Freedom Friday: Dangle Earrings

Today is the second in a series of designs I'm showing of the pieces I'm creating with Nina Design materials. 

I love these bronze bubble links from Nina. I thought about including multiple stones from each of the loops, but these bubble links really need to stand on their own.

I decided to hang a setting from the bottom loop to accentuate the design. I paired them with a small square majapahit spacer, also from Nina, two wave brush gold discs and multiple gold chain. I love the wave discs; their shape reminds me of potato chips! I gave the discs an extra twist to show off the flare in their waves. 

I used a double wire loop (tutorial on double wire loop here) with a fine gauge gold fill wire (26g GF) which gives me a lot of flexibility to wrap the wire. Lastly, I used a kidney wire for the setting as I wanted to give some length to this design. 

I don't normally use only metal for my settings as I am forever looking to add beads to almost anything and everything I make. But I like how these look with all the various types of gold sheen.

The materials above were provided as part of the Nina Designs blogging program. The author of this blog has not received any payment from above-mentioned company. The post above represents only personal opinion of the blog author. 

Thursday Favorites: Carnelian

Today's post is one of several featuring Nina Designs. These gorgeous earwires and matching onion shaped findings are part of a goody bag I received from Nina's team. I added carnelian rounds and brass spacers to this design.

Carnelian is one of my favorite stones. It has such a deep, rich honey color. But even more interesting is that it is one of the oldest stones found in antiquity. It has been set into crowns, swords, jewelry and architecture for thousands of years. I must admit that Taj Mahal is by far (for me) the most intriguing uses of carnelian, and it is what I used as my inspiration for this pair of earrings. 

Carnelian is used as inlay (right) for the motif of the Taj Mahal. The pattern uses flowers, which are considered a representation of paradise and symbolize the kingdom of Allah. The Taj Mahal was built by the Shah Jahan as a tomb for his wife, Mumtaz Mahal, who died in child birth with their 14th child. The Taj Mahal is her eternal resting spot and Shah Jahan wanted it to be her paradise on earth.

The inlay technique is called 'parchin kari' which is similar to the Italian technique know as 'pietre dure.' First the pattern is drawn directly on the marble walls using a red dye, called henna in India. These patterns are then chiseled out, and finally precious stones are inserted and fitted into the marble sockets. Various stones were used such as lapis lazuli, garnet, agate and carnelian. The color of the gemstone was important as it provided depth and shading to the flower motifs. The parchin kari at the Taj Mahal is considered one of the finest quality examples of the era.

The materials above were provided as part of the Nina Designs blogging program. The author of this blog has not received any payment from above-mentioned company. The post above represents only personal opinion of the blog author. 

BTW: Nina Designs

I don't think I could be more excited to tell you that I received a goody bag in the mail from Nina Designs. Several weeks ago I sent a note inquiring about becoming a blog partner.  I heard in the beginning of August that they were sending me items to create with, and when they arrived I literally gasped. They were more beautiful then I imagined! The findings are gorgeous, silk and sari fabric, and the blue leather is so amazingly soft. I just couldn't wait to get started.

I've been itching to get back to my studio and start working with these pieces. I have been traveling for weeks, and this past weekend was the first time I've been home in my own studio in over a month. 

I'm going to do a series over the next couple of weeks to talk a bit about each design -- starting Thursday. So, swing back by my blog to see my first earring design.

The materials above were provided as part of the Nina Designs blogging program. The author of this blog has not received any payment from above-mentioned company. The post above represents only personal opinion of the blog author. 

Featured: Amy Herzog Fall Sweaters

I was so thrilled to see my friend Amy featuring some more of my work as a pairing to her new Fall sweater release. Look how cute Amy is with these blue earrings and her new cowl sweater!

I can't help but get excited when I see one of my designs featured with someone else's work. And someone I think is so amazing at her craft. I just love her sweaters, but even more amazing is that she spends a lot of her energy on providing options to her patterns and tutorials for helping people find styles that best fit their body shape. No matter who you are, or what you look like this is some great advice!

Amy has written an entire series of tutorials called Fit to Flatter which helps knitters understand how to modify patterns that best fit them. She provides alteration suggestions based on your measurements and what works with their individual body shape. I just LOVE this about her patterns. If only I could knit! 

Amy usually shows various body shapes (literally with several test knitters) who use the same pattern. Each test knitter makes alterations to the pattern to best fit their body shape. 

