Forest Floor

Season, smesheason - I've you love a theme, symbol or charm - wear it whenever it's calling your name!  There is never a time I would snub an acorn - they are such great symbols of perseverance and how one person can make a difference! 

"From the smallest acorn grows the mighty oak."

I'd 'spring' up an outfit a little with some brighter colors, a cute cardi and capris. 

Throw a tree handbag and your ready to go!

spring mix by humblebeads

Southwest Sari Link Earrings

Gorgeous Lampwork Square Link looped with Sari Wrapped ring



http://www.etsy.com/listing/98537390/linked-sari-silk-and-lampwork-glass



Lampwork Beads by Outwest

Kristi

KristiBowmanDesign

KristiBowman Design Blog

Summer of Love

With the unseasonably warm, sunny days up here in our alpine nook, I can't help dreaming of summer. And these long, swingy earrings, with their carved flowers, make me think of a certain song, and certain summer: 

If you're going to San Francisco,

be sure to wear some flowers in your hair...

If you're going to San Francisco,

You're gonna meet some gentle people there.

I wasn't actually there--I was just a few months old at the time--but it's fascinating to read about, and to ponder what, if anything, remains of that summer in our culture.

Heavy thoughts, over a pair of hippie earrings. But from what I can see of the pictures from that event, people were really into accessorizing. Right on.

You can see more at my Etsy shop, or at my blog.

Cream in My Coffee

I love coffee. I am completely addicted. Every day after I drop off the kids at their respective schools my car automatically steers itself to my favorite local coffee shop, Emy J's (do you have one of those, too? I hope you support your local coffee shop!).

I always order the same thing: 20 oz house blend with room for cream. Except on the days when they brew their fresh roasted Costa Rican. And the rare times when I treat myself to my signature drink: Erin's Vanilla Chai Zinger (chai tea latte with vanilla syrip and one to two shots of espresso - yum!).

{cream in my coffee - treasures for your ears - on Etsy}

These sweet and tiny lampworked beads from Pinocean are the perfect shade of creamer in my coffee. I know that it will taste right if it looks like this.

{latte art picture from Wikipedia}

And here is a poem that I wrote called "Ode to Emy Js"

This place is special

The roaster in the corner

churns out the burnt toast smell wafting out the door and across the parking lot

luring me in

Tables cozy and unique

with colorful tile mosaics

encouraging lingering

The churning and shushing of the

espresso maker

bubbling over with foam

delicious

liquid courage

to face my day

I cannot live without

They know me here by name

my special request

vanilla chai zinger please

This cup is

a frothy work of heart

helping me to face whatever comes next and

ensuring that I will

be back

tomorrow.

Erin Prais-Hintz invites you to go on a journey of inspiration at her blog Treasures Found :: Inspiration is Everywhere. You can view a gallery of her work at http://www.tesoritrovati.com/ or purchase her new line of 'Simple Truths' in her Etsy shop.

Black Birds

I am actually quite excited about these! Not sure what it is about these fun yet dark little birds that makes me smile :)
I am not sure exactly what inspired me to make these, I was making new tiles for my shop and realized that I just could not list these! They were meant for me to make them into asymmetrical earrings!

 So now, they can be yours if you are so inclined! You can find them in my ETSY SHOP as well as many other wonderful earrings just waiting for a new home! Want to make your own? Contact me at my Supply shop and I can custom make these or other tiles just for you...

Thanks for stopping by...

Marie

Embossed Earrings

 

Owl Earrings

I love embossing metal blanks from Vintaj.  It's super easy and a lot of fun to emboss and paint the blanks too. If you have yet to try this technique...it's a must! To learn more about it, check out this page on Vintaj.com.

 

Very Verde Earrings 

I just found this site (thanks to Pinterest, of course!) that has helpful info regarding alcohol inks and color combinations. Check it out!

Kristy Abner

Kristy's Kreations Jewelry

 

Leafy Greens

I had a really cool earring idea that I have been working on all week for today's post and last night after they were out of the tumbler, I put them on.....well, lets just say I need to go back to the drawing board...they didn't hang right and just didn't work in the way I had envisioned!  So, in a panic, I pulled together these sweet leafy green earrings!

