Jasper Gorditos

Green Line Jasper Earrings

Sometimes I feel the need to get back to the stones. Much as I love to play with sheet copper, wire, lampwork and Czech glass, my first love was natural stones. The pretty faceted gemstones are nice, but I feel a real connection with jasper. Jasper was referred to in the Bible, so I guess I am not alone in finding it appealing. Jasper has been sought after for thousands of years, not just for it's natural beauty but it was believed to have a protective power.

My fat little (gorditos) jasper earrings are two shapes of green line jasper, stacked atop one another with waxed linen cord wrapped around the adjoining point of the stones. I chose a wine colored waxed linen cord and seed beads to accent the earthy tan jasper stones.

Tiny little copper ball charms hang from the bottom of each earring that repeat the ball of the ear wire, and lend to an overall organic look of the blended shapes. There is something about oxidized copper with jasper that naturally blends together, and I think that is does in this arrangement.

Jasper comes in so many colors, all with that wonderful earthy quality that I love. These came from Cherry Tree Beads. There are so many jasper varieties that it is difficult to name them all, and they are usually very affordable. That means I have way more than I should have, but I can't stop myself.








Gloria Ewing

Chrysalis Too on Etsy
Chrysalis Tribal Jewelry

Ashes and Embers

Ashes and Embers Earrings

Imagine a volcano erupting with super heated magma and gases in red, orange, pink and yellow spewing into the air, and hot lava flowing down the side of the mountain. Flakes of volcanic ash falling from the sky like withered rain drops. The lava cools gradually to a dark charcoal gray and black stony crust.

The embers and ashes of the volcanic lava are the inspiration for my rustic stacked earring design. Beginning with textured drops, from Natalie McKenna of Grubbi Ceramics on Etsy, in bright pink orange and red, with shadows of black. Slivers of glowing red Greek ceramic and warm pink Indonesian glass complement the colors of the ceramic drops.

Ashy gray brown recycled glass with a matte finish like volcanic ash give a little contrast to the composition. The dark shadows of the ceramic drops capture the cooled black lava. Add a few accents of copper, and wrapping with darkened copper wire, with my own handmade ear wires and there you go, Ashes and Embers.












Gloria Ewing

Chrysalis Too on Etsy
Chrysalis Tribal Jewelry

"Squiddish"

Squiddish Earrings

Squiddish seems an appropriate name for these long dangling earrings that remind me of some sort of undulating ocean creature. Most of you probably recognize the gorgeous rustic ceramic connectors as the work of Petra Carpreau of Scorched Earth. I am a huge fan of Petra, and always find it a challenge to come up with different ways to use her ceramic components in my jewelry designs.

To the watery blue green ceramic connectors, I added my own dangle links made by hammering heavy gauge tin coated copper wire with the ends flattened enough to punch holes through them. I like to make them in varying lengths leaving a slight curve in them so they have a more interesting look when they hang from the earrings.

For a different touch, I use black jump rings and wire wrapping to pick up the touch of black glaze on the ceramic components. Tiny Czech drop beads, in green luster repeat the tones of the ceramic bodies. This is my first design using the black wire and I think it adds an extra element of dimension to these earrings.







Gloria Ewing

Chrysalis Tribal Jewelry
Chrysalis Too on Etsy

Roman Glass Mania

Roman Glass Stacked Earrings

The aged look of Roman glass, with its scaling and irregular shapes, is attractive to me and I have used it often the past year in my earring designs. The aqua and yellow green you see in these earrings are among the most common colors, but every once in awhile I get ahold of some cobalt blue that is more unusual. Much of the Roman glass available for jewelry making is found in excavations along the "Silk Road" trading route through Afghanistan and Pakistan. Another major source of Roman glass is Israel, along the Mediterranean shore and in the Judean desert.

