Birds of a Feather

Sitting in my studio this morning all I could hear was silence...….and birds! The house next door to us is a tall 3 storey affair with a chimney where starlings nest every year. Some years I've counted over 30 baby birds lined up along the rooftop as they have several broods. They're very noisy and very greedy and can go through a couple of fat slabs in our feeder in a day, squabbling all the way. By contrast, the blackbirds that nest in our hedge are quiet and gentle. I saw one this morning picking our viola flowers to line her nest - soft and fragrant. Clever lady.
 

Todays earrings are birdy. Polymer clay birds (mum and baby) by Jana Bliznakova, textured ceramic discs by Nitta of  Corvus Ceramics, czech glass feathers, peanut beads and dark copper metalwork by Lucy Haslam all add to the rustic feel.

So off I go to fill up the bird feeders yet again - see you in a couple of weeks time.

                                                                  Lindsay xx

                                                              My Etsy shop

                                                            My Facebook page

Simplicity.......

Who knew making simple earrings or anything for that matter would turn out to be such a stressful affair. 
I suffer from tunnel vision when it comes to making jewellery.  I cannot seem to make a variety of things (earrings, bracelets, necklaces) in the same sitting.  If it's earrings, it has to be just earrings and nothing else.  So last week I was making bracelets and naturally I could not think beyond that. I decided I'd make some simple earrings for a change and give my brain a rest.  I dug through old designs for inspiration and found these. I decided to recreate these in a new fashion.

I swapped the brass sticks for brass tubes and added some Swarovski rondelles for a little bling.  I made these.

Ceramic feathers by Claire Lockwood

Ceramic drops by Petra Carpreau

I was happy with the bottom 2 pairs but something was missing from the top pair.  They looked bland.  I needed to dress up the brass tubes so I painted them and tried to achieve a distressed look by taking off some of the patina.  Here's the revamped pair. 

Did I mention I suffer from tunnel vision when it comes to making jewellery?!  Well here's the result.

Enamelled stars by Bea Stoertz

Ceramic flowers by Petra Carpreau

So much for making simple earrings! But I'm happy with the end result and I have a feeling I'll be painting more brass tubes (a bit addicted now) 😂

I hope you like my offerings for today.  I'll be listing these in my Etsy shop soon.  See you again in a couple of weeks time <3

Suhana 💖💖💖

My Etsy shop: Buttoned Up Beads

Glide And Soar

I recently purchased 2 pairs of wonderful polymer clay feathers from Helena Benkoczka of Areto.  They were my first purchase from Helena and they turned out to be even prettier in  person than they appeared online.  I was so happy when I received them that I set right out to design a pair of earrings with the feathers. I forgot to take a picture of the feathers before I made the earrings, but here is a picture of the second pair that I received.  Cool, huh?

At fall Bead Fest I got some very cool chain that I was dying to use. I love that each of the links have such detailed textures.  My new feathers were the perfect excuse to try out an idea that had been floating around in my mind, since I got the chain.

I disassembled part of the chain and used two of the stick shaped links.

I very carefully bent the sticks into U shapes - I learned to shape them slowly and gently after I snapped the first stick link in half!

I attached the U shaped links to the feathers using some of the jump rings from the chain and then I used some smaller jump rings, from my stash, to connect the U shaped sticks to the ear wires. 

These feather earrings are so lightweight, that I picture them soaring upward on a gust of wind and then gliding gently back down to earth.

The Glide And Soar earrings are available in my shop.

Feather Earrings

I made these tiny feathers as part of my Feathers & Friends Polymer Clay Workshop. I knew I wanted to make some feather dangle earrings with them. I kept it simple with jump rings and accents by Czech glass on copper earwires.

These are such a fun design, I really need to make them in more colors!

What colors do you see these tiny feathers in? I'm thinking of an earthy green, brown and purple next.

Living By The Water

Two pairs of earrings from me today! A little while back I made a pair of earrings combining some Scorched Earth decal droppers with some lovely feathers that I've been hoarding for some time. I was pleased with the design and they sold quickly. I still had a few pairs of feathers left and when Petra listed some earring charms with feather decals, I knew just what to do with them.

I love the fluffy, downy, afterfeathers on this pair; they look almost like fur. The next ones are slightly smaller.

I've been doing a lot of rearranging in my flat in the last week or so.  Whilst about it, I came across an old compilation cd that I've been hunting for, for an age. Inevitably, I've been listening to it quite a bit since it turned up. These earrings have a certain feel to them but I haven't really found the word for it. However, this Anne Briggs song seems somehow in tune with their spirit.

(Warning: this link leads to hardcore FOLK)

They're available in my Etsy shop.

Bye for now, Claire

www.somethingtodo.etsy.com

www.somethingtodowithyourhands.com

www.somethingtodobeads.etsy.com

Geo Feather

Geometric feathers of polymer clay are paired together with copper and brass jump rings. The rings are accented with glass o-rings in bronze. 

Like a comfy pair of jeans, these could easily become a go-to favorite when you need just a touch of boho charm. 

Little Bit Country

Feathers, wings, faith, bright blue skies, wide-open spaces and miracles - yep, somewhere in my heart of hearts I'm a little bit country.  

And based on my outfit below, I'm feeling just a little bit cold too. I haven't owned a turtleneck in 10 years, but this year I'm thinking I may need to add one or two to my wardrobe. I like the idea of layering it with a kimono style sweater in monochromatic tones. 

What do you think - turtlenecks, yeah or nah?  Just what we need for a cold fall day or too matronly?

Cowgirl Blues by humblebeads

Brass Wing Earrings from Humblebeads Jewelry

Fashion Forward Feathers

Feathers - they hit so many trends that are currently out there.  They work on a geometric level, their lovely pattern echoing the very popular chevron designs.  Paired with bright colors they would work with a color blocked outfit.  I'm seeing more neutrals added in with bursts of bright colors for a fresh take on last year's hot trend. And they also work with the ethnic vibe that I'm seeing everywhere.

Of course, those feathers appeal to my inner mother-earth-nature-girl and I'd probably pair them up with something simple like a gray sweater, my favorite dark jeans and a nest-y bracelet like this one.