A couple posts ago I mentioned how I have been further exploring the use of fibers in my pieces to add textural and tactile variety. I use a lot of "hard" components---stone, metal, ceramic, glass, etc. So in the ever-present quest for balance, I like to add in some "soft" ingredients, as well.
The problem I have with so many textile-based materials is that they wear too easily. Either that or they discolor or soil, like sari silk, and are almost impossible to wash when incorporated into a larger piece. So I've found myself turning more and more to waxed twines made of durable material, such as hemp, flax, and nylon.
I'm such a fangirl of the magical and talented Rey at greybirdstudio and have always appreciated the way she wraps, weaves, and melts fibers into her intricate, organic pieces. So when she started offering her hand-waxed, dyed Belgian flax twine for sale to other makers such as myself, I squealed with excitement. The process she goes through to create the soft leathery finish is painstaking yet without a doubt worth it. I had the good fortune of snapping up a bundle of it one day---if you follow her work, you'll know how quickly things fly out the door!
The twine is very fine and has a nicely tacky quality to it, allowing it to stick nicely to itself when overwrapped, as I did on the "bead caps" in today's pair. Bonus points that the fibers will not discolor with wear and contact with our skins' natural oils. I took a matched set of beautiful blush chohua jasper---one of my favorites---and knotted and wrapped and knotted and wrapped and knotted and wrapped and...well, you get the picture.
I was at the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago last week and was amazed at the ancient jewelry from many of the native tribes of North America. OK, amazed is an understatement. My husband had to restrain me at certain points. But the underlying technique and overall aesthetic of today's earrings remind me of some of those pieces. Art influences art, always!
Happy Wednesday,
Nikki
LoveRoot on Etsy
Our color palette for today: blush, cream, pearl, coal.
I'm not the type of girl who gets dolled up often. It's been more than 10 years since I wore makeup. It takes me just a few short minutes to fix my hair out of the shower. Manicures? How about serial nail-biter? Although, I do admit to loving dresses. So what is it about wearing pearls that automatically adds elegance to a look?
I don't design often with pearls because so many of them are too "clean" to suit my preferred aesthetic: grungy, organic, old-looking. So when I came across this strand of wonky etched Tibetan pearls in Tucson this year, I snatched them up. They have the perfect mix of soft pearliness and aged texture---yum!
When designing around these, I wanted to utilize beads with a matte finish to balance out the smoothness of the pearl. I went with barrels of fossilized stegadon bone (I know!) and two wee ivory colored lampwork glass beads from Karen Elmquist, fashioned to resemble old bone beads. Add in some pitchy black filigree bead caps and cheeky little wire spirals at the bottoms, and I don't think you'd ever miss the fact that the design is so simple.
They dangle, swing, and sing from your lobes. And they BEG to be worn with your favorite little black dress: you've got class, but you've also got grit. Git em, girl...
Happy Wednesday!
Nikki
LoveRoot on Etsy
Let's talk about our feminine sides for a sec, kay?
My whole life I've considered myself to be a tomboy. Sure, I like to wear cute retro dresses every now and then, and I can really rock a pair of '40s heels, but in my heart of hearts, I've never identified with the pink-loving girly girls out there. In fact, for years I've vehemently maintained that I hate the color pink.
Like, HATED it.
But over the past year something miraculous has happened. I've had a change of heart. I've really warmed to the color pink. Now, mind you, I will never be partial to hot pink or bubblegum pink or barbie pink. But lately I've really been loving blushy salmon coral pinks. A little bit faded and dusty, a little bit of old romance, a little bit of organic girly.
One of my signature staple styles of earring is a wire wrapped natural stone slab. When I saw these plume agates I knew that I had to have them. Dreamy, blushy, a perfect celebration of spring's tender petals. Who says earrings have to be overworked and complicated? When something this amazing can be mined from the earth, cut, and polished, who needs much else? I'm a rockhound, what can I say? I guess that goes along with being a tomboy, too, huh?
Happy May <3
Nikki
LoveRoot on Etsy
Listening to music - one of my favorite things to do when creating jewelry, cooking, sipping a glass of wine, messing around the house, you name it. I'm continually inspired by other artists, especially those whose medium is the spoken and written word. I'm a word nerd, I can't help it.
When I'm creating jewelry, many times a song lyric or a phrase from a novel will pop into my head. I often wake up with phrases floating around in my skull like a song stuck on repeat. I've made a habit of naming each of my pieces. I find it gives them a soul to inhabit, an identity, a purpose.
These particular earrings are a bit of a departure for me in that they are PINK...well, as close to pink as I'll probably ever get. They have a visceral, dreamy, desperate bleeding heart romantic quality to them. Their title was inspired by a These Immortal Souls lyric:
"Plot me a course
By Pluto and Mars
To a vanishing point
Between her and the stars"
Art inspires art inspires art...components from several crazy talented bead artists (Kimberly Rogers, Xaz Bead Company, and Diane Hawkey), music from one hell of a talented band, and jewelry from my two little hands. And the circle continues.
Have a great week <3
Nikki
LoveRoot on Etsy
A couple posts ago I mentioned how I have been further exploring the use of fibers in my pieces to add textural and tactile variety. I use a lot of "hard" components---stone, metal, ceramic, glass, etc. So in the ever-present quest for balance, I like to add in some "soft" ingredients, as well. 
I'm such a fangirl of the magical and talented Rey at greybirdstudio and have always appreciated the way she wraps, weaves, and melts fibers into her intricate, organic pieces. So when she started offering her hand-waxed, dyed Belgian flax twine for sale to other makers such as myself, I squealed with excitement. The process she goes through to create the soft leathery finish is painstaking yet without a doubt worth it. I had the good fortune of snapping up a bundle of it one day---if you follow her work, you'll know how quickly things fly out the door! 
I was at the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago last week and was amazed at the ancient jewelry from many of the native tribes of North America. OK, amazed is an understatement. My husband had to restrain me at certain points. But the underlying technique and overall aesthetic of today's earrings remind me of some of those pieces. Art influences art, always!