My earring design is a simple stack and wrap with tubes of Roman Glass in aqua and yellow green, separated by copper spacers and rusty orange Czech glass accents. I thought they would be more interesting with the colors reversed from one another, so that part was intentional and not a result of my lack of sleep. The wonderful ancient looking ribbed copper metal clay drops that I have wrapped at the bottom are from Kristi Bowman. My handmade oxidized copper ear wires finish off the design.

Images of Roman women always looked so serene. Hard to imagine their survival often depended on their ability to manipulate the people around them. Politics behind the scenes, probably not so different then than it is now?




Gloria Ewing

Chrysalis Too on Etsy
Chrysalis Jewelry on Artfire

Walking on Sunshine

Sunshine Earrings

It's one of those songs that gets stuck in my head, Walking on Sunshine by Katrina and the Waves, from 1983. I don't really want to like that song, but it won't go away and it's so upbeat that I can't help but feel better after I hear it. So now that we have to start saying goodbye to summer, it seems fitting to do a slightly schmaltzy summer theme as the inspiration for my earrings.

Yellow polymer clay focal beads in sunshine yellow from Beads by Earth Tones with Hubei turquoise in tubes and rondelles capture the colors of summer and the upbeat mood of the song. I use rustic copper flattened ball head pins and my own copper ear wires that I have wrapped with bronze wire and tiny copper tube spacer beads.

I dare you to listen to this youtube video just once and you will hear this song in your head for the entire day.




Gloria Ewing
Chrysalis Too on Etsy
Chrysalis Jewelry on Artfire

Mohican Legacy

Mohican Earrings

It is possible to find inspiration in some very strange places. One of my favorite movies is "Last of the Mohicans" based on the book by James Fennimore Cooper. At the very end of the movie, the vengeful and sadistic Huron enemy, Magwa, is undone by Chingachgook with a battle axe type weapon. What does this have to do with earrings, you may be asking yourself? It is the fascinating shape of the weapon that has been stuck in my mind, wondering how I might be able to incorporate that shape into a design.

When I saw these chrysocolla wings, I knew the time had finally come to design earrings inspired by this beautiful native weapon. I added rusty red and brown Greek ceramic spacers and African copper rounds to the chrysocolla for contrast, and wrapped them in a heavier gauge oxidized copper wire to maintain their primitive character.

We find inspiration in the things we are drawn to, and I have always been a great admirer of native American culture. Even the native weapons had artistic lines and artful embellishments.



Gloria Ewing
Chrysalis Too on Etsy
Chrysalis Jewelry on Artfire

Pyrotechnics

As the celebration of our country's birthday approaches, our thoughts go to a long holiday weekend with barbeques and beaches. Time for fun with friends and family at the height of summer! The highlight of the 4th of July holiday, of course, are the many fireworks displays that will be topping off the evening all across America. And being America with its competitive spirit, each town or city strives to outdo their neighbor with more extravagant displays.

In the spirit of the 4th of July, I channeled my inner pyromania into these rustic copper earrings with glowing red English cut Czech glass beads. To mimic the burst of lights, I wire wrapped small English cut Czech beads to my hammered copper connectors in a varied color pattern. They are listed in my Etsy shop.

Gloria Ewing
Chrysalis Too on Etsy
Chrysalis Jewelry on Artfire

Boho Southwestern

Boho Southwestern Earrings

I enjoy overlapping design styles, boho, southwestern, tribal, rustic, primitive and ethnic. This crossover in styles seems natural and makes the designs more interesting to me. After all, these styles all have many common qualities.

In this pair of earrings, I have a mix of styles that always works well together for me. Smallish orange lampwork beads from Yvonne Johnson are capped with crusty looking pieces of eucalyptus in a dark blue green color. The rectangular copper drops have stamping and hammered edges in keeping with the rustic southwestern theme. Verdigris patina adds to the aged look and contrasts well with the lampwork glass.

What I wouldn't give to be able to wear a dress like this again! and look good in it. The dress is sort of tribal and minimalist, but still fits into the Bohemian realm.

