Starlink

Mooching around on my bead table this week, not knowing what to make for the blog. Needing the boost of something new when I hear our lovely postman coming up the path and whoa! My headpin order has arrived from Kim Rogers. And just look at those colours and textures! The swirls of acid green were crying out for the green Basha Beads.

I wanted to represent the Starlink satellites that are orbiting close to earth at the moment - my smaller grandson is sitting outside scanning the sky for them as I write.
The pale blue I picked out with roman glass; the larger, 'orbiting' black discs are coco shell and the smaller obsidian.

I hope Oscar got to spot the satellite; small boys' memories are made of moments like this. Hope to see you again  in two weeks - stay safe, everyone.

                                                                              Lindsay x

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Indian Summer

We were certainly having an Indian Summer here last week - warm and sunny enough to get out on our bikes to the local wildlife reserve, sit and watch the swans gliding regally over the water. Leaves are turning from green to gold and red, berries are ripening, and there are some fabulous textures around as well.

Todays earrings are full of texture - Helen Backhouse wrapped polymer clay that has been textured with silk fabric and coloured perfectly for the season. The 'stamens' are Kimberly Rogers lampwork headpins. Lucy Haslam's dark copper earwires and crusty rusty czech glass finish them perfectly.  

The second pair are again Helen's polymer clay, textured with her grandmother's old silk bedspread. Beautiful brocade-like deep green, perfect with malachite, vintage venetian gilt collars and tiny beaten brass drops from Bernie Ryman.

Both pairs will be available in our upcoming 'Indian Summer' show this weekend over in The Very Nice group in Facebookland. Hope you can join Helen, Lucy and me on a brief tour of India and it's vibrant colours.
                                                  Keep well, and see you in two weeks.

                                                                      Lindsay x

                                                           
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Bunny-Go-Round

Hello!  It's Loralee, thought I'd show you something fun today!  

Stunning lampwork glass headpins by Kimberly Rogers of Numinosity Beads.

Vintage lucite bunny that looks very much like stone, stunning vintage glass Haskell pearl and vintage German glass accent bead in a circular pattern.

These reminded me so much of a carousel.  I added a tiny pop of red which really enhanced the beautiful variations of grey tones. 

I always love working with these magnificent headpins, it gives me a chance to do something asymmetrical and experiment! 

Thank you for stopping by today and seeing what I've been up to - I'll be back on Wednesday!

Loralee xo

www.loraleekolton.etsy.com 

Industrial Decline

This week I was looking back on some old Instagram posts from a visit to Liverpool, where we stayed at the Titanic Hotel, beautifully and evocatively converted from an old rum warehouse.  Back in the 18th and early 19th century, Liverpool  Docklands were once a hub for the import of rum, tobacco, and slaves, and an exit point for emigrants crossing the Atlantic to the New World. Many of the huge old warehouses now lie dormant, rusted and overgrown, but are slowly being brought back into use as hotels and apartments, part of Liverpool's economic and cultural revival.

I was inspired to make a few pairs of earrings to reflect the architecture and colours; lots of old chain, rusty metal, algae, decay, decline. I saved this pair for the blog. 

 

 

 

The focals are Kim Rogers lampwork paizools, rusty and crusty. Tears, for a dying shipping industry. Tears, for those forced into slavery, to whom Liverpool has dedicated a Museum.  There's a nice ginger/rusty patina on the copper washers and earwires by  Lucy Haslam.

 

Those top beads are wonderfully marked leopardskin jasper. An evocative pair of earrings.

Hope you are having  a lovely summer - are you going anywhere nice for your holidays? I'm away to Greece next week hoping for some inspiration!
                                                                See you in a couple of  weeks
                                                                             Lindsay x

                                                               
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Siren red

Hello Earring Lovers!

I have been making quite a few pairs of earrings for a showcase at the end of this month over in Facebook Land. I particularly enjoyed making this pair.

The starting point was a pair of delicious enamelled 'tinnies' by Kimberly Rogers of Numinosity. I love everything about these! The shape. The colour (that siren red!). The texture. They remind me a little of a Rothko painting -dense colour and lots to see the more you look.

I wanted to accentuate the angle of the charms with some oxidised brass. I like the way they make the tinnies background, rather than foregroud. Some pretty contrasting czech glass and a little oxidised brass hoop to add to the clean lines, and voila! 

Hope you like them. There'll be in my showcase over on The Earrings Show on the 29th March (Facebook). See you next month :-)

Sue

Utterly Lovely Stuff

Buttoned Up

It's getting chillier out there! I was looking through some old photos this week, and found a picture from one of my blog posts this time last year. I had discovered Dorset buttons and now I had  a sudden urge to make another pair.
Traditionally made in Dorset, southern England from 1622 onwards, the buttons were a cottage industry where all the family - mum, kids, and dad when he returned home from the fields - would work on them, and sell to the local gentry. They're still a Heritage Craft and I got mine from Gilleoin of Woolrush on Etsy. Made in Scotland with hand spun and dyed wool, the frame is now plastic rather than the original ramshorn.    

