Jungle Fever

Last weekend in our Facebook Group my friend Lucy Haslam organised an art challenge based on colour and texture. It was very popular, with many of our group members joining in and producing some very fine work. Seems that lockdown really did bring out the creativity in us.

I'd got quite hooked on using textiles in my designs for the challenge so I carried on with the theme for todays blog post.

 

 

 

 

 





I layered black and animal print recycled sari silks, secured with oxidised copper wire to lovely twisted copper rings by Louise Goodchild. Above lie small amber Czech glass beads and etched black lampwork barrels by Joanne Joyce. Very swishy!

You can find them in My Etsy shop.

 

                             Hope you are all keeping safe - see you again in two weeks. 

 

                                                                     Lindsay x 

 

                                                                    

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My Generation

From 15th to 18th August 1969, 400,000 music fans descended on a farmers field in Woodstock, New York, for three days of peace, love and music. Probably the most influential music festival ever held, it became legendary. I'm of that generation - in 1969 I was 18, just left sixth form after my A Levels, about to get engaged and life was magic, with music playing a huge part of it. Many of the bands playing were favourites - The Who, Jimi Hendrix (I'd seen him on tour in the UK a couple of years before, lying flat on the stage, playing his guitar behind his back !) Joe Cocker, Joan Baez, Janis Joplin - the list goes on.
This weeks earrings remind me of a 60's fad that I still love - tie dye. We dyed everything that stood still long enough - t shirts, skirts, shoes, you name it.  And of course, Jon Burgess components are recycled electronic bits with polymer clay - we recycled or re-used pretty much everything in those pre-plastic days. Anyone else make hippie necklaces from dried melon seeds? 
The beautiful mismatched lampwork in greens and blues is by Joanne Joyce, with African turquoise and raw rubies. I've played around with wiring them upside down.

 

 

 

 

 

A fun pair of earrings. Were you lucky enough to be at Woodstock? If so, share your memories with us!

These will be on sale in our Woodstock 50 show over on Facebook this weekend in The Very Nice Group - come and join in the nostalgia. 

 

Lindsay x

 

My Facebook page

 

My Etsy shop 

Pretty pastels

More Claire Lockwood beauties from me. But I must apologise as I realise that the fabulous Suhana Hart used Claire's porcelain discs in her recent EE blogpost! So you can see a slightly different use of them here.

I had 2 beautiful pairs from an update of Claire's some time ago. Gorgeous off white background with grey black detail and soft accents of pink or lilac. They are really rather lovely. I combined these with pretty lampwork sea glass nuggets in co-ordinating colours by Joanne Joyce

I finished these off with a pretty czech glass briolette. The lilac ones have sold, but these pretty pink ones are available in my shop (link below). I love the contrast of the pastel shades with the dark oxidised copper wire

See you in a couple of weeks :-)
Utterly Lovely Stuff

It's all about hoops!

Now, I love hoops. They pop up in nearly everything I make. Can't help it. Even if I try not to include them, they end up sneaking into a design in some form or other. I particularly love these ceramic hoops by Petra Carpreau - I have quite a stash of them, with all different colours and glazes. All the colour is on the outside edge of these hoops, so I try to make sure that this is the focus of the design.

This first pair have a beautiful rose pink pair of hoops, which I teamed with pretty ceramic triple flower charms (also by Petra Carpreau). I kept it simple with some large brass jump rings to connect the flower charms and the earwires, but needed a little something extra. A few tiny brass jump rings accentuated the gold/brass in the glaze of the hoops and flower charms.

This next pair had a gorgeous pair of blue hoops as their starting point. I had some very pretty lilac etched lampwork beads by UK artist Joanne Joyce, which are rather like sea glass. I added some lilac glass rondelles, and some indigo seed beads for contrast. Love these colours together

Really hope you like them! They'll be available in a showcase on The Jewellery Show over on Facebook on 25th September, although the blue pair are listed in my etsy shop Utterly Lovely Stuff at the moment

See you in a couple of weeks :-)

Blossoming.

Spring is beginning to make itself felt even up here in the north of England and we've had two or three days of lovely blue skies and sunshine. It was Mother's Day here on Sunday and my house is awash with plants and flowers of all colours and scents. Close your eyes and smell hyacinths - it's just the best!

Today's pretty pink blossom earrings are made with beautifully detailed enamels from  Linda Younkman . I've had quite a few pairs of Linda's enamels and been really pleased with the quality and unusual shapes of every one. Vintaj black arte chain and jump rings hold a bouquet of small Czech glass flowers and the swirly pink lampwork is from another northern English lass, Joanne Joyce. My mate Lucy Haslam made the beaten copper circular earwires for me at her home in Wales.

                                          
                                           Just like having a bunch of flowers in your ears.

                                                      Enjoy the weather, wherever you are!

                                                                  See you next time

                                                                        Lindsay x

                                                                     My etsy shop
                                                                 My facebook page