My Precious, My Own...

Hello! Happy Monday to you all. This is Norbel speaking (writing :) ). I'm sure many of you have noticed the number of changes there have been in our Artisan Contributors over the last several months. One thing I know for sure about life is that nothing stays the same. Things change; lives change. And that is simply how it is. Our wonderful, talented friends that have moved on are really missed. . . . by us and I'm sure by our readers. . . but there is always a silver lining. 😁 And of course, that is that we are able to welcome in wonderfully talented, new-to-Earrings Everyday artisan jewelry designers. You will be meeting three! We are very happy to welcome today Rejetta Sellers, who sells from her shop on Etsy, Jettabug Jewelry. We call her Jetta. We are sure you will enjoy both Jetta herself and her earrings. Here she is! Welcome, Jetta!

***

I love using artisan beads in my jewelry. I don't seem to have a favorite material: lampwork, ceramic polymer clay, enamel, patina, leather, painted wood. You name it and I will probably have some of it!

One thing I find myself doing is hoarding pieces from a favorite artist and only letting some go if I am able to buy more of their beads. Umm....I wonder if I am the only person to do this?

You see, for me, those little works of art are like collecting paintings for some people. Or having a favorite vase maker that you spend hours tracking down online. Going to an artisan bead makers shop is like going to a gallery for me. Being able to buy their work is thrilling and I display my pieces in clear boxes. My most prized pieces I display on my work desk to see them every time I create.

I made these earrings to sell in my shop, photographed them, and even wrote up my description. Then I found out Elaine Ray was retiring from making her unique ceramic pieces like these denim blue flowers.

A week or two later Teresa Hulley of Bo Hulley Beads announced she was taking a hiatus from bead making to pursue another dream. These amazing ceramic cream heart headpins had been in my collection for a while and look so perfect with Elaine Ray's flowers.

So these earrings never became available in my shop. They hang with my other favorite earrings and I wear them often. I love showing off my wearable art.

More artists have retired from bead making since the day these two ladies retired. And my bead hording has hit a new level of will-never-let-it-go. Do you have beads you can't let go of for one reason or another? I would love to hear about them. I might have some in my collection, too!

Jetta
JettabugJewelry

These have sold. . . but. . .

Update: These earrings have sold; however, when Petra made these for me, she made two pairs. So I do have a second set that I have not yet used. . . . just in case you are interested. Thank you! 😁

Hello. I hope this finds all of you healthy and well. 

My earrings today have fine art ceramic focals made by Petra Carpreau of ScorchedEarthOnEtsy. They depict The Green Dancer by Edgar Degas, a favorite of mine, one that I have always been drawn to. Of course, viewing the full work is different, but I was thrilled when Petra agreed to attempt to make these ceramic pieces for me from an image I sent her. They turned out beautifully. 

Rather than create a column of beads up above and take the eye away from the focal point, I put 6mm natural Teal Apatite round stones, Turquoise thin square stones and Saki Bronze accents on oxidized ball-tip copper wire and wrapped it to the curve of the round to continue the graceful movement of the ballerina.

Up top another Saki Bronze spacer bead and a small soft green 5x3 glass bead.

Thanks so much for stopping in. I'll be back. 

Sincerely,

Norbel

She Flies Again

You can visit me on Instagram and Facebook, too

Welcome Loralee Kolton!

Hello, my name is Loralee Kolton, and I've been making jewelry for about 10 years now. I was thrilled when asked to do a guest spot as I've been a follower of Earrings Everyday for some time now.

I thought I'd share a couple pairs of earrings that are just off my work table. These stunning hand charms were made by Vincent 'n Nooma of Inviciti! They look old, unearthed, and I loved them the moment I saw them!

For the first pair of earrings I used a set of filigree buttons which I purchased from Andrew Thornton of Allegory Gallery. They have a vintage feel and a gorgeous pearlescent finish. I wanted to add a bit of color so I wired tiny glass coral and gold vermeil beads to the center where the button holes were. 

