Jingle (Poly)Bells

It's that time of year again---when we're lucky if we can find five spare minutes to rub together in the studio. I don't even need to say it cuz I know you already know---December is a crazy month.

So instead of scrambling to put together a new pair of earrings for you today, I'm going to give myself a break and revisit a pair of my beloved polybells. 

It seems like I always end up using the adjective "beloved" whenever I talk about my polybells. I think it's because I feel so motherly to them---each is its own unique little species made completely by me. No two are alike, so once they're gone, they're gone. I form them out of polymer clay, cure them, hand paint them, seal them, sweet-talk and coo over them...yep, I'm a freakin' weirdo.

This particular pair always reminded me of frilled wood mushrooms or maybe rock lichen. Subtle piney green dappled with bark brown and oyster gray. I balled my own copper headpins using a torch, gave them a simple wire wrap up top, and hung them from my signature long ear wires.

I've had a sincere intention to make more polybells for the past, oh, year or so. At the rate I'm going, maybe I'll get to it by next June?! I mean, hey, flowers don't bloom until the weather warms up, anyways, right?

Happy Wednesday and HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

Nikki
LoveRoot on Etsy

Woodland Folk

Handcrafted sterling silver hoops are paired with artisan pewter oak leaf charms and wee acorns of copper and pearl beads.  Sweet and lovely earrings to go with a folk-inspired outfit. 

Oak Leaf and Acorn Hoop Earrings

Woodland Folk Outfit by humblebeads

Grecian Goddess

Playing around, trying to make something different, something interesting. I have been feeling very "romantic" if you will, I want texture, layers, detail. These have a touch of whimsy to them and I really think they stand out next to all the other things I have been making lately. Green Gold, vines and a little sparkle! Wear them with something that makes you feel sexy or romantic... like this Grecian Goddess Gown perhaps!

 

 Found this image on Pintrest

You can find more of my designs on my Website or in my Etsy shop

Visit both for a full array of products!

Feeling Foxy

Is there anything cuter than a little curled up sleeping fox? Probably not a whole heckofalot cuter than that. Foxes are everywhere these days in the Artisan world. I picked some of my favorites over on Pinterest as some of my inspiration for these sweet earrings. Handmade Sleeping Fox beads dangle below some interesting and colorful lampwork glass and brass discs. I used teal blue linen cording to string the beads. Rounded darkened bronze ear wires finish these nicely. You can find these in my etsy store.

You can find these and other fun jewelry designs in my Etsy shop, Lorelei Eurto Jewelry.
Check out my blog too, Lorelei's Blog: Inside the Studio

Woodland Earrings

A little woodland fun perfect for a certain teen on my holiday gift list.  I keep making these and they keep disappearing at shows, so I know they will be in stockings of quite a few teens this year.  I like the simple wrap of brass wire - it just let's the hand-painted charms pop.

Tiny Mushroom Earrings

And since I'm holiday shopping, I'd for sure pair it up with a cute little coin purse like this one from Karen M. Andersen.

And I know this pixie hat from Pixie Bell would be a hit.  I might even try to steal it.

Heather Powers blogs at www.humblebeads.blogspot.com and her work can be found in her Etsy shop.

Entwined Earrings

My challenge was simple - create a pair of earrings that were mostly wire and used my tiny handcrafted beads.  After several attempts, I finally arrived at these oval hoops that are entwined in steel wire - looking very much like a bramble of twigs in a forest and rather nesty.  Nesty things make me all sorts of happy, so with that I called it a day.

Entwined Earrings

Here are a few of the trials and errors.  My first thought was a wire Christmas tree with seed bead lights that you can see on the top.  Cute and I may revisit and refine the idea before the season is over.  My next idea was hoops with seed beads and wire wrapped.  I like them, but I need to figure out some of the construction. I will save that for another day.  And finally, I tried round hoops with the wire wrapped around and they didn't quite work for an earring.  But with a little shaping the circle became the oval above and I went from there.

A seemingly simple pair of earrings took quite a bit before I was able to pare them down to a shape and design that best complimented the bead.  And that's what goes into creating a simple pair of earrings!

Heather Powers' blogs at www.humblebeads.blogspot and more of her work can be found in her Etsy shop.