JUST DUCKY!

Thank goodness March has finally arrived because I am more than ready for Spring! In deciding what to feature in today’s post, I thought I would start with one of the pairs of colorful copper enamel charms that I’ve been making for an upcoming components show. Although Spring means pretty flowers, puppies, bunnies, and chicks, I wanted to do something just a bit different while still keeping with my theme. I thought of my daughter’s HUGE rubber duck collection and found that to be the perfect inspiration!

I started with these unique, copper enameled black rubber duckies, covered in brightly colored POLKA DOTS (LOVE me some polka dots). The next step was to go through my ever-growing bead stash to decide which of the polka dot colors to choose for the matching beads. I was leaning toward a pair of bright orange hollow beads over a pair of sparkly lime green donut beads, when I spotted another pair on my bead table that I knew would be the winner- a totally fun pair from Petra Marikova – a black base, completely covered in tiny colorful bumps – like falling in a bucket of candy sprinkles!

The only thing left to do was add a few colorful wavy spacers, some Vintaj black metal caps, copper caps, and a pair of fancy copper ear wires…WAY TOO FUN! What do you think? Too many polka dots? (said no one, EVER!)

 

These earrings will appear later today in my etsy shop, TwinklingOfAnEye.

You can find other earrings in my fb group.

Thanks for spending a part of your day with me - see you in a few weeks! :-) 

Metal...and Rainbows

Hi, everyone!  

My latest pair of earrings, below, is the fourth in a series of similar earrings I've made over the years.   

When I created this style in 2015, I was playing with several pewter charms by Inviciti that all had open spaces in them that could be filled with a stack of little beads.  The earrings were designed to be whimsical and eccentric.  Interestingly, what I discovered while working on this post is that my newest design in this style is probably the least eccentric of all of them. 

These earrings, below right, were the first of the three pairs I made in 2015.  I was learning how to wrap the red linen thread around the top of the "shoulders" of the component and to bring both ends of the thread down on each side, stringing my beads on the front, then threading both ends through the bottom hole and tying them together at the bottom.  I trimmed the linen thread to a nice spiky length.

These little ones below were more overtly whimsical, I think, because of the shape of the charm:  a fish!  So when I put these earrings together I made sure to wing the thread out in the same plane as the "fish tail" of the charm.  💗

These, below, also from later in 2015, are just a little over the top, with two strands of beads, in front and back.  I don't think I would do that again, because it doesn't look particularly tidy.  I do love the stripy beads and the orange-red discs and just the "go-for-it" sort of vibe these earrings carry.

So back to this year's model. 😉 These earrings are more polished, with their threads pulled tight to their backs and tucked under some nice--and carefully glued--red handmade paper.  They're also sporting a beautiful pair of small red and cornflower lampwork glass beads by Beth Mellor of Beeboo. 💗

Thanks so much for reading!  I will be back in two weeks' time.  💗

xoxo
Meridy

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Looking Back

Christmas is over, it's the last day of 2018 and I'm looking forward to the year to come. New colours to try out (and Erin will be telling you all about them shortly); new designs and maybe getting around to seeing some of the plans I've had for a while come to fruition. All I need is 48 hours in every day!

Looking back over the last year and wondering what to make for today's post, I couldn't help but return to a pair I liked so much I used them for my Etsy shop banner and for my business cards. I wasn't able to replicate them as the headpins and lampwork beads were unique, and nor would I want to.  So here's a variation on a theme.

The crusty bubbly drippy lampwork headpins in luscious lilacs and pinks are of course by Kimberly Rogers. Those 'lit from within' beads are the world famous Basha Beads and the central black arte metal lily structure that I've split with rhinestone rondelles is from Fallen Angel Brass.

         Not unlike the icicles that are supposed to be heading our way with a cold snap next week!

 

 

It just remains for me to thank you all for following our blog this year, for your support and your encouraging comments. We all hope to see you again in 2019, to join us in new earring adventures.

 

Happy New 2019!

 

Lindsay x

 

My Etsy shop

 

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Layering

One of the most recurrent themes in my earrings.  When I don't have the patience for wire wrapping I love to make layered designs.  In my mind they're not as time consuming as wire wrapping but I always prove myself wrong and I also ended up wire wrapping anyway.  I have 4 pairs to show you today. 

Claire Lockwood updated her bead shop recently and I grabbed some....whatever I was able to keep hold of in my cart.  I love these tusks, Colours are just dreamy. I wanted to keep the neutral theme, keep them simple in appearance.  I rubbed back the black patina on these brass flower blanks, placed large rhinestones on top and wire wrapped using brass seeds.  I simply hung the tusks from the flower connector and added raw brass caps for a pop of colour. 

