Hedgehog Delight

My husband is from Germany and many of the German picture books that his family gave our children, when they were little, featured adorable hedgehogs. Here in the United States we don't have wild hedgehogs, although some people keep them as pets.  One summer, many years ago, we took a vacation with my husband's family, at a resort in Ronshausen. And that's where I first saw these cute little critters. I've been a fan ever since!

I've had these cute little polymer clay hedgehogs for such a long time that I no longer remember who the artist was that made them. Aren't they cute?

The ribbed, gold tone tubes were salvaged from a vintage necklace and I topped them with some luscious, faceted garnets. These cuties are now available on my website.

Linda Landig Jewelry

Autumn Leaves

A couple of weeks ago, my friend, Kristi Bowman Gruel, of Kristi Bowman Designs, sent me these delightful copper connectors that she colored and sealed with ice resin. I love how vivid her colors always are. I added polymer clay leaves, little ceramic flower shaped bead caps, agates and glass, along with my handmade copper ear wires.

 I'm in love with these! They are perfect for fall - but I'd wear them throughout the winter too, because these are my favorite colors to wear! You can find these earrings in my shop now. 

Linda Landig Jewelry

For The Good

 Hello! I hope everyone is doing well!

It's been a very busy time for me so I thought I'd share a pair of earrings I currently have up for auction at the "Artists For Animals" event on Facebook.  The event raises needed funds for animal rescues and organizations throughout the US.

I made a sweet pair of rustic dog earrings from artisan etched glass rings and matte ceramic coin charms.  The dog charms are hand-drawn by NadiaTerra of Bulgaria.

I think this is the shortest post I've ever done!  Sorry!

If you care to drop by the event I will provide a link below.   There are all kinds of artisan crafts available benefiting a variety of animal charities.  I believe this is the third year and it's been growing leaps and bounds. 

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1924057194512095/

Thank you,

Loralee

Shorties

I so wanted to add dangles!!!

Short earrings are a challenge for me so this is quite an achievement.

First pair with Claire Lockwood porcelain hanging from my beadwoven ovals.

Second pair with porcelain again but this time by Detelina Nankova

These will be listed in my group later today. 

See you soon <3

Suhana 

My FB group: Suhana Hart Jewellery

 

Seasonal "Twigz"

Hello!  I have something totally new to share with you tonight!

We all have our favorite beadmakers and one at the top of my list is Kimberly Rogers of Numinosity Beads.  I can always count on her to challenge me as a designer which I thrive on.  

One of her latest creations is called "Twigz", they are made of glass on a zigzag of steel wire.

Shown above, are a pair in blood-red garnet glass. I have added lovely mismatched, mellow, Miriam Haskell glass pearls, heavily oxidized caps, spacers, and vintage accent beads. I kept this pair elongated, slim, and elegant.  I purposely left a bend of steel wire exposed as a design element. I think it lends a bit of delicacy and grace if you will.   They have a very gothic vibe.

And moving on into winter ~ Icy Twigz

Here are a pair in etched black glass with hints of blues and greens.  I have wire wrapped some dark grey silk to the top with the tiniest clear AB Swarovski crystals I could find.  

It's hard to photograph just how spectacular the large antique tin-cut crystals are at the top.  They just dazzle in the light.  I used handcrafted ear-wires by Lucy Haslam with that lovely dark twisted effect.

Well, thank you so much for taking a look at what's happening currently on my work table!

Until next time!  Much love from me and the studio cats.

Loralee xo

www.loraleekolton.etsy.com

Leaves are Falling

 

Happy Wednesday folks! 

I'm in the middle of a two-weekend show on Facebook with my friends Lucy Haslam and Helen Backhouse. Inspired by the books/TV series 'Outlander' and set mainly in the Scottish Highlands at the time of the Battle of Culloden, then moving via France to Northern America, it's natural that I've included a number of pieces of work using designs based on heather, leaves and wood. 

These two new pairs of earrings are coming up this weekend in Part II - both using new, stained glass effect polymer clay leaves by Helen Backhouse. 

The top pair are lusciously long but light as a feather, using sigid wood tubes and Vintaj copper beadcaps, wound with silver/copper fancy headpins and swarowski crystals, hung on matching aqua niobium earwires. 

The second pair have more purple in them - I had these perfect stained glass effect lampwork beads by Leese Mahoney and again used copper beadcaps and the silver/copper headpins with swarowski crystals. The earwires are purple niobium. 

We all need some colour in our life at the moment. Hope you can join us over in The Very Nice Group this weekend. 

                                                              Take care out there. 

