Elephant Sunset

Hey guys!  Not only have I been craving warmth these days but I've also been working on some animal themes for an upcoming charity event.  Mix the two together and voila!

The lovely drenched pewter elephants are by Kelly Luttrell of Soul Relica.

The accent beads are by polymer great, Jon Burgess.

I used blackened annealed steel, heavily oxidized vintage spacers and topped them off with a coiled wire bead cap. 

Thank you for stopping by my worktable!  See you in a couple of weeks!

Loralee xo

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

Gratitude and Joy

In the U.S., today is a day officially set aside for giving thanks.  Thanksgiving Day was designated a federal holiday in 1863, during the American Civil War, to be celebrated each year on the fourth Thursday in November.

Well, as it happens, the fourth Thursday of the month is one of my regular blog days here at EE.  So I thought I'd share a few thoughts about thankfulness and gratitude...and maybe show off a new pair of earrings too. 😊



Long ago I was taught the benefits of an "attitude of gratitude," being grateful for the good things in your life, no matter how small, instead of focusing on the negative.  Being actively grateful takes some effort and retraining of the mind. Meditation is, of course, an excellent mind-trainer (and mind-quietener), but I learned that even just making lists of things I'm thankful for is a good (and easy) way to start.

So on this day I'm thankful for all of you EE readers and writers and for creators and appreciators of beauty in all its different forms. And I'm sharing these joyful, whimsical earrings on this day because I'm grateful that I had the opportunity to make them. 

Recipe for the Earrings

Colorful dotted charms by Nicola Morse

Dotted golden hollow glass rounds by Beth Mellor  

Orchid lampwork glass discs by Beth Mellor

4-mm faceted purple garnet coins

Gold-filled bead caps, Swarovski crystal rondelles

Gold-filled ear wires

💗 Thank you, Nicola and Beth! 💗

Thank you for reading...and Happy Thanksgiving!

xoxo
Meridy

My Shop
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Zesty Lemon Curd

Snowstorm outside my window today. I am so happy I don't have to leave my home. As a contrast I have instead played with those large and bright yellow facetted acrylic beads. I love them. Got them very cheap at a clean out sale in an online Swedish shop some weeks ago. I only wish I had bought more of them. Aren't they great. Sometimes I don't understand why things are not popular with other people.

I am very into larger and longer earrings lately. These fulfill those requirements. The materials make them still very lightweight.


Ingredients:
I strung the yellow acrylic beads on 4-ply ochre waxed linen cord together with size 11 matte gold  metallic sead beads and egg shaped white distressed resin beads. They are attached to the handmade earrings hooks  in heavily oxidized Sterling Silver via square profiled pewter rings.





All my best,
Malin

Memory Lane

Hi, today I thought I'd take a walk down memory lane. Here are three pairs of earrings I made before, that I hope still can inspire you.

Ingredients:

Faceted pyrite drops

Yellow vinyl spacer discs

Hammered look rhombic lucite beads

Swarovski bicone crystals

Oxidized copper wire

Handmade copper earring hooks

Ingredients:

Stone pebbles, hand picked by a friend of mine near 

where I grew up, then she tumbled and drilled them

Swarovski bicone crystals

Oxidized copper wire, two different gauges

Handmade heavily oxidized silver earring hooks

Ingredients:

Metallic pewter love knot beads

Oval metallic rings

Matte turquoise nuggets

Oxidized copper wire

Handmade brass earrings hooks

All my best,

Malin de Koning

Pinky Love Knots

A couple of weeks ago I mentioned that I get giddy just thinking of certain color combos, well this one is another one of my favorites: Pink and gold. It's sunny, happy, and makes my girlie heart sing :)

Being that my health hasn't been the best for quite some time, being able to work with polymer clay and create with happy fun colors and components is such a joy, and such a healing process. I highly recommend it. Just do it for yourself, if nothing else.

So today, I wanted to share these happy earrings with you:

Small polymer clay oval earring drops, handmade by me - these are water-colored in and I added some glitter (because life is happier with glitter, and because I can LOL), sealed with a glaze. I used some pretty Gold-tone Tierra Cast rings to create the two Love Knots.

Throw in a little natural hemp cord and Swarovskis for some lighthearted sparkling fun, and my gosh, we're ready for a fun Summer party! Wanna join me? We'll get the BBQ going :)

Have you added some fun accessories to your Summer wardrobe this year? What kind of accessories do you gravitate towards the most?

If you're looking for one of a kind handmade jewelry components and finished jewelry, hop on over to my Etsy shop HERE.

