Frolicking Bunnies

 I was ignoring the heavy, slushy snow falling outside my window as I was working on these little bun-buns.

 Inside the studio, it was green, grassy and sunny!

I am utterly in love with these guys so don't hate me, but I have to keep these forever!

These sweet ceramic charms were made by Jill Stoffregen of Foxpaws and they are her original drawings.

I had pulled a few options for this design but loved them with fabric cocoons by SagaHus the best.  I chose a nice mossy green color with warm ox copper wire.  I used wax linen cord not only protect the delicate charm holes but also to make little whiskers!  I think the frayed cord lends a little "action" to the scene as well.

Thank you so much for stopping by today!

Loralee xo

www.loraleekolton.etsy.com

you can also find me on FaceBook and Instagram under my name.

Girl and her wolves

Hi, I have 2 pairs to share with you today featuring enamels from Annet Riabukhina.  I kept them quite simple as the enamels are pretty awesome on their own.  I hope I've added enough without taking away from the focals.

In this pair I attached the enamels to antiqued brass connectors layering it with flowers and caps.  I hung brass sticks and chain on either side.  I completed the look by adding big hole glass beads and flowers above the connectors and pink niobium ear wire (to echo the subtle pink on the edges of the enamels)

Again keeping things simple here.  I layered the enamels with both raw and antiqued brass caps,  I usually paint the flower blanks that the enamels are attached to,  This time I kept them bare as they accent the gold from the enamels rather nicely

Another view 

These will be available in my next show in The Jewellery Show Facebook group.  Hope you can stop by on Monday. 

See you again soon.  

Suhana 

My Etsy shop: Suhana Hart Jewellery

Kiwis

When I saw these vibrant components by Kristi Bowman Design at one of her recent shows, I knew that I had to have them.  I mean, look at them, right?  Gorgeous.

But also--and this is no small reason--I had all the pretties I needed to make a pair of earrings perfect for a summer day or night--even the apple-green briolettes and the blue ear wires. 

I also had at hand some 2-mm  Czech glass beads in a matching green and some tiny blue apatite beads that I wire-wrapped together into small pieces of chain.

And then I wire-wrapped the two peridot briolettes...and found myself realizing that wrapping briolettes no longer intimidates me. (Yay!) It's the little victories, isn't it?  💗

Thank you for reading! I'll be back in May with Something New.  💗

xoxo
Meridy

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Currency

When I was researching on Pinterest for my last show - Out of Africa - I found lots of photos of African jewellery, masks, and headdresses using cowrie shells.

The cowrie shell was one of the most successful and universal forms of currency in the world, but in West Africa it worked its way into the cultural fibre, taking on a deeper spiritual and ritualistic  meaning that has never been entirely lost. They were phased out (reluctantly, by the African people who were resistant to the imposition of colonialism ) in favour of the French franc in the 1940s. But traces still remain - in Burkhina Faso, alms are given to the poor in the form of cowries, and some ritual services still use them. The West African Central Bank headquarters in Benin is decorated with cowrie shells. Fascinating stuff.

For todays post I remade one of my favourite pairs from the show with variations - using cowrie shells, leopardskin jasper, oxblood lampwork rings from  Julia Hay and warm coloured glass beads wired to beaten brass domed connectors, with hand made brass earwires. The cowrie shells are from Sylvia Stungo of Fizzyelements. Very dangly, very African.

 

    Hope you like them - available in my Etsy shop, if you do. See you in two weeks time.

                                                              Lindsay xx

                                                           My Etsy shop

                                                          My Facebook page

Purple or green?

Hello!

It's been a gorgeous Easter weekend here in the UK. Bright and beautiful. And speaking of bright and beautiful, I received my latest batch of goodies from Petra Carpreau recently! And these rather lovely connectors caught my eye straight away.

First off...purple. These connectors have a lovely long loop, which I wrapped with some oxidised copper wire and little seeds. I framed them with some small oxidised brass hoops and added some pretty amethyst beads.

The green ones were next... I kept the same elements of the design, but added some brass spacers and tiny czech glass. I love both colours -can't pick a favourite! What do you think? Purple or green?

They'll both be available over on The Jewellery Show on Facebook on Friday/Saturday. See you again soon!

Sue x 

Utterly Lovely Stuff

Delicate Dolls

Hi everyone, I hope you have all enjoyed the the easter weekend, it has been a gorgeous sunny one here in the UK. I am still recovering from a long hospital stay but managed to do a small amount of gardening as well as making these earrings. Looking through my jewellery components these polymer clay/decoupage doll images by Lindsay Cameron stood out.

For the earrings above, I have echoed the contrasting colours in the components for a striking effect. The lampwork  beads are by Joyce McGillivray and I have also added hand-beaded beads and the black bead caps.

