Day Twenty-Eight, Moving Along at a Fantastic Rate!

So, I have an exciting bit of news. I'm getting awfully close to 1,000 page views for this blog! While these are mostly repeat views from my faithful viewers, it's a very exciting milestone for me. When I reach 1,000 page views, I'll announce a special giveaway. It should be very soon, at the rate we're going on this blog!

Keeping this blog entry short and sweet. Here's the latest and greatest earrings:

Side By Side By Side, to quote a musical~

I love my trusty old teacup and piano bench...

And a new photographic surface emerges-- the cherry wood silverware box!

 Back to the pearls, I know-- it's just so hard for me to stay away! These ones are two different colors and shapes of freshwater pearls-- golden and dark brown, imperfect and oval and irregularly round. I made these to match a necklace that I designed a while back...

A matching pair of pearls-- shades of brown, just like autumn!

This is one of my favorite sets! My mother-in-law wore it to her church's Lenten Bible Study meeting tonight, and got *MANY* compliments. I have four sets of pearls that are similar in style but different in color, that one of my friends described as a "set for all seasons"-- this includes the green one previously posted, as well as this brown one, and two sets that I haven't shown yet on this blog, one of blues and another of browns and pinks.

Since this set (and the green one) turned out so well, I'll have to do the same for the others another day. See you all tomorrow~!

Day Twenty-Six, Still Taking My Licks...

I'm starting to think that perhaps I'm doomed to a life spent in bed...

Oh well. At least I've had some great television to keep me company!

Today's earrings are incredibly simple-- no frills, nothing elaborate, nothing overly fancy.

These earrings remind me of a pair I had as a teenager-- I got them as a souvenir when we went to Disney~

 Nothing but sterling silver and blue freshwater pearls. They're not baby blue or sky blue-- more like a cool grey-ish blue. But those who know me, know that I love everything blue, no matter the shade!

They're so simple, it's ridiculous!

 Personally, I like my earrings to be a bit bigger, to have a little more "heft", but I know that not all my customers and clients feel the same way.

Tomorrow's pair, I'm going to try to stay away from pearls. I promise!

No matter the design I end up creating, I have some big announcements to make over the next few days. Can't wait to let you all know about my big plans-- see you on the flip side of the moon!

Day Twenty-Four, It Never Rains But it Pour(s)

So much has been going on with me lately, not the least of which has been my health. Endometriosis is always a yo-yo... sometimes it's up, sometimes it's down. I've spent over a week now with elevated pain levels, and there's nothing to be done about it. I'm still making my earrings every day, and I'm still putting together posts every day, but it's hard for them to actually get put *up* every day.

Thankfully, I have an amazing family and supportive friends, who understand what is going on and have been giving me some LOVELY recommendations for things to watch while I'm bed-ridden! I just finished watching every single episode of "Bones" available on Netflix, and am working my way through the first season of Downton Abbey. Next up, I'm going to finish "United States of Tara"~ is there anything else out there that you think I absolutely have to see?

Anyway, onto the earrings.

A friend suggested that I name them after her-- "Yosie's Choice"-- because they're her kind of style~!

Sterling Silver spacers surround and separate two delicate pink beads-- one perfectly round freshwater pearl, and one cool and smooth rose quartz.

Still experimenting with different photo surfaces...

I don't know what I'd do without this teacup!

I have some exciting news to post, both on here and the business blog. Stay tuned!

Day Twenty-Three, A Shopping Spree!!

And by "shopping spree," I mean that we got some new stones-- some stones I've been looking at for quite some time with wistful longing!

I was feeling quite down-in-the-dumps about a few things today, all of them related to one thing~ my health. Things are getting more complicated with my Endometriosis; my "bad days" now outnumber the "good" ones, and I'm spending an increasing amount of time bedridden and nauseous from the pain. Which means I'm missing out on life's events, both big and small.

Hubby knew I was upset about this, and came home with a FABULOUS "care package" for me. Most of it was consumed with great deliciousness; the beads (which are beautiful but not quite edible) will be posted up on the business blog as soon as I'm done over here.

In any case, onto the earrings!

I think this officially counts as a "streak" of pearly posts...

These lovely pearls were designed to match the necklace that was posted on Valentine's Day:

Honestly, while this photo isn't horrible, I'm glad to see that I've improved my photography techniques quite a bit!

The set is made from freshwater pearls; shades of green and gold meet an irregular white oval at the focal point of the necklace. For the earrings, I chose to use only the "accent" pearls, as you can see below:

I'm experimenting with a different background for the earrings-- this one shows up fairly true to color~!

I love these earrings, and I love the set they belong to. However, tomorrow I am going to try my absolute hardest NOT to make another pearl earring set. As much as I love working with pearls, I think three days in a row is quite enough of that, thankyouverymuch.

Until tomorrow, faithful readers~!

Day Twenty-Two, I'm Feeling Blue!

... blue earrings, that is!