                                                                   Lindsay xx

                                                               My Etsy shop

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Scary Melting Faces

I was excited when these wonderful, copper, melting faces, from Kristi Bowman Design, arrived the other day. Such a great and timely inspiration.  

I linked the melting faces to some beaded components made by Anna Pierson. The rustic look of the beads looked great with the copper. I then wrapped Wooly Wire around the bottom links and added my own handmade brass ear wires. I love how they turned out. I hope you do too. The Melting Face earrings are available in my shop now.

Stay safe friends. May Halloween be the only scary thing in your life. See you again in two weeks!

Linda Landig Jewelry

Asymmetry

I've tried asymmetry after a while using fabulous ceramic shard connectors by Nitta Elomaki.

First pair is only asymmetrical because of the focal ceramic components not being quite the same.  It was the first pair so I could only manage slight asymmetry :D 

I played around a bit more with the second pair, it was hard work but I think I like the end result.  Hope you like them too. 

That's all for today.  These and more will be available in my next show in my group sometime next week.  

See you soon. 

Suhana <3 

My FB group: Suhana Hart Jewellery

The Unknown

“I will not let you go into the unknown alone.”
― Bram Stoker

October Greetings, My Friends!

Today I have some lovely antiqued collage earring charms by Jill Stoffregen of Foxpaws to show you.  

The charms are made of thin porcelain ceramic and are quite delicate. I used a 4 ply wax linen cord to attach them to the rest of the components so there wouldn't be any metal rubbing against them.  In this particular pair, I frayed the ends of the cord to create a tattered look which also went perfectly with the slashes you see in the sleeves.  

I created a sort of gobbet using vintage bead-caps and amber-colored faceted beads.  Well, of course, we all know vampires don't drink....wine...However, they may offer you some to be hospitable. 

I hope you enjoyed your stay at my little bead table today!  It was wonderful to see you again!

Be well,

Loralee xo

www.loraleekolton.etsy.com 

 

Flower Power

Hello, I have 2 pairs to share with you today.  Hope you like them.

First pair with classic black and red with a dash of white featuring porcelain charms by Terri DelSignore

Hanging view.

I took a much softer approach for the second pair echoing the colours of the charms, also by Terri DelSignore.  Copper hoops are also artisan made (I will update the blog if I can figure out who made them).

Hanging view.

 These will be available in my group today.  

Hope you haver a lovely weekend <3

Suhana <3

My group: Suhana Hart Jewellery

Haunted House

 Hallowe'en is fast approaching and time for one of my favourite designs - my Haunted Houses! I begin with polymer clay door and tower by Helen Backhouse, and add ceramic skull and flying bats by Jana Bliznakova. The orange pumpkin is one of my last from Jetta Sellars. 

               Add a fancy copper key in case you dare to unlock the door to the house of horrors! 

These are available now in my Etsy shop in good time for posting. See you again in two weeks and as always, please stay safe. 

                                                                   Lindsay xx

Trying Something New

 I've never been a seed beader - too fiddly for me, and the need to follow precise, detailed directions is not really my forte. Maybe the pandemic is robbing me of my sanity, because, against all reason, I decided to make a pair of seed beaded earrings. 

About those directions....I decided to substitute these pretty metallic brass colored size 11 beads for the size 6's that the directions called for. I discovered that two size 11's were similar in size to one size 6.  I felt so clever. But look carefully and you'll see where I went astray. Did you find it? On the bridge, below the ear hook, I used two seed beads on one earring and one seed bead on the other. Oops! Oh well. These are going to be mine and if anyone is close enough to notice this mistake then they seriously need to back up! By the time I wove the third earring - yes, you heard that right, I had to totally rip out #2 and start over again...anyway earring  #3 was easier. 

My hat's off to all you masterful seed beaders. Your work is truly impressive!

The seed bead challenged beader

Linda Landig Jewelry

Fall, Leaves, Fall

 I've been collecting art beads for over a decade now and I'm pretty good at remembering who made what and when, but for the life of me, I can't recall buying these delicate ceramic leaves.  It's very possible they were included in a package as a gift or a trade at some time.  So if they look familiar, please help a girl out!  lol. They are lovely!

I designed these freestyle- just doing what felt right.  I usually make all my necklaces that way as well, no beadboard.  It's like dabbling on a canvas with paint to me.  These feel tribal with a wee bit of Victorian.

I made the faux tin pieces (on copper) last year at an autumn beading retreat with Heather Powers.  There won't be a retreat this year because of social distancing so I'm really missing being in South Haven, Michigan, right now.  Maybe that's why I pulled these out to work with.

The ornate rings are vintage, as are the tiny wood beads by Miriam Haskell.