This wonderful bag is definitely not minimal, but has elements of both tribal and primitive styles.






Gloria Ewing

Chrysalis Too on Etsy
Chrysalis Jewelry on Artfire

Cavorting in the Casbah

Casbah Earrings on Etsy

The image in my mind was one of belly dancers, richly colored woven tapestries and mysterious looking men smoking hookah pipes. Welcome to my dream world! Every night is a new adventure in epic form. If only I could transcribe these and publish them as a series of novels with slightly twisted story lines, I might be rich and famous instead of just tired. So play along with me and picture in your mind a politically incorrect version of fun (equal amounts of fun for both men and women) in North Africa.

These exotic looking earrings began with brass crescents that I hammered, stamped and darkened with patina. The beads are arranged in three tiers of hanging strands, each with a complementing ethnic accent bead in its center.

Gloria Ewing
Chrysalis Too on Etsy
Chrysalis Jewelry on Artfire

Joshua Tree

Joshua Tree Earrings

The desert southwest is one of my favorite places to visit. To me, the desert is both relentlessly harsh and remarkably fragile and beautiful at the same time. This dichotomy is intriguing and forces one to appreciate the history of this place and those people who are brave enough to remain there. Surprising green growth around the cool springs, and bright flowers sprouting from a cruel looking cactus plants make an indelible impression. On this trip, we covered large areas of Nevada, Arizona and California and I wish we could have stayed longer as I always do when I have to leave this part of the country.

I chose the name Joshua Tree for these earrings as the beginning of a new collection of pieces using the subtle colors of the desert, punctuated with bright accents. In my earring design, I try to capture some of the rugged feeling of the desert plants and their flowers. I cut freeform shapes from wavy textured copper and punched a hole pattern into each of the copper pieces. I applied a verdigris patina in a shade of faded green, not unlike the desert plants. The oval connectors have been wire wrapped with darkened copper wire and small beads of stone and glass.


Gloria Ewing
Chrysalis Too on Etsy
Chrysalis Jewelry on Artfire

The Beach at Tulum

Kyanite and Crystal Earrings

The old and the new, the rough and the polished; I am intrigued by this contrast. This particular design reminds me of a past trip to Mexico, specifically the Mayan ruins at Tulum. How dramatically the craggy rocks and the old structures stood out next to the brilliant blue green Caribbean in the background! I used rough kyanite nuggets wrapped in darkened copper wire, and attached faceted Swarovski crystal cosmic shaped beads in indicolite. Greek cast spiral drops contribute to the ancient character of these rustic dangling earrings.

2007
Tulum, Mexico















Gloria Ewing
Chrysalis Too on Etsy
Chrysalis Jewelry on Artfire

Ocean Blue Moth Wings

Blue Moth Wing Earrings

I have had so many diversions recently that I was beginning to miss my workbench. Time to get back on there and hammer some metal! So the top portion of these hammered copper earrings is simple with a darkening patina, and the three long dangling copper drops on each earring have had an ocean blue patina added to them. Sometimes, I will apply a more consistent coating of the patina and then add a generous layer of lacquer for added sheen. And sometimes I allow it to blister just a bit, as long as I am comfortable that it won't peel off I will leave it that way. I still apply the lacquer for protection, but in a much lighter coat. Ocean blue patina from Shannon German of Missficklemedia.

The long blue "moth wings" were inspired by nature photos I had seen on Pinterest. You know the ones? So I added some more color to the earrings with dangling African turquoise, and Czech glass beads. They are raw and rustic with color, like moths that aspire to be butterflies.

Gloria Ewing
Chrysalis Too on Etsy
Chrysalis Jewelry on Artfire





Check out my 60% Off Sale Today Only!!! April Fool :) Couldn't help myself.

Echos of Nefertiti

Lapis Luzuli Earrings on Etsy

Lapis lazuli always makes me think of Egypt, even if it came from somewhere else. The regal color was probably worn by Egyptian queens.

