Luminous Éire

Éire

Lately I have found myself awash in all manner of green stones and green artisan-made treasures--it must be the approach of St. Patrick's Day, already working its magic! In particular, I must have been in a green trance when I made my most recent purchases from Jana Bližňáková of Happy Fish With Heart, because there was a trio of glorious green charms waiting for me when I opened my package! And then I thought to myself, well, there is some good timing, because soon we will be celebrating all things green and Irish.

I can't help but think of Ireland when I look at these earrings--the varied green hues and the rustic shapes, and Jana's charms like old Celtic arrowheads. I had the pleasure of visiting Ireland on a bicycle trip in 2004, and the pictures don't lie--it is a velvety green paradise!

Photo near Ballyieragh, County Cork, by Pam Brophy, via Wikipedia 

I loved the wild feel of the countryside, especially the miles and miles of painstakingly stacked stone fences--for someone who loves rocks and rustic stuff, it was heaven!

Photo by Eckhard Pecher of Inis Oírr, Aran Islands, via Wikipedia

My day on the island of Inishmor during that trip, among the ancient rocks and emerald grass, must have been floating in my subconscious when I put these together, and Jana's charms were a wonderful inspiration!

Ceramic charms, prehnite nuggets, freshwater pearls, and both fine and sterling silver

You can see more of my work at my Etsy shop.

Art Deco Revisited

Art Deco

I found these fabulous fan-shaped shell beads at a local shop, Powderhorn Trading Company. They are just lovely, like giant pearls. I used my embossed poppy caps on them in sterling silver, with Argentium silver earwires and Indonesian glass beads (from Happy Mango Beads) in a soft turquoise color and matte finish.

I was surprised, when they were finished, what a strong Art Deco vibe they had, which delighted me because I adore Art Deco!! I think it was the repeating fan shapes and angular lines, with both the shell beads and the caps--there are fan shapes, sunbursts, and similar motifs everywhere in Art Deco! And of course an emphasis on angular patterns:

From Wikipedia, 1930 Milwaukee Gas Light Building, Photo by Seth Anderson

From Wikipedia, Chrysler Building, New York City, Photo by Postdlf

From Wikipedia, Sunburst, Eastern Columbia Building entrance, photo by Binksternet

From Wikipedia, Griffith Observatory detail, Los Angeles, Photo by Nathan Day

I've never really considered myself a triangle person, but all this Art Deco goodness could make me change my mind...

More information available at my Etsy shop, HERE.

Chain Gang

I designed these earrings around these wonderful African brass beads from Afrobeadia, and my embossed sterling silver rings. I fashioned copper chain links to join the beads together.

I had so much fun with the design, I did it again with my copper embossed rings, and fine silver links! Both pair feature Argentium silver earwires embellished with copper beads and brass wire.

And here's a little tune from the Pretenders to start your work-day off right!

Silver and Gold

Silver and Gold. And Copper.

Here is some mixed metal finery for you to enjoy while you hide from the in-laws this Christmas morn! Cast brass-over-pewter discs by Mykonos via Stinky Dog Beads, a pair of my poppy caps in copper, and sterling silver earwires, spruced up with brass beads and copper wire.

Sam the Snowman's "Silver and Gold" song from Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer movie is stuck in my head right now. And if you're old enough, it's stuck in your head now too. Sorry.

We at Earrings Everyday wish you a peaceful and merry Christmas day!

Keirsten

Alabama Petticoats

Alabama Petticoats

I have been trying to force myself to use yellow--and not cheat, and use "mustard," or "saffron," or "butterscotch" and try to claim it's yellow--I mean, real, honest-to-God YELLOW. As in Tweety Bird. As in Big Bird. As in Sponge Bob. And here is me, above, using African recycled glass discs in Minion Yellow. I combined them with cool ice blue African recycled glass tulip beads, stacking them for a little more drama (and hey! Petticoats!) Just the two colors together seemed a little lonely, so I added some Indonesian glass beads in turquoise. I love these three colors together. There is something French Country about it that seems to make the yellow go down better.

I capped the yellow glass discs with rustic petaled beadcaps in sterling silver, and capped the petticoats with a pair of my own embossed sterling caps; each petticoat is fastened to the glass disc via one of my sterling silver paddle headpins. I made--as is my habit--the earwires myself and added a couple more turquoise glass beads to pull it all together.

Glass tulip beads from Happy Mango Beads.
Yellow recycled glass discs from Afrobeadia.
Petal beadcaps from Cathy Dailey.

Visit Keirsten and her work at Lune on Etsy.

Confetti Hoops

Confetti Hoops

I was captivated by these strands of tiny multicolor lampwork glass rondelles from Indonesia --I grabbed up a pile of them! I wanted to use them all together in a riot of color. I constructed copper hoops for them, with hammered paddles on the end, and strung them on. Because of the paddles, I needed beads with bigger holes to slip over them, and this was the color assortment that sported the biggest holes--I like it! Then I connected the hoops to earwires via recycled glass discs in sea green, and wired little seed beads in robin's egg blue onto the earwires.

I've been in kind of a confetti mood--THIS really appeals to me too, from BabaYagaFashion, a UK shop--oh for the youth and guts to wear it!

Upcycled Skirt at Baba Yaga on Etsy

(I've marked this shop as a favorite, just in case I hit my head really hard whilst falling into the Fountain of Youth, and I emerge dewy and lithe, with the lack of inhibition common to traumatic brain injuries.)

I'm planning to make additional pairs of these earrings sporting different colors, and probably without the glass disc. This was kind of a prototype, to see if it would work. They are fun to make!

