Sweet Bun-Buns

Joan Miller of Joan Miller Porcelain is the amazing talent behind these sweet little bunnies.  For me, the biggest design challenge working with Joan's pieces is enhancing without overpowering; adding just enough to the ongoing story. 

Atop are bunches of tiny hand-painted flowers. I love the contrast of the matte mottled metal against the glossy clean lines of the porcelain charms.  The copper accents are warm and mingle nicely with the color palette. The heavily oxidized ear-wires give balance to the dark outlined characters.

Below are hand-painted pewter bunny silhouette charms by Kelly Luttrell of Soul Relica.  I love the softened squared off clover shape, it's just perfect for a tiny rabbit portrait.

I've hoarded these matte floral cubes for years, again by Joan. They look great not only colorwise but in proportion and shape as well. 

My adorable plate was made by The Storybook Rabbit. If you've never checked her out you should!  

I've provided links to all :) 

💜

Thank you so much for stopping my worktable today!!  Hoppy April, Y'all!

Loralee xo

https://www.facebook.com/loraleekolton.jewelry/

Hope Springs Eternal

Being on the cusp of Spring, I bring to you this day ~

Proverb-

"It is human nature always to find fresh cause for optimism."

There are two amazing and glorious things about these earrings: First, the newly created enamel work by Inviciti!!!  Yass! Garden sprouts with seedlings, just ready to emerge from the earth. Also, I'd like to mention that this is one of my favorite retro color combinations! 

Secondly, rare scalloped antique furnace glass!!  I've had this strand in my stash for a long time and I can't even begin to tell you how special it is.  Stunning emerald green with a beautiful scalloped edge that captures light and brings so much texture.  I also found some vintage black spacers with the same scalloped edge to build on.  At the very top are rustic peeled vintage glass pearls which always have a nice mellow color.

♡

Thank you for stopping by my worktable today!!  Happy Spring!!

Loralee xo

www.loraleekolton.etsy.com

Spring is springing!!

Some of us are getting more spring than others but it's getting closer for sure!!

I've made these Hand Painted Polymer Clay Hibiscus Flower pair with beautiful bright Lampwork beads by Patricia Ritchie.

🌞🌝🌞

Kristi

KristiBowmanDesign.com

KristiBowmanDesign.Etsy

KristiBowmanDesign on Facebook

Crows and Clovers

I have some special components to share with you today!  These lovely crow charms were made by Sasha Crow - Artisan Jewelry Components.  They are hand drawn with many layers of colored pencil on hand cut copper pieces. Each layer is baked and sealed.  

I was very lucky to have won a pair of little beaded "U" connectors by SagaHaus Components for a 'giveaway' prize during a show.  Aren't those colors just perfect?!! I wanted to bring a Celtic knot vibe to the design so I added wire components by Joan Moritz Langmo.  I'm pretty thrilled with the way this design came together.

~

Revisiting a design I made last year with crows and clovers ~ couldn't resist showing you.  I guess I'm just in love with that spring green with that pop of black!  

~

While at Bead & Button this past summer, I found these wonderful little vintage clover connectors from a vintage dealer.  I added teeny-tiny vintage enameled four leaf clovers for the dangles.  The top AB faceted beads are not vintage but do have a vintage feel so it all works nicely.

So happy to be here, and a million thank yous for stopping by today!

All my best,

Loralee xo

Loralee Kolton ~ artful in beads


Sasha wanted me to add this comment and a coupon to her shop today!

"Cool stuff! Thank you, Loralee! You did the crows well! Although I don't have any more crows or other pencil components, I am having a SALE today in honor of the Earrings Everyday mention --- 15% OFF everything in my shop -- only today -- coupon code EARRINGSEVERYDAY"

Please share!
www.etsy.com/shop/CrowsCacheSupplies xxx

Colours in Stack

Hi there,
hope you are all well. Here's todays earrings. Something colourful and hopefully spring-like for this wonderful season. 


