Autumn Turning

Autumn Turning

I recently set myself a challenge of creating earrings from the hoard of recycled glass discs I've been collecting from Happy Mango Beads and Afrobeadia. I have them in a virtual rainbow of colors! I initially wanted to make bracelets from them (which I still intend to do), but then I got a bug to incorporate them into earrings. The lime green discs above are recycled glass from Afrobeadia, and the perfect little amber lampwork roundels are from Happy Mango Beads.

The colors in these earrings were inspired by the nearly psychedelic hues of the spirea bush outside my living room window, which is currently in a state of a blazing metamorphosis--caught between the cool lime green of summer and the fiery sun colors of autumn. I love this time--October has been unusually warm here, drawing out the season--I feel spoiled, getting treated to an extra-long version of my favorite time of year.

I merged these wonderful beads with a riot of sterling silver--torpedo beads and little round beads, which I lightly distressed with my Fretz mini-texturing hammer--and lots of silver wire. I love the icy silver with these exuberant colors.

You can see these and other items at my Etsy shop.

Recycled glass discs in green from Afrobeadia
Amber lampwork rondelles from Happy Mango Beads
Sterling torpedo beads from Monsterslayer

Purple Haze

My hammered copper & torch-fire enameled morsels, embellished with Jen Cameron's fabulous lampwork headpins which have been wrapped into a bail, finished with  my hand-wrought sterling and copper earwires.

"'Scuse me, while I kiss the sky"...(thanks, Jimi!<3)

"is it tomorrow, or just the end of time?"

Have a "purple haze" kind of day!

Disclaimer...after writing this post and looking at the photos, I realized that these aren't truly purple, but more raspberry-ish?  But, I have been singing "purple haze" now for at least a day, and can't really get it out of my head, but if you like, you can substitute "Raspberry Beret" by Prince :)

Melissa

Basic Black

What is the main color that fills your closet? Mine has a lot of black. I don't want to be that "emo" girl who always wears black but I am drawn to it. (no offense emo girls!) I love wearing black and it's easy to fit any other color with it, so it's a good go-to accessory & clothing color. 

These earrings are another take on my beach glass/stone earrings. The only two stones I found that were so beautifully smooth and really *black. All the other stones I collected on this day were some sort of gray. I really love the look and feel of these smooth stones. 

photo by Cindy Pack free for personal use

They pair well with the silver and add a nice contrast to the metal, even in it's rustic patina'd state. 

My original idea was to have the asymmetrical rings hanging side by side. But I was inspired by some of the many asymmetrical earrings I've seen here on the EE blog and I mixed it up a bit. I'm really pleased with how they came out. 

Available at Art & Soul Jewelry 

http://www.artandsouljewelry.com/

Found black stones, handmade fine silver rings, and black stone beads from Alexanders Bead Bazaar (Seattle, WA). 

What's your go-to color? 

Peace~

Cindy 

Delicious Autumn

 “Is not this a true autumn day? Just the still melancholy that I love - that makes life and nature harmonise. The birds are consulting about their migrations, the trees are putting on the hectic or the pallid hues of decay, and begin to strew the ground, that one's very footsteps may not disturb the repose of earth and air, while they give us a scent that is a perfect anodyne to the restless spirit. Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns."

[Letter to Miss Eliot, Oct. 1, 1841]” ― George Eliot

Photo By Cindy Pack - free for personal use.

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It doesn't get any better than this.

The beauty of Autumn melts my heart. 

Motivating me to get out everyday, to the lake.

To walk. To breathe. To see. 

And I will take it all in.

Until it is no more. 

And then I will love Winter...

 Handmade ear wires, 

Czech glass from ArtBellaSurplus on Etsy, 

Handmade Fine Silver Rings, 

and Found Sea Glass. 

Available at Art & Soul Jewelry online

http://www.artandsouljewelry.com/

Happy Fall! 

Cindy 

 

Eclipse of the Sun

Since my father passed away a couple of weeks ago, my head has been in a meditative state, and I have not been able to muster up the energy to create anything new...

So, yesterday, I sat down with my stash of Artisan Lampwork Glass Beads to see if anything would catch my eyes, and all of a sudden, these caught my gaze and I knew I had to do a pair of earrings with them:

I just loved that hint of Sun Gold mixed with the Eclipse Blue... my dad was color-blind and could only see 'yellow/gold' in terms of colors. I know that these would have caught his eye :)

Blue Tourmaline in a fancy cut, lovely Artisan Glass Beads from a Canadian Artist, and pretty Freshwater Pearls... These earrings are listed HERE on my website.

My apologies for not writing a longer, more inspirational post. I'm just trying to heal from this devastating loss in my life, and not back in my 'groove' yet with my mind :(

 Have a blessed day, and thank you for stopping by...

Nathalie Lesage

Metalsmith, Jewelry Artist

http://www.NathalieLesageJewelry.com

Turquoise Rose

These gorgeous turquoise teardrop beads have been recycled. They were on a necklace that I bought recently at an antique store. I love to go antiquing...you never know what you will find! I don't always take the time to go through scads of jewelry, but I spotted the turquoise necklace right away and had to have it. So glad I did. These stones are just gorgeous. I wish I had taken a pic of the necklace before I took it apart but it was actually quite plain and now I have pretty turquoise beads to work with.

