Tribal

The rustic tribal look is really popular these days but not something that I do very often, but when Jana (Happy Fish Things) sent these to me, I had to give it a try! I thought that these lampwork beads by Bubby & McGurk Beads paired nicely with the drops with their shades of green and cream.

                                          These earrings are available here on my website.

Thanks so much for stopping by.....have a fabulous weekend!

Kristy Abner

Kristy's Kreations

Aubergine Earrings

Last May I bought some cool, sort of Art Deco style copper stampings for use as earring dangles and  I decided to use them for my Earrings Everyday post this week.  As I looked at that expanse of plain copper on the dangles, I started wondering, "What would happen if I used alcohol inks on these?".  I've dabbled (just a little) with alcohol inks on polymer clay, but I'd never used them on metals before.  It was really fun!

 So I sanded off some of the copper patina and then painted the copper with aubergine (purple) alcohol ink. I dabbed a bit of it off the center of the stampings, so the surface color would be more nuanced.  Once the ink had dried, I sanded back the ridges, exposing the copper there.  That last step transformed the whole look, as the contrast really gave it some pizazz!

I found some very pretty lampwork beads to pull out those purple colors.  Unfortunately I don't remember who the glass artist was.  Then I topped the lampwork glass beads with faceted amethysts.

I really had a blast doing these. In fact I went ahead and made two more pairs of earrings!  The pair in the middle of the picture below are dyed red and topped with cane glass.  The pair on the right are dyed purple in the outer portion of the stampings and red in the center.  I topped those with turquoise "sugar glass".  I think no piece of metal in my collection is safe from being colored now!  There will certainly be more alcohol inks in my future.

Linda

Linda Landig Jewelry

For the Love of Purple

 I've said it before and I'll say it again. Pinterst is the place for inspiration. Do you use Pinterest? If so, what for? Do you have a love/hate relationship like I do? I shouldn't say that. I don't hate it at all. I just know that I loose all sense of time and the real world when I am there. You can get lost in a sea of images. Anything you are looking for... anything. 

So today it's purple. And you can find purple anything on Pinterst. From cake, flowers, candy, shoes, hair, fingernails! It's all there. 

So how about some earrings? 

These earrings were built around the focal beads you see in the center. Handmade polymer clay beads with a Kaleidoscope, millefiori pattern. You may or may not know, I have been working on some ceramic beads this year. And with my renewed interest in bead-making, I have opened up my boxes (and boxes) of polymer beads and supplies again. 

I packed up my beads and supplies seven years ago and honestly never looked back. Until recently. When I was working with polymer clay I never ever dreamed I would leave it. I couldn't imagine my life without it. If you've ever worked with it, you know it can be all-consuming. 

So while unpacking some things I found these beads. I was immediately captivated with the pattern, and colors. I particularly love the purple and how it stands out against the grays.

The beads sat on my work table for a few days. I would look over at them periodically and again admire the colors and patterns of the beads. 

As a jewelry designer this is part of my process. Just having something on my work table for a while seems to work on my subconscious, I think. And again, just browsing the color on Pinterst I think kind of spurs on the process of the design and bringing the elements together.  

I have paired the clay beads up with some purple Furnace glass, hand forged fine silver hoops and tiny Czech glass beaded dangle. 

Be sure to checkout the Earrings Everyday Pinterest board for more beautiful earrings and inspirations! http://www.pinterest.com/kristibowman/earrings-everyday/ 

Do you use Pinterest? If so, what for? Do you like it and find it useful? Please share your thoughts with us! 

Peace, Cindy 
Art & Soul Jewelry
Art & Soul Jewelry Pinterst 

Mayra

And here I go again pairing turquoise with orange! I can't help it...it just happens. Do you have any color combinations that you find yourself frequently going with? I went to a bead show lately and my husband teased me afterwards when I showed him my stash. It consisted mainly of blues and greens with some orange thrown in for good measure.

 I love these clay charms from Stinky Dog Beads. If you haven't checked out Kitty's online store yet, you should do that soon. You won't be disappointed.
                               You will find these earrings here on my website.

Thanks for stopping by...and have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Kristy Abner

Kristy's Kreations

 

We're All Ears :: November Reveal

So what did you think about that sweet little short animation?
 
I was completely enthralled by it. I watched it over and over and paused and pressed rewind so many times. I just wanted to zoom in and see it even closer! What I took away from that film were three things: the leaves and foliage on the mountainside and in the woods; the details on the outfit of the little girl; and the diaphanous wings of the creature. I sought to do something inspired by all three of these inspirations.

