Come Play With Us, Danny...

I love my little ghouls!

I've had these wonderful little faces by Claire Lockwood of Something To Do With Your Hands for probably a couple of years now.  They have always been a favorite of mine!  I remember squeeing when they arrived from England and I've hoarded them ever since.

Recently I purchased some Czech glass flowers in matte black. As they sat on my worktable, it dawned on me that they would make cool Victorian dresses!

I also added a pair of twisted lampwork beads by Michelle Hicks Lusk of Caliente Art Glass 

I hope these were a nice and strange little surprise!

Thank you all for dropping by my bead table today!

Loralee xo

www.loraleekolton.etsy.com

My Little Spitfires

Ever since I got these hot little spike headpins from Claire Lockwood (a while ago now) my mind has been doodling.  You know how it is with art bead headpins - once you start wrapping, the commitment is REAL- no turning back!  So they sat on my work table for quite a while until I was sure of the design.

The small bone skulls are primitive and in perfect proportion to the spikes.

I wire wrapped some itty-bitty Charlotte Beads onto a wire form by Joan Moritz Langmo, turning her pretty sweet flowers into flames of love....Muahahahaha!

Happy Valentine's Day 
to my 
spitfire beady peeps!
♡
Loralee Kolton

www.loraleekolton.etsy.com
https://www.facebook.com/loraleekolton.jewelry/

Rustic reds

Last weekend I had the good fortune to meet up with some of my very favourite jewellery people Petra Carpreau, Kimberly Rogers and Claire Lockwood. Well, now a fine time was had by all! And I was showered with beady goodness too (thanks guys!)

Had a tough time choosing what to make from my stash of goodies for this blog, but I finally settled on using a pair of Claire's beautiful ceramic headpins. Something about the colour -a gorgeous deep red which seems appropriate for the season -all the reds and oranges that are around as Autumn approaches.

So I had some rustic oxidised copper hoops by French artist,  Carole Pons Torres  and as I love a hoop, these had to be incorporated! I like the way they frame the headpins. Something a little bit gothic about them. Just right, in the run up to Halloween

Finally, some deep red picasso seed beads, combined with some African silver coloured spacers.

I'm listing them here  Hope you like them! See you in a couple of weeks x

Pretty pastels

More Claire Lockwood beauties from me. But I must apologise as I realise that the fabulous Suhana Hart used Claire's porcelain discs in her recent EE blogpost! So you can see a slightly different use of them here.

I had 2 beautiful pairs from an update of Claire's some time ago. Gorgeous off white background with grey black detail and soft accents of pink or lilac. They are really rather lovely. I combined these with pretty lampwork sea glass nuggets in co-ordinating colours by Joanne Joyce

I finished these off with a pretty czech glass briolette. The lilac ones have sold, but these pretty pink ones are available in my shop (link below). I love the contrast of the pastel shades with the dark oxidised copper wire

See you in a couple of weeks :-)
Utterly Lovely Stuff

Layering

One of the most recurrent themes in my earrings.  When I don't have the patience for wire wrapping I love to make layered designs.  In my mind they're not as time consuming as wire wrapping but I always prove myself wrong and I also ended up wire wrapping anyway.  I have 4 pairs to show you today. 

Claire Lockwood updated her bead shop recently and I grabbed some....whatever I was able to keep hold of in my cart.  I love these tusks, Colours are just dreamy. I wanted to keep the neutral theme, keep them simple in appearance.  I rubbed back the black patina on these brass flower blanks, placed large rhinestones on top and wire wrapped using brass seeds.  I simply hung the tusks from the flower connector and added raw brass caps for a pop of colour. 

For this pair I wire wrapped squares and attached them to brass connectors.  I hung painted resin daggers (by the Husband) from the bottom and added Czech glass flowers on top to complete the look. 