Would love to pair these earrings with this lovely scarf!

 

Scarf found on Pinterest, sold on Etsy @ DIDUCI

These earrings are available here on my website.

Thank you so much for stopping by! Would love a comment from you.

Have a wonderful weekend,

Kristy Abner

Kristy's Kreations

Burnished Berries

Berry Delicious!

These plump copper beads (from Afrobeadia) are my new favorites--they are just the size of a small blueberry, and even the ends are puckered like a real blueberry! I gave them a liver of sulfur bath, buffed them up a bit, and popped them in the tumbler--and out they came in this delicious, plummy-rosy color. I gussied them up with leafy brass caps and sterling silver.

The Real Thing

I think I rather like the metal ones better--if there was a way to gobble them up, I would!

You can visit me at my Etsy shop HERE.

Hammered

Hammered Copper and Green Agate Earrings

What could be a better accompaniment for hammered copper trapezoids than hammer faceted trillion shaped green agate stones? Brilliant sea green agate stones (probably color enhanced) have been hand cut with a hammer and then tumbled to soften out their edges. The agates have a matte finish as though nature did the tumbling. On both sides of the agate trillion, I have added rustic onion shaped Peruvian blue opal briolettes that have a milky blue green color. All of the stones are wrapped in oxidized copper wire in a casual style that blends well with the hammered bodies. Simple and fun earrings for fall.

Abstract by Suzan Buckner

Suzan Buckner's abstract acrylic on wood captures that same whimsical primitive character as my earring design.







Gloria Ewing
Chrysalis Too on Etsy

We're All Ears :: October Reveal

The inspiration for October was the super cool art of marbleizing. I desperately wanted to do some marbleizing for my earrings but time got the better of me and I couldn't work out all the kinks. I did, however, make a glorious mess! That is part of my process, it just didn't work to my advantage this time. I did have some limited luck doing what is called water marble, which you can check out on this great YouTube video tutorial. You basically float nail polish in a small cup of water and you can achieve the similar look of the marbleized paper but on three dimensional objects, like nails (although that would be crazy messy!). Check it out!

As luck would have it, I did remember that I happened to have a few strands of some marbleized wood beads. These are inexpensive spacers, and I got them several years ago at, of all places, an interior design shop in downtown Galena, IL when I visited the ladies of Vintaj. I was just intrigued by them, but never found a good use for them, until now. 

I decided to keep these simple. I went for a double strand of some black leather cord with the bright primary colors. I added these funky flower gear shapes for a little interest. I think they have a bit of a free spirit about them. I like that they would go with a lot of things in my closet!

My second pair is a marble pattern in black in white. So I did a simple stack of the beads and broke them up with some gold plated pyrite nuggets, placed at different points for interest and a little bit of flash. I have a tendency to make things really fussy, so it felt good to make something simple with great visual impact.

I don't think that I will abandon my quest to marbleize something. I am still working on the ideas, and one day I will get back to it, even if it is just to make a huge mess!

What inspired you about the marbleized papers? Do share!

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An InLinkz Link-up

One leaf, two leaves

Will you mind another autumnal earring design from me? I hope not.  It seems that, unsurprisingly, a number of members of the team have been relishing the inspiration the season brings.

Something Wicked This Way Comes...

 


We're getting closer and closer to my favorite holiday of the year - Halloween. When else do we get the legal (and sane) opportunity to dress up and assume a different identify? And to celebrate all things dark, taboo, and disturbing? And to eat candy...guilt-free?

I'll admit I've always had a fascination with the darker side of life. As the saying goes, you can't have the light without the dark. I lived through quite a few dark years in my 20s, and I wholly believe that my struggles then have made my happiness now that much more sweet. So it's no coincidence that my designs reflect this fascination and respect for the dark. 

 



This pair of earrings is perfect for any time you're feeling a little brooding, a little mysterious, a little edgy. And the colors are very Halloween-ey without being cheesy: sooty grungy black pewter charms from Inviciti, vintage African bauxite trade beads, and my own mossy green polymer clay nuggets.

So start counting down the days...and make sure you've got your black eyeliner handy ;)

Happy Wednesday!
Nikki


LoveRoot on Etsy

Autumn Flora

Your saying to yourself- Autumn again? Oh yes, Autumn again. Here in SW Washington is such a glorious spectacle of color I think we all get a little caught up in it. Pumpkin spice flavored everything... sweaters, boots and hats come out of hiding. It's just a wonderful time of year and I love it!

Speaking of sweaters... I have this long gray sweater that I wore the heck out of last year. Nothing special. No designer tags on it, but It's my favorite. I know these earrings would go great! 

(sorry no picture of the sweater) Actually, my sweater looks just like this one, but it's long... https://www.pinterest.com/pin/269230883949700299/

The colors in the glaze are only from two jars but they produce a lovely array. The brick red speckles are just enough to set off that golden caramel and lift the blue gray.

