nearly here, I thought I would make a pair of heart earrings.  I textured the polymer clay with a rubber stamp and colored the hearts with layers of chalks and Prisma colored art pencils.

Since February's birthstone is amethyst, I decided to dangle a faceted amethyst on each heart and then I included another amethyst on each of the ear wires.

True Love Earrings

These earrings would look delicious with this outfit and a dark, unstructured jacket.

source: the Loft

 To see these earrings, a coordinating necklace and more, please visit Linda Landig Jewelry.
Till next time!
-Linda

A Little Rosiness

For my first post here on Earrings Everday and for the week of Valentine's Day, I thought it would be appropriate if I showcased a little rosiness. Those of you who know me, however, know that I'm not really a conventional "hearts and flowers" kind of chick. I'm all about the organic, the weathered, and the primitive. 
  

I've been playing lately with making textured handpainted "polybells". I take polymer clay and fashion it into raggedy bell flower shapes and then hand paint each one for a layered, antiqued look. A little whimsy, romance, and nostalgia, all mixed with a dash of curiosity - especially in this pair. I like to think of each bell as its own species, made unique by my two little hands. 

This pair features a wine-colored base that has been layered with honey brown and beige. A quick wire wrap at the top plus some of my hand hammered oxidized copper ear wires, and that's all you need. 

My favorite part of this pair are the frilled wilted ends. And the great thing about polymer is that it's strong enough to be pulled thin. It creates an extremely fragile look while remaining quite strong. Quite the durable material, light as air, and they won't break if you drop them!  

And let's not forget that pop of wineberry inside of each bell...a little surprise that's enough to make you squeal.

I'm tickled pink (pardon the pun) to be a part of the Earrings Everyday blog and look forward to sharing some drool-worthy pairs with you all in the months to come. If you like what you see here, check out my Etsy shop for more ear candy: 

LoveRoot

https://www.etsy.com/shop/LoveRoot

Happy Tuesday!
Nikki

NEW We're All Ears Inspiration Challenge (+ a giveaway!)

<<Giveaway is closed. Winners announced on this post!>>

To kick off the new year, we have been making some changes around here at Earrings Everyday (have you noticed?). We have new contributors and an updated look, but we still have that love of making, wearing and sharing earrings. One of the things that is missing is you. We know that we are not the only ones who love earrings and are making them, and we want to see what you are making. So we are starting a brand new monthly challenge called We're All Ears. This is your opportunity to shine!

On the first Friday of every month, I will share with you an inspiration. It could be a photo, a painting, a textile, a place, a person or a song. Or maybe it will be a poem, a movie, interior decorating, or architecture. 

Then you are invited to bust your stash and whip out some earrings based on the inspiration and write a blog post about it. You can chose what to be inspired by - the colors, theme, subject, mood, etc. Our contributors will hopefully be playing along as well. 

And we will all meet up here, on the 3rd Friday of the month, with a blog hop using InLinkz. Just load up your blog URL for the post and hop around to see what others have made. It will be fun!

Yes, it is a quick turnaround. But that is what is so great about earrings. They can be whipped up in a matter of minutes using just the leftovers from all your other beading projects. We know you can do it! You don't need to purchase anything new (unless you want to!), you get to show off your creativity and draw more people to your blog, and you will also have at least one pretty pair of earrings for yourself or for someone else. I think that sounds like a win-win!

So are you interested in getting inspired? Here is the February We're All Ears inspiration:

Damselflies in Love
Photo credit: National Geographic, Yeo Weng Sang

To participate in the We're All Ears creative challenge:

Make earrings inspired by this picture.

Write a post on your blog.

Add your link to the InLinkz on Friday, February 21st.

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But wait! There's more!

What's a party without presents?

A few years ago, we did something we called the

 EARRING LOVE FEST 

Our editors offered some of their best baubles to you, our faithful readers. And we thought it was high time to do it again. Because we love earrings. And we love...YOU!

Some of our editors have graciously offered some of their finest creations for some lucky winners. Yes, there will be multiple winners - a total of 9! - selected at random from all comments on this post. Winners will be announced on Sunday, February 21st at our first ever We're All Ears hop.

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Giveaway #1::Claire Lockwood, Something to Do with Your Hands

Ocean Drops
The ceramic drops were made by Petra Carpreau, Scorched Earth with vintage acrylic patinated caps. Like raindrops with their own umbrellas!

