Paper Flowers

It's been unbelievably hot up here in the north of England this week - 31 degrees here today. Probably not too bad for those of you who are used to a hot summer, but we aren't, so we aren't equipped with aircon in our homes. Impossible to work in my conservatory cum studio so I've been outside under a large garden umbrella!

Right in my view is this lovely Clematis Viticella. I think it is 'Valour' but don't quote me - I'm erratic at keeping garden records! It's scrambling up the brick wall with its beautiful deep cerise papery flowers set off by green foliage.  The inspiration for this weeks earrings.

 

 

 

The textured and patinaed bronze connectors are new from Helen backhouse and perfectly coloured. I've wired them in bronze and added faceted emeralds, then through the beaten oxidised copper washers from Faerystones I've popped beautiful sari silk in a rich cerise, leaving the edges papery to  to echo the flowers.  The fancy earwires - also by Faerystones, are as near as I could get to the trellis behind.

 

 

Pretty summer wear to flutter round your ears! They're over in my Etsy shop now, and as I'm joining in Etsys 13th birthday sale, they have 10% off until the end of the month. And then - July, and school holidays with four grandkids beckon! See you then.

 

Lindsay x

 

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❤💗💚 Colour Me Hippy 💙💜💛

Hello, how about a splash of colour this week?  Ok maybe not a splash, maybe a flood of COLOURS!!  You may need to get 'them' 🕶 on.

Here are this week's offerings in their group shot. Very colourful wouldn't you say?  I felt the need to brighten up everyone's days as I've been seeing lots of snow on my FB feed lately.  

1.  First pair features painted resin and brass charms by Martin Hart, layered (I used to do a lot of layering, now that I've re-discovered it....you will see a lot in this design) with vintage enamel flowers, topped with brass spacers (I have softened the colour on these a little, can you see?) and finished off with delicious sparkling rocks by Maryse Fritzsch-Thillens.

2.  Painted resin and brass charms by Martin Hart, layered with those stunning vintage flowers, sitting on top are Carolyn Saxby tyvek beads.

3.  Painted resin and brass charms by Marin Hart, layered with vintage flowers, topped with Roman glass discs, Maryse's sparkling rocks and sari silk.

4.  and a 4th pair in the same design.  I had these vintage flowers in 4 colours....didn't want to offend the cream/white pair by leaving them out 😁.

There we have it.  A riot of colours.  All of these are now listed in my Etsy shop.  See you in a couple of weeks. 

Suhana <3

My Etsy Shop: Buttoned Up Beads

Oh the possibilities - Sari Silk

I hope this finds all of you healthy and well this flu season! 

Both pairs of earrings I'm showing today were made using handcrafted Sari Silk components by Anna Pierson of SagaHus. 

I have lots of silk to work with. . . . large amounts of it so generously gifted to me by a friend. . . .and prior to that I had a few ribbons of my own here and there. Never have I been able to pull it together, not for lack of trying. I have tried and used and used and used a fair amount of silk trying. I have managed small areas of an earring design, and have also used different kinds of ribbon over the years successfully. So although I will continue my efforts at some point, I was delighted when I managed to snag these components to work with. Fun, colorful, unique. Thank you, Anna! 

SheFliesAgain

This gorgeous pair of silk components is paired with various Czech glass beads and Greek bronze castings in a column-shaped design. They're all wrapped with waxed Irish linen and attached to soldered copper metal rings. 

SheFliesAgain

The second pair includes handcrafted copper ovals by Shannon German of MissFickleMedia, and wonderfully crackled recycled glass shards made by Emily Cohen of CatFishStu. Again, wrapped with waxed linen and attached to soldered rings.

SheFliesAgain

Both pairs are amazingly lightweight, at only 0.10 oz / 2.83 grams, and 0.15 oz / 4.28 grams respectively. 

Thanks for checking us out today.

Always with Love and Joy,
norbel
SheFliesAgain

Wonderful Wool.

The clocks were turned back in the UK last weekend and the nights are drawing in - that's an old fashioned phrase! But old fashion is on my mind this week. 

I'm still hooked on textiles. Maybe it's the texture- they look so warm and cosy. Maybe the colours - such an array, from natural neutrals to bright primaries. Anyhow, in the search for something new to show you this week, I came across these Dorset Buttons.

Who knew? These buttons started their life in this country in 1622 (very precise!) and ceased hand production in the 1850's when machines began to take over. Made in Dorset, in the very south of England, they were a cottage industry that often the whole family took part in - mum, kids, and dad when he got home from the fields in the evening. The first ones used products of local sheep farming - rams horn for the circular frame and either wool or cloth scraps for the winding. Sold or traded, they were valuable items, for the clothes of the well-to-do.

I love the wheel pattern - they speak of cart wheels and spinning wheels. Pre-industrialisation.

The first pair in these fabulous neutrals I attached with a curled over piece of copper sheet and a ball end headpin - both made by Lucy Haslam, as are the earwires. The
stoneware spikes are from Petra Carpreau.

A second pair has darker neutrals, and ceramic connectors, again from Petra Carpreau, with little moving wheels, just like an old loom. Dark satanic mills, indeed.

 

 

 

Then I went for some serious colour! On the blue and yellow, more Petra spikes, dumortierite and Lucy's chartreuse earwires. On the blue and pink - Patricia Ritchie lampwork and sari silk, with copper rings and wine earwires (again, Lucy).  

 

 

 

The buttons? Still hand made, but in the Midlothian area of Scotland from local wool, hand spun and dyed by Gilleon Finley-Coull. Since early 2017 the buttons have been protected as a Heritage Craft.  

                                                              See you in two weeks

                                                                      Lindsay x

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