The second pair was an interesting evolution. I had these very old twisted brass rings that at one time had been soldered. For some reason, the solder had let go and were now open. I guess I could have re-soldered the rings, but I thought it would be more interesting to cut it away and add holes for some dangles. So I cut, hammered and filed the ends, then asked my cousin to use his drill press to make some meticulous little holes to the bottom and top. I'm so excited and happy with the result! Sometimes at first, what appears to be a problem, can turn into something more interesting if you give yourself some time to noodle it out.

Thank you so much for stopping by and having a look! I love making earrings more than anything, and I'm so thrilled to share my new designs with you!

Yours truly,

Loralee
LoraleeKolton - the Etsy Shop

Scraps. . . continued

I didn't think Nathalie would mind if I picked up on her "scraps" idea. Her recent post really gave me pause. It was a good challenge for me, to pay attention to what I'm throwing away or simply tossing aside, without giving thought to what it might become rather than trash. I recycle many things in different areas of life, but I am quick to pitch loose odds and ends without thinking about it. The opportunity came up very soon.

The first pair is made from a small piece of tin I still have left from a vintage container. So in a way they're scraps. . . . but they're not really the pair that in my mind were made from scraps. :) The scraps are the second pair.

Earrings Available Here! 😊

These were made from what was left after cutting out the teardrop shapes in the first pair of earrings. It took some Dremel work to get the shapes nicely edged, inside and out. They were not joined at the top; that was where I made the first cut to begin the teardrop shape. I used a brass metal coating on the backs. They are too narrow for me to try to apply the backing I regularly use. 

I punched holes at the top of both ends. I used an aqua/green dye-oxide on vintage steel wavy disks. ***For whatever reason, those appear much deeper and brighter a color than they actually are. Strange. . . . as everything else is quite accurate. I tried lightening the photos at one point trying to soften the color. But the disks are simply not that bright.*** 

Using waxed Irish linen, I strung a single coral Czech glass bead and put both ends of the linen through the center hole in the disk, then one end through each hole in the tin, then knotting it. Pulling the strands tight caused the tin to bow ever so slightly and it looks great that way. Gives it a little bit of depth.

 I considered leaving the entire empty space empty after having tried at least two dozen different things to hang. Nothing worked. It was an odd feeling. I had all this empty space and couldn't fill it. It was baffling, actually. Frustrating too. I am not opposed to leaving empty space. Often it is what I would rather do, but in this situation I felt they really needed something.

I hung them up after finishing and left them as is. Later in the day I was looking for something for another project and stumbled on these Vintage very thin brass-plated findings. They worked, so I left them on. They are attached with waxed linen also, wrapped around the backs of the disk.

So my thanks to Nathalie for her post the other day, for making me stop to think about what I was throwing away, and giving me a new way to look at bits and pieces.

 Thank you for stopping in! I'll be back the 1st of August. Hope you are all enjoying the summer.

norbel

SheFliesAgain Etsy Shop

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One Two Three

Hello. I hope all of you in the US were able to enjoy a four-day weekend, and had a good time whatever you did or chose not to do. 😊

One Two Three! meant I was going to make a very cool "quick" pair of earrings with three components: ancient Roman glass, silver chain, and a really wonderful pair of ancient appearing "pods" by Lorna of Balela Ceramics. 

Earrings Available Here

Rather than go into all of the details of the difficulties I ended up having in making these, I'll just say, it didn't go One Two Three! It took about six hours, maybe more, when all was said and done, that's just making time. It's funny, how something that appears to simple can trip me up. 

I'm pleased with them. They match the vision I had, for the most part. 

The ancient glass is from a strand I purchased from Kim Rogers of Numinosity Beads. She is on vacation but I believe she has strands left. I hope to grab one, also.  

I used one piece of glass in blue and one in green on each earring. 

Earrings listed in SheFliesAgain

Thank you so much for stopping by! I'll be back in two weeks.

May you have Happy Days, each and every one of them!

Norbel

SheFliesAgain on Etsy

You can visit me on FB and Instagram, too

Welcome Sue - Utterly Lovely Stuff!

Hello! I’m Sue Robinson from Utterly Lovely Stuff and I’m utterly (sorry!) delighted to have been invited to do a little guest spot on Earrings Everyday! What a thrill! Especially as some of my very favourite jewellery artists contribute here.