Ingredients (from bottom to top):
Handmade enameled copper headpins - Barbara Lewis of PaintingWithFire
6/0 Orange duracoat metallic seed beads
Purple opal czech glass flowers
6/0 Lilac gold luster seed beads
Aqua green greek ceramic beads
Lime green opal spacer glass beads
Bronze czech glass spacer rondelles
Purple opal czech glass druks
Handmade copper earring hooks

All my best,

Malin
www.beadingbymalindekoning.blogspot.com

Waiting...and Waiting...and Waiting for Spring

Why, oh why, does it seem to take forever for spring to arrive?  Is it the old "a watched pot never boils" syndrome?  Maybe it's just me.

I can't complain about the cold and snow, because I live in Sacramento, California, which has pretty nice weather, actually.  It has a Mediterranean climate, rainy in the winter (no snow), hot and dry in the summer, and spectacular in the spring.  Seriously, in the spring, virtually everything blooms here.  Having moved to Sac (as we say) from Colorado, I wasn't used to that.  Colorado has its own stunning beauty, but here everything grows fast, gets large, and blooms--all sorts of flowers, bushes, and even trees, from huge magnolia trees to ornamental trees that fill the skies with beautiful blooms of red, fuchsia, baby pink, or purple.

And spring comes early here.  Our first flowers usually start peeking out of their beds in mid-February, maybe a crocus or a dwarf iris.  The warm weather usually follows along gradually, getting a little warmer each week.  This year, however, California had heavy rains caused by "atmospheric rivers" that parked themselves over the state, causing floods and mudslides.  We were happy to have the rain because California was in a five-year drought, but these heavy rains caused real problems.  The cold, heavy rain lasted for almost two months, with only a few short breaks of blue skies and sunshine here and there.  We were starting to really feel the lack of sun!

Anyway, since it's been such a cold, wet winter, I decided to make these golden-sun, grass-green, and blue-sky earrings using Cathleen Zaring's beautiful enameled copper earring charms and a pair of lovely green

These "Bringer of Spring" earrings are available here.

lampwork discs by Terry Turner.  It's only recently started to warm up here, and I'm really feeling the quiet arrival of spring, with its fresh energy.

Who knows--maybe my earrings will help move things along a bit.  After all, the Spring Equinox is only about ten days away!  ;)

As always, thanks so much for reading!  I'll see you in two weeks. 💙

xoxo
Meridy

My Etsy shop

My Facebook page

Spring in my ears

These earrings are to celebrate spring and everything lovely that is going on in nature at this time. 

Ingredients:

Handmade red lace flowers on ceramic - DonnaPerlinplim

Oxidized sterling silver handmade earring hooks

Wood twig beads

Vinyl disks

Messy wrapped oxidized copper wire

All my best,

Malin de Koning

www.beadingbymalindekoning.blogspot.se

Earrings instead of Chocolate Eggs

I hope you all enjoyed a wonderful Easter with your loved ones. Did the Easter Bunny hopped around and left you delicious chocolate eggs? Here in Greece we have to wait some weeks for Easter. And no chocolate eggs for me. Nope, not for me. I will stay strong; I will not touch any chocolate eggs. I think. I hope.

Well, enough about chocolate eggs, let’s talk about earrings. That’s what you are here for, right?
I’m a wee bit busy with my daytime, number crunching, job at the moment, so there isn’t much designing going on right now. Except for last Saturday. I made some custom order bracelets and of course a pair of earrings.

The beautiful enamelled earring charms made by Cathleen Zaring are my go-to charms when I want to make something colourful. Her designs never fail to brighten my day and make me smile.
Here I combined them with lampwork glass beads (Radiant Mind Beads) in a delicious pink, vintage Swarovski beads for a bit of extra bling and sari silk.

Thank you for looking!
I wish you all a wonderful week.

Janine

Esfera Jewelry

My etsy shop

My website/blog

My facebook page

Spring Love and Bonus Beads

Hi, and here's another pair of earrings inspired by spring, it's atmosphere, colours and the light. I just love MissFickleMedia's green patinated hammered copper rings. 