Her patterns also provide variations on sleeves, use of trim (whether to accentuate or not) or length in torso. All these variations help to make a 'fit to flatter' sweater customized to you.  

A quick note about my earrings. I sent her earrings that were originally meant as a playful summer beach pair. We were moving into Spring and that was what was on my bead table at the time. They are Venetian beads with white foil as the focal and small aquamarine rounds. I also finished the setting with hammered silver waves at the bottom of each bead. Nonetheless, I have to admit that they look perfect with her Fall design. The deep blue absolutely works with her color choice.

If you are a knitter and looking for patterns; hop on over to Amy's blog and check out her site. Just to give a shout out to one of my personal favorites, Oscillate, it is simply gorgeous, lush and so feminine. Everything you want in a sweater. I just love her designs.

BTW: The 'Just Right' Black Earrings

So my sister-in-law asked for a simple pair of black earrings for her birthday this year. But the most important part of any story about my sister-in-law is making sure you understand exactly what she's asked for. She is not one to hold punches. If she doesn't like something you can see it all over her face, and she'll be sure to throw in a few choice words. THE most difficult person in the family to shop for.

It's become a bit of a game with us in the family to see if we can 'get it right.' My poor mother-in-law has returned more items than I can count. But I've been batting 1000 lately. so I'm feeling like I'm on a role.

When she asked for black earrings, I thought 'ok, I got this.' How hard can that be? But before I could finish that thought, she added 'you know, not too fancy, just something simple, certainly not pearls, not too long ....' That's when you know you're in trouble; when she starts listing stuff. It becomes a bit 'Goldilocks' with a 'not too hard, not too soft' guessing game. 

At this point I had already set out a few items on the bead table ready to create. I had a pretty little pair of spinel briolettes. I really like this stone. It has such a beautiful hue to it; especially with the faceted cut. But I decided that these might be just a little too small, too shiny (aka fancy) and without a complete closure. She also loses earring backs as quickly as I give them to her. I was thinking about getting her just a box of earring backs for Christmas.

Ok so pair number two I decided on a nice tear drop onyx stone. I did a long double wrap over the top and included a straight (nothing fancy) leverback. Sans the need for earring backs. This pair seemed just right to me for everyday. But just to play it safe, I did make a third pair. I had been meaning to replace my own black pearls, so I thought if she doesn't like these then I've got my new pair. Two birds with one stone; wait that would be four stones. 

I gave them to her this past Saturday, and as expected, the onyx pair was exactly what she wanted. Whew, still batting 1000!

In The Beginning

When I first started making jewelry I was trying all kinds of styles and techniques. Well wait a minute ... I still do that. That is how I keep learning and getting better at making jewelry.

But when I look back at the early work I can see my wire wrap isn't tight. The wrap itself is too long, doesn't quite come to the top of the bead. Even tho, when I look at these early projects I can see that I had so many ideas. I just couldn't bead fast enough to get them all out there. This was about 3 years ago. 

I am beader who rips things apart multiple times. And I am one who recycles materials. If I don't like the piece anymore, I rip, sort and reuse. So when I saw this post and challenge by Art Jewelry Elements to encourage beaders who are just starting out by showing our early work... I admit I had a hard time finding my stuff. 

I started making jewelry on a whim. My brother and his family were coming for a visit and my sister-in-law had mentioned taking a class while they were there. I told her that there was a local bead shop offering classes that I thought might be fun, and would she like to try that? We did. It was an hour class where the woman showed us simple wire wrapping. I walked out with pliers, wire and a handful of beads. From there, I just kept practicing, and practicing. 

My early photography was with a camera that did not have the close up function (usually shown with a flower). But my husband bought me a point-and-shoot Kodak that I still use today. I didn't take pictures for several months because I really was just focused on trying to get the technique down. But after about 3-4 months, I was snapping pictures regularly. Once I had my point-and -shoot camera there was no stopping me. I was pulling all kinds of things into my pictures from around the house. Shells, vases, scarves ... you name it. I was trying to find my 'style' and I was constantly playing with color and background. You really can't do it wrong. It's really about what you like and how you want to show your work.

I started my Etsy site about a year after my sister-in-law and I took the class. She is the one who told me about Etsy, which I had never heard of before. I took the day off in 2010 for my birthday and dedicated the entire day to setting up my own shop on Etsy. I posted a few pairs of earrings, and just went from there. It really is pretty easy to set up an Etsy shop. I did it all on my own by just following the step-by-step instructions on the site. I recommend playing around with all the tabs once you get the shop operational.