For the next pair of earrings I have used these pale pink doll/face components, again by  Lindsay Cameron and thought it would be a good idea to pick out the blue eyes to add another colour with these beads that are also by Joyce McGillivray. The polymer clay roses are by Ditsy Blue.

I will be back in two weeks with some other designs to show you, Nicola.

We're All Ears :: April :: Wanderlust

Every year for my daughter's dance studio I do a fundraiser for them to benefit the scholarship program that they started for the National Honor Society of Dance Arts. So for this years' theme of WONDERLUST I had a set of laser-engraved stainless steel charms created with messages of travel, exploration and striking out in to the big wide world. 

They are perfect for small charm necklaces, dangling off a bracelet and small enough for a simple pair of earrings. They are super-duper shiny, so it was hard to get a picture without a reflection. A little compass rose to remind you to follow the direction of your heart, and little blue stars to remember you to find that North Star and follow it.

Find the thing that lights your path like the North Star...

I also found some novelty charms in my stash and thought they would make some quirky earrings. I auditioned so many beads to go with this, but what I just decided to do was to thread some sterling silver slightly curved tubes. Plus if you every really do lose your way, you can take them off and find your direction because they are working compasses! 

Madison is where her path will begin...

On the Last First Day of school back in August 2018, I gifted my Very Special Senior daughter with a dainty gold compass rose necklace (no, she won't wear anything I create!) and a letter that ended like this...

"A compass points in four cardinal directions: North, South, East and West. Sailors used this directional guidance as they sailed stormy seas on long journeys. As you navigate this final year of high school and prepare for the journey beyond, we hope that this symbol will remind you to…

…look to the East and the wonderful possibilities and potential that is out there in the world, just over the horizon.

…look to the South by building warm and lasting relationships with friends, family, teachers and mentors.

…look to the West and remember where you have come from while never losing sight of where you are going.

…look to the North and find your North Star to push you onward toward your dreams while also guiding you to your true self."

It was my wish that she know these words at the start of her Senior year instead of at the end. I wanted to be sure to frame her year by taking a moment to look back and look forward and remind her that no matter where she goes, to always remember where she started from and always remember who loved her first and loves her best. Now at the end of this Very Special Year, I think it has taken root, because she wears that necklace almost everyday and it has become a cherished symbol to her that I think she treasures. I know she will carry it with her as Wanderlust takes hold and she starts to make her own pathway. Let the journey begin!

Now it is your turn. Show us your travel inspired WANDERLUST earrings! 

Blue

Hello friends, how are you doing?

Last Friday we arrived back in Greece. And unbelievable, in the Netherlands the weather was much much better than here. Blue skies, spring weather. Here we have had rain almost every day and the blue skies are hard to find. The weather definitely is shifting.
So, I made some blue earrings. 

As you perhaps know I love love love lampwork glass beads. This month I had an interview with Juliette Mullett, such a gifted lampwork bead artist. I thought that the gorgeous beads I used in these earrings were made by her. Nope. She makes similar ones, but these are made by a different artist. And I just can't remember who made these. If you know, please mention her name in the comment, so I can give her proper credit. The polymer clay headpins and the earwires are made by me. These earrings will be available in my jewelry show later this month.

Thank you so much for looking and your support for Earrings Everyday :)
And you know I love to read your comments, so don't be shy and leave some words. 

See you in two weeks.Wishing you all a wonderful day and a great Easter, full of joy, lots of (chocolate) Easter eggs  and blue skies

Janine
Esfera Jewelry

The Artful Dodger

Hello!  So, here is what I've been working on! 

I've named this earring pair The Artful Dodger, not only for the twisted olive and brown glass but, trying to capture them in a photograph was a real challenge!  Ahem, olive twist - camera dodger -see what I did there? *Ha!

The photo above was taken in bright direct light and the delicate, playful, enameled dots really show! 

Below, moving away from the direct light, it's far more subtle in color a little moody and dramatic.

The twisted glass beads are actually three individual pieces that I've fit together to create an ombre effect then caged in steel wire.  

The glass is by Michelle Hicks Lusk of Caliente Art Glass and the rustic amazing enamel work is by Kimberly Rogers.

“Men who look on nature, and their fellow-men, and cry that all is dark and gloomy, are in the right; but the sombre colours are reflections from their own jaundiced eyes and hearts. The real hues are delicate, and need a clearer vision.” 