I have been chomping at the bit to use new Czech glass beads I indulged in from ArteBella...if you read my personal blog, you know that I am a bit obsessed with them!  I have been focusing a lot on my torch-fired enameling as well, so I decided to use these brass leaves I had just gotten and enameled them with 2 of my favorite shades of green - bitter and mint!  They remind me of some variegated hostas in my yard that are just now unfurling their lovely leaves.

The combination of the candy-like Czech glass flowers and the enameled leaves just pops.  I used copper wire and some sweet little copper lever-back earwires, which are a bit of a departure from my usual style, but I thought these were so cute!

These and more of my designs can be found in my Etsy shop and my new website.

Hippy Tree Surfers ~

You know my love for birds...

I had this funny idea for summer....

that birds surf....

did you know?? 

Around PA they surf the trees instead of the seas ~

 well, at least the birds here at my farm do..... 

Please don't try to follow me...

this is a perfect example of how my mind works...

useless and yet satisfying thoughts ~ 

These are my groovy

 "Tree surfers clad with dangle ornaments and bent knees"

So they slide across those trees and look cool....

When I'm working in my studio I have so many types of birds coming to my feeders...

The birds are nesting now that's it's Spring...

Soon they'll be teaching their little ones what they know, 

but the little birdies will just roll their eyes at their parents...

as they already know how to tree surf.....

and will be much cooler than them you know :-)

Visit me:

Melinda Orr Designs 

Blog

Sari Silk and Buttons

Very deconstructed Sari Silk in vivid Turquoise blue,

 pulled through one of the holes in this Copper Flower Button.

I added a touch of Red Coral on the earwires.

Handmade Earrings to go with this beautiful Hand Crocheted Sari Silk Purse!!

http://www.etsy.com/listing/63131608/crocheted-silk-sari-ribbon-purse

Kristi

KristiBowmanDesign.Etsy

KristiBowmanDesign Blog

Spring Lilies

Some lilies seemed appropriate for this early spring day--calla lilies, tightly wrapped, on the cusp of opening. These are in copper, with roughly tumbled aquamarines like giant water drops. The copper was textured using an old Mexican coin from the 1960s. I've been experimenting with these slender, rolled shapes, and have a little pile of them waiting on my work bench. Some will become earrings, like these, and some will hold ribbons or strands of beads in a necklace.

I can't help picturing these with the pale slate blue sari silk ribbon I just bought from Mudhound Studio:

I think that will perhaps be my next project--a large copper lily, with a waterfall of palest blue aquamarine, and some slate blue ribbon.

See more at my Etsy shop, or get a peek behind the scenes at my blog.

Spring Blooms

This pair of earrings was inspired by the exuberant and playful nature of spring!  I can't wait for the world to come alive with flowers again.  The blooms have begun to poke from the winter-worn ground and it just brings a smile to my face!  I created the leaves from polymer clay and paired them with copper wire roses and these lovely stone flowers that I picked up while traveling to Puerto Rico last month. 

Come on spring - I'm waiting!

Until then I will be stalking my favorite flower painters on Etsy, like The Wheatfield.

Labyrinth

Walk, turn; walk, turn; walk, turn....

So goes the path of a labyrinth, a medieval stone maze often set into the floor of a church and used as a prayerful and contemplative journey inward by penitents for centuries.

The most famous and oldest surviving labyrinth is found in the Cathedral of our Lady of Chartres in France. This 13th century marvel of architectural engineering still has most of its original stained glass windows intact and the facade with the famous flying buttresses is much as it was when it was built over 800 years ago.

{photo courtesy of Wikipedia}

As soon as I saw the pattern on these ceramic tile charms from Marsha Neal Studios I felt that they looked like this ancient labyrinth. The devoted will bow their heads and walk the lines putting themselves in a meditative state. The twists and turns spiral ever closer to the center, closer to God. They make the journey inward rather than outward, and there is much to be discovered within. Finger labyrinths are also popular and can be used in much the same way. Perhaps wearing these earrings, with their little ceramic tiles would remind me that there is much to be discovered within if I am patient and devoted to finding my own truth.

{the journey within - labyrinth - treasures for your ears available on Etsy}

Erin Prais-Hintz invites you to go on a journey of inspiration at her blog Treasures Found :: Inspiration is Everywhere. You can view a gallery of her work at http://www.tesoritrovati.com/ or purchase her new line of 'Simple Truths' in her Etsy shop.

