Calavera Earrings

Three years ago, I was lucky enough to be in Oaxaca, Mexico for the Day Of The Dead celebrations.  It was magical. Words fail me when I try to convey the beauty, solemnity, humor and faith that filled the city that week.
People create altars all over the city and in their shops and homes.  The altars are decorated with flowers, usually marigolds, special breads made for the Day Of The Dead and brightly decorated sugar skulls or clay skulls, called calavera.

Skulls represent those who have passed away and sometimes have the name of the departed written on the forehead.

I made two pairs of skull earrings to share with you today.  I bought these fun skull beads at Bead Fest in October last year.  But I was so exhausted after vending at Bead Fest that I never made anything with them in time for Day Of The Dead. I didn't want to neglect them another year! This is the first pair I made.

The bright colors are typical of most Mexican celebrations and the flowers above the skulls represent the flowers on the altars that welcome the departed spirits back home.

I made the second pair of skull earrings using gunmetal finish wires and slinky chain tassels.

Follow the link below, if you would like to learn more about Mexico's Day Of The Dead celebrations. https://www.tripsavvy.com/day-of-the-dead-vocabulary-1588706  
Both pairs of earrings are available in my shop now.

Linda Landig Jewelry 

Knots And Dots Earrings

My time in Oaxaca, Mexico has almost come to an end. I'm feeling a little sad about that, though there are definitely some things at home that I am missing by now.

The earrings that I am sharing today, carry a little bit of Oaxaca with them.  See those fun turquoise knotted beads?  I got them at a bead store here.  I've never seen anything similar in the States.

Actually, these earrings are quite international.  In addition to the Mexican knots, the dotted ceramic beads and the brass flowers were made in the U.K. by Bo Hulley and Lesley Watt, respectively.  The brass wire was made in the U.S. and the earrings were made by a gringa residing in Mexico!

The vivid colors of Mexico have been very inspiring to me.  The Knots and Dots Earrings echo the colors of this building I passed last week.  The orange in the building in much more intense than the orange glaze that Bo used on her beads, but it is clearly the same color family as in these earrings.

I have been building a stand-alone website for my jewelry and art beads, this past month. You can reach it by going to http://www.LindaLandig.com.  You will find the Knots and Dots Earrings there.  Have a look around.  I hope you like my new digs!

This will be my last post from Oaxaca.  I'll be writing from the States, in two weeks when I post again.  Till then, adios!

Linda

Linda Landig Jewelry

Mexican Flor

As some of you know, my husband and I are spending this winter in Oaxaca, Mexico.  I brought a limited number of beads along with me and it is a good challenge to design with what I have here.  I'm still enamored with Marsha Neal's twisty spike headpins.  I used a coral pair of them 2 weeks ago and today I'll share a new pair of earrings that feature green twisty spikes.

I topped the spikes with Czech glass flowers and threaded yellow seed beads onto the head pin wires.

I bent the wires into circles and also ran the wire down behind the flowers to keep them positioned facing forward.

Mexico is a land of amazing, vibrant colors and I think these earrings have a bright happy color combo that reflects the country in which I am living now.  You can view the Mexican Flor earrings in my shop.

Linda

Linda Landig Jewelry