Girl and her wolves

Hi, I have 2 pairs to share with you today featuring enamels from Annet Riabukhina.  I kept them quite simple as the enamels are pretty awesome on their own.  I hope I've added enough without taking away from the focals.

In this pair I attached the enamels to antiqued brass connectors layering it with flowers and caps.  I hung brass sticks and chain on either side.  I completed the look by adding big hole glass beads and flowers above the connectors and pink niobium ear wire (to echo the subtle pink on the edges of the enamels)

Again keeping things simple here.  I layered the enamels with both raw and antiqued brass caps,  I usually paint the flower blanks that the enamels are attached to,  This time I kept them bare as they accent the gold from the enamels rather nicely

Another view 

These will be available in my next show in The Jewellery Show Facebook group.  Hope you can stop by on Monday. 

See you again soon.  

Suhana 

My Etsy shop: Suhana Hart Jewellery

Currency

When I was researching on Pinterest for my last show - Out of Africa - I found lots of photos of African jewellery, masks, and headdresses using cowrie shells.

The cowrie shell was one of the most successful and universal forms of currency in the world, but in West Africa it worked its way into the cultural fibre, taking on a deeper spiritual and ritualistic  meaning that has never been entirely lost. They were phased out (reluctantly, by the African people who were resistant to the imposition of colonialism ) in favour of the French franc in the 1940s. But traces still remain - in Burkhina Faso, alms are given to the poor in the form of cowries, and some ritual services still use them. The West African Central Bank headquarters in Benin is decorated with cowrie shells. Fascinating stuff.

For todays post I remade one of my favourite pairs from the show with variations - using cowrie shells, leopardskin jasper, oxblood lampwork rings from  Julia Hay and warm coloured glass beads wired to beaten brass domed connectors, with hand made brass earwires. The cowrie shells are from Sylvia Stungo of Fizzyelements. Very dangly, very African.

 

    Hope you like them - available in my Etsy shop, if you do. See you in two weeks time.

                                                              Lindsay xx

                                                           My Etsy shop

                                                          My Facebook page

A bit of gold 'n silver

Hello!

I turned to Inviciti for inspiration for this week's blog. Vincent 'n Nooma make gorgeous pewter charms and I had a little delivery from them recently. These charms had a series of holes, just perfect for threading seed beads through. I chose the accompanying bead first. After trying out various lampwork beads, I settled on these rustic African brass beads -I like the mix of metals and tones -mixing the gold/brass with the silvery tones of the pewter charms.

I wanted to add some texture and so added these twisted silver toned jumprings and silver spacer beads. Tiny brass coloured seed beads threaded through in the charms complete these pretties.  

Hope you like them! I'll pop them in the shop 

See you next time :-)

Sue x

The Metals

Hi everyone, it's busy busy in the Hart household so another sweet little post from me featuring some of my newest painted metal components. I hope you like them.

First pair with some unusual shaped connectors.  These were very fiddly to paint (only 6mm wide), I don't think I'll be in a hurry to paint more of these.  I added brass caps and tubes on top and Czech glass flowers.  I also added some chain and stars.

For these I used slightly curved brass tubes and added various brass findings including some silver plated brass crowns hiding inside the raw brass caps.

Final pair similar to the first but I've turned the top section upside down to give them a slightly different look.

These are available in my Etsy shop now.  I'll be back in a couple of weeks time, hopefully with newer designs.  Until then, have a lovely weekend <3

Suhana <3

My Etsy shop: Buttoned Up Beads

Buttoned Up Beads

Hoops and hoops

This will be short and sweet from me. I'm still playing with wrapping lots of wire. More fabulous Petra Carpreau ceramic connectors. These have multiple hoops, and the glazes she uses are just beautiful. I think this first pair have a glaze called herb garden. How cool is that! I added some oval and textured brass hoops, and bound the multiple hoops with lots of copper wire and silver seed beads

This next pair have a gorgeous golden glaze, and I added multiple brass hoops to these -in varying states of oxidation -matt gold to dark black, and those hoops at the bottom are bound with copper wire and gold seed beads.

Really hope you like them. See you next time 

Sue x

utterly lovely stuff

Earthy and tribal

Hello! It'll be a brief post from me today. A little pair of earrings I made recently with some components from my very favourite artists. And also illustrating my slight obsession with layering in earring designs!

Firstly, we'll take Petra Carpreau's beautiful ceramic droppers. Made with black stoneware, they are earthy and rather tribal.

I added some oval brass connectors at the back, which act as a frame for some rather fabulous red brass chain, which peaks out from behind the holes in the droppers and at the bottom of the earrings for extra swing! I had a pair of Claire Lockwood's gorgeous textured denim ceramic rondelles in my beady stash for a while. They were part of a set of earring beads that Claire sold in one of her shop updates (her updates are rare, but oh my word, they are worth waiting for!) and I really like both the colour (that pop of blue is a nice contrast) and texture of these (co-ordinates with the primitive, tribal vibe I think!). Finally, I added some greek ceramic rondelles and some copper twisted jumprings.

Hope you like them. They are available in my shop.