See more of Claire's whimsical wonders

blog - www.somethingtodowithyourhands.com

Etsy - www.somethingtodo.etsy.com

 

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Giveaway #2::Keirsten Giles, Lune Artisan Designs

A mix of sterling silver and copper, Keirsten makes her own handmade earwires, headpins, beadcaps and jump rings (I know...I am pretty impressed, too!). Amber glass rings, faceted dark red AB finish Czech glass heishi, amber seed beads, "black cherry" pearls, sterling silver donut spacers, and "raspberry magic" Czech glass flowers from Stinky Dog Beads.

See more of Keirsten's fantastically detailed designs 

blog - http://cerebraldilettante.blogspot.com
Etsy - http://www.etsy.com/shop/lunedesigns
http://www.facebook.com/lune.artisan.jewelry
http://www.flickr.com/photos/lunestudio/

 
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Giveaway #3::Linda Landig Jewelry

 Sweet little wire wrapped hearts and lampwork glass from Vedas Beads. Purple passion!

See more of Linda's lively lovelies
Blog - http://lindalandig.wordpress.com/
Etsy - https://www.etsy.com/shop/LindaLandigJewelry
Shop - http://www.artfire.com/ext/shop/studio/LindaLandigJewelry

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Giveaway #4::Cindy Pack, Cindy's Art & Soul Jewelry

Miss Cindy is an accomplished metalsmith. These are her large fine silver stud earrings. Simple. Tasteful. And goes with everything!

See more of Cindy's simply awesome metalwork
Blog - http://cindypack.blogspot.com/
Etsy - https://www.etsy.com/shop/ArtandSoulJewelry

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Giveaway #5 + #6::Kristi Bowman Design

Two separate winners!
First is for the polymer clay Hibiscus charms. Perfect for your tropical themed earrings!
Second is for the Copper Paisley Shard pair. A great tribal feel!
Let these unique components be the star in your next design!

See more of Kristi's unique components and finished jewelry

Etsy - http://KristiBowmanDesign.Etsy.com

Shop - http://www.artfire.com/users/KristiBowmanDesign

Blog - http://dreamsomedesigns.blogspot.com/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/dreamsomedesigns/

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Giveaway #7::Kristy Abner, Kristy's Kreations

This design was featured in an issue of Step by Step Wire magazine!

These seem to sing... is that because I see a treble clef in the design? Gorgeous!

See more of Kristy's boho chic creations
Shop - http://kristyskreations.com/
Blog - http://kristyskreationsjewelry.
Facebook Page http://Kristys-Kreations-Jewelry

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Giveaway #8 + #9::Erin Prais-Hintz, Tesori Trovati Jewelry

Two giveaways!

First is for a hand painted earring holder that I created in the Pantone color of the year: Radiant Orchid.
(Did you know that you can find the Pantone colors at Lowe's? And you can buy a small jar of that paint already to go? How cool is that? I'm keeping this paint chip on the wall in my studio to remind me of this color all year long.)
This one of a kind display looks great on a wall, hanging from a pretty ribbon or propped up on a decorative easel.

Second is for a pair of earrings featuring etched and patinated dapped copper disks from Lisa Liddy at Metal Me This with sparkling Swarovski crystals. This is a riff on my recent creation Wild Blackberry Cordial.

See more of Erin's eclectic components and jewelry
Etsy - www.TesoriTrovati.Etsy.com
Shop - www.TesoriTrovati.com
Blog - http://treasures-found.blogspot.com

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 What do you have to do to win?

1::Become a follower of Earrings Everyday and write a comment telling us that you are already a follower or a new follower. (Invite your friends!)

2::Share the love about the giveaway by your favorite means: Facebook your friends who love earrings (not just designers but anyone with earlobes ;-), Twitter about your excitement at how cool this giveaway is, take out a billboard that is larger than life (okay, I'm kidding about this one ;-), blog about your {not-so-secret} earring addiction (go ahead, we won't judge ;-), or whatever else you can think of to share the love. But be sure to link to this post and then come back and leave a comment letting us know what you did.

3::Or just answer the following question... this is truly the simplest way to enter (and it only takes one entry to win ;-)...

Describe a favorite pair of earrings you wear and why you love them!

That's it. That's three comments each. Three times the chance to win!
What are you waiting for? Join us in the
EARRING LOVE FEST!

(Winners will be selected at random from all eligible entries
and announced here on February 21st. All prizes will be mailed from the individual designer. Please have your email address turned on in your profile, or included in your entry to win. You won't win if we can't contact you!)