Lots of layering going on in this pair.  Beautiful lampwork flowers by Yuliana Goldin-Dunn with wire wrapped ovals, brass oval connectors and plain brass ovals underneath.  I added painted resin daggers to the bottom.  

Lampwork flowers by Yuliana on top of brass flowers inside a brass hoop (frame).  I added hamsa hand charms and painted resin charms as the dangles.  I keep changing my mind about these.  I like them, then I don't. 

They're all listed on Etsy.  See you soon. 

Suhana <3 

My Etsy shop: Suhana Hart Jewellery

Sun Spots

As I haven't had chance to photograph any of the growing collection of new earrings that I've been making, I thought I'd share a pair I made a while ago.

I just adore those sumptuous bronze and burnt orange lampwork beads (from Grace Lampwork, at Lima Beads). 

The ceramic drops are some that I made: I really love the slight puckering in the old gold glaze. They're listed here in my Etsy shop.

Bye for now, Claire

www.somethingtodo.etsy.com
www.somethingtodobeads.etsy.com
www.somethingtodowithyourhands.com

The Same Yet Different

I managed to forget to post last month, in my scatty way, so it seems right to share two pairs of earrings today. Not so long ago I got some beautiful porcelain discs from Emma Louise Wilson. They varied in size but I was set on using at least some of them in earrings. Then I remembered this long, long hoarded set of similarly proportioned discs that I got from Grey Bird Studio, so I set about matching discs from the two sets. Here's what I made....

As the discs were slightly mismatched, I carried this through to the other elements. The colours from the discs are picked up in the accenting beads, and the shapes - or outlines - are also matched, but the parts used to create the matched shapes are themselves mismatched.  The first pair has sold; the second is available on Etsy.

Bye for now, Claire

First And Last

I'm drafting this post on 21st December - some days before it's due to be posted. It's one of the last work-related things I have to do before shutting down for 'the holidays'. And boy, do I ever need to shut down...

But it's also a first. I'm taking up contributing regularly again. Well, fairly regularly: I'm taking on one of Cindy's days, so I'll be posting once a month. 

It's nearly a year since I stopped doing a regular post. I needed more time to focus on developing my silver work. Today I'm sharing some simple pairs made with my ceramic drops and silver post components. (I'm sure there must be a more elegant term...)

I made a number of these recently and most have sold. However, there are a few pairs left available in my shop. 

Wishing you Happy Holidays and a whole heap of the best of things in 2017, 

Claire

www.somethingtodo.etsy.com

www.somethingtodowithyourhands.com

Vestiges

Hello - It's been a while! I had to drop out of writing regular posts because I needed to find some more hours in my days. But, I'm filling in today, and it's nice to be back, albeit briefly. The Earrings Everyday team is so packed with talent right now, and I had the rare pleasure, earlier this month, to meet one of the other team members, the marvellous Kimberly Rodgers.

Here I am with Kim and that wonder woman, Petra Carpreau. This was a real rare treat and we had a fabulous time. And, Kimberly kindly came bearing beads, including some of her much sought after enamel components. So, I thought, today, that I'd share a new pair of earrings featuring some of Kimberly's work.

I've had these dagger shaped droppers for a little while. I actually made the wire frames up top for a different pair of earrings but the design didn't hang right; then I remembered these enamel pieces. I filled the frame with some yak bone beads, some grungy metal barrels, and some mismatched seeds; then I added some slinky chain dangles for a bit of extra interest.

Thanks for having me. I hope I'll be back here again soon.

Bye for now, Claire

something to do with your hands on Etsy 

something to do beads on Etsy 

something to do with your hands blog

At North Farm

I'm filling in again today. I thought I'd share this pair of earrings. You know when you spy something online and think, 'Yes! I know what I'll do with that!'? I'm sure you do. Sometimes, however, you receive the item and for some reason - size, or colour, or shape - what you planned isn't going to work.