On another note, do you see those pale pink bicone beads with golden stripes? I got them as a bonus freebee gift with a purchase last year. They are very pretty aren't they. I got only two of them. And an interesting phenomenon I have noticed when it comes to myself is that if I have only one or very few of a particular bead, I tend to be more lusting to use it in my designs. Seems like if something is rare it somehow becomes more valuable. Not necessary money wise, but more as if it is more unique and special and therefor more attractive. And I am always more attracted to things which are more unique. Goes for people, places, objects and just anything really. And beads of course.

Anyway, I wonder if any of you recognize this when it comes to your own bead stash? Or is it just me?

• Patinated hammered copper rings by MissFickleMedia
• Matte golden seed beads
• Pale pink large bicone lucite beads with golden stripes
• Pale pink druk glass beads
• Messy wrapped oxidized copper wire
• Handmade copper (oxidized) ear hooks

I wish you all a lovely Happy Easter and more wonderful spring weather.

All my best,

Malin

www.beadingbymalindekoning.blogspot.com

Spring Equinox

The spring vernal equinox is on the 20th of march here in Sweden where I live, just outside Stockholm. This is quite far north on the northern hemisphere. Which means that in December and January the days are very short.

Now we are leaving the winter behind and the spring is on it's way. It is a wonderful and magical transformation that takes place in nature. The days are getting noticeably longer every day, and the sky is bright blue most days. Spending time outdoors is like taking showers in sunlight. Very much needed and longed for after the dark winter period. And the first buds and greens are starting to show. It is a beautiful wonder every year.

Not that I had it in mind when I started making these earrings, but now as they are finished I realize they are a tribute to this very season. I often find that nature and my immediate surroundings have inspired me subconsciously when I make my jewelry.

• Verdigris green patinated copper links - MissFickleMedia
• Clear quartz semiprecious stone, irregular squarish
• Aventurine semiprecious stone, square plates
• Pink patinated fan shaped copper charms - MissFickleMedia
• Oxidized copper wire
• Handmade oxidized copper Earwire hooks

Fun fact about Swedes:
Visitors of Sweden around this time of the year are known to notice an odd phenomenon in the streets in the middle of the day when the sun is at its highest point. People who are outdoors are stopping just anywhere where the sun shines, but preferably against a wall, and they will raise their faces against the sun, standing still for 5-10 minutes as if they were worshipping the sun itself. It looks odd to foreigners, but to us it is completely natural. :-)

All my best,

Malin

www.beadingbymalindekoning.blogspot.com

We're All Ears :: January Reveal

So... which colors did you choose to work with for this challenge?

I sort of left it wide open, but for me I always strive for a true challenge, so I stuck to the pink and blue from the Pantone colors of the year. 

I really couldn't see my way to combining the two colors. They still speak to me more of baby showers, Love's Baby Soft and every 80s prom, so I kept them separate. And then I let the auditioning begin.

I started by selecting a bunch of art beads from my stash. I wish I could tell you all the lovely artists who made each bead, but I am sorry that I just don't know. Blue is easy to find, but I was actually surprised that I had so much pink.

I tried different beads together with assorted headpins. I changed around the order of them. I added spacer beads, bead caps. And of course a few crystals. I have a few unwritten rules when it comes to making earrings. I like movement, so a dangle now and then is nice. I like mixing finishes, matte with shiny, rough with smooth. I almost always try to put an art bead or something else that is precious or has a story. And a little bit of bling to catch the light is always nice!

I was told by the Gallery Q that someone had come in looking at my earrings but was a bit like Goldilocks... this one was too long, this one too short... none of them were just right. So I have set out the restrain myself and make some earrings that are a bit on the average length (or what I think is average). I typically tend to make things longer because that is what I like, but I guess I should pay attention to what the public wants. I hope they want pink and blue! 

polymer clay :: Humblebeads
Rustic and earthy, with a movement and just a hint of sparkle

lampwork glass :: Kelly Wenzel
copper ear wires / headpins :: Rebecca Anderson
Soft and romantic with mix of faceted and smooth

lampwork glass :: Julsbeads
Mixed metals, rustic and organic

lampwork glass :: Maryse Fritzsch-Thillens
Movement and sparkle with interesting art beads

ceramic rounds :: ??
Simple, mixed textures and a little sparkle for the light

interesting shaped side drilled aquamarine gemstones
1940s Japanese lampwork glass, new old stock
Odd shapes and interesting textures

Hurry up spring and get here already! I am tired of the cold and ice and snow!

