Pages

Friday, February 16, 2018

We're All Ears :: February Reveal :: Chandeliers

Hello peeps!
I hope you had fun taking the Hudson Valley lighting quiz to find out what type of chandelier suits you best.

Hudson Valley describes chandeliers this way:

The showstopper. The breathtaker. The envymaker. Chandeliers are the rock stars of the lighting world. When people think of lighting, often, it’s chandeliers they are thinking of. Glamorous and glittering, chandeliers beam out the most light. They set the stage in the home's entryway. Our chandeliers come in many different styles and finishes; whatever your taste is, we have one for you.

What I like about this description is that it is perfectly suited to earrings as well. Just substitute "lighting" with "earrings" and "home's entryway" to "earlobes."

I happened to take it more than once. Because I loved all the choices! I found out that I was both Timeless Elegance and Chic Vintage & Industrial. So my challenge was to try to come up with chandelier earring styles that suited both of those.

Wouldn't it be romantic to have a sweet and sparkly chandelier like this dangling over your bedroom?

Timeless Elegance is pretty classic. Lots of filigree and crystals. I happened to find a pair of little sterling silver chandelier components. Of course, that makes the task of putting together chandelier earrings really easy! And, of course, I have a lot of blingy crystals in my stash. These came together pretty quickly. Hard to photograph, as those crystals have a bit of an AB finish that catches the light so perfectly.


The Chic Vintage & Industrial is most fun for me. I like the mix of metals and the funky vibe of repurposed elements. Ever watch shows like American Pickers or West End Salvage? Those stores would be my dream job to work in!
I ADORE this Herkimer Brass pendant light fixture from Hudson Valley Lighting. If I hadn't waited until the absolute last minute (and the promptly forgot about it!) I would have made my own brass and steel domed and punched bead caps. Alas, that was not to be, but it will be something I will keep in mind for the future!

I gathered up all sorts of bits and bobs that spoke to me of industrial or vintage. I found tiny steel washers, brass saucer spacers, faceted silver cubes, vintage fluted bead caps and even the tiniest lightbulbs! Yes! I had some slightly larger more globe-y ones, but these tiny ones made me squee with happiness.


I have no idea where I got them, and I am fairly certain they could be real and working, but I can't imagine the tiny dollhouse light that they would fit into! Of course, teensy lightbulbs aren't made for earrings - no holes. I had to get creative to solve that problem. I figured that electricians use copper wire for wiring the electricity to the lights, so that is what I used to form a sort of cage around the threaded stem of the bulbs. I wanted the copper wire to sort of peek out from under the "shades." They fit perfectly into the vintage brass fluted caps. I decided that they needed just a little more of that wrought iron look, so I found some black spiky bead caps to layer with the other bits finishing with the wrapped copper wire and copper ear wires. I would hang pendant lights like these over my kitchen island any day!


So that was a fun exercise in scale and creative problem solving! I think that if I ever get stuck for an earring idea, I will gladly go and browse the online light shops or take a trip to Menard's and stand under their lighting department!

Let's see what you made! Light us up with your designs!


12 comments:

  1. Oh, Erin, I adore the industrial vintage.....they are soooo me!! wow, light bulbs!!!

    ReplyDelete
  2. OMG. I love the industrial vintage pair with the tiny lightbulbs. You pulled together so many fun elements for those! This was a really great prompt.

    ReplyDelete
  3. The industrial vintage chic earrings are unbelievable! You are so creative. Well done!

    ReplyDelete
  4. I love the long blingy dangles on the first pair, but then that second pair, with the itty bitty bulbs and all the mixed metals and textures stole the show.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I'm in love with your earrings--that second pair especially. What fun lightbulbs! This prompt was so much fun to play with--thanks so much for letting me play along! :)

    ReplyDelete
  6. Wow - the lightbulb pair are amazing! I love how you pull together interesting components to come up with wonderful earrings!

    ReplyDelete
  7. When I took the quiz, I got Chic Vintage & Industrial too. And, I have to say I LOVE your take on it. It's perfect and absolutely something I would wear. I had forgotten about this challenge but am working on something for it because it is such an inspiring subject. Thanks for the inspiration!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Wow, you nailed it with the industrial, I'm smitten! Not that I don't like the ones with the chandelier findings, that's what they are for, right? And they look like they belong to an aristocratic ballroom :)

    ReplyDelete
  9. My Mom says that the straightest routes are the best. Likewise often literal interpretations of the inspiration can be better than going in for an abstract interpretation. You Industrial chic earring design is superb because it is straightforward in a way that you do not expect. I am sure it would "light up" the wearer's face.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Erin, I LOVE the Industrial earrings. Amazing!!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Oh my, your industrial chic design is sooooo gorgeous. Thank you for your monthly inspiration!

    ReplyDelete