Tide Pools Earrings by Cindy's Art & Soul

Tide Pools. The recent inspiration for the Earrings Everyday We're All Ears monthly challenge hosted by our talented Erin Paris-Hintz.

I happened to come across this photo the other day. Honestly I am amazed at it still. I managed to focus on the sea anemone through the water at a perfect angle to capture them so clearly.

Tide Pools, WA State Beach

I am constantly inspired by anything nautical, beach, sea creatures, watery. The colors are just fantastic! 

I heard (or read?) someone say once that Nature never lies.

When looking for color combinations you can always look to nature.

Find what colors She's put together - and be inspired!

Tide Pools, WA State

I took this photo (I can't believe it's been) almost three years ago. We took a road trip along the Pacific Coast Hwy 101 to see the sites and visit all the cool towns, beaches and see what we could see. It was a magnificent journey. One we both want to do again, one day. You cannot see all there is to see on this Hwy loop in one week. And it was great fun! 

One day.. I will go back. 

Sea Glass Ceramic Earrings by Cindy's Art & Soul

Sea Glass Ceramic Earrings by Cindy's Art & Soul

http://www.artandsouljewelry.com/products/tide-pool-earrings-handmade-ceramic-sea-glass

 These earrings feature natural found sea glass, handmade copper rings, vintage bronze wire, and handmade ceramic beads with seashell patterns. Available at Art & Soul Jewelry.

 (Art & Soul Jewelry is closed for vacation until 7/6. Shipping will resume 7/7 upon my return. Hope you all have a save and wonderful July 4th Holiday!)

Arabesque

I used to design with Thai Hilltribe silver quite a bit 10 or 15 years ago.

I was bringing kilos of it back from my travels to Chiang Mai Thailand 

I sold loads of the loose beads and earrings until the price of silver went sky high.

There was a noticeable shift in both my work and of the designers I had been associating with.

In came the copper and the mixed metals which I welcomed heartily.

Recently I have kind of been missing designing with my Thai silver so I dug out a couple of these intricately woven wafers and paired them with some dangles I made with The Blue Bottle Tree's wonderful Rustic Polymer clay tutorial. If you've never worked with polymer clay I totally recommend her tutorial. These charms were from my first experience ever using polymer clay.

They are light, long and swingy and certainly unique. 

Enjoy your week!

Kimberly Rogers

www.numinositybeads.etsy.com

www.facebook.com/numinositybeads

https://www.pinterest.com/numinosity/

Birds In The Garden Earrings

I spent Monday with my good friend and Earrings Everyday head honcho, Kristi Bowman-Gruel.  She lives about 2 hours north of me.  I brought up my clay and we had a play date together.  As you can tell, it was a very serious endeavor.

Kristi, hard at work.

Of course whenever I am with Kristi, I have to pick up a bunch of her components!
Mine, all mine!  Squeee!

As soon as I returned home, I was inspired to make these.

 They feature Kristi's copper flower components, handmade ear wires and some cute little birdie beads.  I call them "Birds in the Garden" earrings.

Spending time in your garden is good for your heart and soul.  Perhaps wearing these earrings would have a similar effect.

-Linda

Linda Landig Jewelry

Globsmackers

 I'm always experimenting with bits and scraps of metal strewn around on my worktable.

I had some extra heavy duty scraps left over from the edges of my copper sheeting. I had scavenged some scraps from a local roofing company. I wanted to see if I could wrap wire for some extra texture  before torch fire enameling and these globby lovelies were born.

The funny thing was that they were practically sold before I had them made into earrings.

One of my lovely local frequent customers claimed them and said she would be ready with money in hand at our next farmer's market.

That left it to me as to what extra would be required for the design.

I went with the simple is best idea after a few pairings with spacer beads.

Faerystones's tangles seem to be just the right accent!

I'm not sure how the next ones will turn out but these were a clear success for me

Thanks and Happy Solstice!

Kimberly Rogers

www.numinositybeads.etsy.com

www.facebook.com/numinositybeads

Guest Post: Crabby Earrings from Humblebeads

Summer flies by so quickly, a snapshot here and there capture the fun loving and lazy days that slip through my fingers.