I didn't start blogging until about a year later (this past Christmas). I honestly had no idea there were so many blogs out there, or such a large supportive beading community. I have another friend who knits and she said, why don't you try blogger? She told me it was really easy, and then showed me her site. Blogger is also pretty step-by-step. And I learned a lot by just flipping around through all the tabs and playing with the various functions. 

I still feel pretty new to all this, but I forget that there are things that I know that I can pass on to other beaders, and bloggers. This past week I did my first tutorial. I have never done one before, but a friend asked how I do wire wrapping. It's so funny. I don't think of myself as an expert, but I have certainly practiced quite a lot. So I decided to show how I do my wrapping. 

Honestly, don't be afraid. Get out there and try things. Push yourself to try a new stitch, wire wrap style or technique. What's the worse that can happen? You rip it out and give it another try! 

Freedom Fridays: Tutorial Double Wire Wrap Examples

Yesterday I posted a tutorial for how to do a double wire wrap loop. I hope that it was helpful to those who find a double wrap challenging. It really isn't that much different from a single wrap as long as you kept track of your wire. I had an excellent instructor that showed me the simplicity of wire wrap, and being methodical about how you hold your wire. The few tips can really help and can make all the difference in the world if you are trying to achieve a tight wrapping technique.

As a little bit of inspiration, I thought I'd post a few variations of this style. Same double wrap technique, same stone (African Opal - isn't it a gorgeous stone?), just slightly different styles. The first pair of earrings uses a 'long wrap,' or one that comes down all the way over the wire threading through the top drill hole in the stone. Personally, this is my favorite and most used technique. I also added a top bead -- a Swarovski pearl (a tough bead that can stand up to my wrapping!). I included a wrap around the bead to bring the wire back up to the top where I started to create a final loop. 

The second pair is an even shorter wrap than the one I demonstrated in the tutorial. This one shows off the wire triangle that frames the top of the bead. The style accentuates the long drop wire wrapping from bead to earwire. I also included a marcasite bead connector to give the pattern a little extra character. I love marcasite and use it pretty much every chance I get.

Thursday Favorites: Wire Wrapping Tutorial

I had a request for a tutorial on wire wrapping. I've never done a tutorial before, so I hope this is clear! This is a quick demonstration for how to do a double wire wrap.  I used a large stone (African Opal) and 22 gauge wire so hopefully the steps are easy to see. And just for ease, I also used a larger type size.


Step 1: Thread the wire through the top drill hole and leave an equal amount of wire on either side - about an inch to an inch & a half on either side. 


Pinch the wire together at the top of the stone to create a little triangle with the wire. I like to hold the pliers flat so I can make sure I make the loop tightly across the top (shown in Step 2).

Step 2: To create the loop, wrap both wires side-by-side around the round-nose pliers. 

Step 3: I use my flat pliers to pull the wire around. Start with one of the wires so that they are opposite each other. Watch the wire wrap to make sure that they wrap tightly -- one on top of each other. This will create a smooth wrap vs. clumping on top of one another.

Step 4: Pull the opposite wire around and tuck it right up next to the other. Again watching to make sure that it stacks right beneath the other wire and creates a smooth wrap. Continue this process for 3-4 more wraps (to the desired size and shape you want with your wrap).

Note: Some people prefer to continue wrapping all the way down the stone to cover up the threading, so if that is the case then add a little extra length to the wire. 

Step 5: Once you've finished wrapping, again keep the wires opposite each other and cut the ends. This way you can tuck each end up against the bottom of the wrap for a more level base.

Step 6: Tuck the last of the wire up to the base of the wrap and smooth/ adjust the wrap for any places where it might look a little out of line.

BTW: Boho Leather Hoops

I am continuing to find inspiration in Lorelei and Erin's new book Bohemian Inspired Jewelry.  And, as with any recipe, I never follow it exactly. I typically take elements and mix things up a bit. 

One of the projects in the book uses 'leather fringe' on a pair of hoops, and I just had to try that! It really wasn't very hard. The hardest part was keeping the leather gathered together on the hoop, and so I needed to ensure I had a tight wrap on either side. 

I started with a scrap piece of leather I had left over from an upholstery project. I cut it about a quarter inch wide, and roughly 3-4 inches long. I then used a hole punch and spaced holes roughly a half inch apart. 