So…I was told to create a pair of earrings especially for the blog, and tell you a little about them. This was no hardship, let me tell you as making earrings is one of my favourite things to do. 

This pair features components from one of my absolute favourite artists (whose beautiful pieces feature regularly here on EE) Petra Carpreau of Scorched Earth. I love her rustic, natural style, and think the coppery glaze on these ceramic drops is just beautiful. 

I popped these drops on some copper hoops, loosely wrapped with some pretty, coppery seed beads to pick up the orange hue in the glaze and added another favourite component - recycled glass chunks. I have a friend who goes to South Africa and picks up these recycled glass chunky beads for me from a local bead shop, so I have a plentiful supply of them! A good job as I seem to use them in lots of designs at the moment. I finished these off with some pretty enamelled headpins, made by a clever jewellery friend, Charlotte Rosser of Wild Strawberry Designs. (Link not available.)

Hope you like them! There’ll be over in my Etsy shop Utterly Lovely Stuff.

Thanks for having me!

Sue Robinson

Utterly Lovely Stuff

You can visit me on Facebook as well

I really love these!

Hello everyone. I do hope your week is off to a great start.

This is one of those longer posts I find myself writing now and then. 😃

While making, every once in a while something magical happens and I remember very clearly what it is that I love so much about creating. Those of you who are makers will understand, I think, and I'm sure there are many other things in life that others can relate to, things that create the same feeling: maybe holding your grandchild; sitting with your favorite pet on your lap or at your feet while reading a great book; looking out at the water on a clear, crisp, fall day, trees filled with colorful leaves. That last one is another one for me. They are incredibly special times that create emotions that at least I don't live with regularly. But it's also something that is difficult for me to put into words.

I say every once in a while because for me that is how it works. It is not something that happens every time I create something, even if I love the result. There are many days where it is nothing more than a practice of habit. . . . . I sit at my worktable, pull out a hundred and one things and try to "feel" what works that day. And that can change from one hour to the next. Something I'm excited about can quickly turn to "what was I thinking" after frustration and a break away help me see things more clearly.

But this day, these earrings, the magic happened.

I had these sweet bell ceramic pieces fired with a glazed called "Poppy Fields" for only a week or two. They were made by friend-to-many and Ceramic Artisan Petra Carpreau of ScorchedEarthOnEtsy. These were not the only pieces I had out on my worktable. At least a half dozen others and I was not at all focused on anything when for whatever reason the rusted tin ceiling tiles that I cherish crossed my mind. And it simply took off from there.

I knew I wanted thin strips, not really sure yet what I was going to pair them with. I cut them out and as I was shaping and filing, the bells became the focus. My idea was to use white acrylic paint to give them a "whitewash" kind of look but pulled out colorants made by Vintaj instead. Testing the coloring on the back of one, in a split second I knew it was exactly what I wanted. It's a white/blue color named "marine."

The rest of the design went along smoothly but at this point the feeling was already there, and it lasted throughout the remainder of the making and far beyond. Even still, I get an unearthly tingle inside when I look at them. Now, I know that they are simply a pair of earrings, and they may not even be something that many will like. But the feeling doesn't depend on those things. It comes from inside. It's a joy that creating sometimes creates. It is what it is. And I am very grateful to be able to experience joy.

Like so many of us do, I spent many years of my life raising a child, earning a living, keeping a house, taking a bit of time now and then to visit with family and friends, dealing with illnesses and a whole host of other "life" happenings, and keeping so busy that I never slowed down long enough to let the mind and body completely relax and let this brand of joy come.

This feeling, this joy that I'm talking about, comes to a quiet mind. I had a brother just 18 months younger than I, until he left us much too soon at age 47, who told me how being on the golf course was the only time his mind shut down. I could not understand that because I had never experienced it, . . . until I began creating. Then I understood exactly what he meant, and what an incredible thing to be able to stop the mind from its constant meandering all over the place. It mostly ponders the past, the good, the bad and even the indifferent, things that mean absolutely nothing at the moment, rehashing old material and old emotions for no good reason whatsoever, or it ponders the future, the when this and when that, then I'll whatever. What a waste of all the brain power we have. Focusing on something one loves to do and that requires focus and concentration is incredibly healing, agree? I'm pretty sure you know exactly what I mean. :)

Back to the earrings, I debated for a bit putting the tiny, matte finish, faceted glass beads along the edge of the tin. They're a great pink with orange undertones, and I thought I would love it but was concerned about adding three more holes to the thin strip. After weighing the pros and cons, and deciding that re-making the strips was not that time consuming, that I could make them again if I had to, it was something I had to try and it worked so well. It was just another moment of "I Love These!!"