I loved this recent post that Miss Gloria just shared with us on how she approaches her task of making earrings for her reveal days. Since I really only get one reveal day a month, I like to make sure that I have more than one pair of earrings created for the challenge, and the way that Miss Gloria approaches her creative sessions is one that I quite like and decided to put into action: creating in your comfort zone and taking a risk. So for this first set of earrings, I focused on a tried and true design of mine: falling articulated color-filled leaves. Leaves are everywhere in this short...from the misty treetops on the hillside to the cool green vines snaking their way around the massive boulders. There seemed to be three different colors of the leaves: white and misty, rust and copper and fresh and green. I made a pair of earrings in all three colorways using at least 4 different metal patinas to hand paint each leaf before assembling.

Clearly, I love making these, as I have made them before in all the colors of the rainbow. I love that they are lightweight and dangly. I always sell out of them at $22 and my own personal favorite pair is periwinkle blue leaves. I must have eleventy-billion of these sweet little leaves, so I am sure that I could make you a pair if you like! ;-) Just ask!

 

The outfit of the little girl is intriguing... does it hint at a rustic peasant lifestyle? a bygone era? a faraway land? It has a decidedly ethnic quality to it, from the fur trim to the brocade to the beaded tassel (did you catch that?). I wanted to make something inspired by the beaded tassel, but found myself drawn to the ornate trim on the edge of her coat. I spied a little bag of some of my favorite Vintaj components in these sweet little flower designs and kept is quite simple. Long again, as that is how I like my earrings (could easily go shorter), with a faceted merlot pearl dangling. I employed a new-to-me trick I learned of making knotted head pins. I learned it in a little online tutorial and thought I would give it a shot. Pearls always have such small holes, and this solves my dilemma of how to string them in an elegant way.

And following along with Miss Gloria, I had to take a risk. The feathers of the mystical creature seemed like the perfect way to test that out. In my printer's cabinet pearl drawer I found a small compartment of small top-drilled stick pearls. I thought they looked a lot like feathers, so I set about trying to come up with a design that would mimic the look of the wings.

I played around with a little dark annealed steel wire to make a crescent shaped form. Then using a contrasting bronze colored wire (more out of necessity than esthetic), I wire wrapped the stick pearls to the form. At the bottom I dangled a crystal briolette, reminding me of the flash that the water made as it coursed through the creature. I even made my own ear wires, something I would like to do more, but rarely have the time. These were a risk for me in the unexpected shape and the complete handcraftiness.  I quite like the way they hang and hug the curves of my jaw line. I think I will explore this shape some more!

If you were inspired to create something based on the inspiration animation, please add your link below. And be sure to come back on Friday, December 5th for our next We're All Ears inspiration!

What inspired you about the animation Nebula? Do share!

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Leave kind, encouraging comments.
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Ice and Spice

The earrings that I'm sharing today are something of a hybrid, I guess.

I'm getting over my autumnal design frenzy and have my mind focused on winter-y pieces.  There's some autumn warmth in the frit-ty torch-fired panels, which I got from Georgie at 4ophelia.  She has some lovely pieces available at the moment. I ordered some more the other day and, just checking her shop, I can see more that are tempting me!

Here the spicy shades on the panels strike a contrast with the frosty white, icicle-like, recycled glass shards.  As I've said before, I do like a spiky bead!  I finished these with some vintage ribbed washer beads and freshwater button pearls.  They're available here in my Etsy shop.

Bye for now, Claire

www.somethingtodowithyourhands.com
www.somethingtodo.etsy.com

It's the Small Things In Life

What is it about small things that makes us all warm and fuzzy and squealy inside? A fuzzy mewy kitten? A wee bud vase only big enough for one flower? A small shell found on the beach. Baby toes? 

See, you're smiling. 

As much as I love long dangly earrings, I'm also learning to appreciate the beauty of post earrings. It's harder to fit what you want to say into a smaller package, but if executed right, they can be deliciously wearable without sacrificing statement. 
 
Several weeks ago I had a free weekend---rare and choice---and spent it in the studio making a quartet of fossil post earrings in sterling silver. I had been saving these little fossilized sea urchins since my trip to Austin earlier this year. As an aside, if you're ever there, hit up Nature's Treasures for some serious rock candy. 

Please, please, try to suppress your squealing until this post is finished. 

