Power

Do you ever had one of those days? A day when the minute you get out of bed, things go wrong? Well, today I have one of those. 

I got up really early full of plans. Made myself a nice cup of coffee. Wrong. Not sure what happened but the coffee tasted like dishwater. Well, to be honest, I have no idea what dishwater tastes like, nor do I incline to find out but it sure looked like it and it tasted yuck. I will spare you all the details what more went wrong after that coffee except for this. This was suppose to be a brilliant epic post, full of deep inside thoughts about guns and bullets and the fear, despair, ugliness, pain and hatred accompanied by them. About how we have to reach out to other people and turn hatred into love, into something beautiful. Instead nothing happened. I couldn't find the words to express myself.

So I give you a beautiful lady who turned a personal drama into something wonderful and powerful. A great role model. 

And I give you earrings made with empty bullet shell casings, inspired by her. Power, my attempt to make something powerful and lovely out of something which causes destruction.

Earrings made with etched bullet shell casings, chrysocolla, gorgeous handmade lampwork glass beads from Stephanie McCain of Avas Bead Garden and matching lampwork glass spacers from Taara Ryan of Desert bug Designs. Now available in my shop.

Thanks for looking!

Wishing you a wonderful day,

Janine

Esfera Jewelry

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Nautical, Dude

If my feet were put to the fire and you forced me to choose the most popular colors when it comes to my jewelry, I'd have to say blues and greens. Perhaps I'm biased (ok, I am) - I tend to design more with these colors, so I suppose it's natural that they sell more. But in general, the cool organic lushness of these hues tends to attract very devoted followers. 

A couple weeks ago I was scrolling through my shop and realized it was really starting to lack in the blue/green department. Blasphemy! I started to paw through my (ever growing) stone cabochon hoard, looking for inspiration. I tend to design in series, and this was the perfect opportunity to do an earrings series featuring blue/green stones set in sterling silver. 

Originally I was planning on creating three pairs...that soon grew to five...and ultimately ballooned to a total of eight pairs (clockwise from top left): blue opal, Sonora sunrise, chrysocolla, Royston ribbon turquoise, natural turquoise, chrysoprase, imperial jasper, and plasma agate. I mean, how can you stop yourself when you're surrounded by such pretty rocks?! 

One of my favorites of the series is a pair of minty green chrysocolla stones, nestled in a symmetrical setting that reminds me of a compass or some type of nautical instrument. The dark negative "splatter" space at the center of each stone really sets them off, while thin webby veins of blue azurite add extra visual appeal.

 
So now that I've exhausted my supply of blue green stones, that can only mean one thing: it's time to go rock shopping. Eh? EH???!!

Happy Wednesday!
 
Nikki
LoveRoot on Etsy

A Healthy Dose of Inner Peace and Sunshine

In an (ongoing) effort to combat my "jeweler's ass", I bought a bike last week. Because let's admit it, sitting for extended periods of time at my jeweler's bench isn't the best form of exercise. 

As a kid, we practically grew up outside---sloshing through creeks, trekking through woods, catching butterflies in fields---exploring, experiencing, growing. A big part of this involved riding our bikes. At a time when we were still too young to drive cars and unable to own horses, having a bike was a great alternative. You could just hop on and pedal away---leaving your worries behind, if only temporarily---powered by just YOU and your sense of direction. It's an empowering thing, when you think about it. 

Flash forward 15 or so years. My parents had recently been cleaning out their garage and doling out childhood items back to my brother and I. It had been years since I had ridden a bike - this was going to be great! The initial excitement about having my old Huffy soon faded when I realized the tires were both flat, the gears rusted, and the brakes dried out and cracked. Old friend, you gave me much happiness, but that chapter has ended. 

So I stewed. And stewed. And then decided to get a new bike.  Not a cheap Walmart bike, but a real grown-up bike that will last me for years. It's sleek, efficient, and just what I need to explore trails. 

I knew that I had missed biking, but I didn't realize HOW much I had missed it until I hit that first downhill coast. You know that feeling you get at the top of a roller coaster when you crest and know that you're about to head down? That delicious anticipation and excitement? And then you're speeding downhill and the wind is whipping your hair and the scenery is blurring past and you're grinning like the biggest idiot alive. THAT. I've missed that.

So instead of slaving away at the stinky claustrophobic gym like a robot this past week, I've been enjoying a healthy dose of inner peace and sunshine. Hell, I even have a little bit of a tan on my lily-white arms. Now this changes everything...

These earrings feature two incredible slabs of chrysocolla stone---the marriage of warm sandy brown to the deep teal veins struck me immediately. I like to let stones like this speak for themselves, so I very simply capped them off using silver solder, oxidized, and left it at that. Long, slender, and serene.

Wising you much peace and much sunshine this week!

Nikki
LoveRoot on Etsy

Ubiquitous Retro Minty Green

Isn't it odd how some colors go through trendy ups and downs? Some colors are classic and are always in style - denim blue, bold red, chic black. And then there are other more ubiquitous colors, like burnt orange, pastel pink, and neons (of any kind). Who is it that actually decides what color is going to be "hot" this year, anyways? 

I've noticed the past year or two that pale mint green---you know, the color of your grandma's refrigerator, telephone, and/or toilet back in the day---has been experiencing a real resurgence. I can't say I'm completely nuts about it. I'm just not really a pastel kind of gal to begin with. 

BUT...

It is spring, and we just had Easter, and the tender leaves are all budding on the trees, so that got me in a bit of a softer mood. So I decided to finally use these wee raw chrysocolla drusy drops that I've been holding on to forever. I gave them some messy primitive beads caps with globby solder and hung them beneath stacks of precious bits: antique wood beads, crusty metal spacers, and powdery shimmery ancient glass beads. They make a perfectly light sweet dangley slim set for these springy months - or any month, really.

Hope you're all enjoying spring this year...even if it is a little late :)

Happy Wednesday!

Nikki
LoveRoot on Etsy