Ancient and Modern

Something old....something new. In this case, some things VERY old indeed. A friend contacted me last week and asked if I was interested in any roman coins - she had come across a supplier and thought of me. I chose a couple of pairs on her recommendation and was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the relief on them - really good for 2000 years old! I bit of googling and I could even identify the Emperor - Trajan.

Those connectors are new from Lucy Haslam - copper, soldered with silver but left rough and old looking. Topped with crusty old roman glass. Look almost like they have just been excavated. We have an old excavated Roman fort about 5 miles away at Ribchester - any place name ending in 'chester' came from the Latin 'castra' - a camp - and often go for  a wander round the museum.

Now I'm off in the 'ancient' mood, I dug out the pair of ammonite fossils I got at the Rock and Gem Show. From the Dorset coast, which is a treasure trove for them. Even older than roman coins. Millions of years probably. So special, I let them have my last pair of Basha Beads (but I have ordered more!) Just look at the light that emanates from within. Magical.

 

 

 

Both these pairs have already gone, but I promise more roman goodies soon. Have a great week everyone, and see you again in a fortnight. 

 

Lindsay x

 

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Kimfusion Reigns

Ever striving for new components to add to my arsenal as a component maker I know that new and novel pieces are like candy to the earring designer

I had been marketing my torch fired enamel matchsticks "numi-sticks" for a few years now and as a lampworker I wondered if I could apply my lampworking  technique to the enamels. The result of this was my "Kimfusions" in which the application of the glass magnifies the effects of the enamels beneath and add some extra texture and flash.

I felt I was perfectly within my rights to hoard a few for my own designing obviously!

I've paired these dangles with some of Shipwreck Dandy's faceted polymer clay beads and a few crusty discs of Roman glass. ( I sell them in my supply  shop)

Richelle even has a free tute on her blog for making  the faceted beads but her polymer clay beads that she sells are unusual and evoctive

The earwires are by our own LoveRoot Nikki Zehler

Thanks for looking!

Kimberly Rogers

numinositybeads on facebook

numinositybeads blog 

numinositybeads 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

Feeling down? Say this one word...

...limpet.

No, I'm serious, go ahead and give it a try. Just one little time. Go on...while no one is listening.

See? You feel a little better, don't you? Maybe a teensy smile just crept across your face? A little levity to your soggy gray winter Wednesday? Perhaps even a smidge of impish delight when you imagine the cute cup-shaped domed shell of a LIMPET? 

You think I'm mad, but if you haven't picked it up already from reading my blog posts and jewelry listings, words really do hold that much power in my life. There are some really fun words, like limpet, bauble, and mallard. And then there are some really horrible nasty evil words, like moist. *shudder*

 
All this to say, I found some limpets last week! My day job shipped me off to the Pacific coast of California for a week and our hotel was right on the beach. As in, I could hear the waves crashing from my room. It was like every insanely picturesque post-card you've ever seen, and it was ALL RIGHT THERE. I couldn't help myself but to kick off my heels, sneak away, and do some beachcombing and toe-wiggling in the sand. 

I haven't been to a beach in probably 15 years. As a child, the few times we went I almost lost my head over all the cool little shells, pebbles, and scraps of sea life that would wash onto shore and get trapped in tide pools. I've always been fascinated by it, and nothing has changed as an adult. Every day last week I would sneak furtively back up to my hotel room with handfuls of sandy briny shells.

Now that I'm back home in landlocked Ohio, I've been sifting through my finds and picking out a few shells to incorporate into jewelry, since you know how much I like weaving organic found objects into my pieces.  

These earrings are quite special, as they feature some really sweet little purple banded limpets that I collected. They swing lightly under stacks of ancient Roman glass, wood bodhi beads, pyrite nuggets, and some antique opalescent Venetian glass "moon" trade beads (100-200 years old). Purples and teals and indigoes, all wire wrapped up together and ready to whisper songs of the sea into your ears.

Happy Wednesday!
Nikki
LoveRoot on Etsy

2014 Has Left the Building

As we bid farewell to 2014 today, I'm reminded of the importance of making a memorable exit. Preferably a graceful one, although we all know that sometimes that isn't the case ;)

Creatively, this year has been my most thrilling yet. I've been humbled time and time again by the kindness and friendship I've encountered from souls all across the globe. The sharing of personal journeys, compassion during painful times, and inappropriate hilarity over silly stupid stuff. And all from just jewelry! I'm not talking about tackling world hunger or making peace between warring nations - simply putting beauty into the hands of individuals, one by one, piece by piece. 



So while I sometimes feel petty and materialistic for being so obsessive over jewelry, I quickly remind myself that it's about so much more than bead hoarding or shnazzy techniques or the biggest bling. The happiness you bring to others' lives is immeasurably priceless. Because in the end, this life is all we have, and love is the only thing that matters.

Well now that I've gotten all philosophical and misty-eyed, let me get back to my original thought about leaving with a bang. 

This pair of earrings is 100% party and will have people remembering you for all the right reasons. I dare anyone to make yummier lampwork glass headpins than my dear, dear friend Kim of NuminosityBeads. This sleek drippy slate gray pair has been dotted with gemmy confetti, crowned with a stack of crusty Roman glass discs, and wire wrapped for a slinky yet playful silhouette. 

So on that note, Happy Wednesday and HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Nikki
LoveRoot on Etsy

Layers Upon Layers

 
I've always been fascinated by the layers in things. Nothing is ever black and white, most things are gray...meaning there are nuances, multiple factors, different sides. Maybe that's why I have such a hard time making decisions sometimes! 


