Tangled Up In...Sinew?

Now, I know what you're thinking: "Sinew? Errrrrrrr...ewww?" 

Yes, I agree. 

Next fall will mark 15 years that I've been a devoted vegetarian. So rest assured when I promise you that the sinew used in these earrings is completely faux, imitation, no animals harmed. It consists of polyester fibers which have been spun together and waxed, making it tacky to the touch yet pliable and knottable. Good buddy Kimberly Rogers of Numinosity Beads fame turned me on to this material a bit ago. 

 
My crude knotting pales in comparison to some of the intricate, exacting work seen in many cultures, both old and modern. But I really dig the native primitive vibe that it adds to pieces. Plus I'm always looking for ways to incorporate textiles and fibers that will hold up to the test of time and wear. 

 


I've had a leisurely summer in the studio but am on the cusp of releasing a new batch of earrings that feature grungy, earthy neutrals, since that's where my head has been lately. This taupe and fawn hued pair fit the bill nicely. The stones are Polish flint, otherwise known as banded flint or striped flint. Mined in Poland, this stone is famous for its swirling, mesmerizing banding. At first glance the color may seem rather boring, but relax your eyes and let the patterning lure you in...peaceful magic.

To create these, I knotted faux sinew around the tops of each stone to form "caps" of a sort and then hung each from my extra long oxidized copper ear wires. Simple, versatile, soothing, neutral, unique.

Happy Wednesday!

Nikki
LoveRoot on Etsy

More Precious Than Gold

Think, for a moment, about how many beads, stones, and findings there are out there. Go ahead, I can wait...







...








OK, since this could take a spell, let's just summarize by saying that there are a TON of beads, stones, and findings out there. If you've ever been to any kind of bead show, you'll know what I mean. Now take those hundreds of tables filled with strands and baskets and multiply that by hundreds of thousands. Similarly, one of the beauties of the internet is that each of us in our own little corners of the world can shop for beads and stones from all over the globe. Our taste for supplies is limited only by the girth of our wallet.

All this to say: it can get overwhelming. So many good beads, cool beads, rare beads, stimulating exciting never-before-been-seen beads - how to focus?!

I experienced this shellshocked feeling the first time I went to the Tucson Gem & Mineral show with my dear friend Kimberly Rogers of NuminosityBeads fame. The sheer quantity of product, the teeming masses of people, the sky-high tents, the dollars changing hands hot and fast. Mercy.

That was two years ago. This year I didn't get quite so overwhelmed. I was a highly attuned hunter, knowing the type of thing I wanted and drilling down on it. I purchased with abandon, letting my creative "what if" juices flow. I walked up to booths and already had finished pieces designed in my head before even paying the vendor. 

The very best example of this involves a treasure trove of petrified wood slabs that I found. They were matched pairs, about 1" across, had a polished face yet a natural grained edge, and came in all the earth-toned colors of the rainbow: rust, salmon, fawn, cocoa, sable, charcoal, dove, ivory, and cream. I saw them and immediately melted. The crunchy semi-feral wicked earth goddess in me envisioned an edgy metalworked bracelet featuring a handful of these slabs. I knew in my head that it would be a lot of work. But if executed right, it would be worth it. So I bought 15 or so pairs.

Flash forward about four months and the idea had finally marinated enough - it was time for fruition. I sat down a couple weeks ago and created a whole line of petrified wood pieces, all set in gnarly sterling silver pronged open-back bezels. That includes this pair of earrings. Deceptively simple, humble, yet soulful. These slices use to be alive - think about that! I've been smitten and fighting the urge to jealously hoard the rest of them to myself.

So, all of this extended rambling to say, every now and then while swimming through the vast sea of components out there, you will find a special something that speaks volumes. It may only speak to you; it may speak to many. But when you find those special somethings, they can be more precious than gold. 

Happy Wednesday!
Nikki
LoveRoot on Etsy

Not your grandma's pearls

I've accumulated an extensive stash of fresh water pearls over the years. I hoard them. 

I really think I need an intervention group or something for my bead-hoarding...

(but I'm guessing that we'd all end up participating in the group lol)

The other day, when Miss Erin showcased the new 2015 Pantone colors, I started looking through my stash and pulled out a couple of strands of pearls that caught my eye with their soft cool hues.
They seemed to match really well with this year's palette.

When I use pearls in my designs, I aim to set them up in a non-traditional way, so that we don't end up thinking that we're wearing our grandma's pearls ;)

So this is what I've come up with for this design:

Designer Pearl Earrings by Nathalie Lesage at NatLJ.com

The fresh water pearls featured at the top are a soft cool blue, almost a dusk blue (Pantone 16-4120). Although the color is soft, I think these two pearls at the top really 'pop' and add a touch of brightness and spunk to the design. They seem almost luminescent :)

The set of pearls at the bottom is a Titanium grey (Pantone 17-4014) that picks up

the same metalic hues as the Hill Tribe Fine Silver Squares.

Soft cool grey hues inspired by the Pantone 2015 colors

These hollow HT square were very plain originally, but a few years ago, I had heavily distressed them to use them in a project, and I ended up using something else instead. I kept wanting to do something with these, and it seems that today was the right moment.

I hope that you'll agree that these are not your grandma's pearls :D

You can find these earrings HERE on my website.

Have a fabulous day!

Nathalie

Metalsmith & Jewelry Artist

www.NathalieLesageJewelry.com

Autumn Flora

Your saying to yourself- Autumn again? Oh yes, Autumn again. Here in SW Washington is such a glorious spectacle of color I think we all get a little caught up in it. Pumpkin spice flavored everything... sweaters, boots and hats come out of hiding. It's just a wonderful time of year and I love it!

Speaking of sweaters... I have this long gray sweater that I wore the heck out of last year. Nothing special. No designer tags on it, but It's my favorite. I know these earrings would go great! 

(sorry no picture of the sweater) Actually, my sweater looks just like this one, but it's long... https://www.pinterest.com/pin/269230883949700299/

The colors in the glaze are only from two jars but they produce a lovely array. The brick red speckles are just enough to set off that golden caramel and lift the blue gray.

Pinterest inspiration photo: 

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/269230883949700243/

Happy Autumn! 

Cindy ~ Cindy's Art & Soul Jewelry

http://www.artandsouljewelry.com/