They're a great blend of lilac and orange wools so I highlighted both colours - orange recycled sari silk to add even more texture, and the double lampwork headpins in lilac are from Kimberly Rogers at Numinosity. Those chunky copper ball end headpins and earwires are by Lucy Haslam, who's going to write a guest blog on here in a couple of weeks time. 

                                                   A little bit of cosy for your ears!

 

 

See you again  in a couple of weeks - in the meantime, keep warm and dry; stay buttoned up!

 

Lindsay x

 

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A Happy Fall Out

 

 

It's been a busy week so far, invoicing and packing orders after a show over the weekend. Today I'd planned to make  a new pair for the post but sod's law says that the cold that has been brewing as a sore throat since last Friday chose today to make its debut in full technicolour! So with a head full of cotton wool, I offer you this pair that I hadn't had time to photograph for the show. 

 

 

Blood red lampwork criffles from Kimberly Rogers  dancing flirtily above ceramics from one of my all time favourite makers HappyFallout. Sadly, another not making any more.  Great contrast of red and green - picked up in the Czech glass bicones - and an interesting placement of holes!
The beautiful 'tangled' earwires you will recognise as Lucy Haslam's.

                 That's my lot, I'm afraid - hot vimto, ibuprofen and bed is calling me! Keep well.


                                                          Lindsay xx

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A Question of Balance.

Asymmetry. Not always easy, is it? To some it comes quite naturally, to others not so much. My head veers to the matching pair and I have to force myself to deviate. And how to achieve a sense of balance when your components/sizes/colours are different? This pair was a case in point.

 

 

These great neutral tribal patterned stoneware beads and charms are of course by the one and only Jana Bliznakova, but one is different in shape and considerably shorter than the other. The answer came in the form of this one off crusty soldered headpin that Lucy Haslam made for me. Fits perfectly with the design and balances the length. In the centre we have black crusty lampwork criffles by Kimberly Rogers - Kim and her husband Dave are about to set off from Alaska  to come over to the UK and we are hoping to meet up again (not least because she has a huge stash of stuff for me!) Criffles just make any design dance; like little ballet tutus. Joyous.

                                   Hope you all have a good week - see you again soon. 

                                                                 Lindsay x

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Geometry of the Ears

It is with joy that I get to introduce you to our newest full-time contributor to Earrings Everyday. Actually, there are two! Today I am introducing you to Ms. Lindsay Philipson, designer/creator and owner of PreciousViolet. Lindsay has a wonderful style all her own, which you will soon come to recognize. We are very happy to have her with us.
norbel

I experienced mixed emotions at being invited to join the Earrings Everyday Team. It's an inspirational blog, with fabulous work by a group of women I admire very much, many of whom have become good friends over time.

Honoured?  Of course.

Excited? Yes.

Scared to death of not making the grade? YES!!!

Aside from anything else, I'm not particularly techy and have steered clear of writing a blog before. Not that I can't write, but........about myself? Not so much.

But I can make earrings. And I can take a half decent photo. So how hard can it be?  And it's good for all of us to venture out of our comfort zone. So here goes. 
 

Here's me, on the left. I don't do selfies as a rule - too old! But I gave in to Kimberly Rogers on her recent European trip to celebrate her 60th birthday. She and Dave slept over with us and we had  a great time feeding them such Lancashire delicacies as Eccles cakes and Butter Pie.  Not only is Kim a good friend but as well as her own lampwork, polymer clay and enamel work, she always has some very interesting and unusual finds in her Etsy supply shop Numinosity .  

Which brings me nicely to the point. The earrings. I've had a bit of a thing lately for geometric shapes and these raku finish ceramic chunky squares I got from Kim just fit the bill. So rustic you can still see the fingerprints in the clay. I love the juxtaposition of grungy with sparkly and in the first pair the swarowski faceted octagons echo the shape nicely. A sprinkle of ruby crystals, faceted labradorite (who doesn't love labradorite?)  and dark lever back earwires to hold them close to the ear.

The second pair I placed with chunky roman glass on dark rustic studs. Lucky to have the perfectly shaped and sized pieces in my roman glass stash. Isn't that why we need large stashes?

So there you have my first post. If I haven't been sacked, I'll see you in two weeks time!

Lindsay

Precious Violet

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Smoke on the Water

As I was putting these together trying to think of what to name them, which is not a strong suit of mine, I suddenly started singing Smoke on the Water in my head.

These beads definitely look like Smoke on the Water.

I paired them with some of my Copper Wagon Wheels and a little Czech Glass bead at the top.

Smoke on the Water by Stanislaf Grof

Earrings Available HERE in my Etsy Shop.

Lampwork Beads by Numinosity Beads!

Kristi

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