― Charles Dickens, Oliver Twist

And so, that is me for now!  Thank you for popping in :)

Loralee xo

www.loraleekolton.etsy.com

You can also find me on Instagram and Facebook

Spring Chicks

Hello lovelies ,how are you all? I’ve been a bit under the weather with my back recently,but when my bestie Lindsay Phillipson said we were having a Spring Pop up Sale on our group The Very Nice Group last weekend I instantly thought of spring 🐣
My hubby made 2 nesting boxes a few weeks ago and we have been watching the little blue tits checking them out, one is quite high up so we called it The Penthouse and the other which is further down the tree opposite is called The Bungalow..... yeah I know we are daft.
I can’t wait to see the little chicks when they start to fly , such cute little fluffy birds and so very brave ..... imagine flying for the first time ...a real leap of faith !!!
So these are such fun earrings the beautiful little birds and flowers in gorgeous butter yellow are from the wonderful Jettabug her little polymer creatures are just the best, very simple with loads of character!

I have teamed them up with Lesley Watts fabulous deep mauve bronze hearts and added a sprinkle of tiny crystals, and hung them from my own softly aged bobbles copper earwires.

Wouldn’t they be fabulous for Easter 

Love and hugs and hope you have a lovely Easter holiday 

Lucy from Faerystone 

New ceramics

Hello! Here we are, half way through April already. I've been busy working on some new earrings for a showcase over on The Jewellery Show in Facebook Land at the end of the month. I was lucky enough to come across a fabulously talented ceramic artist called Nitta Elomaki of Corvus Ceramics. She makes beautifully delicate, rustic pieces and I've had great fun playing with some. Let me show you what I came up with.

First off, these pretty green glazed charms. Beautifully textured. I wanted some length  to these earrings -so, added some pretty chrysocolla rondelles, oxidised brass connectors with pretty little green seeds. A bit grungy. A bit elegant too.

Next up -these little textured moon charms. I love these! I added some delicious textured raku beads, stacked up with tiny little greek metal spacers peeking out between them. And some little brass oxidised hoops of course, for a bit of symmetry.

Go and check out Nikki's page on Facebook. These lovelies will be available at the end of the month on The Jewellery Show
See you in May :-)

Kinetic Loops

Hi, everyone!  Before I show you my new earrings, bear with me for a moment.  Life has been kind of chaotic at Casa Meridy lately.  My daughter Rhia, her husband Ken, and their two children, Kaity (10) and KJ (almost 4), are moving out this week after living with Rog and me for almost five years!

As you can imagine, our house is full of boxes and piles of things to give away and pack...and our hearts are full of memories and love and mixed feelings.  The move has been a long time coming--and much needed--but even so, we've had such a wonderful time living together that it's a little bittersweet too...maybe even more than a little, to be honest.  😔

I haven't made a lot of jewelry lately, but my latest pair of earrings are a lot of fun:  Kinetic Loops!  As you can see, they're chainmaille (of the very easy sort), made of bright and shiny aluminum rings.  The aluminum is extremely lightweight, which makes the earrings easy on your ears.  They're 2-1/2 inches long and  move around like little kinetic sculptures in your ears as you move.

Here they are hanging:

Below they're laying flat--quite a difference from the movement you can see in the photo above.

The largest rings in these playful earrings are 3/4", made of 14 gauge bright aluminum wire; the smallest are 1/8" and 18 gauge.  These could be made with just about any metal, but I'd think they would get pretty heavy!

They're wonderfully versatile, since they go with anything, a dressed-up look or your most casual jeans. 

Thanks for reading, as always!

Our kids and grandkids are starting their move today as I write this.  They're only moving a couple of miles away, so we'll still see them a lot (and I'm a primary chauffeur for school pickups and after-school mom stand-in).  But I still need to make sure I have enough Kleenex for these next few weeks.  💗

I'll be back in two weeks with something new--it's my birthday week! 

xoxo
Meridy

My Shop
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Spring Blossoms

It's been a lovely sunny few days up here in the north of England  (if still a trifle chilly) and that's reflected in my choice of colours for this weeks post. I have a bowl of double red tulips just coming out - so sunshine and tulips!

The enamel rings with flower burst murrini are by Kaz Baildon; the enamelled red beadcaps by Anne Gardanne. Rustic yellow Czech glass forms the inner bud and also the drops on the end of the chain. 

Something to cheer up your days!

                    Hope you are all keeping well and enjoying the spring sunshine - if you have some!

                                                                 See you in two weeks.

                                                                           Lindsay x

                                                                    MyEtsy shop
                                                             
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Bold, Brown and Boho

Lately I've been making an effort to work through my mound of UFOs (Unfinished Objects). I have an embarrassing number of jewelry projects that I've never finished or pieces that I no longer like or which aren't in fashion anymore.  I'm determined to either finish them, rework them or cut them apart and use the beads for something else. Today I'm going to share a pair of earrings I made a long time ago, for Earrings Everyday, but which I never liked much.  In fact I never even listed them on my website, because I wasn't satisfied with them.  Here's the original version.

