New Earrings

One of my goals for this year was to get back to making jewelry.  I don't think I'd even touched my work surface or tools since sometime last April or June.  All my energy (creative and otherwise) was being focused at work and apparently, I only have so much of that mojo because I had nothing left to give when I got home.

 

For me, creating is sorta like sex.  Sure, I can force it and it's decent enough, but it's not nearly as much fun as when I'm really in the mood for it.  Hmmm...maybe that's TMI?

 

Anyway, I still don't feel like I really am back to where I was creatively a year ago or so, and I definitely didn't feel I was up to taking on a necklace or a bracelet, but I figured earrings were a good way to start trying to get my groove back.  None of them are rockin' the high bar on the creativity scale, but it did feel good to take at lease a few tentative steps back towards something I really love to do.

 



 

 

These are your pretty standard lampwork + Swarovski crystal earrings.  A good place to start since these were some of the very first materials that drew me to jewelry-making way back in the Dark Ages of time (aka the early 90's).  I threw in some vermeil Bali-style spacers and bead caps and a few purple seed beads to play up that gorgeous color.

 

This design happened almost by chance as I opened some packages from different vendors and these materials just sort of fell out onto my beading board together.  I thought they all had that same antique kinda feeling about them like they just belonged together.  The rose beads are carved out of white shell and the dangle beads are tiny faceted Czech glass in a cherry/vanilla swirl color combination.

I may have gone a little off the rails iwth this pair.  I'm not completely sold that all the components work together, but at least it's very different than my usual design aesthetic.

I started with the gray, brown and cream swirled lampwork beads at the top and then wanted to add these cream lampwork rings.  I tried wire-wrapping them, but it looked too messy so I went with these large, brass jump rings.  Then, at the end, I decided the whole thing looked like a winter river scene:  snow, ice, river rocks and bare tree branches.  I need something to represent the water and punch up the color scheme and that's where the aqua crystals came in.  What do you think?  Does it work or not?

If you've been following my blog at all, you know I love all things pansy - they are my sorority's flower (shout out to my Delta sister Erin at Tesori Trovati) and plus they're just pretty :-)  I also "parle francais" and spent time living in Paris.  So when I found an artist in France selling ceramic pansy beads on Etsy...well, there was no question that I had to have me some of that.

I used brass wire to add some Czech glass leaves and flowers and a couple of pink and purple Swarovski crystals to these rustic pansy charms.

Awhile back, I picked up a gorgeous strand of teardrop agate beads whose colors ranged from earthy teals and browns through wonderful mauves and pinks.  I've been slowly working my way through using up the strand.  This of pair of teardrops has been wired to vermeil oval hoops and I've added on some faceted smoky quartz and vermeil bead caps.  The pink is not nearly this bright in real life but every time I photograph it, it really lights up.

Lastly, I had this pretty pair of Lillypilly shell disks.  I added white shell donuts wrapped with vermeil chain and the toppers are a pair of faceted Czech glass rondelles with a turquoise and picasso finish on them.

Out of all the pairs I made, I think I'm happiest with this one, but I'd love your feedback.  What do you think? 

Oh wait...if you totally hate them all...you don't have to tell me that LOL!  That can be your little secret.

KJ