The etched farfalle beads look like foamy waves hitting the shore. The playful crab charms were inspired by some New England inspirations earlier this year.

I'm ready to hit the beach - nautical tote needed, comfy sandals, striped shirt, sunscreen, a big blanket and tasteless book. Add in a pina colada and I'm all set! I'd like a day to beach comb, walk along the shore, wade in the water, and watch the sunset. Who's ready to go with me?

Crab charms can be found at Humblebeads.com.

The Sun Goddess

Yesterday marked the longest day of the year for those of us in the Northern hemisphere. I've been consumed with honoring the solstice and the sun for weeks. Working long hours to complete a new Sun themed collection for my store.

Originally I was just thinking -- Sun images... 

But then I pulled out my Citrine stones and new they were the perfect feature for this Sun collection. 

I ended up using a mix of the imagery and yellow stones, along with handmade ceramic, Czech glass, Bali Silver and Hill Tribe Silver beads. 

My last post post talked about "riffing" on an idea and this is another form of that process.

Being inspired by an idea, an image or a feeling and then bringing that to life through your jewelry - such a wonderful feeling - and then to have it completed and be able to look back on your creations. Very fulfilling.

And I already have my next collection planned! 

Sun inspired earrings featuring Citrine gemstones... 

http://www.artandsouljewelry.com/collections/solstice-celestial-collection

http://www.artandsouljewelry.com/products/citrine-gemstone-earrings-silver-sun-flower

http://www.artandsouljewelry.com/products/citrine-stone-earrings-w-bali-silver-sun-queen

http://www.artandsouljewelry.com/products/large-fine-silver-hoops-citrine-sun-goddess

http://www.artandsouljewelry.com/products/citrine-smoky-quartz-earrings-sun-maiden

 

Happy Summer Solstice! 

Sunny Skies

When I think of sunny skies, I think of Turquoise and Gold;

The sky and the sun, energizing our soul.

Summer brings out the BOLD side of me.

Do you find this too?

Lighweight and airy, these one of a kind earrings are ready for Summer!

 Featuring little nuggets of real Turquoise and all 14kt Gold Filled construction.

Odessa XXL Extra Large Gold Hoops Earrings with Turquoise by Nathalie Lesage Jewelry

I want to wear accessories that are larger, more colorful,

bolder, more eye catching...

I think these Turquoise & 14kt Gold Filled Earrings fit the bill ;)

You can find these extra large gold hoop earrings HERE.

Have a fantastic day!

Nathalie Lesage

http://www.NathalieLesageJewelry.com

We're All Ears :: June Reveal

 “The edge of the sea is a strange and beautiful place.”
~ Rachel Carson

Rachel Carson was a world-renowned marine biologist and author of some of the most famous books ever written about the natural world. She wrote with passion and expertise, and her writing was accessible and poetic and lovely. Her message of conservation, preservation and love of the earth that we call home is as fresh and compelling today as when she penned them over six decades ago. The following quotes about the sea are from her writings, urging us to never take for granted this world we live in, filled with glory and wonder.
  
I created a new bead set in my Symbol Bead Series that I call Tide Pool Treasures. The smaller size (about 3/4" round) is a new shape for me and perfect for earrings. The earrings that follow show the front and back of the same pair. At the bottom you will see an example of two focal beads, all sides. They are each made individually with molds and special stamps, painstakingly place. For me, these beads evoke the wonder of those tiny puddles of sea salt brine where the magical worlds of ocean wonders collide and coexist. I will start taking custom orders for these beads through my website, www.tesoritrovati.com.

"Tide pools contain mysterious worlds, where all the beauty of the sea is subtly suggested
and portrayed in miniature." 

“To stand at the edge of the sea, to sense the ebb and flow of the tides, to feel the breath of a mist moving over a great salt marsh, to watch the flight of shore birds that have swept up and down the surf lines of the continents for untold thousands of years, to see the running of the old eels and the young shad to the sea, is to have knowledge of things that are as nearly eternal as any earthly life can be.” 

“The winds, the sea, and the moving tides are what they are. If there is wonder and beauty and majesty in them, science will discover these qualities... If there is poetry in my book about the sea, it is not because I deliberately put it there, but because no one could write truthfully about the sea and leave out the poetry.”