Now it is your turn... what colors in the Pantone spring palette inspired you? And let's all think WARM THOUGHTS!

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Ubiquitous Retro Minty Green

Isn't it odd how some colors go through trendy ups and downs? Some colors are classic and are always in style - denim blue, bold red, chic black. And then there are other more ubiquitous colors, like burnt orange, pastel pink, and neons (of any kind). Who is it that actually decides what color is going to be "hot" this year, anyways? 

I've noticed the past year or two that pale mint green---you know, the color of your grandma's refrigerator, telephone, and/or toilet back in the day---has been experiencing a real resurgence. I can't say I'm completely nuts about it. I'm just not really a pastel kind of gal to begin with. 

BUT...

It is spring, and we just had Easter, and the tender leaves are all budding on the trees, so that got me in a bit of a softer mood. So I decided to finally use these wee raw chrysocolla drusy drops that I've been holding on to forever. I gave them some messy primitive beads caps with globby solder and hung them beneath stacks of precious bits: antique wood beads, crusty metal spacers, and powdery shimmery ancient glass beads. They make a perfectly light sweet dangley slim set for these springy months - or any month, really.

Hope you're all enjoying spring this year...even if it is a little late :)

Happy Wednesday!

Nikki
LoveRoot on Etsy

Feeling Bulb-ous

I may jinx us all by saying this, but I think Spring is here. Yes, we may have more freezing nights, maybe even a stray dusting of snow, but for the most part, I think the "great thaw" and the sunshine are here to stay for the next 7-8 months.

 
On Monday it was 70F here in Ohio, so I was out hopping around in the yard clearing out dead plant material from last year and making way for the all the wee spring bulbs poking through the mess. Snowdrops, crocus, wild iris, species tulips, allium - all beautiful hues of purple and green. 

crocus from my yard

 

So when trying to decide on which earrings to post about today, my eye went straight to this bulby springy pair. The beautiful crocus purple of NuminosityBead's lampwork glass beads just pops against the crusty crubbly muted background of dark verdigris and soft moss. I reversed the direction of the stack and threw in some ancient Roman glass, ratty old metal, wood, and artful wire wrapping. 

 





I hope you've had some sunshine and balmy weather in your neck of the woods this week. It does the soul good :)


Happy Wednesday!

Nikki
LoveRoot on Esty

We're All Ears :: February Inspiration + Earring Love Fest!

Hello lovelies!

I just want to take a moment and thank you for your support of Earrings Everyday. This month marks the one year anniversary of the We're All Ears challenge. This is something I wanted to do to involve all our lovely readers in each month, also to challenge myself, and I really had no idea of how much you would enjoy it! You get to watch us share our favorite earring designs, but this challenge calls you to be creative. We couldn't be happier that you have continued to share your love of jewelry and creating with us with each monthly challenge. If I have inspired you, I am deeply grateful.

This month with the dead of winter pressing down on me, I needed to find a little color. Just a bit. Okay. A LOT! And I found it in the form of these brilliant watercolor illustrations paired with fresh flowers for swoon-worthy art. I could not decide which one I liked best, so I included a whole garden of the flower girls for your inspiration. See for yourself the soft ethereal wonders...

Can't you just smell the fragrance?

Malaysian artist and photographer Lim Zhi Wei (a.k.a Limzy) is the creator of these whimsical flower girls. She has a passion for turning every day objects into things of delicate beauty. For 2015, Limzy created a very limited run of a calendar of her Flowergirls. How marvelous would it be to gaze on those dreamy beauties every day of the year! The beauty of this art is that it is ephemeral. It will not last. Yet Limzy has captured the essence of the bloom in such a spectacularly unique way and preserved it in her prints. You can follow Lim Zhi Wei on Instagram and Facebook or on her blog, Love, Limzy.