I have lots of plans for these lapis triangles, but the first thing I had to try was a pair of earrings. I combine them with African turquoise stick beads and copper in a stacked and wrapped arrangement. Both the lapis lazuli and the African turquoise are recent acquisitions from Dakota Stones, always amazing quality stones if you haven't tried them.

Bling Infusion

Red Magma Hammered Copper Earrings

Once upon a time, I considered the idea of blending sparkling crystal beads with rustic metals and/or stone beads. The concept has been percolating in my brain for all this time and now I have finally worked up the nerve to begin. I am hopeful that this will be the first piece in a collection of bling infused tribal jewelry. A new direction to be explored at a time when I can make my own metal components, and Swarovski elements have been available at discounts after the holidays.

Molten lava flowing over the dark ashen colored volcanic rock is a similar contrast to my hammered copper and crystal, so it is fitting that the color of the Swarovski columns I used in my earring design is called magma.

Gloria Ewing
Chrysalis Too on Etsy
Chrysalis Jewelry on Artfire

Cross Culture Arches

Cross Culture Arches

A blend of cultural influences in these new earrings with their beaded arches and tribal copper crescent focals. I have strung yellow orange Indonesian beads and teal Czech farfalles on nylon thread to form the contrasting colored arches. The copper clay focal components are from Kristi Bowman; I think of her as my co conspirator. From the copper crescents, I have hung carved bone discs in black and white to complete the tribal theme. I see these earrings as ethnic, but I'm not sure which one (ethnicity), thus the name.

Bias Scarves by Elizabeth Brassard (left)

Aboriginal Women's Ceremony by Debra Young (right)








Gloria Ewing
Chrysalis Jewelry on Artfire
Chrysalis Too on Etsy

Rustic Raindrops

Rustic Raindrop Earrings

Faceted Czech glass English cut beads and nuggets stacked atop one another to form these Rustic Raindrop earrings. I like the contrast of the opaque nuggets, swirled with hints of green and lavender, against the translucent moss green luster finished glass with its aged look. Aside from being my metal of choice, copper always looks spectacular with green!

Silvia Hartmann Windows

I see my Rustic Raindrop earrings being worn with a casual dress or jeans and a sweater.

Gloria Ewing

Chrysalis Too on Etsy
Chrysalis Jewelry on Artfire

Tide Pools

Watery blues and tawny yellow are captivating in these beautiful lampwork focals from Leah Deeb. I have added transparent smoky blue etched lampies from Yvonne Johnson, and copper accents to finish the design.

Rocky Tide Pool by Ryan Eng

Bohemian and rustic, these earrings could be worn for work or play.

Tide Pool Earrings on Etsy
Gloria Ewing's Jewelry on Artfire

Orange Julius

Orange Julius Earrings

Years ago, one of my favorite treats when I went to a shopping mall was an Orange Julius. My other favorite was frozen yogurt, but I haven't made those earrings yet. :) These gorgeous orange polymer clay donuts (I must be hungry because I'm starting to see a theme here) were made by Kristi Bowman. I have added a cascade of brightly colored ceramic and glass with little bits of copper in this whimsical design.

Orange Julius by bohobeader featuring flat sandals

More whimsical earrings by Gloria Ewing on Etsy and Artfire.

No Tea and Crumpets for Me

Spike Earrings

It is off the beaten path that we find the most interesting people, places and experiences. When we are not concerned with what everyone else is doing or wearing or eating, we are likely to discover something that would otherwise have escaped us. With a long holiday weekend coming up, maybe we should think about where everybody isn't going as our destination?

In these earthy Bohemian earrings, I use Czech glass, brass, copper and gorgeous primitive ceramic components from Petra Carpreau of Scorched Earth on Etsy. I don't know whether Petra likes tea and crumpets; I just love her work.

More Bohemian earrings here and here.

Gloria Ewing

No Tea and Crumpets for Me by bohobeader featuring wedge sandals