Dreamy ceramics

Hello earring people! I've been having a bit of a break from jewellery of late. I made so many new pieces for a showcase a couple of weeks ago, I was spent! I was happy to take out my tools and look through some recent purchases of components for today's blog.

Now, these ceramics are by Spanish artist Mari Carmen Rodrigez Martinez of Majoyoal. If you haven't seen her work before -go take a look. Her glazes are just beautiful. The pair I made for this blog are a beautiful pale green with lemon tones. 

I added some rustic African brass beads to accentuate the ethnic feel to these, and finished with some brass jump rings and spacers to highlight the pretty details on the ceramic charms. I like using jump rings for decoration, rather than just as a way of connecting things together                              

 Below is a pair I made for my last show with gorgeous pieces also by Mari Carmen -this time with beautiful blues and indigo. I used some aqua recycled glass chunks with these, pretty twisted jump rings and silver leaves.

Both pairs are in my shop.

Thanks for popping in! See you in a couple of weeks 

Sue x

Winging It.

Nights are starting to draw in - candles are being lit in our conservatory again. I'm not seeing many butterflies now, but plenty of moths and the occasional bat flying past if I'm wandering in the garden later on, the flutter of a dark wing heralding their presence.  

Wings - such a popular concept to design with. Bright and summery, dark and gothic, or all stages in between.  This week I'm sharing these stunning porcelain wings by  Mari Carmen Rodriguez Martinez - right up my street. Great shape, great colours, fabulous detail, slight asymmetry - and they can be any wing you want them to be - from butterfly to dragon!

With them I've used  lovely copper leaf headpins by Cecilia Lawrence, purple lava beads and some faceted picasso czech glass beads that perfectly echo the creamy green and toffee colours in the wings.  Hung on Faerystone beaten copper earwires. Yum - they'll take you nicely into autumn, through Halloween (just for Loralee!) and into Winter. 

Have you worn wing earrings or used wings in your designs this year? So versatile and feminine (even these - with a wee bit of edge to them. )

                                  See you in two weeks - enjoy the last of the school holidays!

                                                                  Lindsay x
                                                                
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Keeping it simple

So, I've had these beautiful ceramic pieces by Spanish artist Mari Carmen Rodriguez Martinez of Majoyoal in my beady stash for a while. The colours and texture of Mari's work are so striking -beautifully luscious! They always make me think of summer, perhaps because i often have pieces with me when i go to Spain on holiday (yes, I take beads with me when i go away!) and they have a very Spanish feel to them.

It's fun to think of new designs and different ways of using components. However, sometimes I like to keep it simple....less is more, right?

Recently, I got some new lilac recycled chunks, which i thought would go beautifully with Mari's indigo ceramic charms. Pretty seed beads accent the ceramic and glass components, and some stainless steel earwires for contrast

 This next pair have aqua green recycled glass chunks. The same simple design to show off those beautiful charms

Both pairs will be available in my next Facebook showcase over on The Earrings Show on 30th June. See you in a couple of weeks
Sue 

A Boy called Hilda.

This week I thought I'd introduce you to one of my favourite photographic props. It's the tale of a boy called Hilda.

 

'Hilda' was one of the myriad of antiques/objets d'art/bits of tat my mother used to collect when she retired from work. As well as some wonderful beads and pieces of broken antique jewellery; that's for another day. 

 

Hilda is a beautifully carved native head in a solid hardwood, well polished by age. 'She' had pride of place on one of my mum's many cabinets, and when my kids were younger they always used to turn 'her' head towards the door as they left and tell my mum it would afford her protection from robbers while she slept. So it became a bit of a tradition, and when Hilda passed to me we always made sure 'she' was facing the door in our home. And yes, touch wood, we have never been burgled.

 

You will, of course, all have noticed that 'she' is male, but my mum would never have it and so 'Hilda' stuck. I'm guessing he's from some S. American tribe - but if anyone can enlighten me please do.

 

Hilda has provided an atmospheric backdrop to many, many pairs of tribal style earrings  and I wouldn't be without 'her'!

 

 

 The earrings this week I've called 'Arrowhead'. I imagine Hilda with a bow and arrows, maybe with tips poisoned with curare! The dramatic arrowhead shaped ceramics in green and bronze are by one of my favourite ceramic artists Mari Carmen Rodriguez Martinez and I've wired them to beaten wrapped oxidised copper rings by Irish metal artist Colleen Campbell. Faceted pyrite chunks echo the bronze cast to the ceramics, and they hang from fab beaten copper circular earwires made for me by Lucy Haslam.

 

Have you a favourite photographic prop to share with us? Or maybe you could think about using them a little more - they can provide great atmosphere and add meaning to your work. 

 

See you next time

 

Lindsay x

 

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Nova

I fell in love with these ceramic pieces from Majoyoal as soon as I laid eyes on them. I thought I would give waxed linen cording another try this week and I'm glad I did. At first I was upset that I didn't have two purple Fluorite beads, but now I rather like how it looks. You can find these earrings here in my shop.

Thanks for stopping by and have a fabulous weekend! 

Kristy Abner

Kristy's Kreations

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