Love in the heart and in the air

As we were just wrapping up a beautiful Easter weekend spent with our loved ones, I felt a lot of love and kindness in the air. Family, Friends and strangers are smiling more, the hint of warm sunshine and the light scent of fresh new flowers blooming creates a palpable positive shift in the energy around here.

Do you feel it too where you live? How about at home? With your family and friends?

This loving vibe and this sentiment is what inspired me this week:

I've designed a romantic 'vine' inspired design, because we're all intertwined by our feelings, our own vibrations and energy, as well as those of others around us. As my eyes were admiring the beautiful flowers blooming around town, my heart was also more open to see the beauty in others, even in total strangers I interacted with...

I've used the long 18 gauge copper wire with which I've created a pair of my Mokume Gane polymer clay headpins to not only set the beads on the earrings, but also to wrap around everything like a vine would do, coming on the way back down. It lovingly gently hugs the beads and rests on the drops, waiting for more places to go.

For these earrings, I've actually used one part of some pretty TierraCast lead-free pewter clasps. I'm not a huge fan of the bar-toggle type of clasps, but I liked the design of these with the 3 vine leaves, and I thought they could be a cool part of this design.

On my copper headpins, I've wrapped some sparkling yellow glass seed beads, as a repeat of the flecks of gold metal leaf found in my polymer clay drops. I've also added in some rustic TierraCast copper tone flat spacers, and a pair of Cosmic 12mm Indicolite Swarovski Crystals. The ear wires are non-allergenic Niobium ear wires (copper color with a copper bead accent), also from TierraCast.

I'm not feeling well enough to make elaborate time-consuming designs at the moment, but, as my dear friend Monica of TG Bears (her handmade bears are absolutely LOVELY) reminded me, I've come a long way since almost a year ago when I became very ill.

I'm feeling impatient at times with myself as there's so much more I'd like to do, but I'm thankful for my friends who love me and remind me to look at myself with more loving eyes, and to be thankful to do what I can at the moment. I'm definitely able to do far more than a year ago (and than most of last year). It's progress!

Thank you all for being here, as well as on FB/IG, and for all your lovely comments. It really helps me keep my chin up, and try to do a bit more despite having been so ill this past year.

More tests are coming with a neurologist (to confirm what we're 99.9% sure of what I have). It hasn't been easy, but creating art is healing, even if I'm not feeling well most days.

May you be showered with love and romance this Spring season xoxo

Cheers,
Nathalie Lesage
Visit my Etsy shop for Jewelry & Supplies: My Garden Of Love
Visit my Etsy shop for Instant Downloads Graphic Art: The Crafty Tribe

Holiday Gift Guide and Giveaway

Nesting Gift Guide by humblebeads

Welcome to the Earrings Everyday Last Minute Shopping Gift Guide! We have three participating shops that are offering free priority mail shipping for this weekend only.

Click on the thumbnails to see details for each item showcased.  The earrings in each set belong to one of our contributor's shops.  Check below for details of their sale for this weekend. 

Nesting Girl
The first gift guide pictured above is for the Nesting Girl - she is the one who loves all things feathered and with a bird on it!  The earrings are from Humblebeads and feature handcrafted polymer clay nest charms on copper earwires.  

Use discount code LASTMINUTE for free priority mail shipping this weekend to Humblebeads' Shop.

Shabby Chic Holiday Gift Guide by humblebeads 

Romantic Holiday
This shabby chic inspired collection is for the woman who loves poetry, french script, paper roses, lace knit scarves and traditional holiday themes like the delicate snowflake earrings from Tesori Trovati.   

Use discount code LASTMINUTE for free shipping or HOHOHO for 15% off this weekend at Tesori Trovati. 

Gift Guide: Feminine Fleur by lorelei-hill-eurto 

Feminine Fleur:
This set offers a feminine and modern gift guide with an artistic flair and a touch of European design.  Creative earrings featuring components from recycled tins offer an Eco-friendly edge to their playful style. 

Use discount code LASTMINUTE for free priority mail shipping this weekend to the Lorelei Eurto Jewelry shop. 

Java Junkie Gift Guide by humblebeads featuring earrings

Java Junkie:

This gift guide is for the girl who doesn't utter a word until she has had her first cup of joe in the morning.  Her world is caffeinated and this is a collection picked just for her! Funky Czech glass beads that look like tiny coffee beans adds a fun element to the soft blue hue of the handcrafted beads in therse earrings from Humblebeads. 

Use discount code LASTMINUTE for free priority mail shipping this weekend to Humblebeads Shop. 

Now on to the giveaway for this post!  Enter to win this pair of Nest Earrings from Humblebeads by leaving a comment to let us know which gift guide most appeals to you.  Pin your favorite collection for a second chance to win - just make sure you let us know you pinned one of them in the comments below.  Please make sure we have a way to contact you in case you win.

Hurry - the winner will be announced on Monday!

Have fun wrapping up your holiday shopping!

Persimmon Lantern Earrings

A tassel of persimmon colored Czech glass beads sway below a polymer clay bead in a floral design. These remind me of Chinese lanterns and the 1920's.  I'm looking forward to the flapper revival thanks to the upcoming Great Gatsby! 

Lantern Earrings can be found in my Etsy shop.  Use discount code HOLLY for 25% off your entire purchase until 12/15. 

I have a Zen girl on my shopping list, my 16 year old daughter, and I will be making her a lantern style pendant like the one featured below.  If  you happen to have a girl who loves all things from Eastern cultures, you might like a few of the gift ideas below.   I know my holiday shopping is never complete without a trip to World Market and few interesting Etsy shops.

Zen Girl by humblebeads on Polyvore

Click on the thumbnails for details about each item.

Holly and Berry Earrings

When it comes to the holidays my decorating and dressing up take it's cues from the beauty of nature during the winter months.  I'm drawn to evergreens, pine cones, holly, snowflakes and frosty ice as seasonal motifs.  These earrings reflect that holiday mood without being too Christmas-y, which appeals to me as I'd probably wear them throughout the wear.  The berries have some plum undertones making them read less traditional. 

The leaves and berries were sculpted from polymer clay and paired with brass in warm golden hues.  You can find them in my Etsy shop.

And speaking of what I'd wear for the holidays, I'd like to love to wear this outfit for the candle-light service on Christmas Eve.  I don't know if I could get away with the printed pants, but they sure have caught me eye.

Merry & Bright by Humblebeads