(All of the beads in these earrings are from Happy Mango Beads.)

You can see (a very tiny bit) more of my work at my Etsy shop.

Burnished Berries

Berry Delicious!

These plump copper beads (from Afrobeadia) are my new favorites--they are just the size of a small blueberry, and even the ends are puckered like a real blueberry! I gave them a liver of sulfur bath, buffed them up a bit, and popped them in the tumbler--and out they came in this delicious, plummy-rosy color. I gussied them up with leafy brass caps and sterling silver.

The Real Thing

I think I rather like the metal ones better--if there was a way to gobble them up, I would!

You can visit me at my Etsy shop HERE.

Dragonfly Sunset

Dragonfly Sunset

I love summer, for so many reasons--green leaves, late sunsets, soft breezes, and dragonflies! I haven't seen any of the real thing yet, so these will have to do for the moment. These lovely saffron/chartreuse Czech glass coins are from Stinky Dog Beads. I love the Picasso finish--you can see all kinds of persimmon, verdigris, and amber tones in the dragonfly portion. The beads on the earwires are charoite, and the seashell beads are also Czech glass.

Here is a lovely fellow to get you in the summer mood:

From Wikipedia: Image by André Karwath aka Aka

Isn't he beautiful? Now I want to make something in his wonderful colors, although I could never hope to make something so beautiful if I had a hundred lifetimes. His wings make me think of Fire Agate!

I hope you are enjoying some summer where you are.

Keirsten

(These are available in my Etsy shop.)

Luminous Knots

In the winter, I'm often drawn to darkly luminous colors and finishes. One of my favorite combinations is burnished copper and peacock pearls. Here I've combined rustic copper knots in a chestnut patina from Shannon German of Miss Fickle Media with large, freeform pearls in a rich oil slick coloration and smoky gray glass seed beads.

I picture them with a funky plum gown and soft taupe accessories:

luminous winter by lunebijoux featuring a purple dress

These will be available in my Etsy shop later this week.

Thumbelina's Gypsy Caravan

Thumbelina's Gypsy Caravan

These delicious little pumpkin-hued keyholes are the first of my whopping big enamel stash from GardanneBeads. I am going to be making a lot of earrings with enamel elements!! After I had put these all together, they had a colorful gypsy feel to me, and made me think of an ornate, old-fashioned gypsy caravan.   A tiny one! With a wee door and keyhole. As if Thumbelina ran away to join the gypsies and they gave her her own little caravan....

Of course you must have a gypsy skirt to go with them:

Rust Cotton Gypsy Skirt at loveitsomuch.com

Be sure to visit Gardanne Beads for an eyeful of fabulous enamel and unique lampwork! Etched lampwork spacers in blue from Julie Miller Glass, and striped Indonesian glass beads and copper spacers from Happy Mango Beads.

See more at my Etsy shop HERE.

Arabian Nights

Arabian Nights

I have been really enjoying etching using some lovely digital damask patterns from Aesthetic Addiction on Etsy. I was toying with some double-sided folded shapes for earrings, trying to think how I could add hanging loops here and there for beads. I had sketched out this idea and these were my prototype. I was so thrilled that my "thought experiment" worked in real life! The beads are Czech glass--daggers and roundels in a moss green, and lovely lavender nuggets.

Call  me crazy, but I picture them with jeans (or your favorite belly dancing costume):

Arabian Nights casual by lunebijoux featuring lacy tops

And when you wear your hair up, these earrings will look exactly the same from the back!

These are sold, but I will be making more and adding them to my Etsy shop. Stay tuned!

Provence

Haystacks in Provence

These earrings are based on a tube bail design I did, but flipped upside down and miniaturized for earrings. I added little loops at the bottom for hanging beads. The etched floral design makes me think of sunflowers, so I knew I wanted some kind of goldenrod color in them. I searched through my stash and these gold coin pearls were just the thing. I tried four or five different color combinations with them, and this amazonite appealed to me the most. The gold and pale robin's egg blue made me think of French country decor!

These are totally South-of-France-vacation earrings, or weekend-shopping-for-French-country-decor earrings. I imagine them worn with something like this:

Provence 2 by lunebijoux featuring a leather shoulder bag

These are listed in my Etsy shop. Stop by to see what else is new!

Desert Wildflower

Desert Wildflower

I love the classic Southwest color scheme of turquoise and tomato reds and oranges, with cool silver! I chose a pair of stones from one of my favorite strands--plump little roundels of red agate--for these earrings, and fashioned a pair of nickel beadcaps with a sun pattern. I antiqued them with Midas oxidizer for nickel, and tumbled and sealed them. I love the rustic look I get with antiqued nickel. I added petite turquoise heishi at the bottom to evoke that Southwest feel. Hand-forged sterling silver earwires and headpins.

Of course, you have to wear them with jeans. (I'm stuck on this Thelma and Louise thing.)

Via Polyvore

Enameled bangle stack by Bullfinch & Barbury; leather necklace by Inatanka.


You can see more earrings at my Etsy shop.

Plummy Orbs

Subtly Plummy Orbs

These earrings feature beads from one of my favorite beadmakers--Alisha White. I just love the hollow globes she does. These are in a mysterious taupe-plum, so subtle it's almost impossible to identify. There's almost an iridescence about them, like a soap bubble. And of course they're light as air to wear!

These are on a slightly longer earwire, so they will swing just a little:

I had in mind a little "Coyote Ugly" ensemble, with just a hint of faux-demure:

Via Polyvore

You can visit my Etsy store by clicking HERE. (And here's what sounds like an interesting recipe for making your own plum liqueur...)