And I really do. To me they are very special. They will always be a highlight for me. . . . . at least until the next time. :)

Thank you! Thank you for stopping in; thank you for listening to the musings of my mind; and thank you in advance for sharing your thoughts with me, if you are so inclined.

I'll be back on the 4th of July! See you then.

Sincerely, and with wishes for joy to each of you, each and every day.

norbel

SheFliesAgain

You can also visit me on Facebook and/or Instagram

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Use Coupon Code EARRINGSEVERYDAY anytime

When simple might be best.

Hello! How are you all? Feels like a good while since I've been here.

I hope you enjoyed Jetta Sellers' post yesterday. She is a sweetheart, and her work is great. Loved the Lettuce Leaves!

So simple. . . . the word simple really means something like having only one element, not compound. So the word itself may be improperly used here, but by simple I mean not complex, not complicated. So although that is not the definition of simple, in the context we use it, I think it's still the right word. When you look for an antonym of complicated, you get simple! lol

I am the least likely person in this group to talk about simple. That's a good enough reason, I guess, to talk about it! It's likely come up before. Sometimes I lose sight of what I'm actually creating, get carried away, and a pair of earrings could be put together and become a necklace! So I do like to try to focus on simple sometimes.

But about 4:00 yesterday afternoon, I still had nothing made for this post, let alone wrote the post, so when I sat down at my worktable I decided I was going to do simple. . . . really simple. So that's definitely one time simple is best.

For me, it's the artisan beads. So many of them, ceramic, lampwork glass, metal, polymer clay, are so perfect as they are, that they often sit in my collection for a long time, maybe forever, because they're beautiful works of art to me. They are the art form I collect. And so many times, the thought of adding something to them seems really wrong. It's very difficult to enhance something that I see as perfect. You wouldn't dream of taking one of Monet's Lilies series and add to it, to "enhance" it. Yeah, that's an extreme example, but to me it's the same thing. The only difference is that the artist that creates them, makes them specifically for the purpose of us adding to them. So of course, it's what we do. So here are my earrings for today:

These earrings are available for purchase in my Etsy Shop here

The beautiful ceramic components in the earrings, by Petra Carpreau of ScorchedEarthOnEtsy, I've had for a good while now. I have worked with them on a number of occasions and nothing ever felt right. They are just too cool on their own. Knowing that this is a huge decision for me, I decided to simply add one dangle to the bottom connector AND NOTHING ELSE. Nothing! :) I might have done that another time, but would certainly have worked on the top, also. But I stopped. And I love them. Really love them. That was a great lesson for me. What I added were three pieces on each, two silver metal beads and one rustic, natural Turquoise disk nugget.

Previously when working with them I was picking up on both the periwinkle color that you see on the earring on the right -- it's  minimal but it's there -- and they both have a bit of turquoise around the edge of the bronze clay that Petra uses in much of her work.

So being in a crunch is certainly one time simple is good. But it does have other benefits if one is able to make simple. I say"able to make" because using only a few pieces and making a fabulous pair of earrings takes great talent. It's not easy, not for me. So it's an exercise I should take up more often.

The other benefits include keeping the weight down, which for me has become an issue. I can't wear heavier earrings any longer. They hurt and pull down my lobes. Another benefit is price. Less materials, less time, equals lower price. That provides more women the opportunity to purchase handcrafted artisan earrings, often made with artisan beads, at a lower price point.

That's it for me today. I hope you are all heading into a fun-filled summer.

As always, we thank you for stopping in and spending a few minutes with us.

Happy Days to everyone. 

All the best, 'til next time!
Norbel

SheFliesAgain

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will provide a 10% discount in my Etsy shop.

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Welcome Jetta Bug Jewelry!

