Polka Stacks

Poor Keirsten is under the weather (get well soon, Kiersten!), so you've got me again today.  I've been making lots of these wire-wrapped stack earrings recently.

These, as you'll probably recognise, were made with a pair of Bo Hulley's polka dot rounds.  It's funny; I've had them for ages.  I was lucky enough to be paired with Bo in a Secret Santa swap that was run in a beady facebook group the Christmas before last. (Yep, I was very chuffed!)  I received four pairs of them in my parcel. 'Perfect', I thought, 'I'll be making earrings with these'.  However, despite taking them out of my stash numerous times, I kept failing to find something a bit different to do with them.  Now, finally, I've found a design with which I'm happy.  So much so, I've made a couple of pairs.

Am I allowed to share two pairs of earrings in the one post?  I'll blame it on being a newbie!  I have one pair of polka dot beads left.  I reckon I know what I'll be doing with them... This second pair has sold but the first pair are available here in my Etsy shop.

Bye for now, Claire
something to do with your hands

Turquoise Earrings - Or Why I Need To Go To France Soon

Since I started writing for Earrings Everyday, I've added a lot more pins to my Fashion Finds board on Pinterest, because I've always enjoyed the posts here that paired earrings with outfits.  It turns out that I've really had fun adding to this board (I'm more than a little bit addicted to Pinterest anyway).  I seem to be on a turquoise kick lately and I just fell in love with this outfit.

If you look closely, you'll see that it is actually a 2 piece outfit.  It includes a cute little vest with it.  The sleeves are semi-transparent and the whole thing looks all twirly and soft.

Here's what I'd wear with it.  That is, I'd wear these earrings with this outfit if I lived in France, because that's where this dress is sold.  I know...le sigh.

Lampwork discs by Outwest

Au revoir!

Linda

Linda Landig Jewelry on Etsy

Linda Landig Jewelry on ArtFire

Dreaming of Dragonflies

Dreaming of Dragonflies

It's this time of the year I dream of warm days
with the flutter of dragonfly wings passing my ears and rustle of the creek.
Warm days, sun on my face and peaceful afternoons are just around the corner.  

Glimmering lily pads on the water bed,

close those eyes and rest your head.

Dream away of an endless dream

Emma Sawer

"Clouds of insects danced and buzzed in the golden autumn light, and the air was full of the piping of the song-birds. Long, glinting dragonflies shot across the path, or hung tremulous with gauzy wings and gleaming bodies." 

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

I've been playing around with leather.  Embossing, adding dyes and hand painting
for a fresh new look. This hoop style reminded me of lily pads and were just perfect with the copper dragonflies.  As the snow melts here in the hills of Pennsylvania,
 I have visions and dreams of warmer days....

Melinda Orr
Bandana Girl 

We're All Ears :: March Inspiration

Pen and watercolor by Beatrix Potter
from The Tailor of Gloucester from the collection at the Tate Museum

Oh! Miss Beatrix Potter captivated me when I was a child.
The exquisite detail of her watercolor paintings is so impressive and really created a tiny world that I wanted to inhabit with waistcoat and ball-gown bedecked mice and rabbits.
I selected this image from the The Tailor of Gloucester because there is much to be inspired by in it! And this story is so sweet. I might have to seek it out!
The color, the patterns, the subjects... let's see what inspires you!

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To participate in the We're All Ears creative challenge:

Make earrings inspired by this picture.

Write a post on your blog.

Add your URL link to the InLinkz code right here on Friday, March 21st.

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Lagoon Crescents

You know how you sometimes make a pair of earrings with which you just don't want to part?  I made some the other day.

It's partly because the ceramic crescents, made by Jana of Happy Fish Things, are so beautiful.  The glaze is just lovely.  But they also remind me of something precious from my childhood.  They instantly bring to mind a pair of paintings which belonged to my maternal grandparents.  These collage type pieces were created by Rowland Fade.  They're very late-1960s - early-1970s in style, which I love.  I now own the paintings myself but they're so large I don't have anywhere to hang them in my current flat. They're stored at my parents' place, waiting for the day when  I have wall space for them.  Frustratingly, I don't have images of my paintings, so I've pulled some similar examples from online sources.  

(Untitled - 1971)

(Ochre Cross - 1967)

My paintings have colours similar to these.  Hence my choice of the ochre accent beads on my earrings.    The shades in my blue painting are, however, much brighter, much more like the blue glaze on my earrings. 

I think I may need to ask Jana for more of these crescents!

Bye for now, Claire 

Blog: www.somethingtodowithyourhands.com

Shop: www.somethingtodo.etsy.com

Between Her and the Stars

Listening to music - one of my favorite things to do when creating jewelry, cooking, sipping a glass of wine, messing around the house, you name it. I'm continually inspired by other artists, especially those whose medium is the spoken and written word. I'm a word nerd, I can't help it.

When I'm creating jewelry, many times a song lyric or a phrase from a novel will pop into my head. I often wake up with phrases floating around in my skull like a song stuck on repeat. I've made a habit of naming each of my pieces. I find it gives them a soul to inhabit, an identity, a purpose.
 
 






These particular earrings are a bit of a departure for me in that they are PINK...well, as close to pink as I'll probably ever get. They have a visceral, dreamy, desperate bleeding heart romantic quality to them. Their title was inspired by a These Immortal Souls lyric:

"Plot me a course
By Pluto and Mars
To a vanishing point
Between her and the stars"



Art inspires art inspires art...components from several crazy talented bead artists (Kimberly Rogers, Xaz Bead Company, and Diane Hawkey), music from one hell of a talented band, and jewelry from my two little hands. And the circle continues.

Have a great week <3
Nikki
LoveRoot on Etsy

I'm Thinkin Spring Break

Orange Polymer Clay Earrings with Turquoise

After an especially cold and snowy winter, visions of Spring Break are dancing in my head. My vision of Spring Break is definitely a toned down version, without all of the hedonism of youth. Just laying on a beach soaking up the sun, relaxing with a fruity tropical drink, and recharging my creative batteries - that's what we all need this time of year!

To capture that mood in my earring design, I use orange polymer clay charms that I have stamped with a sun pattern and colored with gilder's paste to add dimension. To the charms, I added nuggets of turquoise and Greek barrel shaped copper beads, that are stacked and wrapped with copper wire.

My sunny vacation is only in my thoughts for now, but soon . . .




Gloria Ewing
Chrysalis Too on Etsy
Chrysalis Jewelry on Artfire