Once the leather was threaded I twisted it just a little to give the 'fringe' effect shown in the book. Lastly I added a flat silver bead and did a quick wire wrap (about 5 full wraps) which gives it a very secure hold. Also, to hold the wire in place I had wrapped it at the end of the fringe and threaded it through the bead along with the hoop. I originally thought about including pearls to the hoops to match the leather and pearl bracelet I made a few weeks ago. But it was just too much. I think I prefer the simplicity of the leather and silver.

I did also make my own hoops. I used a thick gauge (15 g) solid silver wire. I grabbed a spice jar, created a loop at one end and bent the wire. Then just added the hook to the other end of the hoop. A quick couple of whacks with a chasing hammer did the trick. 

These were really easy and fun to make. I'll bet I could use other thick ribbon or velvet? hmmm ... already thinking of variations.

Inspiration Board: Audrey's Pearls

This week's feature is a classic pair of pearl earrings. And nothing says classic like mid-century style by Audrey. One of my favorite types of pearls ... Tahitian. I love the luster and the unique shape of each pearl. I left this pair with my sister when I was visiting her this year because she liked them so much. But once home I realized just how much I wear these simple pearls. So now that they are now gone from my collection, it is time to make a new pair! 

Audrey's Pearls by antiquity-travelers featuring flat suede shoes

Celebrity Match Up: What Goes With Adele's Big Hair?

I was watching the Adele special several weeks ago and I remember thinking what is up with all the big hair? I flew to London in April and noticed that every stewardess on Virgin Atlantic had the same big hair. And once on the ground I saw quite a few people on the streets of London sporting this 'do.' It is so reminiscent of a '60s bouffant, I did a complete double take on the plane with a stewardess who looked exactly like my Aunt Betty in 1968.



Celebrities do seem to be showing up with this style, which I found in abundance at US Weekly online. And I have to admit the style really has a way of showing off jewelry, which of course I LOVE. So I went digging through the many earrings I've made over the last year or so to see... what would I pair up with these celebs and their 'hairdos?' Just to have a little fun.... you ready?

The first pair that came to mind is something with a shimmer ... it is all glam with these girls so you have to have a sparkly option. I grabbed a versatile pair that I made with Swarovski discs (pair #2). My Sister snagged this pair the last time I saw her. She said they are fun to wear to work, and then out for a drink with a girlfriend. So in that case, I suppose they could work with pretty much any one of these outfits. 

Next, I remember a pair I made for a girlfriend who loved the elegance of a simple aquamarine floret drop earring that has rhinestone flower posts (pair #1). She is tall, thin with beautiful long dark hair, and this pair looks stunning on her. Certainly this pair would have gone well with Katy Perry's outfit. Not quite so clunky as what she is wearing --- are those treble clefs?

Someone help me out here with who the first celebrity is? But anyway, this pretty little outfit is just crying out for earrings. Beautiful swoop to her hair (a ponytail bouffant), nice crew collar with a patterned fabric that would make any necklace fight with the outfit. But what about some feminine dangly earrings? I think the ice pink jadite drop earrings (pair # 5) would look fantastic with that shear patterned dress.

I can understand holding back on anything crazy with Emma Stone's dress, but the triple-pearl cluster (pair #3) would look fantastic with her dress and wouldn't fight with the pattern. It would also make more of a statement than the almost unnoticeable pearl posts she is wearing. Come on Emma, kick it up a little!

Okay, moving on to Busy Phillips' outfit. Now I think she's got on a good size earring with some swing to them, and the clear color doesn't fight with her outfit. So she gets an A+ for earring style. I would only offer an alternative. The amethyst drop earrings (pair #6) would look amazing with her outfit. The diamond cut of the stone makes them shine like, well ... two diamonds. They have a top drill, so they hang beautifully from the elongated wire.

Next let's check out Eva Longoria's necklace, which is gorgeous. And yes it draws your attention immediately to her cleavage. I guess if you looked like Eva you would too. But those earrings. Where are they? Her hair is sexy as always, but covers up any trace of earrings. Just a simple drop earring that peaks out from her hair would have done nicely with this outfit. Perhaps pair #1 or #2?

And lastly Adele. Is it just me, or is Adele not wearing any earrings? Why wear your hair up, on TV no less, and not grab at least a simple pair of earrings? She is looking pretty somber in her black shirt, but her hair is really quite pretty like that. Why not wear the whisky quartz drop earrings (pair #4)? They are still simple and just a tad elegant. Certainly better than no earrings at all!