Cheers,
Nathalie

Visit my Etsy Jewelry/Components shop here: My Garden Of Love
Visit my Etsy Digi shop here: The Crafty Tribe

Longing For Colors

January. Where I live, in Stockholm Sweden, is very far north on our planet. We are on the same latitude as Alaska, Siberia and northern Canada (but our climate is much milder due to the golf stream). In the winter time we get very short days.  Oh, how I now long for brighter days, more daylight, sunshine ... and ... colors. Lots of colors. I really need it.

Beads and components are (from the bottom):

Handmade enameled yellow head pins by Barbara Lewis of PaintingWithFire

Copper heishi spacers (African)

Small copper tubes with circular pattern

Yellow opal Toho seed beads size 8

Opal white gilt lined seed beads size 6

Teal glass trade beads

Gaspeite rondelles (gaspeite is a rare and lovely semi-precious stone)

Again, yellow opal Toho seed beads size 8

Copper heishi spacers (African)
Swarovski Crystal facetted champagne colored rounds
Dark pink matte Matsuno seed beads size 8
Handmade oxidized copper earrings hooks

All my best,

Malin de Koning

www.beadingbymalindekoning.blogspot.com

www.etsy.com/shop/MalindeKoning

Please contact me if you are interested in any jewelry of mine that isn't yet listed in my Etsy Shop. (I am known for my delayed listings procedure. So sorry for that.)

Vintage Velocipedes

Hi there, I hope you are all having a great summer whereever you are in the northern hemisphere, and a great winter if you are in the southern. I myself have been enjoying cosy day excursions so far, and sitting on the veranda in my back garden. Later in the summer I will be going away on a little trip to the south of Sweden.

Bicycling has always been a favourite thing of mine. As a child and teenager it was my major method of transport most of the year. If the temperature was more than 5 degrees Celsius that is. I could easily bike more than 20-30 km a day just to get to different places. I would still bike every day today if I could, but unfortunately since a few years back I have too much balance problems due to MS. I plan to get a tricycle for grown-ups though, in a not too far future. They are good, but a bit pricey, so I hope to get a contribution from a fund for people with MS.

Check out those old style bicycles on the earrings I made. High wheelers or penny farthings. They are super cool don't you agree.

Art beads:

Tag shaped ceramic earrings pendants with decals of old bicycles  - DonnaPerlinplim

Ceramic cone beads with a pale yellow matte glaze - NadiaTerra

Other ingredients:

Rustic glass beads

Heavily oxidized copper wire

Handmade Sterling Silver earrings hooks, heavily oxidized

---------

All my best,

Malin

www.beadingbymalindekoning.blogspot.se

Different Facets

Hello, I hope you are well. Here are my latest earrings. A combination of different facets. Sparkling happily when worn on the ear (even if I didn't manage to capture the swarowski sparkle in the photo).  

Ingredients (bottom to top):

Pyrite facetted drops

Heavily oxidized copper wire 24G

Yellow thin vinyl discs

Vintage lucite beads reminiscent of hammered bronze

Swarowskis bicone crystals

Vintaj brass earring hooks

All my best,

Malin de Koning

GUEST POST :: Sarajo Wentling of SJ Designs Jewelry

Hello, lovelies! 

Sometimes we have an extra day or two in a month and when that happens we like to extend an invitation to designers that we enjoy to have them share their unique design perspectives. Today, the Earrings Everyday crew welcomes Sarajo Wentling of SJ Designs Jewelry. Sarajo is a regular in our monthly challenges, loves to use art beads in her designs, hand patina on metal is a specialty of hers, and she has a self-directed weekly earring challenge called New Earring Monday where she shares her latest and greatest earring pairs. Sarajo is from Minnesota and lives with her craft-beer loving husband Eric, who is also a gifted photographer. She uses one of his photos for her inspiration today. Check it out! ~Erin

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

Photo by Eric Wentling

Fall is my favorite season and it's far too fleeting in Minnesota where it sometimes feels like winter has its icy grip on us for more than half the year!  These earrings are both a nod and a fond farewell to my favorite season and all its fabulous color.  I started with some yummy lampwork glass rings that I bought from Alice St. Germain of Succulent Glass at Bead Fest Philadelphia.  Their colors instantly reminded me of fall and made me think of a photo my husband had taken of some changing maple leaves.  I had just the perfect color Czech glass maple leaf beads to dangle from the lampwork rings to add a fun flair.