Exploring Different Styles

                Hi All! I am so excited to have been invited to be a guest on Earrings Everyday. My name is Rejetta. I have been playing with beads and jewelry for over 10 years. Some of you might know me better as Jetta Bug Jewelry.

                Along with making jewelry as the muse takes me, I have done pieces for magazines. Stringing Magazine, in particular, always had tight reins on what themes, materials, and colors they wanted for each issue. This stretched my comfort zone on more than one occasion. My style is more whimsical/ floral/ vintage with lots of artisan beads.

                Now I am addicted to trying new styles of jewelry making on a regular basis. It really allows me to expand my bead buying binges in all new ways!!

                Right now I am creating mostly in the Goth and Vintage Assemblage genre. The first pair has yummy, grungy black ceramic hearts headpins dipped in a shiny blood-red glaze from Bo Hulley Beads. I had some large black rings from Metamorph Supplies I wanted to attach the hearts to but felt they weren’t size compatible. So I whipped out my annealed steel wire and used my ring mandrel to form rings a bit smaller. Now I see a web with my wire rings for the little black widow hearts to rest.

Available at JettaBugJewelry

                The second pair of earrings started with these great, gray ruffly leaves and a stash of mica shift heishis that I had to have but never could figure out how to use. The two together looked so perfect but a bit feminine. I guess the ruffles on the leaves reminded me of ladies petticoats. So I started digging in my box that is mostly bling and vintage assemblage pieces and added some square rhinestone spacers. Then some long horse eye blackened bronze ear wires and I am in love…

Available at JettaBugJewelry

I hope you enjoyed my ‘Black Widow’ and ‘Lettuce Leaf’ earrings. And thanks for allowing me to be a guest and play with more earring ideas.

                Remember, touching beads everyday is good for the soul J

Jetta
My Shop on Etsy - JettaBugJewelry
Jetta Bug Jewelry Facebook Page

kaleidoscope patterns

Hello. I hope this finds all of you well.

I looked at the glass beads in these earrings so many times before finally deciding to buy them. I often do that and often miss out, not just in Czech glass but in all handmade items as well. I've learned to be really cautious about what I buy, first because I have purchased many a bead that I will likely never use, mostly in glass but not entirely. I make some very bad choices. And then there is only so much money from sales with which to purchase supplies, so I need to be cautious; don't always trust my quick judgment. 😊 But I kept being drawn back to these gorgeous multicolored beads, and when FunkyPrettyBeads was down to the last two listings, I purchased them, and I was not disappointed.

The beads were custom-made for a friend of Deb, owner of FPB, and she was able to obtain a small amount to sell in her shop. At some time in the future she may be able to have more made. I'd keep an eye out for them because they are just that cool.

When I received the blue ceramic beads by Gail & Arnold of SandCeramicBeads. . . . . bingo! is what I thought. What a perfect complement to the beads I have dubbed Kaleidoscope. The swirls of blues, greens, purple, on a tan base are as mesmerizing to me as the time spent with my eye glued  to a kaleidoscope, the ever-changing patterns and colors compelling me to continue to turn the barrel one more time. Each bead is different, the colors swirling this way and that, making them much more interesting than if they were all the same.

I accented the beads with turquoise and blue rondelles and round green glass beads, brass toned petal bead caps on both ends of the kaleidoscopes, and tiny brass beads, all wrapped with deeply oxidized copper wire, giving them that bit of a funky feel I need, and three brass-plated rings dangle from the bottom of each. 

So that's that! If you haven't taken a look through a kaleidoscope lately, don't pass it up if you have an opportunity. Colorful, filled with unusual patterns, they're really inspiring. Most of the images I found were not actual kaleidoscope images, but art created with kaleidoscopes in mind. They're pretty, no doubt, but I like the real thing better. This post made me add a kaleidoscope to my wish list.  

Thank you so very much for stopping in. As always, we love your feedback, and comments are always welcome. 

Have nothing but happy days!

Sincerely,
Norbel
SheFliesAgain

If you use Instagram, give me a shout out so that I can follow you, and you me if you'd like. I do have FB pages also, one in my name, Norbel Cylkowski Marolla, and one for She Flies Again. 

Ancient Egypt

Hello, and I hope this finds all of you healthy and well.