See you in a few weeks
Sue

Simplicity.......

Who knew making simple earrings or anything for that matter would turn out to be such a stressful affair. 
I suffer from tunnel vision when it comes to making jewellery.  I cannot seem to make a variety of things (earrings, bracelets, necklaces) in the same sitting.  If it's earrings, it has to be just earrings and nothing else.  So last week I was making bracelets and naturally I could not think beyond that. I decided I'd make some simple earrings for a change and give my brain a rest.  I dug through old designs for inspiration and found these. I decided to recreate these in a new fashion.

I swapped the brass sticks for brass tubes and added some Swarovski rondelles for a little bling.  I made these.

Ceramic feathers by Claire Lockwood

Ceramic drops by Petra Carpreau

I was happy with the bottom 2 pairs but something was missing from the top pair.  They looked bland.  I needed to dress up the brass tubes so I painted them and tried to achieve a distressed look by taking off some of the patina.  Here's the revamped pair. 

Did I mention I suffer from tunnel vision when it comes to making jewellery?!  Well here's the result.

Enamelled stars by Bea Stoertz

Ceramic flowers by Petra Carpreau

So much for making simple earrings! But I'm happy with the end result and I have a feeling I'll be painting more brass tubes (a bit addicted now) 😂

I hope you like my offerings for today.  I'll be listing these in my Etsy shop soon.  See you again in a couple of weeks time <3

Suhana 💖💖💖

My Etsy shop: Buttoned Up Beads

Treasures from the Forest Floor

Fall is the best time for hiking in Colorado.  Temps are perfect, colors are outstanding and the skies couldn't be any more bluer.  Working a 40 hour week, I make it a goal to get outside and enjoy my outdoor playground, let's face it- days are getting shorter and change is coming. 

This weeks share is a design I created embracing my hikes.  As I look around the trails, I find twigs, pine cones, pine needles, acorns and leaves to name a few. A bustling time for little critters to hunt and gather.

So here they are!!  Brass pine cones that dangle from wire threaded with a mix of glass and spacers up top.  

I hammered daggers to serve as my twigs with tiny disc's off to the sides. 

I'm very happy with the overall design and love the mix of silver and brass in any creation.

♥~ Embrace Mother Nature and be,"Inspired",~♥

Thanks for visiting and leave a comment if you wish, always good to hear from you ☺

Your friend~ Lynn Ferro, aka Yucca Bloom

Unpredictable Verdigris

I love working with patinas and painting, my favorite colors of course being the blue-greens. However.... the end result can be very unpredictable, but I think I'm getting the hang of the process to actually duplicate the colors pretty close each time. I make sure that the brass and copper bases are raw by removing any protected sealers, it seems to take the color faster with overall better coverage.

There are a number of suppliers out there, my favorite being Swellegant, they also offer a number of dyes & how to videos to help you out.

Below are a few pieces I've made using this product, as you can see the end results have been pretty close.

I used copper for the chain/leather fringe earrings and tribal triangles, the large flower pods with raw brass.

◄ this finish, I added a tad of deep blue and then dipped it again in the regular solution, I couldn't be happier with this flow over embossed copper, its just gorgeous!

These flower pods turned out a little more green, but I've made others with veins of deeper blue here and there.

Hope this sends you some inspiration for the day.  Thanks for stopping by, share a few comments if you can and we will see you again later this month.

Lynn♥

My Etsy Shop- Yucca Bloom

My Salvaged Heart

Talk about being at the right place at the right time.  Just happen to run by my favorite consignment store and found these heart dagger earrings calling my name.  

Now keep in mind, they didn't look like this when I found them, but with a little work and re-design, adding my own aged Cherub charms, they transformed perfectly.  I think I could pull off a similar style using some components already in my stash. 

I think I would take these over a box of chocolates and a dozen roses any day ♥♥♥

Enjoy friends! Thanks for stopping by and see ya in two weeks, ☺

My Etsy Shop- YuccaBloom

Romantique Filigree

I have used these thick filigree pieces on quite a few pairs of earrings and I truly love them. They make the earrings feel so romantic and elegant. You may have guessed I have a bit of a romantic side by now? lol

They are long, and long to me stands out. I want my earrings to stand out, why wear them otherwise? All Brass and lampwork beads, perfect to wear all year! You can Find them HERE in my Etsy shop as well as many other things.

Use Coupon Code EARRINGSEVERYDAY to save 10% in my shop before the end of the week.

Thanks for stopping by and please leave a comment 

Marie

A touch of Vintage

 Inspired by something I was at a glance worn by someone on a TV show. I really liked the idea of a simple bead dangling from a stem. It looked simple but elegant with a touch of rustic fun!

I made two pairs that have different colours of beads and different styles of bead caps. The tubes are Vintage upcycled brass tubes that I took off of a necklace ages ago. I have kept them for something special and used 4 with these. I am very pleased with the results. You can find these and many other earrings in my Jewelry Shop on Etsy. I hope you go pay a little visit and have a look around!

Marie
Please respect all designs on this blog as original and copyrighted. Please only use for inspiration. Thank You.