Aren't they just so wee and cute? Plump little fossils with a bumpy geometric star pattern, naturally occurring thanks to Mother Nature. Did you know that fossilized sea urchins are also called sea biscuits? Think about that imagery in your mind - how appropriate? And I crafted two gnarled little prongs to reach out and hug each fossil. 

The warm neutrals of these make them suitable for any outfit - dress em up or dress em down. In fact, my good friend Staci of Staci Louise Originals is currently rocking this pair.

Alright, it's ok to squeal now...

Happy Wednesday!
Nikki
LoveRoot on Etsy

Take a Risk

In a departure from the usual format of focusing on the inspiration for my idea, I would like to probe into the selection process for blogging about my earrings. I'm sure each of the participating artists on Earrings Everyday has her own method for building a post around their earring creations. Maybe you are curious about mine?

Detailed advance planning doesn't work as well for me as spontaneity. Please don't interpret that to mean I'm just being lazy! The truth is I cannot decide which direction to go until the last moment. So I usually have three newly made earring pairs from which to choose, one being a variation of a signature design of mine, in other words "in my comfort zone". The pietersite earrings below fall into that category. The other two pairs are the risky ones. This time, I have one pair of very rustic hammered and hinged copper earrings with a red patina (pictured below). I also have the pair I chose to feature above that are the most risky of the three, out on the edge in a primitive style. For the body of these earrings, I used my own bone shaped polymer clay connectors. The roughly wrapped oxidized copper wire emphasizes the primitive character, as do my handmade copper ear wires. The dangling beads are Czech glass with an aged Picasso finish.

"Comfort zone" wire wrapped matched pietersite stones with leather.

Medium risk, relentlessly hammered copper earrings in a 2-part hinged design with less than precise stamping and a red patina.









Gloria Ewing

Chrysalis Tribal Jewelry
Chrysalis Too on Etsy

Oh beautiful forest...

Living in British-Columbia is truly a treat (yes, even if we are currently experiencing really deeeeeep cold weather)... I never, ever, get tired of admiring the 'sea' of spruce trees that line our roads as far as the eye can see. I can look at them for hours on end, and never get tired of it :)

As soon as I step outside of our small northern BC town, you see gorgeous spruce trees lining the highways. Since Christmas is my favorite 'season', I am just happy, happy, happpppyyyyy, to the core when I am in the forest and there's a light sprinkle of snow :-)))

And, inspired by my spruce trees... I made these earrings:

I recently treated myself and purchased some of (our) Cindy Pack's gorgeous ceramic components, and this pair of swirly caramel-tone charms reminded me of wood, the forest, the trees... the textures of bark, nature. Ohhhhh happy days!!!

I have hand-crafted the copper bead caps (tops and bottoms), and decorated them by hand-stamping some pretty leaves and texturing the edges every so lightly... and suspended them on a pair of non-allergenic Niobium ear wires in a shade of dark rustic brown.

The gorgeous Emerald Green lampwork beads were recently acquired in a destash 'trade' I made with another artisan and they were sitting on my bench, just patiently waiting to find their spot to shine :)

You can find these earrings HERE on my website.

P.S. Don't forget to participate in our November We're All Ears challenge - this is open to EVERYONE! New to making jewelry? Jump in and participate! Have been making jewelry for awhile? Why don't you join us in this fun challenge? We'd love to see what you make!

Thank you for stopping by! Have a great day (and keep warm!)

Cheers,

Nathalie in the Enchanted Forest up North :)

Metalsmith - Jewelry Artist

http://www.NathalieLesageJewelry.com

Confetti Hoops

Confetti Hoops

I was captivated by these strands of tiny multicolor lampwork glass rondelles from Indonesia --I grabbed up a pile of them! I wanted to use them all together in a riot of color. I constructed copper hoops for them, with hammered paddles on the end, and strung them on. Because of the paddles, I needed beads with bigger holes to slip over them, and this was the color assortment that sported the biggest holes--I like it! Then I connected the hoops to earwires via recycled glass discs in sea green, and wired little seed beads in robin's egg blue onto the earwires.

I've been in kind of a confetti mood--THIS really appeals to me too, from BabaYagaFashion, a UK shop--oh for the youth and guts to wear it!

Upcycled Skirt at Baba Yaga on Etsy

(I've marked this shop as a favorite, just in case I hit my head really hard whilst falling into the Fountain of Youth, and I emerge dewy and lithe, with the lack of inhibition common to traumatic brain injuries.)

