Unfortunately, I typically bite off more than I can chew. What I imagined I would do couldn't possibly take more than an hour to complete, right?
Wrong.
So there I was sitting with these fabulous pieces that I picked up at the Bead & Button show.
These are all Red Creek Jasper earring pairs. I went a little nutty. I actually bought 24 sets in 5 different shapes. All I could do was sit and hold them in my hands. Can you blame me? They are stunning!
They look like they each have a story to tell. And that is exactly what I thought when I found those pictures of the canyon with the undulating sandstone walls bathed in light and looking like some prehistoric temple. I wonder what mystic chants were uttered in those passageways.
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| "USA Antelope-Canyon" by Lucas Löffler - Own work. Licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons. |
I really wanted to make the focal of each pair of earrings the stone itself. Because natural beauty really needs no further adornment. I had this great idea to make a sort of bail from either sheet metal or wire. I could picture making a balled headpin hinge to hold it all together for a little bit of movement. Unfortunately, by the time I started it was well after 8pm on Thursday and my studio is in a bit of a shambles as I try to reconfigure it (and work in it at the same time) so I would never be able to pull off the bail idea. Still, I did try and was feeling pretty pleased with myself at the cold connections, when I pulled the wire a bit too tightly on the second one and snapped off the top of the stone pendant. Drats. Well, now I have a necklace.
So I tabled that idea (I will revisit that in daylight). And I decided that I just need to treat each shape differently. So I pulled out a little metal and some wire and beads and just dove in.
I love that the red jasper really looks like cave paintings or photographs of a canyon. I could get lost exploring those caves, or gazing at these stone pairs. For each stone tells a unique story that is as old as time and has something important to impart to the one who beholds it.
Your turn!
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these are all fantastic but Moon over mesa is my favourite. Its so fluid and artistic like the canyons
ReplyDeleteI used red creek jasper too :) It was just perfect for this inspiration. I had the beads for awhile and couldn't decide what to do with them, but when I saw this month's theme I knew I had to use them. I will be posting my blog later today. I love how yours came out!!
ReplyDeleteStunning. I love working with natural stones and totally agree that they need little embellishment. You worked magic with those jasper focals.
ReplyDeleteI suppose at some point something like this had to happen. With all of us dabbling with the endless possibilities in jewelry-making, there would come a time when we would hit upon a similar interpretation of a challenge. But this is totally FREAKY, Erin!!! That we would BOTH have had the same buying blitz at probably the same vendor at the same bead show and then choose to use our treasured stash during the same challenge with such similar blog features (like the photos of our stash), seems so otherworldly. I always knew I had some sort of connection with you, such as the English teacher thing, but this gives me chills. We truly were on the same wavelength. Freaky. Totally freaky.
ReplyDeleteI love ALL of your earrings. Such amazing design. The Spirit Moves pair are incredibly unique, and interestingly have another connection. My cousin, who purchased the stones for me at the B&B Show, makes jewelry, and her business is called As The Spirit Moves. Again, just got chills. What an interesting way to begin this Friday morning!
My cousin Kathie just read your post and loves your earrings. She has a treasured stash of stones from B&B, too. She said that the two of you must have been battling over the same stones! :) (And I stand corrected that B&B was in Milwaukee, not Philly. I wanted to edit my post but was fearful that doing so might somehow break my link.)
DeleteThose stones are PERFECT for this challenge, I'm not at all surprised that more than one person used them in their creations. They are all so beautiful!! I'm behind as usual, sitting down to see what I can come up with to join in the fun, it may or may not happen!! Thank you Erin!! You always help us all "Enjoy the Day!"
ReplyDeleteThe simplicity of the Sacred Spaces design is my favourite. It lets the stone sing, though if I had not seen it first I would have picked any of the others as favourite. They're all beautiful.
ReplyDeleteYou might be able to save the broken stone by doing a tab setting with a large tab at the top, sort of like a wide bail. It's too pretty to give up on.
Mona
Awesome Earrings Erin! I love each set. And have embellished each pair perfectly!
ReplyDeleteThose jasper stones are perfect for this challenge and I love the shapes they have been cut in, it makes an interesting combination of organic and geometric. Love all your creations this month and maybe that necklace was just meant to be...xx
ReplyDeleteThis is fantastic, the combination of the beautiful stones with the metal and your design is just stunning!
ReplyDeleteGorgeous designs as always, Erin! And you know I have bead envy over those amazing matched and drilled stones. I would have gone nuts buying multiple pairs, too!
ReplyDeleteHow beautiful as usual! I love them all, but the Spirit Moves is my fav. Great challenge. Thanks for hosting it. Can't wait til next month!
ReplyDeleteErin I love your earrings. The stones are stunning. Thanks for another amazing challenge.
ReplyDeleteErin I love your earrings. The stones are stunning. Thanks for another amazing challenge.
ReplyDeleteOh the moon ones.... my word. I agree, it is a delicate balance with mother nature's incredibly beautiful creations... I think you got it just right. So lovely. xo -- julie
ReplyDeleteErin, the jasper pendants are simply amazing. And I love all the earrings -- they are perfect.
ReplyDeleteVery beautiful jewellery designs, I work with jewels, especially producing gold wedding rings, and I'm very interested in your creations!!Have you ever thought to try to design rings? I think that the result would be a bomb!
ReplyDeleteI adore that second pair!
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