The dangly beads on the waxed linen always looked too bulky with the fat ceramic drops, and the waxed linen caused them to stick out awkwardly over the rounded drops. Also the drops have a beautiful glaze on them, which the beads pretty much covered up. The earrings look OK in the photo, but in real life - not so much.
Sooo...I cut them apart and tried a bunch of variations till I got what I liked. I love the colors of those little barbell shaped beads in combination with the ceramic drops, so I wanted to keep them. Here's what I came up with.

The new version was hard to photograph because the little dangles fall off to the side when the earrings are horizontal, but you can see how there are beautiful shades of caramel, chocolate and coffee in the glaze, (sounds like a restaurant menu!).  Here's how they hang when worn.

The mother of pearl hoops used to be part of a necklace that I also took apart and re-purposed. The earrings look so much more airy and uncluttered in their new form. Unlike the first version of these earrings, I have listed this remake in my shop.

Linda Landig Jewelry

We're All Ears :: April Inspiration :: Wanderlust

My daughter is a dancer. I am sure that if you have followed along with me for some time you know this. As such, April is a very busy month for me as the annual Spring Showcase dance recital and the Spring Spotlight dance shows happen at the end of the month. This year is no exception, except that this will be it, her

very.last.one.

Tiny Dancer through the years

I won't be crying tears of sadness, but tears of great joy. For this Tiny Dancer who started at three has blossomed into this amazing adult who is now pursuing a dual major in dance and neurobiology at the University of Wisconsin in the fall. So there will be more opportunities to see her dance in the future.

wan·der·lust/ˈwändərˌləst/noun 

a strong desire to travel.
"her wanderlust would not allow her to stay long in one spot"

Wanderlust is when you can't get enough of this world and hope to see something new everyday which you have never seen before. In simple words, it is a beautiful disease which has no cure. The Spring Spotlight show this year has the theme of "WONDERLUST" with an O. A twist on the familiar word meant a desire to see the world, this is also about seeing the wonder of the world as you wander.

When you are a young person with your toes on the threshold of the world, there is a great desire to get out and experience it all. To send her off on the right foot, her graduation gift from me is a trip to New York City in June. I was only there once (but I had walking pneumonia so my recollections are pretty foggy), so I am pretty excited about it, too. In addition to seeing some great shows (including a brand new ballet debuting while we are there with the prima ballerina Misty Copeland in the lead role), my daughter will also have the opportunity to take dance classes at both the Alvin Ailey Dance Center and the Broadway Dance Center, where classes are taught in every style from those that are in the dance and theater scene in the middle of the bright lights of Broadway. I also can't wait to see the architecture of the big city and immerse myself in the local day-to-day bustle. I want soak it all in and make some lasting memories with my girl. 

So this month, our theme will be WANDERLUST and I hope you will share some TRAVEL-themed earrings...Inspired by actual places you been, the methods of getting there, or even the places you want to travel to! Let's explore the world! See you on Friday, April 19th!

craving for color

Hello friends, how are you all doing?

I don't know about you, but after winter I always crave for color. I recently bought 2 pairs of very, and I mean very, colorful shoes. My colleagues look at my shoes, look at me, look back at my shoes with a bewildered look on their faces. But then they see my tote bag (yep, very colorful), my chaotic hairstyle with curls everywhere, and sigh. Colorful shoes belong to me. As are colorful earrings. And nobody does colorful earring components better than Helena Benkoczka, with whom I had an interview in March. She is such an interesting lady and talented artist.
Her earring components always make me happy. I made these 3 pairs of earrings:

I combined the polymer charms with lampwork glass beads made by Lesley McIver, Czech glass and other bits and pieces.

And you can win this last pair :) Isn't that great. If you go to the interview you can see what you need to do to win this pair or win a pair of earrings made by Helena.

Thank you so much for looking and your support for Earrings Everyday :)
And you know I love to read your comments, so don't be shy and leave some words. 

See you in two weeks.Wishing you all a wonderful day, full of joy, an abundance of color and singing birds,
Janine
Esfera Jewelry

Frida Kahlo

Some earrings tug at my heartstrings more than others, and these do just that.  Normally I don't tend to gravitate towards beads with portraits or printed words on them (unless they are really silly words - ha).  However, when I saw these charms by Sue-Lin Tarnowski I just utterly fell in love.  I was especially drawn to their shape, color, soulfulness.

♡

For this pair, the chains really appealed to me ~ the suggestion of the tortured artist I suppose.  Then, loved adding the softer, beautiful floral beaded hoops by our very own, Suhana Hart ~ kinda wonderful in a quiet way.

Thank you for sharing your time with me!  I'll be back in two weeks!

Loralee xo

www.loraleekolton.etsy.com

You can also find me on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest under my name.