I'm planning to make additional pairs of these earrings sporting different colors, and probably without the glass disc. This was kind of a prototype, to see if it would work. They are fun to make!

(All of the beads in these earrings are from Happy Mango Beads.)

You can see (a very tiny bit) more of my work at my Etsy shop.

Lilac Tapestry Earrings

 I met Earrings Everyday team leader, Kristi Bowman for lunch at our favorite Thai restaurant a couple of weeks ago.  I asked her to bring along her new colored copper components and I picked out a gorgeous earring pair.

I could picture in my mind how I wanted the earrings to look.  It didn't seem like it would be too hard.  I've certainly done wired wraps across the face of beads before.  No sweat, right?

 I added the wavy copper discs to accent the copper in Kristi's components and that's where the challenge started.  The wraps needed to be placed on the parts of the discs that dipped downwards, but the discs spun around whenever I put pressure on them from the wire wraps. I finally got the first earring  wrapped the way I envisioned it, but I ended up having to cut the wire off off the other earring and start over again.

But I kind of like the challenge of problem solving when making jewelry.  So fussed with them a bit more and I love how they turned out.  Ah, but the problems did not end there...

I left my computer for about 10 minutes to take photos of some of my ceramic components and when I came back my screen was black and the computer could not be started.  A trip to the computer repair shop resulted in a diagnosis of the motherboard in need of replacement. :(  So Plan B was to take pictures of the earrings and upload them to my husband's laptop, where I could then write this post.

However, there were a few additional hiccups along the way involving my camera and our other laptop, which is why I am currently posting this blog entry at 1:50 a.m.!!!  But I prevailed!  There are lovely earrings with Kristi's components and an on-time blog post. The Lilac Tapestry Earrings are available in my shop.  Happy Wednesday!

Linda

Linda Landig Jewelry

Halo Earrings in Wintergreen

I've been reluctant to use and share my new ceramic components. But at the encouragement of friends I am revisiting them and warming up to them a lot more! It's like when you think something is going to be one way and then it ends up being something else. But then you realize that what it actually came be to be is just as great or even better...

Maybe I'm getting ahead of myself with talk of winter when last week I was admiring the autumn leaves? It's cold and more cold is moving towards us from Canada according to the weather reports.

I am bundling up in my winter coat and will be digging my gloves out today!

I think this set would look great with a big fluffy white or pale blue-green sweater & jeans.
Casual, rustic.

For this set I have used a set of my own hand fused fine silver rings. I have hammered on one side to reveal a smooth silver surface on the other. I love smooth silver - and often turn the hammered side away.

The ceramic beads and dangles are handcrafted (Cindy's Art & Soul).

How do you see Winter? White and fluffy or maybe red & green? Or maybe neither of those? Maybe you are headed to the beach for a swim? What color is your winter?

☮ Cindy
Art & Soul Jewelry 

PS
Don't forget to check out this months Earrings Everyday Blog Challenge inspiration! Please join in the fun! Anyone can play and I think we'll see a lot of participants this month. It's going to be a lot of fun! You can check out the link over to the left of the page ---> or click here to go there now! 

Chains and Leather

We're into the swing of the Holidays, and this means lots of parties coming up!

Are you ready for it?

In my humble opinion, just like a woman's wardrobe is not complete unless she owns "That little black dress", the same goes for her jewelry box... You've got to own that perfect pair of earrings for your nights out on the town:

A little bit mysterious with the Black Spinel gemstones and Hematite Beads...

A little bit edgy with the Sterling Silver chains...

Textures that catch the light and dazzle the room...

A touch of Fire Engine Red lipstick and nail polish... your favorite black dress and it is time. to. party.

Black Leather Holiday Style by nathalie-lesage featuring black tights

I looooooove leather, and I couldn't resist creating a couple of Polyvore boards

featuring black leather :)

Of course, the board above features a more 'upscale' style, but these Black Spinel/Hematite Hoop Earrings would work equally well with this more casual leather outfit:

Black Leather Holiday Style 2 by nathalie-lesage featuring lace up ankle boots

Now that is versatility!

You can find my Belinda Black Stones and Chains Hoop Earrings HERE on my website.

Enjoy the Holiday Season!

Nathalie

http://www.NatLJ.com

We're All Ears :: November Inspiration

Okay. Trying something new this month. I was not sure where I wanted to go with the We're All Ears inspiration for November, so I went to Google and typed in 'art inspiration november'. Oddly enough, I found a site I had never heard of called Art-Spire. New follower, here! 