Touch of Elegance

I always love a little romance in my designs. I think these are maybe more of a contemporary romance :) A very long pair of earrings with a little sparkle at the bottom. You can't really tell from the photos, but the facets on the crystals really catch the light!

 Here is a closer view of the beads, you can see better where the light might hit these fun green drops. Beautiful and elegant for a night on the town, but why not try them for everyday wear as well?

You can find these and many other designs in my ETSY SHOP... stop by and have a look today!

Marie

Sweeping Tree Jewelry Display

There is something so beautiful about a tree. I love the sturdy trunks and their graceful branches reaching up. I have several metal jewelry trees on my dressers and I am always drawn to that natural shape for displaying jewelry.

I came across this very pretty Sweeping Tree Jewelry display on Etsy from seller Lauren Mollica. Bracelets, necklaces and rings can be hung on this piece of modern art, but what I love most is all the little slots that are specifically designed to hold up to 60 pairs of earrings. I like the fact that it would be out and visible. In my own jewelry boxes I forget about my treasures if I can't see them. Plus I have so many gorgeous pieces of art jewelry it would be a shame not to show them off!
Check out Lauren's other awesome jewelry displays in her sold items on Etsy (I really want to buy the Dancer for my own Tiny Dancer!).

Erin Prais-Hintz invites you to go on a journey of inspiration at her blog Treasures Found :: Inspiration is Everywhere. You can view a gallery of her work at http://www.tesoritrovati.com/ or purchase her new line of 'Simple Truths' in her Etsy shop.

Athena

To me, these copper discs had a Greek look to them, so after thinking about it I decided on Athena. Athena was a goddess of inspiration & arts and crafts among other things. I was certainly inspired by these gorgeous copper discs and I thought that these lampwork beads by Bubby & McGurk Beads would work perfectly with them. I also love these Czech glass beads from Arte Bella Surplus.

I think they would perfectly complement this scarf that I found on Etsy a few weeks ago.

To see these earrings (sorry, earrings have just been SOLD) and more of my jewelry pieces, please visit my shop.

Thanks for looking...

Kristy Abner

Kristy's Kreations

Lilac Drops

This green and purple color combo is one of my all time favorite...think pretty new spring green leaves and little purple flowers, like these beautiful lilacs....mmm, I can just imagine the lovely aroma!

via Pinterest.com

Sweet, petite lampwork discs created by Karen Leonardo have been wire-wrapped to hammered copper sticks, then embellished with Czech glass flowers and enameled headpins.  Long and linear...perfect with a summery updo, or for that super-short pixie cut!  These would look equally stunning with a breezy summer dress or your favorite jeans and white shirt...maybe even these boots!

Sheplers Corral Vintage Boots, via Pinterest.com

These and other jewelry designs by me can be found at Melismatic Art Jewelry (still a work in progress) or my Etsy shop...stop by and say hello at my blog!

HONEY

Inspired by the beautiful amber tones of Honey, I crafted these chandelier earrings with Vintaj Brass components, Swarovksi crystals bicones, and faceted rounds of golden pyrite for some extra sparkle! These earrings have a sweet and romantic feel to them and would be great with that favorite Summer Maxi dress this Summer.  They are available in my Etsy shop!

Soft Pastels in time for Easter

Fun for Easter~ 

Soft Pastels in yellow, green and turquoise blue 

are a wonderful contrast to the rustic feel of antiqued raw copper

I've been seeing some wonderful wrapped bead projects this year ~ 

Was inspired to try for myself....

I love these...

Sundance Catalog

Cool clutch from RNTN Studio

Enjoy your Easter! 

Melinda 

Melinda Orr Designs 

Spring Blossom Earrings

Tropical inspired orange blossoms are embellished with a cascade of crystals and glass.

The flowers are hand painted polymer clay charms that I created using an antique decorative spoon from my grandmother's collection. Crystals drip in warms shades of brown, green and golden orange.  The earrings can be found in my Etsy shop.

I asked my teen daughter to put together an outfit to match the earrings and this is what she came up with - makes me want to go shopping!

Orange Blossom by karaminx