Earrings without a name

This must sound very silly. But for me the most challenging part of the process from picking beads to finally selling a piece of jewelry are naming a finished piece and taking beautiful pictures.

As you can see here. My deepest apologies for these pictures. Normally I am able to make slightly better ones, but I’m in the Netherlands right now. Without my camera. So I tried to take pictures with the best available option at my mum's house; an Ipad.
And for the name…well, the title says it all. I certainly could use your help in this department, so your suggestions are more than welcome.

These earrings are made with beautiful olive green glass disc beads made by Debbie Sanders, handmade polymer clay disc beads in shades of green and purple by Heather Powers and handmade ear wires from my friend Lucy Haslam.
Available in my shop once I’m back in Greece (and able to make better pictures).
Thanks for looking.

Janine

Esfera Jewelry

My etsy shop

My website/blog

My facebook page

Feather Earrings

I made these tiny feathers as part of my Feathers & Friends Polymer Clay Workshop. I knew I wanted to make some feather dangle earrings with them. I kept it simple with jump rings and accents by Czech glass on copper earwires.

These are such a fun design, I really need to make them in more colors!

What colors do you see these tiny feathers in? I'm thinking of an earthy green, brown and purple next.

Move The Faders

Happy New Year to you all. I hope the holiday season gave you either time to make many earrings or many earring-shaped gifts. Or both! I have a ton of earrings to photograph that I've been busy making but today I'm sharing a pair from before Christmas.

The lovely yellow ceramic charms are, of course, from the lovely Jana of Happy Fish Things. 

All best wishes for your 2016s!

Bye for now, Claire

www.somethingtodo.etsy.com

www.somethingtodowithyourhands.com

www.somethingtodobeads.etsy.com

Lively Up Yourself

vintage industrial hoops, red river jasper

Isn't it funny (for those of us here in the Midwest, at least), how we were concerned and complaining about how warm it was on Christmas (+60F degrees!)? And now that the holidays are all over, a cold snap has set in and it's 20F degrees and we all feel like we're dying? I guess you could call that funny. Or perhaps nature's form of karma. 

I actually prefer a cold winter, myself. It just feels more natural that way. If we didn't have the biting cold in the dark months, we would not as deeply appreciate the pleasure of a sunny 80F degree day. 

I tell myself that, at least.

lampwork glass by Kimberly Rogers, brass hoops

So as I sit here typing, I'm bundled in an insanely poofy knit sweater with a bunchy turtleneck that is a mile high. I'm surrounded by at least two of our three cats. I have on my embarrassing hot pink fleecy socks that I loathe but, dammit, they get the job done. I'm doing my best to keep warm. 

I suppose that desire also crept into my jewelry last week as I created several sets of earrings using red, a color that I have grown to appreciate more in recent years. Hot-blooded, tempestuous, uncontrollable red...

ceramic red lilies by Claire Armstrong, wood beads

Hope your holidays ended up on a high note and hope your new year is a deliciously creative one!

Happy Wednesday,
Nikki
LoveRoot on Etsy

Rustic Ceramics

Good Morning, and Happy New Year!

Today's Earrings

Are you familiar with the ceramic work of Nadia Karepencheva, Nadia Terra on Etsy? I first saw her work about a year ago and was smitten! Very unusual beads. No glazes, yet they have color, mostly pastel, from "Engobe Clay". I kept being drawn to her beads and eventually purchased a number of different styles, including the focal in today's earrings. For these she used a dark grey clay and in general I prefer it to the terra cotta she also uses.

Today's Earrings

As much as I love her beads, I do find them challenging to work with. But in the end, I am always happy with what I make with them, and I do love today's earrings. :) The lower focals are green and made from dark clay, and have a bit of a raised, almost striped appearance, made by Nadia Terra. The upper beads are wonderful handmade lampwork glass by Terry Turner of Silver Fish Designs. Dangling on waxed linen on the deeply oxidized, copper wire loop are matte Red Creek Jasper stones and aged glass beads. Lightweight, fun, neutral.

Here are a couple of other recent pairs of earrings with Nadia's beads.

Thank you for stopping by!
I'll be back on the 19th; hope
to see you then!

Norbel

She Flies Again - Etsy Shop

Facebook Page

Pebbles On A Chain

2016, 
and my new year has started very well. The other day I received an absolutely wonderful gift for my jewelry making, from a Swedish friend Mia Christensen. She picked all the stones and pebbles herself. Drilled them and tumbled them. They all come locally from an area in Ostergotland Sweden, nearby where she lives and where I also grew up. Many of them are small and perfect for earrings. I just had to start creating with them immediately. The ones I used in these earrings are just over 1 cm, or just under 1/2 inch.

