Oh, I do like to be beside the Seaside

Thoughts are turning to seaside holidays so we set a challenge in The Very Nice Group for all our members; make something in a seaside theme. We have beaders, knitters, glass artists, metalsmiths, textile artists, painters and other crafters in the group, so I'm hoping for some exciting entries. Amongst mine are these two pairs of earrings; very different in style and colours.

The first pair are dark and tentacly (is that even a word?) - they remind me of a crab or lobster claw. Greek copper beads with a great patina are nested together with rustic biwa pearls wired inside. 

My second pair are colourful as a saucy seaside postcard; asymmetrical, with beautifully detailed bronze starfish and shell by Lesley Watt, a lampwork shell by Rita Bennett, lampwork bead by Jo Wadman, soft  pink freshwater pearls, and rustic Czech glass. Both ends of the seaside spectrum - the colour at the end of the pier, or moody windswept Welsh coastline. You choose!


Pop over to our group and view the challenge entries - on Sunday 7th July. Should be good!

                                                          See you in two weeks

                                                                    Lindsay x
                                                                                                                      
                                                                
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Mirror Image

Am I fussy ? I'm always extra happy when I find earring components that are 'handed'  - with an identifiable left and right. And being brought up at the seaside I'm a sucker for anything sea themed; having just booked our summer holiday it was even more on my mind. So I was chuffed to find these fab ceramic pieces from Lindsay Drake. Not only handed, but the most beautiful, subtle colours of honey and green with edges that make them look like old, burnt parchment.

  

With the starfish pair, I used lovely etched lampwork beads by Josephine Wadman that just shout sea and black volcanic sand. Like a greek island sunset - Santorini maybe. The urchin caps are Vintaj copper.

These soft, glossy green ammonite pieces are reflected with tiny roman glass rondelles and turritella agate beads - such an amount of pattern on such small things.  

These would take you nicely through spring and into summer. Both pairs are in my Etsy shop now.
See you in a couple of weeks - keep well and hope the weather is kind to you, wherever in the world you are.

Lindsay x



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SOS

This week I've been up on our village Wetlands area, where we have just erected some new lifebuoys in the event that anyone thinks it  a good idea to go swimming (either by accident or design) among the wading birds, swans, geese et al.

Thinking ahead to my post, I had these industrial looking polymer clay pieces from Jon Burgess with distressed wire above - they just looked to me like the structures holding our lifebuoys. So I wired some circular stuff to them - on one side, a rustic ceramic piece from Sarah Kandell-Gritzmaker and on the other a piece of shell-like druzy. On top, beautiful smooth African turquoise beads.

The copper chain can be worn at the front or turned to the rear, or one of each, whatever you prefer. The dark copper earwires are of course by Lucy Haslam.

 

Like washed up flotsam and jetsam attaching itself to the lifebuoys on a deserted pier.  They're over in my Etsy shop now.

 

See you next time!

 

Lindsay x

 

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Aegean Sands

This time next week I'll be on my hols in Greece. It's one of our favourite destinations; the Greek people are lovely, it's laid back and relaxed, very family friendly, there's great food for non meat eaters and, of course, it's beautiful and packed with history. What's not to like?

Thinking about at least some time relaxing on the beach with the Aegean lapping on the sand, or walking for miles collecting shells and stones, is my cue for this week's earrings. Brought up at the seaside, I'm a sucker for shells of any kind and have been admiring the work of Greetje Boor of Gloa Glass for some time. In her last show I couldn't resist a couple of pairs - just look at the intricate detail on them - and on both sides too.

The first pair are soft translucent sea green - I paired them simply with creamy rustic pearls and tiny Picasso beads that echo the striped detail in the lampwork.

 

The second pair I glammed up a little with gold ceramic shells from Petra Carpreau, glossy garnet and gold swarowskis. I like the symmetry of these.

 

 

 

 

 

Perfect holiday wear, for day or night. And if its summer where you are, I hope you all have super holidays coming up too - tell us where you are off to?

 

See you in a couple of weeks

 

 

Lindsay xx

 

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