Fall Finery by Sarajo Wentling

I haven't done too much wire wrapping in my jewelry making pursuits beyond simple wrapped loops and bails so I had to overcome my fears of "messing up" and wasting wire.  (Seriously, why has it been so intimidating to me?  The worst thing that could possibly happen would be destroying a few cents worth of wire and having to try again.)  Anyway, I bucked up my courage, cut a length of wire and started to play.  And you know what?  I didn't mess it up at all!  Not only that, I really liked the way my wire wraps turned out!  They aren't overly precise but I think that works with the imperfect shape of the lampwork rings and the organic nature of fall foliage.  

Sarajo Wentling
Sj Designs Jewelry
http://sjdesignsjewelry.blogspot.com/
https://www.etsy.com/shop/SjDesignsJewelry

Autumn Wings

I've been collecting leaves on my daily walks.  The colors and the patterns they make fascinate me.  The golden yellow and light green of these earrings echo some of the colors I have been seeing.

These earrings came together serendipitously.  We are placing our house up for sale within the next 2 weeks or so.  I've been trying to clean up my studio to prepare for the house viewings. As I was working, I scooped up these ceramic dangles by Diana P. of Suburban Girl Studio and the glass "Wing-Dings" by Genea Beads.  As I was about to put them away, I realized that they went really well together.  Consequently, I never put them away, I just made them into earrings instead!

My husband and I are at the time of life where we would like to downsize, not only our home, but also all the work that goes with maintaining a big yard and the cleaning and upkeep on the house.  We are only moving across town, and I am happy to say that although the new house and yard are smaller, I will still have room for a little studio and my kiln.
They Autumn Wings Earrings are available in my shop now.

-Linda

Linda Landig Jewelry

Radiate!

Over the past few months, I've renewed with something I used to do when I was little.... 

watercolor paintings :)

I've done some oil paintings (just a few) in the past, and various types of crafts where I'd paint wood with acrylic paints, etc.... but maybe it's the tie-dye hippie in my soul, 

I've always been so incredibly attracted to the cool effects of watercolor paints.

So today, I though I'd share one of my recent paintings with you,

and how it inspired me to create the earrings that I'm showcasing here.

"See The Light" watercolor painting by Nathalie Lesage

This is a rather bold 'in your face' kind of sun, with stormy and happy colors in the sky. It was meant that way. This is a more raw, 'primal' painting, because the message that I wanted to spread in the world is very basic, but powerful:

The energy that you "radiate' out into the world comes from the core of your soul.

MAKE IT STRONG, BRIGHT, AND POSITIVE...

ENERGIZE EVERYTHING AND EVERYONE AROUND YOU.

If you feel that your energy is lacking, weak, or negative, etc. Make time for yourself...

Rest, meditate, do some basic yoga, stretch, take some quiet time, breathe.

 My painting inspired me to create this earrings design:

Radiate Earrings by Nathalie Lesage Jewelry

The energy of life in the circles, the 'rays' of sunshine in the hemp cords where I've tied tiny bright yellow glass beads, the stormy and happy colors of the sky in the center smaller flat discs. 

Energy, positive and negative,

can be channeled and be put to work in a very uplifting way.

These cool frosted (etched) artisan lampwork glass discs come from Two Sisters Designs on Etsy.

Simple wrap of Sterling Silver, knotted hemp cords and suspended on Titanium Ear Wires.

Very light and, dare I say it... radiant? ;)
You can find these earrings HERE on my website.

It's your turn... go forth... and...  RADIATE!! :)

Have a beautiful day!

Nathalie Lesage ~ Jewelry Artist & Creative Soul

 http://www.NathalieLesageJewelry.com

http://www.TheCraftyTribe.com

Daisy Pallet _ Hessonite and Ceramic Earrings

I was fortune last week to get a little (unplanned) bead shopping in. It was an impromptu stop and I had no list or agenda when entering the store. This type of shopping is the most dangerous (expensive) kind... for me. Just grabbing every beautiful, wanton strand I could manage to get off the hooks and into my basket.

After a few deep breathes and sorting them at the counter I ended up putting a few back.. but kept the most exquisite and beautiful ones to bring home.

What inspires my jewelry work most is the materials. When I have beautiful materials to use - how can I go wrong? Secondly... is the world around me. Nature.

This set brings them together. Spring flowers and sunflower yellow faceted gems.

I adore this weepy flower stamp. I have created these charms from hammering out fine silver. Paired with handcrafted ceramic beads - finished with a blue-gray and topaz colored glaze. I found this little peekaboo of topaz color was absolutely brought to life next to these squarish Hessonite beads I picked up last week. Wrapped up in fine silver wire and dangling from hand forged sterling silver ear wires.

