Starlink

Mooching around on my bead table this week, not knowing what to make for the blog. Needing the boost of something new when I hear our lovely postman coming up the path and whoa! My headpin order has arrived from Kim Rogers. And just look at those colours and textures! The swirls of acid green were crying out for the green Basha Beads.

I wanted to represent the Starlink satellites that are orbiting close to earth at the moment - my smaller grandson is sitting outside scanning the sky for them as I write.
The pale blue I picked out with roman glass; the larger, 'orbiting' black discs are coco shell and the smaller obsidian.

I hope Oscar got to spot the satellite; small boys' memories are made of moments like this. Hope to see you again  in two weeks - stay safe, everyone.

                                                                              Lindsay x

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Sunshine, Showers and The Tempest

 

It's been an odd sort of week, weatherwise. At the beginning of last week we were out on our bikes in warm sunshine; by weekend, it was back to rain, sleet and hailstones. Tonight we have a mini storm, and there will be some fences down by morning - hopefully, not ours as we had to replace them all at a similar time a couple of years ago. So this weeks earrings represent the weather - sunshine yellow, rainy blue and stormy soldered silver.    

 

 

 

The beads are, of course, Basha Beads; nothing quite like them for magical depth of colour, with gold, blue, and aqua all vying for attention. The headpins are Lucy Haslam's 'punkies'; copper, soldered with bits of recycled silver - here I bent them sideways, to form an interesting shape, and from them dangle vintage oxidised silver chain and swarowski crystals.

 

So there you have it - this weeks weather, condensed into a pair of earrings! In my Etsy shop now.

 See you in a couple of weeks, by which time, we will have hit Spring. Hope all is well in your world!

                                                                          Lindsay x

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Looking Back

Christmas is over, it's the last day of 2018 and I'm looking forward to the year to come. New colours to try out (and Erin will be telling you all about them shortly); new designs and maybe getting around to seeing some of the plans I've had for a while come to fruition. All I need is 48 hours in every day!

Looking back over the last year and wondering what to make for today's post, I couldn't help but return to a pair I liked so much I used them for my Etsy shop banner and for my business cards. I wasn't able to replicate them as the headpins and lampwork beads were unique, and nor would I want to.  So here's a variation on a theme.

The crusty bubbly drippy lampwork headpins in luscious lilacs and pinks are of course by Kimberly Rogers. Those 'lit from within' beads are the world famous Basha Beads and the central black arte metal lily structure that I've split with rhinestone rondelles is from Fallen Angel Brass.

         Not unlike the icicles that are supposed to be heading our way with a cold snap next week!

 

 

It just remains for me to thank you all for following our blog this year, for your support and your encouraging comments. We all hope to see you again in 2019, to join us in new earring adventures.

 

Happy New 2019!

 

Lindsay x

 

My Etsy shop

 

My Facebook page

 

 

 

Metal Guru.

Hello folks! Hope I find you all well. It's been a  busy week so far with three out of my four grandchildren succumbing to a sicky bug that's had me running around with not much time to make. So if you think your eyesight is a little blurry - no - I left it  a bit too late to take my pictures today and the light was disappearing fast, so it's the pictures, not you!

This week I thought I'd introduce you to a new venture for my friend Helen Backhouse. She's begun to work with metal clay - silver, bronze and copper - and the results are beautiful. She's using the same moulds as she does for her polymer clay work - all individually hand made from natural found objects, not proprietary. The first pair today is copper, in a bark effect. I've given them the special treatment, with my new delivery of Basha Beads - magical colours that look like the beads have tiny flames inside.

The shells are some of my favourite shapes and they cry out for sea treasures - coral sticks and keishi pearls, all copper wrapped.

And finally- the silver. Oxidised heavily and polished back so the relief in these teasel heads really stands out. I've kept these simple with black pearls and Lucy Haslam's oxidised silver twisted sisters connectors. Gothic glamour.

 

 

So those are this week's earrings; all available in my Etsy shop. I'll see you in two weeks, hopefully bug-free! And by then, there will be only two weeks to Christmas - can you believe it?

 

Lindsay x 

 

My Etsy shop

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Ancient and Modern

Something old....something new. In this case, some things VERY old indeed. A friend contacted me last week and asked if I was interested in any roman coins - she had come across a supplier and thought of me. I chose a couple of pairs on her recommendation and was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the relief on them - really good for 2000 years old! I bit of googling and I could even identify the Emperor - Trajan.