“One way to open your eyes is to ask yourself,
"What if I had never seen this before? What if I knew I would never see it again?”  

I have never seen a tide pool or rock pool in person. One day I would love to have that chance. It gives me pause to consider that final quote from Carson... what if when I do get there, they don't exist anymore? A sobering thought, that makes me even more passionate about conservation and preservation of this amazing world we live in.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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!    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

An InLinkz Link-up
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Get the InLinkz code for your blog!

get the InLinkz code

Departed

When I saw these ceramic leaves, made by Jana of Happy Fish Things, I had to have them.  The glaze is just stunning. It took me some time to decide how to use them - it would have been easy to simply set a bead or two at the top. I felt they demanded a more elaborate design, but one that wouldn't detract from the lovely focals. I added czech and Indonesian glass, some vintage beads and drops of blue fluorite.

They're available here in my Etsy shop.

And don't forget: tomorrow is the reveal day for this month's We're All Ears challenge!

Bye for now, Claire

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

More Precious Than Gold

Think, for a moment, about how many beads, stones, and findings there are out there. Go ahead, I can wait...







...








OK, since this could take a spell, let's just summarize by saying that there are a TON of beads, stones, and findings out there. If you've ever been to any kind of bead show, you'll know what I mean. Now take those hundreds of tables filled with strands and baskets and multiply that by hundreds of thousands. Similarly, one of the beauties of the internet is that each of us in our own little corners of the world can shop for beads and stones from all over the globe. Our taste for supplies is limited only by the girth of our wallet.

All this to say: it can get overwhelming. So many good beads, cool beads, rare beads, stimulating exciting never-before-been-seen beads - how to focus?!

I experienced this shellshocked feeling the first time I went to the Tucson Gem & Mineral show with my dear friend Kimberly Rogers of NuminosityBeads fame. The sheer quantity of product, the teeming masses of people, the sky-high tents, the dollars changing hands hot and fast. Mercy.

That was two years ago. This year I didn't get quite so overwhelmed. I was a highly attuned hunter, knowing the type of thing I wanted and drilling down on it. I purchased with abandon, letting my creative "what if" juices flow. I walked up to booths and already had finished pieces designed in my head before even paying the vendor. 

The very best example of this involves a treasure trove of petrified wood slabs that I found. They were matched pairs, about 1" across, had a polished face yet a natural grained edge, and came in all the earth-toned colors of the rainbow: rust, salmon, fawn, cocoa, sable, charcoal, dove, ivory, and cream. I saw them and immediately melted. The crunchy semi-feral wicked earth goddess in me envisioned an edgy metalworked bracelet featuring a handful of these slabs. I knew in my head that it would be a lot of work. But if executed right, it would be worth it. So I bought 15 or so pairs.

Flash forward about four months and the idea had finally marinated enough - it was time for fruition. I sat down a couple weeks ago and created a whole line of petrified wood pieces, all set in gnarly sterling silver pronged open-back bezels. That includes this pair of earrings. Deceptively simple, humble, yet soulful. These slices use to be alive - think about that! I've been smitten and fighting the urge to jealously hoard the rest of them to myself.

So, all of this extended rambling to say, every now and then while swimming through the vast sea of components out there, you will find a special something that speaks volumes. It may only speak to you; it may speak to many. But when you find those special somethings, they can be more precious than gold. 

Happy Wednesday!
Nikki
LoveRoot on Etsy

Taos Bronze

Taos Bronze Earrings

My earring design has a mix of southwestern style rugged looking clay stone wear discs and rounds, from At Home in Taos on Etsy, with bronze and turquoise. My original plan was to make coordinating earrings to go with a statement necklace I had just finished that has oodles of turquoise rondelles. But I wanted a less traditional approach to the turquoise.

So to add a little "Area 51" element, I cut some bronze discs, hammered them to a pleasing texture, and gave them a coating of wax sealer and then some light buffing to bring back their wonderful sheen. Arranging them with the stone wear beads and turquoise drops, I wrapped them with Vintaj bronze wire. The four ball bronze ear wires go perfectly with the character and scale of the other components.