I'd love to pretend that I whipped up these dinky crochet baskets. Sadly not. I spotted them being sold as ornaments on Etsy. I worried over whether they'd be too large but I took the plunge and ordered. I think if they'd been any larger they would have been too big, but as it was they were just right. Which left me with the task of putting together what I'd imagined.

All the while I was making them I had half a mind telling me, 'This isn't going to work', but, in the end, I'm rather happy with the outcome.  And I have five more mini baskets to play with! 

Claire

www.somethingtodo.etsy.com

www.somethingtodowithyourhands.com

www.somethingtodobeads.etsy.com

Tatters

I have actually taken a step back from writing regular posts, in order to free up some extra time. However, I'm still about the place and will be popping in to cover when people can't post, which is the case today. I thought I'd share this pair.  They're some of my current favourites.

I love the rustic African ebony wood beads with their silver band, and the pitted recycled glass discs. I'm also rather besotted with the cool pendant pieces, from my ever growing stash of Kathrin Kneidl's beads. 

Really, they're one of those pairs of earrings which, well, if they don't sell I won't mind too much.

Bye for now, Claire

www.somethingtodo.etsy.com

www.somethingtodowithyourhands.com

www.somethingtodobeads.etsy.com

A Later Age

I've been lacking a laptop for much of the last 36 hours. Thankfully I have it back now, with Photoshop working again. Despite my decision to immerse myself in the elemental, primal business of (learning) metalwork, I did keep feeling something was missing. So, it's a quick post today. I made this pair as part of a blog hop that I've been doing with some of my favourite beady gals. (To read all the details and see what everyone made, head here.)

I've mixed some ceramic discs with some oxidised vintage metal hoops and some czech glass hearts, with some grungy spacers up top. Not a colour combination I'd usually go for but I rather like it.

They're listed here on Etsy.

Bye for now, Claire

www.somethingtodo.etsy.com

www.somethingtodobeads.etsy.com

www.somethingtodowithyourhands.com

Curve With Silence

Since I started doing ceramics, I've been ruminating on trying to make my work more 'from scratch'. I recently started doing metalwork classes to help me to this end. The thing now is trying to co-ordinate all the different lines of development/experimentation that I'm doing with these different materials. Do I sit down and sketch designs then make all the elements? I don't tend to work like that. I've always favoured the chance, 'hands on', combining of things, the designs that come to you when you happen to have some of the materials in front of you.

I've just finished (and listed!) a large batch of beads. When making them I did make the time to make some beads just for me, to use in pieces that were already formed in my head. This pair of earrings is one example.

Admittedly there wasn't much to add. Really, sometimes, I'm just a sucker for 'sticking a pearl on top'. I did stretch to a pair of blackened vintage bezels, drilled to make bead caps, and a couple of etched brass rings.

And I don't think they need any thing more. They're listed here on Etsy.

Bye for now, Claire

www.somethingtodo.etsy.com

www.somethingtodobeads.etsy.com

www.somethingtodowithyourhands.com

Bare Bones

To compensate for a couple of brief posts of late I'm sharing three - !3! - pairs of earrings today, as they're related and were all produced in one session. I didn't do lots of Black Friday bead shopping last year, but, as ever, I couldn't resist a little (okay, not at all little) Yuki splurge. 40% off? Like I can resist that! Amongst the many things I slung in my cart were these weathered-looking, charcoal-coloured bone shapes. Why didn't I buy more?!

I really love everything about them. To complement their kinda pauvre feel, I decided to go for spare, minimal embellishment, adding long sticks of various seed beads: delicate, unobtrusive, but still holding subtle variations in colour and texture.

The next pair are a little more ornate.

Finally, I was struck by the similarity between the shape of the bone pieces and that of these enamel drops made by Georgie of 4Ophelia. I love spotting these potential confluences, so I couldn't resist putting these together.