Those who know me, know that my most-favorite color is royal blue, but there is a place in my heart for all the colors of blue-- the bright sky, the dark rolling ocean, the brilliance of a sapphire, the softness of a seashell, the serenity of a Caribbean sea-- each and every one of them is special in its own way.

These earrings are inspired by the warm seas near the Equator:

They remind me of something "Ariel" from "A Little Mermaid" might wear, if she were all grown up!

I used sterling silver spacers to create a "balled" effect on the bottom; both stones are freshwater pearls. I love the color of the blue pearls, and the interesting shape of the white squares!

This photo shows off the colors much more accurately than the first~

These earrings are the kind that I wear-- very much a reflection of my own personal style. They were originally planned to be a black and white pair, to match some necklaces I made recently, but I couldn't resist throwing in the dash of blue. Like I said earlier, my all-time favorite color. Perhaps I will create a necklace to match these earrings, instead of the other way around~!

Yet another day of my challenge is complete. See you all tomorrow~

Day Twenty-One, A Tale Has Been Spun

As much as I love making a pair of earrings every single day, there are some days when I'm sick and only have enough energy for a single project. I am very happy that I challenged myself in this way, and I'm even happier with the results~ but I'll be glad to have the time to make other things!

Today's earrings were created to match a necklace that Hubby made, called "Fish Kisses." I'll post a photo of the necklace when he stops holding all the jewelry hostage...

As my high school Spanish teacher would say, it's all about the "Escoochi Smoochi"~!

With garnet hearts, and freshwater pearls that are shaped like fish, this whimsical design is equal parts classy and fun!

Hubby and I have crazy nicknames for each other-- it's truly a long story as to how they came about, and even if I had the time to tell you, I'm pretty sure it's one of those "had to be there" moments. Perhaps one day I'll figure out how to explain the story... but for now, suffice to say that one of the pet names that we call each other is "Fish."


It's a term of endearment.

I'm not going to lie, I had WAY too much fun "posing" the earrings for this photo!

Anyway, Hubby found these beads at our supply shop, and he knew right away that he had to get them. The hearts, he knew, could be used for many designs because they coordinated so well with many different stones and colors. In fact, you all saw them the other day, matched up with the rose quartz beads!

The fish, on the other hand, he knew would be used for something special-- as he told me the day he got them, they are just as fun, and almost as unique, as the woman who would be using them. Such a charmer, he is. And so smart, too~ he knows which hand is going to toss pellets into the tank, metaphorically speaking!

This design is special to me, because it is an enduring symbol of our love for each other. Like the fish in the earrings, I want to stay together forever as a pair, showing our love and affection until the end of time itself.

Thank you for all the love you give me, my darling Fish <3

Day Ten, Let's Do It Again!

Day ten of my personal challenges, and I'm still going strong! Earrings du jour:

This teacup has become my new best friend...

This beautiful pair is a personal favorite of mine~ lapis lazuli centers, flanked by golden freshwater pearls (shaped like doughnuts, yum yum!) and small black onyx beads. They were designed to coordinate with a necklace that I had in mind for a while, and finally finished up today as well.

The lapis lazuli is a little out of focus here, but it gives you an idea of the colors against a darker surface~

Now, I absolutely LOVE this set. I love the way it looks, I love the stones, and I love the colors. But I have to admit that when I saw them on the neck form... no matter how I tried... no matter what angle I took the photo... no matter how I moved the earrings around, and the necklace up or down... it looked like the face of a deranged cookie monster.

"C" is for "color" AND "cookies"!

Fortunately, it does not have this same effect while on a person. I speak from experience on this.

However, I will have to be EXCEPTIONALLY careful when I put them on display these for sale. No need to scare the customers away from the booth...

Earring Challenge, Day Six-- "Another One Bites the Dust"!

~Are you ready, are you ready for this? Are you hangin' on the edge of your seat?~

Okay, so clearly I should cut back on the coffee, and stop listening to rock music and posting in my blog at the same time... apparently this combination causes a little too much "creativity"... yeah... that's what we'll call it...

Anyhow, today I only have one photo of the earrings, but it's a beaut, just like them---

These earrings use sterling silver ear wires, flattened at the curve, and a piece of sterling silver wire, ball formed at the end for a truly "finished" look. Two freshwater pearls, using different colors and different sizes, complete the classy design. Perfect for a woman who loves to wear "pops" of color, while subtle enough for those who prefer their accessories to be more muted.

These pearls will perfectly match any style in your wardrobe, from jeans to summer skirts to formal dresses, and look equally lovely with a wide array of colors. Imagine pairing these with a subtle yellow sun dress and a blue purse... or with a white tee-shirt and blue jeans, with ballet flats to match... or even with a black pencil skirt and white button-down shirt, with a necklace to match, for an important job interview. The sky is the limit, and these sky-like pearls can be worn in many ways, for a different "look" every time!

Day Six-- COMPLETE! As the song says, another one bites the dust~!