Here are some stunning lampwork headpins by my favorite artist Kimberly Rogers.  Falling leaves upon falling leaves with an almost birch tree background.

The accent beads are hollow vintage brushed silver-tone with a light aged patina.  Amber rhinestone oxidized spacers for a little sparkle.

It's an hour and a half past midnight and I'm late with this posting -- life has been busy lately!  Hope I squeezed this in just in time...but I don't think so...lol 

 Please take care and enjoy the season.     Love to you all ~

Loralee xo

www.loraleekolton.etsy.com

All things Bright and Beautiful

 It's been pretty grim weather for a so called summer in the North of England. What with that and a pandemic, we need cheering up. So this weeks earrings were designed to be light, bright and cheerful! 

These gorgeous enamel connectors by Kaz Baildon have so much potential - so many colours in the frit to highlight, and those three hole bottom edges to embellish as you choose. 

I used swarowski crystals and crusty rustic gold czech glass daggers on both pairs; the crimson have czech glass beads and hand made copper earwires; the teal have faceted green onyx and some of Lucy Haslam's lovely green enamelled copper earwires. 

The teal pair are sold but the crimson will be appearing in my Etsy shop soon. And I shall see you again in two weeks - keep safe my friends. 

                                                                   Lindsay x

                                                                 My Etsy shop

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Tin Moon Madness

Hello, my Beady Friends!

Happy September!  My workshop is in full Halloween mode now!

    I happened to find this Chocolate tin from at least 20 years ago in one of my nightstand drawers.  It was given to me long before I started making jewelry, so until a few days ago, it was just a cute tin box.  But now, I'm looking at through new eyes!

 

I put my disc cutter to work and began to punch out as many discs as possible, not wasting one bit of this adorable tin.  For this design, I'll just be using the large stripe discs and will save the spooky eyes for another day.

The lovely enameled bats are by Israeli bead artist, Pearly Karpel. 

Thanks for stopping by to see what's happing on my worktable today!  I'm excited about Autumn and looking forward to digging deep into all kinds of Halloween designs for the next couple of months!

 Loralee xo

www.loraleekolton.etsy.com

Unfinished Projects

I made one of these earrings a few weeks back, loved how it turned out.  We all know how time consuming it is to make an item where you design it as you go along. I think I spent several hours creating the first earring. I made the second earring, it was almost finished.  I was rather chuffed with myself until I realised I'd used black thread instead of grey.  I couldn't face re-making the component in that sitting. So off it went in my 'box' of unfinished items.  I think we all have quit a few of these 'boxes' lying around in our studio.

I always make my blog post earrings last minute.  So I looked through my 'unfinished projects boxes' and came across these. I was ready to finish them.  I hope you like the finished pair.

Beautiful enamels by Annet Riabukhina hang from my beadwoven squares.

That's all for today.   See you soon.

Suhana <3

My group: Suhana Hart Jewellery

The Paleontologist

Hello again, hope you are all keeping well in this uncertain world. 

This week I'm introducing one of my favourite pairs of earrings, with help from two of my favourite artists - Helen Backhouse and Kimberly Rogers. 

I adore Kim's crusty lampwork drop headpins - had many a pair - so much colour and texture. Perfect with the faceted green onyx, they are suspended from Helen's beautiful, solid oxidised silver ammonite pieces. Finished with hand made, swirly oxidised silver earwires and tiny green seed beads, they are just so elegant, yet primeval. Like something a paleontologist would unearth. 

                               You'll find them in my Etsy shop. Take care, and see you again soon.   

                                                                       Lindsay xx

                                                                 My Facebook page

Winged Things In My Garden

 I've been enjoying sitting out in my small backyard this summer. It's so pleasant to read or eat meals there and watch whatever critters are buzzing around. This summer, I've been trying to increase our yard's attractiveness to birds and friendly flying insects (no wasps, thank you!). We've always put out bird feeders, but this summer we added suet feeders to attract a larger variety of birds. I also put out a hummingbird feeder, although it hasn't been very popular yet. Last week I added a butterfly puddler (Google it), although it's too early yet to see if it will attract butterflies. I've noticed a lot of dragonflies in the yard. I love to watch them; their wings glistening in the sunlight. Although I don't know how to lure them to the garden, I do know how to wear them, or rather their likeness, on my ears.

I've combined the lilac colored metal dragonflies with pink and purple lampwork beads. Lavender crystals sparkle at the top and bottom of these beauties. I'm quite infatuated with these earrings. You can find them in my online shop at Linda Landig Jewelry.

Although we usually have warm. sunny Septembers, I am starting to sense a subtle movement toward autumn. I'm going to treasure every last moment of warm weather. How about you?

Linda Landig Jewelry