That's it for today. Bye for now, Claire

www.somethingtodo.etsy.com

www.somethingtodowithyourhands.com

www.somethingtodobeads.etsy.com

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

Living By The Water

Two pairs of earrings from me today! A little while back I made a pair of earrings combining some Scorched Earth decal droppers with some lovely feathers that I've been hoarding for some time. I was pleased with the design and they sold quickly. I still had a few pairs of feathers left and when Petra listed some earring charms with feather decals, I knew just what to do with them.

I love the fluffy, downy, afterfeathers on this pair; they look almost like fur. The next ones are slightly smaller.

I've been doing a lot of rearranging in my flat in the last week or so.  Whilst about it, I came across an old compilation cd that I've been hunting for, for an age. Inevitably, I've been listening to it quite a bit since it turned up. These earrings have a certain feel to them but I haven't really found the word for it. However, this Anne Briggs song seems somehow in tune with their spirit.

(Warning: this link leads to hardcore FOLK)

They're available in my Etsy shop.

Bye for now, Claire

www.somethingtodo.etsy.com

www.somethingtodowithyourhands.com

www.somethingtodobeads.etsy.com

Gloria

You know those earrings you really want to keep hold of?

I've layered some 4 Ophelia enamel plates over some vintage pendants which I've treated to give them a weathered look. Above, I've included some wavy vintage caps which are particularly lovely. They're topped with some fluted czech glass bicones and some teeny freshwater pearls. 

I've listed them - reluctantly! - here on Etsy.

Bye for now, Claire

www.somethingtodo.etsy.com

www.somethingtodowithyourhands.com

www.somethingtodobeads.etsy.com

Some Giddy Day

I'm dashing out today so it'll be short and sweet from me. Here's a pair with some of EE regular, Kimberley Rodger's enamelled tin droppers.

I've added in some rusty vintage discs, some shell roses, some plain ceramic pebbles and oxidised copper bicones. 

Bye for now, Claire

www.somethingtodo.etsy.com

www.somethingtodowithyourhands.com

www.somethingtodobeads.etsy.com

Frayed Sun

I listed twenty one pairs of earrings earlier this week (yes, 21!!). So, I'm spoilt for choice on which to share today. I'm going with these:

I got the fabulous krobo beads a few weeks ago. They came on a satisfyingly hefty strand - one of those lovely-to-hold, hard-to-cut-up ones. As I sat happily holding the strand, enjoying the piped white flourishes on each bead, I remembered these vintage enamel bead caps that I had. I had them in pale blue, but I knew I'd seen some white ones somewhere. Of course, I had to track them down and order some.

The blistered ceramic drops at the bottom are some headpins that I made. I've also added some slim black wheels of African recycled glass, and some fluted vintage brass beads.  They're listed here on Etsy.

Bye for now, Claire 

www.somethingtodo.etsy.com

www.somethingtodobeads.etsy.com

www.somethingtodowithyourhands.com

Suavity Swinging

 Once again I was put to the task of designing a set of earrings whose main components were so complete unto themselves that I didn't feel much needed to be added to complete the design.

Here is a set of Claire Lockwood's ceramic glazed pod pieces.

I was surprised to notice when I received them that there was a little wire hanging from the inside that  made it easy to attach something.

I had saved out this little copper chain segment for years and thought it the perfect bit to hang some tiny numi-baubles from.

These pieces were a rescue from headpins from a set of headpins that didn't quite work somehow in another set. I had been holding on to them for a long time too.

The chain lends some movement to the design and the red baubles make a nice accent.

I've completed them with some of Faerystone's long copper earwires.

Thanks for looking at my NuminosityBeads Creations!

Kimberly Rogers

e t s y   www.numinositybeads.etsy.com

f a c e b o o k  www.facebook.com/numinositybeads

i n s t a g r a m  www.instagram.com/numinosity/

p i n t e r e s t  www.pinterest.com/numinosity/

and my f a c e b o o k auction and sale group 

/www.facebook.com/groups/967164829979604/