The result is an interesting "New Mexico meets alien space vehicle" combination, but somehow it works. I wish I could say that all my strange ideas were successful, but that is how I learn. It doesn't always work the first time, but I can usually find a way to use that new idea in another piece later on.



















Gloria Ewing

Chrysalis Tribal Jewelry
Chrysalis Too on Etsy

Vortex Spikes

I see a Vortex in these Gorgeous Lampwork Beads by BeadFairy and thought they were perfect paired with the Titanium Coated points.

Wrapped up in lovely Purple Sari Silk and Copper wire and topped with Czech Glass Beads.

Available to Purchase HERE!

Kristi

KristiBowmanDesign.com

KristiBowmanDesign.Etsy

KristiBowmanDesign on Facebook

Innuendo

I spotted these charms in my news feed on Facebook and I just had to have them! They are stunning and they are by Inviciti.  If you haven't checked out their Etsy site, you really should. They have some awesome pieces.

I love pairing this shade of Chalcedony with antique silver. 

You will find these earrings on my website here.

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

Kristy Abner

Kristy's Kreations

Softly Whisper

I have been making crusty beads for so long now that I have neglected my matte etching solution for my lampworked beads. I'm afraid the strength of the little I had left had diminished too much and I was nearly out.

I finally secured a new kind that can be shipped as crystals and was anxious to try it out.

My other technique using baking soda on my glass has a way of obliterating some of the great shiny metallic iridescence. Colors can change radically with that treatment as well.

Anxious to try out the etching solution on my newest batch of beads I committed to etching the entire series of the day.

I was more than pleased as some colors and effects were enhanced and there was a beautiful subtle blooming of colors that I didn't expect along with the silky matte texture.

I had these dainty pink and black daggers from HappyFishThings that happened to get near enough to the beads on my worktable and make this surprisingly great combination that I don't know as I could have planned. Serendipitous designing I would call it.

You can also find Happy Fish Things on facebook

Thanks for looking! 

Kimberly Rogers

www.numinositybeads.etsy.com

www.facebook.com/numinositybeads

 to see how other designers are using my beads here is my Pinterest page

https://www.pinterest.com/numinosity/designers-using-numinositybeads/

Citrus Swirl Earrings

While citrus fruit does not grow here, in Washington state, our recent gorgeous weather would have you thinking otherwise.  As I was making today's earrings, the colors in Kristi's Bowman's copper components were giving me citrusy (I just invented a new word) thoughts.

Wouldn't these just be super cute with shorts or a sun dress (along with a drink that has a little umbrella in it!)?

I paired Kristi's copper dangles with some green glass discs and some orange and white stones, which I think are fire agates (if you know otherwise, please tell me in the comments).

 The Citrus Swirl Earrings are available at Linda Landig Jewelry.
I know this is kind of a short post, but I need to go attend to my citrus mixed drink with the cute lime green umbrella.  Till next time...

-Linda

Linda Landig Jewelry

Cherry Ice Earrings By Cindys Art and Soul Jewelry

These earrings are a riff on another set I did a while back. 

Almost a year ago exactly!

My most popular and most pinned post to date! 

http://earrings-everyday.blogspot.com/2014/06/love-for-green.html

I mentioned in that post that I really loved how they came out. 

I still get inspired every time I see them.

The inspiration finally took over and this is what happened...

Cherry Ice Earrings by Cindy's Art and Soul

I've been working with ceramics for a little over a year now and I thrilled to be able to make beads again. And also to be able to make beads that I can use in my jewelry work. And maybe even to inspire others jewelry as well. I have to admit it's a real thrill for me to be able to add something to another artists creative endeavor. 

Cherry Ice Earrings by Cindy's Art and Soul Jewelry

 These earrings feature:

 

natural, found sea glass

I love how this glass still has a bit of the original pressed lines.

ceramic beads

handmade from white stoneware clay finished with a bright red glaze.

 hand forged fine silver hoops

hand stamped with tiny spiral images

and tiny micro faceted moonstones

 

Great for a pop of color this summer!

Imagine a white linen top and x-faded blue jeans. 

OR maybe 

 white cotton draw string pants - 

you know, the kind with big flowy 

(yes I made that word up) 

legs and a red tank...

 

Available at Art and Soul Jewelry

 

Peace & blessings~