For this pair I wire wrapped squares and attached them to brass connectors.  I hung painted resin daggers (by the Husband) from the bottom and added Czech glass flowers on top to complete the look. 

Lots of layering going on in this pair.  Beautiful lampwork flowers by Yuliana Goldin-Dunn with wire wrapped ovals, brass oval connectors and plain brass ovals underneath.  I added painted resin daggers to the bottom.  

Lampwork flowers by Yuliana on top of brass flowers inside a brass hoop (frame).  I added hamsa hand charms and painted resin charms as the dangles.  I keep changing my mind about these.  I like them, then I don't. 

They're all listed on Etsy.  See you soon. 

Suhana <3 

My Etsy shop: Suhana Hart Jewellery

❤💗💚 Colour Me Hippy 💙💜💛

Hello, how about a splash of colour this week?  Ok maybe not a splash, maybe a flood of COLOURS!!  You may need to get 'them' 🕶 on.

Here are this week's offerings in their group shot. Very colourful wouldn't you say?  I felt the need to brighten up everyone's days as I've been seeing lots of snow on my FB feed lately.  

1.  First pair features painted resin and brass charms by Martin Hart, layered (I used to do a lot of layering, now that I've re-discovered it....you will see a lot in this design) with vintage enamel flowers, topped with brass spacers (I have softened the colour on these a little, can you see?) and finished off with delicious sparkling rocks by Maryse Fritzsch-Thillens.

2.  Painted resin and brass charms by Martin Hart, layered with those stunning vintage flowers, sitting on top are Carolyn Saxby tyvek beads.

3.  Painted resin and brass charms by Marin Hart, layered with vintage flowers, topped with Roman glass discs, Maryse's sparkling rocks and sari silk.

4.  and a 4th pair in the same design.  I had these vintage flowers in 4 colours....didn't want to offend the cream/white pair by leaving them out 😁.

There we have it.  A riot of colours.  All of these are now listed in my Etsy shop.  See you in a couple of weeks. 

Suhana <3

My Etsy Shop: Buttoned Up Beads

All things Inviciti

Hello!

So I am busy busy busy, making lots of new things for a Facebook showcase over on The Jewellery Show on the 26th of this month. This will be my first showcase since November and I always get a little nervous, especially if I've had a gap. Will people like my new creations? Will anyone show up?! And if i take a break from making things, I always feel so rusty! Sometimes the creative spirit gets a bit....stuck...

So what's needed is some inspiration via post. And the wonderful Vincent & Nooma of Inviciti kindly obliged. They make the most beautiful pewter and painted charms, and a little package from them popped onto my doormat on Saturday and suddenly I was on a roll! Funny how that happens sometimes? How it can be so hard to create and at other times, it just flows?

So here's a group shot of everything together

Look at that gleaming pewter! So here's the first pair with some delicious lampwork by our very own super talented Kimberly of  Numinosity (by the way -have you seen her instagram feed? It's a visual feast! She has quite the eye for all things interesting, grungy and beautiful). Teamed these with some twisted silver plated rings and spacers and the Inviciti charms, of course.

The next couple of pairs have gorgeous lampwork nuggets by Maryse Fritz-Thillens. The first pair, a striking pinky purple colour, with silver plated spacers, co-ordinating czech glass and some silver-plated leaves too, just poking through the charms

Love these star charms. Just a few little twisted jumprings and spacers in this pair (possibly my favourites?)

And finally, keeping it simple with a little stack of Roman glass rondelles. Just love that these are ancient. Amazing to be able to wear a little bit of history in your lobes :-)

So that's me done for this month. All of these will be available over on The Jewellery Show on the 26th. Pop on over and say hello if you can. If they don't find a home there, they will be off to Utterly Lovely Stuff

See you next month

Sue x

Faerie Grove

My inspiration for my EE earrings this week came from something I'd stashed away in the past.  😊

Faerie Grove

I'd had most of the elements for these tucked away together in a baggie for a long time--at least a year, probably longer.  I knew the pretty spotted tanzanite lampies by Terry Turner and the silvery leaf charms would make cute earrings; I just didn't know exactly HOW.  So I stashed them in the bag with a few other beads and put them away...and this week, I decided to sit down with them and figure out what they would be.

I took some of the beads in the bag out of the running.  I loved the Thai silver beads that were in there, but they just weren't quite right, and neither were a couple of other things that were in the bag.  I decided to make the tanzanite color a focus, as I love the color, and the little Swarovski and Czech rondelles were perfect, in hue and in size, keeping the earrings sleek and simple and lightweight. The pretty little Nunn Design antiqued silver bead caps added just the right touch too without adding bulk to a slim, light earring. 

   

It was fun finally seeing these earrings come into form.  I hope you like them.  💗

Thanks for reading!  I'll be back in a few weeks with more.  

xoxo

Meridy

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