Ancient cultures have always intrigued me. The Ancient Egyptians in particular as they seem to have accomplished so much, at a time we think of as rather primitive compared with all that our species has accomplished over the last couple of hundred years. But in their time they were amazing! And yet, those amazing civilizations fell several times over a period of 2500 years. They were finally conquered by Alexander the Great around 330 BC. One of his generals a decade or two later created a Greek-speaking dynasty. Then in 30 BC, when Cleopatra died, Egypt was annexed by the Roman Empire and their very long and prosperous run as a "super power" of their time ended. It makes me wonder how one reaches such heights, only to let it slip away somehow, into the history books and through the sands of time. I'm sure there are lessons there for us somewhere. 

So that has absolutely nothing to do with earrings! But before I made these earrings I did some reading about cats, and Bastet, in Ancient Egypt. Along the way, I also read through some of the history and the timeline of Ancient Egypt, so that's where all that came from. :) As to Bastet, she was an Ancient Egyptian Goddess, often depicted as half female/half feline. Because of her, cats in general were held in very high esteem. The penalties for injuring or killing a cat were severe. Bastet was revered for different things in different parts of Egypt at different times, from warfare to fertility and childbirth :)

The Ancient Egyptian Cats are made from Yellow Bronze by Robert Gilmore of RobertWGilmore. Such wonderful detail in a thin and light component allows a lot of room to "add to." Ancient Egyptian jewelry often included red, blue and turquoise. And I have seen some including green as well but not as frequently. 

I used really lovely slices of Lapis Lazuli that I purchased from FunkyPrettyBeads. As an aside, I believe that shop is still having a Spring sale; might be just another day or two. 

Using brass-plated tiny-link chain I hung the cats from longer pieces, and the two shorter side pieces hold blue, red and green/turquoise Czech glass beads. The center jump ring is soldered and the three lengths of chain are attached to it. I used oxidized copper wire to wrap the top, along with brass rings, red glass and tiny brass beads. They are lightweight at 0.14 oz and just over 2.5" long. Lots of movement, too. :)

I wanted to mention that I am really enjoying our two newest contributors and their jewelry. Both Lindsay and Meridy create such beautiful pieces, and I always look forward to their posts. I hope you do as well.

Enjoy the day, and the next couple of weeks. I'll see you then. Thank you!

Much Love & Joy to each of you today & every single day!

Norbel

SheFliesAgain

The Love of Art Beads

Hello everyone and Happy April.

At the moment, this is feeling very surreal. Maybe it was meant to be, for whatever reason. 

I wrote a very long post. About my love of Art Beads. How I started making jewelry. My Art Bead Collecting, my passion for them as an art form, and a bunch of other stuff. 

Right now it's about 11:00 p.m. and I've had a really long day. My wrist is aching and my eyes are trying to close. Not complaining just setting the stage. :) I came back to my post to add the links for the earrings I just listed. I must have hit a Ctrl+A key combination and hit a key or the space bar and my whole post disappeared. I quick tried to Undo and I see that the Auto Save feature is saving it. The Undo did not work and it saved a completely blank page. YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!! NO. PLEASE NO. I tried to Undo yet again and it was hopeless. I looked around for somewhere there might be a backup but nada. 

There were six different photos in it, links to four or five different shops, links for the photos, all of which take a fair amount of time to complete, along with what probably amounted to three pages of blog. 

So rather than straining your eyes and maybe scratching your brain to read my lengthy narrative, this is it! Three new pairs of earrings made with Artisan beads by Petra Carpreau of ScorchedEarthOnEtsy and accompanying wheel beads by Jana Bliznakova of HappyFishThings. 

I am really very sorry but I just can't pull it together long enough to try to re-write it. 

Here are my earrings for today. With love and great big kudos to Petra Carpreau of ScorchedEarthOnEtsy.

Link to SheFliesAgain

Link to SheFliesAgain

Link to SheFliesAgain

As always, thank you so very much for taking the time to stop in and see what we've got going on, or maybe reading in your Inbox. We all appreciate it! Be back in two weeks. :)

With love, peace & happiness to all of you, each and every single day.
norbel
SheFliesAgain