Which flower girl is your favorite?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

To participate in the We're All Ears creative challenge:

Make earrings inspired by this inspiration.

Write a post on your blog.

Add your exact blog post URL link to the
InLinkz code right here on 

Friday, January 20th.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

But wait! There's more! 

February also marks our annual Earring Love Fest! To say THANK YOU to all our amazing followers and fans, some of the editors at Earrings Everyday have contributed some wonderful prizes. All you need to do is leave a comment on this post to be entered. A total of 5 prizes! (Note: several of the prizes are only available to US or Canadian addresses. Please see below.)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Giveaway #1::Nathalie Lesage, Nathalie Lesage Jewelry

The winner can have her pick of any ONE (1) pair of earrings in my new (lead-free) Pewter-Swarovski collection here: http://bit.ly/EELoveFest2015  

(Note: Canadian or US residents only.)

Blog -  http://nathalielesagejewelry.blogspot.ca/

Website - www.NathalieLesageJewelry.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Giveaway #2::Claire Lockwood, Something to Do Beads

$10 credit in either Etsy shop

Blog - www.somethingtodowithyourhands.com

Etsy - www.somethingtodobeads.etsy.com and www.somethingtodo.etsy.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Giveaway #3::Cindy Pack, Cindy's Art & Soul Jewelry

UPDATE:

Handcrafted ceramic sand dollar pendant charm + two rounds.
Glazed front and back w/ Amber & Blue Ratile.
Size: 4mmx32mm with a 4mm hole.

(Note: US residents only.)

Blog - http://cindypack.blogspot.com/
Etsy - https://www.etsy.com/shop/ArtandSoulJewelry

Website -  http://www.artandsouljewelry.com/

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Giveaway #4::Kristy Abner, Kristy's Kreations

"Gypsy Boho" earrings published in 101 BNE in the 2014 issue.

(Note: US residents only.)

Blog - http://kristyskreationsjewelry.blogspot.com/

Website - www.kristyskreations.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Giveaway #5::Erin Prais-Hintz, Tesori Trovati Jewelry

A set of four Facet Effects beads (as seen in my Fabulous Facets DVD)
in your choice of colors perfect for making your own earrings!

Blog - http://treasures-found.blogspot.com
Etsy - www.TesoriTrovati.Etsy.com
Shop - www.TesoriTrovati.com

 What do you have to do to win?

1::Become a follower of Earrings Everyday and write a comment telling us that you are already a follower or a new follower. (Invite your friends!)

2::Share the love about the giveaway by your favorite means: Facebook your friends who love earrings (not just designers but anyone with earlobes ;-), Twitter about your excitement at how cool this giveaway is, take out a billboard that is larger than life (okay, I'm kidding about this one ;-), blog about your {not-so-secret} earring addiction (go ahead, we won't judge ;-), or whatever else you can think of to share the love. But be sure to link to this post and then come back and leave a comment letting us know what you did.

3::Or just answer the following question... this is truly the simplest way to enter (and it only takes one entry to win ;-)...

What do you think would make a good inspiration for our monthly We're All Ears challenge?

I am always on the hunt for intriguing and beguiling inspirations for the monthly challenge. We have done children's books, catalogs, seasonal pictures, photo safaris, short animations and huge art installations. I want to find things that are new and exciting and have potential for a variety of interpretations. And I love introducing the world to new ideas and talent. Feel free to leave a link to something special you would like me to consider in your comment!

That's it. That's three comments each. Three times the chance to win!
What are you waiting for? Join us in the
EARRING LOVE FEST!
(Winners will be selected at random from all eligible entries
and announced here on February 20th. All prizes will be mailed from the individual editor. Please have your email address turned on in your profile, or included in your entry to win. You won't win if we can't contact you!)