Lately I've been on a big layering/stacking kick with my earrings. Taking lots of little bits and stacking them together haphazardly yet melodiously and then using wire to accentuate. 


It's been fun to experiment with stacking things both vertically and flipping them on their sides horizontally. Quite the challenge to dig through +20 bead boxes to find that one PERFECT missing element. But then again, that's the fun of assemblage jewelry. 


One of my latest pairs features several elements that I've really been digging on: muddy ceramic discs from Marsha Neal and blackened pewter charms from Inviciti. Married together with my beloved Roman glass, rustic wood bicones, and some pyrite. I love the browns and robin's egg blues of this pair. Very soothing and natural. And they have such fun swing to em!


Happy Wednesday!
Nikki
LoveRoot on Etsy

Stacked

It seems so simple - making a stack of something. We make piles and stacks of things all the time in our everyday lives - bills, shoes, sandwiches, dishes, folded clothes, the list goes on. Yawn. Boring.

Now talk about making jewelry stacks and you've got my attention. I've been loving stacked earrings lately, both vertical and front-facing. It's an exercise in graduated size, texture, color, and medium. I love to mix ceramics, glass, stone, textiles, shells...you name it.

 

Here's an sweet little pair I listed last week that plays with all of these different elements. Two reptilian ceramic discs from Petra at ScorchedEarthonEtsy serve as the base, and I've layered them with art nouveau steel PMC washers from Kiyoi Design as well as crusty little shards of violet Roman glass and flashy raw moonstone nuggets. 

I love how the garish chartreuse olive yellow-green of the ceramic base contrasts with the eggplant purple of the Roman glass and the ultraviolet flashes in the moonstones. Olive and violet - a weird color combo I've been stuck on lately. 


OK girls, now get stackin'!

Happy Wednesday :)

Nikki
LoveRoot on Etsy

Cosmos

There are some beads that require no introduction, no explanation, no overwrought designing. Basha Beads typify this. Barbara has perfected this lampwork glass technique and her beads are singular---immediately recognizable and always breathtaking. How does she capture all that glowy magic and all those cosmic nebula in each little bead?


I'll admit to being a Basha Bead hoarder - no shame there. I only like to use them when I truly feel like my design can do them justice.

 

I had a stroke of inspiration lately on how to make some wicked primitive earrings that highlight these beads without being too complicated. Plus it let me really wail on some copper with a hammer - that's always fun (read: stress relief). 


I made several variations: soft glowy ancient glass, red garnet, and scuzzy green Roman glass. For those days where you're feeling  mysterious, fiery, or calm and reflective.
 


Surprisingly simple, but these babies pack a lot of punch. I've even had guys notice them - when men start noticing your jewelry, that means you're on to something. 


Happy mid-week,

Nikki
LoveRoot on Etsy

The Other 1%

We all have them squirreled away in our wardrobes and jewelry boxes, don't we? That hard-edged bracelet or scissored dress or tall boots that just make us feel take-on-the-world confident. I'm 99% a quiet, sensitive, artsy type, but every now and then I enjoy flaunting my 1% bad*ss.

These earrings have all the oil-slicked iridescent flashy black magic that you could ever want. Raku ceramic discs from Urban Raku, crusty little shards of gray ancient Roman glass, plus two insanely flashy electric blue nuggets of white moonstone. Stacked and wrapped. 

Bring it :)

Nikki
LoveRoot on Etsy

Sea Salt

This. bead. Love this bead. As soon as it came out of the kiln and was cleaned out I was making a bracelet with it. After that was completed I asked my husband if he could please make tiny shell beads to match because this bracelet just HAD to have a pair of earrings! I was pleased with the result.

And here's a full shot of the bracelet...

The earrings are available HERE and the bracelet HERE. If you are interested in having a shell bead or two for yourself please check out Bubby & McGurk Beads or their Facebook page where a flash sale is held every two weeks. Next one is tomorrow (Saturday May 10th) at 2pm (EDT.) and there will be shell beads and shell beads for earrings offered. The sales are lots of fun and beads are offered at a lower price to save on website and Etsy fees, etc.

Oh and speaking of shells....before I close, don't forget about the "We're all Ears:: May Inspiration" by our very own Erin Prais-Hintz.

Thanks for checking out our blog and have a fabulous weekend!

Kristy Abner

Kristy's Kreations 

Kristy's Kreations Jewelry Blog Spot 

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She's a Beautiful Beast

Seems like quite a few of us have been dreaming of lounging in the sunny summer heat and dipping our toes into a deep blue pool of water. Well, can you blame us? After a couple of tame years, this winter has been a brutal one. Mother Nature, we get it, you're a beautiful beast. 




For those of you lucky enough to live near a body of water and for those of us who are stuck just dreaming about it, here's some cool blue aqua watery eye candy for you - cascading tiers of ancient crusty Roman glass shards plus a kiss of lampwork glass at the bottom courtesy of NuminosityBeads.
 



I've been playing around with this new design and like the fluidity of it. Each linked glass disc is free to move and sway independent of the stack. Very serpentine, very eyecatching. Plus, those of you who know me are familiar with my love affair with Roman glass. These babies have it all. 









Wishing everyone some sunshine, some warmer weather, and pretty ears (natch!) <3

Nikki
LoveRoot on Etsy