Pinterest inspiration photo: 

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/269230883949700243/

Happy Autumn! 

Cindy ~ Cindy's Art & Soul Jewelry

http://www.artandsouljewelry.com/

Kimono

I love these beautiful Mint Criffles from Kimberly Rogers and I paired them with some of my new Colored Copper components. When I put them together they immediately reminded me of a Kimono.

Source

And check out these Handmade Shoes!

Source

Kristi

KristiBowmanDesign.com

KristiBowmanDesign.Etsy

Heartbreaker

I love Swarovski (who doesn't?) and these hearts were just begging to be made into earrings. Love the pinkish hue paired with the matte vintage silver chain from AD Adornments. Long sexy earrings are very "in" right now too.

Love that they would go with both of these outfits.

Heartbreaker by kristyabner featuring evening handbags


 You can find these earrings here on my website available for purchase.

Thanks for stopping by and have a fab weekend!

Kristy Abner

Kristy's Kreations
 
 

Stargate: A Mixed Metal Twofer

Stargate

Lately I've been trying to juggle fixations on both mixed metals and colored glass beads. Right now the mixed metals are winning! Today I'm going to share two very similar pairs of earrings I made on Saturday, using fabulous brass beads I've had forEVER--so long in fact, the seller doesn't even carry them anymore (I should have bought MORE--this is why you always buy lots of them)--with some of my hand-crafted copper petal beadcaps and a dash of sterling silver. (I'm also obsessed with these metal torpedo beads--these are from Monsterslayer.) These make me think of the fabulicious costume stylings in the wonderfully weird 1994 "Stargate" film--maybe they would be worthy of Jaye Davidson...

I used a different pair of brass beads, and larger, slightly different petaled beadcaps for the pair below, and hammered the wire on some of my wraps. I think I'm going to start doing that more often, that cut end of wire on a wrap is starting to bug me...

Stargate Redux

Plus it will give me more opportunities to hammer things, which I like.

These are available in my Etsy shop.

Slumbering Planet

Just before I began designing my earrings for today's post, I'd been reading about the lunar eclipse that occurred last night.

Slumbering Planet Earrings

I made the earrings and when it came time to name them, I must have still had the eclipse, space and planets on my mind.  The round lampwork beads started to look like satellite photos I'd seen of the earth at night, so I named them the Slumbering Planet Earrings.

The matte lampwork beads by Felicia Annie are really amazing.  The more you look at them, the more layers of swirling color you see, just like the many subtle shades one sees in night views of the earth.

The base color of the beads seems to be a blueish green.  There are also subtle swirls of purple, dark turquoise and a few bolder swipes of black.  They are really beautiful and they seemed to demand sterling silver, rather than my usual patinated brass.  I placed Swarovski crystals above the lampwork rounds and suspended some wavy lampwork from Unicorne Beads at the end of a bits of sterling chain.

I won't be placing these in my shop just yet.  I have a couple of shows coming up and I'm working on adding inventory.  They may show up in my shop later, though.

Did you get to see the lunar eclipse?  I'm writing this on Tuesday night and we're hoping the clouds will clear up so we can see it later this evening.

-Linda

Linda Landig Jewelry

Roman Glass Mania

Roman Glass Stacked Earrings

The aged look of Roman glass, with its scaling and irregular shapes, is attractive to me and I have used it often the past year in my earring designs. The aqua and yellow green you see in these earrings are among the most common colors, but every once in awhile I get ahold of some cobalt blue that is more unusual. Much of the Roman glass available for jewelry making is found in excavations along the "Silk Road" trading route through Afghanistan and Pakistan. Another major source of Roman glass is Israel, along the Mediterranean shore and in the Judean desert.

My earring design is a simple stack and wrap with tubes of Roman Glass in aqua and yellow green, separated by copper spacers and rusty orange Czech glass accents. I thought they would be more interesting with the colors reversed from one another, so that part was intentional and not a result of my lack of sleep. The wonderful ancient looking ribbed copper metal clay drops that I have wrapped at the bottom are from Kristi Bowman. My handmade oxidized copper ear wires finish off the design.

Images of Roman women always looked so serene. Hard to imagine their survival often depended on their ability to manipulate the people around them. Politics behind the scenes, probably not so different then than it is now?




Gloria Ewing

Chrysalis Too on Etsy
Chrysalis Jewelry on Artfire

Golden Autumn Earrings

I've been photographing a lot of autumn leaves this past week and I was especially inspired by the flaming red, yellow and green leaves on this tree.

I tried to express some of this vibrant color inspiration in these earrings.

I made the ceramic leaf components and blended yellow, red and a yellow-green glaze to capture the the essence of the leaves in my photograph.  I then hung the ceramic leaves from little wooden "branches".

 

 
You can find the Golden Autumn Earrings in my shop here.
I hope you have a good week and that you can find time to take a walk and enjoy the fall foliage.

-Linda

Linda Landig Jewelry