Hessonite garnets - local Seattle bead shop - Alexanders Bead Bazaar

Handcrafted ceramic beads - Cindy's Art & Soul 

+ Handcrafted fine silver charms 

Available at Art and Soul Jewelry

Alabama Petticoats

Alabama Petticoats

I have been trying to force myself to use yellow--and not cheat, and use "mustard," or "saffron," or "butterscotch" and try to claim it's yellow--I mean, real, honest-to-God YELLOW. As in Tweety Bird. As in Big Bird. As in Sponge Bob. And here is me, above, using African recycled glass discs in Minion Yellow. I combined them with cool ice blue African recycled glass tulip beads, stacking them for a little more drama (and hey! Petticoats!) Just the two colors together seemed a little lonely, so I added some Indonesian glass beads in turquoise. I love these three colors together. There is something French Country about it that seems to make the yellow go down better.

I capped the yellow glass discs with rustic petaled beadcaps in sterling silver, and capped the petticoats with a pair of my own embossed sterling caps; each petticoat is fastened to the glass disc via one of my sterling silver paddle headpins. I made--as is my habit--the earwires myself and added a couple more turquoise glass beads to pull it all together.

Glass tulip beads from Happy Mango Beads.
Yellow recycled glass discs from Afrobeadia.
Petal beadcaps from Cathy Dailey.

Visit Keirsten and her work at Lune on Etsy.

Pebble Beach

Ok, yes, I'm getting a little punny with my title here, but I couldn't help myself. These earrings are the perfect marriage of beach and primitive - for the organic earth mother in all of us. When Rey from greybirdstudio gifted me these little salmony and lemony shells from the Isle of Skye, I knew I had to create a study in warm beachy sunset hues. 

It took some fiddling, but I settled on a neat ladder design to feature a handful of smooth tumbled Lake Michigan pebbles. 

Some creative wire wrapping plus little scraps of hemp twine, and you're ready for some sand squishing between your barefoot toes. 

 
A flowy long dress, hair tressed up and wild, sun kissing your bare shoulders...I can feel it now :)

Nikki
LoveRoot on Etsy

Dragonfly Sunset

Dragonfly Sunset

I love summer, for so many reasons--green leaves, late sunsets, soft breezes, and dragonflies! I haven't seen any of the real thing yet, so these will have to do for the moment. These lovely saffron/chartreuse Czech glass coins are from Stinky Dog Beads. I love the Picasso finish--you can see all kinds of persimmon, verdigris, and amber tones in the dragonfly portion. The beads on the earwires are charoite, and the seashell beads are also Czech glass.

Here is a lovely fellow to get you in the summer mood:

From Wikipedia: Image by André Karwath aka Aka

Isn't he beautiful? Now I want to make something in his wonderful colors, although I could never hope to make something so beautiful if I had a hundred lifetimes. His wings make me think of Fire Agate!

I hope you are enjoying some summer where you are.

Keirsten

(These are available in my Etsy shop.)

Embrace the Crust

Can we talk about crust for a second? Now I know what you're thinking - crust is the stuff of early mornings and dirty dishes. It shouldn't be glorified, should be swept under the rug, and should never be mentioned. I'm going to whiplash your opinions on this topic - behold a wee pair of earrings I recently made using lampwork glass beads from Kimberly Rogers of Numinosity Beads.

She describes the style of these beads as crubbly - a combination of crusty and bubbly. To me they look like the beginnings of a swirling cosmic universe. 


I pulled out the caramelly ambery tones of her beads by using some Baltic amber resin chips and then added some textural play using two small "urchin" style African brass baule beads. Small little myrrh resin nubs at the bottom add a faint exotic fragrance. 

These earrings make a statement without being too heavy or too over the top - they're tribal, futuristic, organic, and primitive...all at the same time. 

So the next time your wrinkle your nose at the mention of crust, think twice...


Happy mid-week <3
Nikki
LoveRoot on Etsy

It's Summer Somewhere

It's summer somewhere. Like in Australia. I'm going to cling to that today as I trudge through the deep snow in my winter boots, looking forward to the coming and going of the shortest day of the year.

These carved golden agate flowers remind me of cosmos:

Seeds available from Urban Farmer!!!

If I were in Australia, wearing these earrings, I would probably be wearing this comfy number with them (although cosmos are not native to Australia, but rather the southern United States, Mexico, South and Central America, and even now South Africa, so I sort failed with the conceptual symmetry here):

Cosmos by lunebijoux featuring Nine West

The fabulous little blue flowers are recycled glass beads from Africa, available at Happy Mango Beads. The robin's egg blue seed beads on the earwires are also from Happy Mango.

You can see more at my Etsy shop HERE.