I scrolled down and mention of a short film by students from Gobelins caught my eye. Gobelins, located in Paris, France, is 'a pioneer school in the fields of digital communication, interactive design and entertainment.' Clearly, their students are quite accomplished since this was a graduation film for some of them.

So I watched the roughly 3 minute film. And I was entranced. I wanted to see more. I could definitely see this as a full length animated feature some day. Where did this creature come from? What purpose is it there to serve? Who is this young girl? What magical land does she live in? What is the message that this fim imparts? Watch this movie and see what questions it inspires in you. 

 

I think that this little short embodies the colors of late autumn and the mystical and wistful feel that this time of year always evokes in me. The hazy grey of the mist in the forest of tall dark trees. The olive green leaves clinging to the rocks and the soft rusty tones of the treetops on the hillside. The little girl's sort of ethnic-inspired coat with the fur and the embroidered trim. The mystical creature energized by the water to create wings to fly. Spectacularly magical. 

Below are a few stills from the animation to inspire you, but to get the full effect, please watch the film!

What inspires you about this amazing short animation?

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

Make earrings inspired by this inspiration.

Write a post on your blog.

Add your exact blog post URL link to the
InLinkz code right here on 

Friday, November 21st.

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Moorland

It seems an age since I posted here last. I haven't made that many earrings recently but I did rustle up a few pairs at the weekend for a market last Sunday. I wanted some simple designs, just using lovely components in a simple way.

You've got to love a freebie and Petra of Scorched Earth is always so generous with the extras she sends.  These spikes were included in my last order and I just love them.  I'm so glad I got them because I probably wouldn't have instantly picked them out in her shop, but the colours are so luscious in the flesh. They remind me of banks of heather on moorland. 

They're a great match for the pyrite and frosted mookaite and the little jump ring embellishment / what-do-you-call-it (what do you call it?).  They're available here in my Etsy shop.

Bye for now, Claire

www.somethingtodowithyourhands.com

www.somethingtodo.etsy.com

A Twisted Gesture

So have any of you ever taken an art class where the instructor had you do gesture drawings? Quick "first impression" line drawings that are less about accuracy and more about getting a feel for shapes, perspectives, and movement. They can almost be called a scribble or a doodle...capturing a macro idea in a short period of time, usually in about 30 seconds.


Well, the birth of my playfully named "twisted root" earring series is loosely grounded in this idea. Take textured copper wire, beat and twist it to hell, and then solder it into conceptual shapes. Do it quick and hot without a focus on perfection and more of an emphasis on instinct. The end results are deliciously primitive, organic, and wickedly pagan. I've had so much fun the past few months playing with this concept. I find it allows for a completely different kind of freedom from the traditional beaded approach. 

This particular pair has been set aside (read: hoarded for myself). The shape was inspired by the "devil's nests" from the TV series "True Detective". Yes, I'm a dork. But I just couldn't stop thinking about those dark mysterious beautiful little bundles.

It's fun to explore chaos in design. It can produce surprising results :) 

Happy Wednesday!
Nikki
LoveRoot on Etsy

Sands of Giza

Sands of Giza Earrings

In their quest for immortality, the pharaohs of ancient Egypt were compelled to build these awe inspiring monuments to serve as their tombs. Other theories suggest they were actual places of residence for the pharaohs after their earthly death, because they may have thought of themselves as gods. It is speculated that pyramids could have been astronomical observatories, or archives to preserve valuable information for future generations. They may have been built "just because they could", to demonstrate to potential enemies that Egypt was superior to their neighbors and dare not be challenged. Whatever the reason, the pyramids of Giza are still with us after 5,000 years and iconic as they were intended to be.

My earrings echo some of that desert mystery in the distressed pewter charms and their raised pyramid pattern. These rugged ancient looking drop charms are from Vincent at Inviciti, who has developed his own distinctive style of patinas for his cast pewter components. The coin shaped beads are called green line jasper for obvious reasons. I love the sandy color of these beads and they combined beautifully with rustic apatite rondelles. I prefer to mix the metals because it adds contrast to the distressed pewter and soft colors of the stones. The wrapping wire is antique brass, and the ear wires are handmade from oxidized copper.

Gloria Ewing

Chrysalis Tribal Jewelry on Indiemade
Chrysalis Too on Etsy