Those connectors are new from Lucy Haslam - copper, soldered with silver but left rough and old looking. Topped with crusty old roman glass. Look almost like they have just been excavated. We have an old excavated Roman fort about 5 miles away at Ribchester - any place name ending in 'chester' came from the Latin 'castra' - a camp - and often go for  a wander round the museum.

Now I'm off in the 'ancient' mood, I dug out the pair of ammonite fossils I got at the Rock and Gem Show. From the Dorset coast, which is a treasure trove for them. Even older than roman coins. Millions of years probably. So special, I let them have my last pair of Basha Beads (but I have ordered more!) Just look at the light that emanates from within. Magical.

 

 

 

Both these pairs have already gone, but I promise more roman goodies soon. Have a great week everyone, and see you again in a fortnight. 

 

Lindsay x

 

My Etsy shop

 

My Facebook page

 

Spinners

Earlier this summer I wrote about how I had bought a bike and was beginning my cycling journey in an effort to combat this "jeweler's ass" that I've mysteriously managed to amass *cough*...

I'm happy to report to that I'm steadily winning the war. But more importantly, I have an empowering way to get outside, move, savor the changing of the seasons, and be alone with my thoughts.

I have approached my bike with the same kind of blossoming passion that I approach jewelry. It started with an uneducated leap of faith and has gradually turned into an all-encompassing learn-as-you-go journey. I feel that I'm part of a community and am so grateful for that--that goes for both cycling and jewelry making. My heart is full.

So in the vein of "spinning", here's a glowy little pair of spinners that I created several weeks ago. These feature a pair of lampwork glass Basha beads from her "blue black" series. I speared them on hand forged copper and wire wrapped them just-so, allowing them to rotate freely on their spindles, throwing light every time you move your head.

Happy Wednesday!

Nikki
LoveRoot on Etsy

Peacock

Copper Peacock Shards combined with amazing Basha Beads,

 a Freshwater Pearl Heishi and Czeck Glass!

These earrings have been SOLD!

This is a picture I took several years ago of a Peacock at a little petting zoo near my house.

If you want to see more pictures of this gorgeous Peacock check out my

I Heart Macro blog post from almost exactly 6 years ago

HERE

Kristi

KristiBowmanDesign.com

KristiBowmanDesign.Etsy

Northern Lights

Northern Lights Earrings

As a person who has lived in the northern tier of the country for most of my life, you would think that at one time or another I would have seen the northern lights. Charged particles from the sun that dance and shimmer in the night sky in awe inspiring displays, named after the Roman goddess of dawn, Aurora. But I am still a northern lights virgin, and have to imagine what they might look like based on the eye witness accounts of others.

Gorgeous Basha beads have the look of ancient primitive glass, with colors that dance in the light like the Aurora Borealis. So, what to do with these ethereal and slightly intimidating lampwork beads? I fashioned rustic copper arches, hammered them with a rugged texture, and darkened them. The idea was to provide a primitive looking hoop earring base for the Basha beads to hang from, surrounded by messy wrapped copper wire.




Gloria Ewing

Chrysalis Tribal Jewelry
Chrysalis Too on Etsy

Cosmos

There are some beads that require no introduction, no explanation, no overwrought designing. Basha Beads typify this. Barbara has perfected this lampwork glass technique and her beads are singular---immediately recognizable and always breathtaking. How does she capture all that glowy magic and all those cosmic nebula in each little bead?


I'll admit to being a Basha Bead hoarder - no shame there. I only like to use them when I truly feel like my design can do them justice.

 

I had a stroke of inspiration lately on how to make some wicked primitive earrings that highlight these beads without being too complicated. Plus it let me really wail on some copper with a hammer - that's always fun (read: stress relief). 


I made several variations: soft glowy ancient glass, red garnet, and scuzzy green Roman glass. For those days where you're feeling  mysterious, fiery, or calm and reflective.
 


Surprisingly simple, but these babies pack a lot of punch. I've even had guys notice them - when men start noticing your jewelry, that means you're on to something. 


Happy mid-week,

Nikki
LoveRoot on Etsy