Patinated verdigris delicate chain - Shannon German of MissFickleMedia

Drilled pebbles - Mia Christensen

Sterling silver (oxidized) handmade earring hooks

Messy wrapped oxidized copper wire

In this picture below you can see about half of the stones I got as a present from Mia. She is in the process of setting up an Etsy-shop, but until it's done you may contact her via e-mail: kaffe.nu[at]hotmail.com

Wishing you all a very Happy New Year,

Malin de Koning

www.beadingbymalindekoning.blogspot.se

We're All Ears :: January Inspiration

^{"Colors this season transport us to a happier, sunnier place where we feel free to express a wittier version of our real selves."Leatrice Eiseman, Executive Director, Pantone Color Institute™}

  ^{So the Pantone color of the year has been announced... and it is a DUO! Say hello to Rose Quartz and Serenity. Tell me...does this pair transport you to a happier, sunnier place?}

 ^{I am not quite sure what I think each year when these trend reports are released. Mostly I don't like them, but then they eventually grow on me. I am actually intrigued by a pair of colors that can work in tandem and blend and morph. I am not sure how I feel about the rest of the palette for Spring 2016. I am not sure they play together as nicely as these two.  We are told on the Pantone site that this year's palette features color choices that are unisex to reflect a shift in cultural and gender norms. These color choices for both men and women are meant to evoke "a desire to breathe and reflect, then play."   Hmmmm... that sounds like a lot of responsibility for a set of colors. I wonder what you think?} 

Here is what the Pantone Color Institute has to say about the top 10 colors for 2016:

• The soothing, calming nature of colors in the Spring collections are led by Rose Quartz, a persuasive yet gentle tone that conveys compassion and a sense of composure. Like a serene sunset, flushed cheek or budding flower, Rose Quartz reminds us to reflect on our surroundings during the busy but lighthearted spring and summer months.
• The fashion and design communities, and consequently, consumers, have been in love with orange for several seasons. Coming to the fore this Spring is, Peach Echo, a shade that emanates friendlier qualities, evoking warmth and accessibility. It is an all-encompassing, tempered companion in the playful orange family.
• Weightless and airy, like the expanse of the blue sky above us, Serenity comforts with a calming effect, bringing a feeling of respite even in turbulent times. A transcendent blue, Serenity provides us with a naturally connected sense of space.
• A maritime-inspired blue, Snorkel Blue plays in the navy family, but with a happier, more energetic context. The name alone implies a relaxing vacation and encourages escape. It is striking yet still, with lots of activity bursting from its undertones.
• While the majority of the Spring/Summer palette trends toward calmness, a few diversions from the theme emerge that offer a contrast. With Buttercup designers reveal a shining beacon transporting its wearer to a happier, sunnier place.
• A shade of aqua that leans toward the green family, Limpet Shell is clear, clean and defined. Suggestive of clarity and freshness, its crisp and modern influences evoke a deliberate, mindful tranquility.
• As in most any season, the need for neutrals arises. Essentially a basic, the subtlety of the lilac undertone in, Lilac Gray, adds a distinctive edge to this classic gray shade.
• The high energy Fiesta is a harbinger of excitement, encouraging free-spirited exploration to unknown but welcoming locales. A strong and fiery, yellow-based red, the vivid Fiesta provides a stark contrast to the calming, softer nature of this season’s palette.
• A transitional color that will take us through the seasons, Iced Coffee manifests as another strong neutral for the season. With its natural earthy quality, the softness and subtlety of Iced Coffee creates a stable foundation when combined with the rest of this season’s palette.
• Green Flash calls on its wearer to explore, push the envelope and escape the mundane, radiating an openness that combines with the rest of the palette in unexpected but serendipitous ways. The popularity of this brilliant hue is representative of nature’s persistent influence even in urban environments, a trend continuing to inspire designers.

^{It seems to me that these colors are fairly reminiscent of the 2015 colors, but in a bit more vibrant palette. Do you see that? What do you think? Our challenge this month is to use the spring 2016 palette to create with. Do check out the Pantone Color report for more information, including pairings for each of the colors which I find intriguing. And of course, if you choose to just stick with the two colors of the year, that is a great challenge in and of itself...how to make baby pink and light blue sophisticated and fresh and fit for more than a baby shower...} 

 

What colors do YOU like from the 2016 Pantone Spring color forecast?
What will you be wearing - or creating with - in the coming year?

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

Make earrings inspired by this inspiration.

Write a post on your blog.

Add your exact blog post URL link to the
InLinkz code right here on 

Friday, January 15th.

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P.S. I promised winners for the last challenge and then dropped the ball with all the holiday prep. I decided that all those that entered the last blog hop were winners just for carving out time to do it! All those that participated and uploaded their link by the deadline are winners and have all be contacted to arrange for their prize! I do plan to make the Use Your Leftovers an annual event, perfect for the end of the year and the gifting season. Looking forward to more earring fun with you in 2016!