Second Guessing

I guessing that I'm not the only jewelry designer who holds on to components for long periods of time before making something (beautiful!) with them.  I mean, there are always good reasons for not immediately making something as soon as a gorgeous bead or headpin comes into my eager hands.  Maybe I have a bunch of other designs stacked up on the runway.  Or perhaps I can't find the perfect components to complete what I envision.  Or--and I confess this does happen from time to time--I may not have the vaguest notion what to do with my beloved purchase...and the lovely little piece of art has to sit with me for a spell while I figure it out.  :)

In this case, the lovely pieces of art were Pati Walton's amazing headpins.  I at least knew what I wanted my earrings to be:  long, lean stackers with a ceremonial tribal atmosphere.  Since Pati's headpins were so beautifully decorated already, I thought that I should probably keep the rest of the components fairly neutral.  But nothing "neutral" I tried worked.  Black beads, pink beads, even purple beads on top were just kind of...there.  They were too neutral.

I HAD considered a pair of beads, cute little things by Deborah Crow Roesly that I'd been saving for just the right thing...

...and I kept taking them out of the drawer where they lived and looking at them, then putting them back.  No, I thought each time, they're just too busy paired with those headpins.  So more time went by.  

Then one day I picked up the headpins and pulled Deborah's dotted purple beads out of the drawer again and started putting them together with some of my favorite copper beads.   When I was finished, they looked pretty much the way they do in these photos, minus the little pale pink Swarovskis at the top.  And I set those prototypes aside again.

But by the time I pulled the nearly finished earrings out to look at them the next time, weeks later, I realized that I couldn't really imagine them any other way.  The dotted purple beads looked like they'd always belonged with the amazing, colorful dotted headpins.  I'd finally stopped second-guessing myself, so then I finished the earrings...my kind-of-amazing ceremonial tribal stackers.  :)   

Thanks so much for reading!  

I'll see you all in a couple of weeks!  

xoxo

Meridy

My Etsy shop

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Hip Chick Star Charm Earrings

First, does anyone know where Hip Chick has gone? I have loved her charms for... forever! I'll admit, I  stopped ordering a while back  when my jewelry designs went a different direction. But I still have a small personal collection I adore (horde).
 
Hip Chick beads & charms are sterling silver and have a rustic handcrafted appeal.



Today I bring you Hip Chick Star Earrings featuring small blue handcrafted ceramic beads by Cindy's Art & Soul Beads. (new sets coming soon!)

Wrapped in a thick gauge pure silver wire with tiny Indigo Swarovski crystals dangling below. 

Available at Art & Soul Jewelry...

Peace & love to you, 
today and always. 

Horrible, Horrible, Autumn is here again.

Just kidding! What's not to love? I've never heard anyone say they didn't like Autumn. It's more often the favorite season. Especially for those who are fortunate enough to enjoy the colorful leaves this time of year. And, Pumpkin spice, anything. My favorite? Pumpkin spice yogurt covered pretzels. <3

All that and a welcome break from summers heat makes this the perfect time of year for me. Everything else is just icing on the cake. 

Including boots and scarves and all the rich autumn hues we can pull from the closet. 

sold

These earring feature handcrafted ceramic beads finished in a mossy green matte glaze; paired with rich Red Creek Jasper. I love wrapping in a thick, chunky fine silver and adding in rustic Hill Tribe silver for added character. Natural found beach stones dangle below. 

I have recently started a group on Facebook to offer supplies. I am downsizing my studio and will be offering a significant amount of my own handcrafted findings, and beads as well as my sea glass collection, other artist beads and commercial beads, findings and raw materials. 

Please join me and bring a friend. https://www.facebook.com/groups/643280319164605/ It's going to be GREAT!! I will be starting listings in the coming weeks. Lots, no... loads of beads. Beautiful beads... okay, do I have your attention now? 

Peace & love, 

  

Daisy Pallet _ Hessonite and Ceramic Earrings

I was fortune last week to get a little (unplanned) bead shopping in. It was an impromptu stop and I had no list or agenda when entering the store. This type of shopping is the most dangerous (expensive) kind... for me. Just grabbing every beautiful, wanton strand I could manage to get off the hooks and into my basket.

After a few deep breathes and sorting them at the counter I ended up putting a few back.. but kept the most exquisite and beautiful ones to bring home.

What inspires my jewelry work most is the materials. When I have beautiful materials to use - how can I go wrong? Secondly... is the world around me. Nature.

This set brings them together. Spring flowers and sunflower yellow faceted gems.

I adore this weepy flower stamp. I have created these charms from hammering out fine silver. Paired with handcrafted ceramic beads - finished with a blue-gray and topaz colored glaze. I found this little peekaboo of topaz color was absolutely brought to life next to these squarish Hessonite beads I picked up last week. Wrapped up in fine silver wire and dangling from hand forged sterling silver ear wires.

Hessonite garnets - local Seattle bead shop - Alexanders Bead Bazaar

Handcrafted ceramic beads - Cindy's Art & Soul 

+ Handcrafted fine silver charms 

Available at Art and Soul Jewelry

Rocky Coast

We took a quick trip to the coast last week to hunt for beach finds for my jewelry. I was so lucky to have the most gorgeous day possible. The sun was low in the sky and I was in heaven. 

Miss Molly helping me find shells and rocks.

My earrings and jewelry reflect my love for nature. I am especially drawn to coastal and woodland finds since that is sort of my home-base here in WA. 

These earrings feature handcrafted ceramic beads by Cindy's Art & Soul, along with found sea glass, and rustic little Czech class beads from Art-Bella Surplus on Etsy. Wrapped in fine silver wire with handcrafted sterling silver ear wires and headpins.

You can see more of my most recent trip to the coast on my personal blog here: 
http://www.cindypack.blogspot.com 

You can find these earrings and more jewelry with natural found objects at www.ArtAndSoulJewelry.com