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

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I was archiving pictures of jewelry pieces I've made over the years recently, and as I was looking through my designs, I was so thankful that it's so easy now with digital pictures to keep a record of what we've done over time.... how we progress.... how our style changes.

It's also great to keep pictures of all our past work, to be able to go back and revisit old favorites, and maybe change them up a bit and offer a new updated version of the designs. I also realized that I've forgotten some of the designs I'd done (is it because I'm getting old? Or too many years of design work? Maybe a bit of both...)

So today, instead of making and showing you a new pair of earrings, I wanted to show you a few designs I had almost forgotten, but love so much - hopefully they will inspire you with some new design ideas!

One of my favorites is wire wrapping. Some wire wrapping with unusual pairing (pearls and Labradorite - these pearls were huuuuuuge and almost perfectly round - just stunning), or incorporating some wire work in building unusual shapes.... like the triangular design of the Tribal Turquoise earrings below:

Large Freshwater Pearls, Labradorite, 14kt Gold Filled wire wrapped Earrings

Tribal Turquoise and Sterling Silver Earrings

Designs vary from what appears to be a complex chainmaille design in Copper and Sterling, to the simplest of creation (a gemstone dangling in the middle of a chain -> that one made the front page on Etsy back in the day and was a popular seller for me for a little while):

Kings Scale Copper and Sterling Silver Mystic Topaz Earrings

Fancy twisted cut Amethyst on a simple sterling chain - Made the front page of Etsy

We can't forget hoops! They come in all sorts of style (I never get tired of 'em):

Triple Sterling Pink Tourmaline Soldered Hoops

Summer Daisies Fine Silver and Sterling Silver Rustic Hoops

Tanzanite Vine Sterling Silver Hoops

So what about you? Do you enjoy looking back and revisiting some of your past work? Do you use them as inspiration when your muse has taken a vacay? Do you have a favorite technique (chainmaille, wire wrapping, soldering, viking knit, cold connections, stringing, etc) that you tend to go back to or incorporate every chance you get?

I hope you enjoyed this little trip down memory lane with me. I hope that I will eventually feel well enough to be able to make more of these designs again, but if not, I'm going to go with the flow, and see where the currents take me.

You can find my latest jewelry designs in My Garden Of Love Etsy shop HERE, as well as my handmade jewelry components.

I want to wish my fellow Canucks a very Happy Canada Day (150 years!!!) as well as a Happy 4th of July to all of our dear American readers!

Cheers,
Nathalie
My Garden Of Love Etsy Shop
The Crafty Tribe Etsy Shop