BTW: Bohemian Inspired

Lately everyone is buzzing about Lorelei and Erin's new book Bohemian Inspired Jewelry. I have to admit that I have read it through at least 6 or 7 times now and have started to use it to inspire some of my upcoming pieces. Like this blue cord necklace on my bead table this week.  

A week or so ago I was over at Kashmira's blog and loving a new pendant she had just created with beautiful knotting. She pointed me to Lorelei and Erin's book, and I realized that there are so many techniques they use that I am loving. And that photography is so wonderful --- eye candy to a beader. My husband laughs at me with my nose stuck in one of these books and completely ignoring him. I can get lost for hours in a good beading book.

I've been trying my hand at a few of their techniques, and once I get going they truly inspire all kinds of ideas for me. I have had these glass discs in a bead drawer for years now. And realized that the knotting that Kashimra was doing would work so well with these. I also had some beautiful silver balls, yes also in a drawer for much longer than I'd like to admit. A little polishing from a sliver cloth and look at them shine! There will be more to come with these knotting techniques. I'm just getting warmed up.

Next, I grabbed some spare leather that I had sitting around from a chair I recovered some 15 years ago. I figured eventually I'd find some use for it. Some of the leather that they use in the book is so unique and gorgeous I just have to try it. So I've got my shears and leather all spread out for the next project. Look for more pearls and leather coming soon from me ... they will match my Glam meets Boho pearl and leather bracelet.

So at the moment my bead table is covered in Bohemian inspired work. That will keep me beading for weeks ... I just have to find time to stop and blog a bit to show you all.

Freedom Fridays: Amy Herzog Designs

What a surprise I had last week when I saw a blogger that I follow wearing one of my necklaces in her photo. And she looks so great wearing it!

I met Amy through our mutual friend Thea, both whom are avid knitters with huge followings on Ravelry (the popular knitting site). While I've never met Amy in person, we've started chatting back and forth through our blogs, email and recently twitter. That was a first for me to chat away through twitter. Usually I use twitter to post (or announce) some new piece of jewelry. Hmm, a new use for twitter. Note to self.

Amy is modeling her new pattern -- a cardigan (in a beautiful plum color) called Caulfield. It is so cute. Apparently Amy's pattern is so popular that it's up at #2 on Ravelry as 'what's hot right now.' Go Amy!  She also has a version in a green sleeveless tank that is awesome. Her design has a 'choose your own adventure' feature to it. What she's done is written a knitting pattern that has several different options. You can pick and choose between making it a pullover with sleeves, or a sleeveless tank, or switching round the waist shaping options. How cool is that?

The necklace she's wearing is one I made last Fall that features a very unique turquoise slice. Frankly I totally forgot I made it! My friend Thea was visiting and I loaded her up with a bunch of samples for her to dole out at her choosing. I knew she was going to give a couple to Amy who might hopefully wear a few in upcoming photo shoots. Yep there are more, so hopefully I get to show you all another knitting pattern from Amy along with another jewelry piece by me.

Thursday Favorites: My Nielloware Ring

This past Spring I was in England and took a trip down to Brighton to visit an old friend. We spent all day Saturday just strolling through the narrow streets and various shops. There was a great flee market where I spotted a table full of silver, and was shocked to see quite a display of Nielloware. I picked up a great little ring with an unusual design. 

You can read more about Nielloware, the etched silver process, in my blog from last week. Many of these pieces depict figures from mythology, and my ring had a hippocampus on it. I didn't realize it at the time. I just liked the ring. But once home, my 9-year-old said "mom you have a hippocampus on your ring" ... "a what?"  She ran off to her room and came back with her large volume of mythology and pointed to a picture. Sure enough; it was definitely a hippocampus. But what IS a hippocampus?

The hippocamp, or hippocampus is from Greek for 'horse monster,' often called sea-horse. It is a mythological creature depicted as a horse in the forepart with a coiling, scaly, fish-like hindquarter. Homer called this character Poseidon Hippios, God of horses. Roman imagery uses a sea-chariot drawn by hippocampi. The statue here is of Triton with a hippocamp at the foot of the Trevi fountain in Rome. Huh, well I guess I learned something new from my daughter.

BTW: Glam Meets Boho

A little over a year ago I began my adventure as what's known as the train jeweler. There are older posts (this one or this one) that takes you through the origin of my commuting crowd calling me this. But what started it all was my Turkish friend asking me to create a pretty bracelet from the Sundance catalog. I almost never follow a recipe exactly, and my beading is the same. But I did like the idea of creating a bracelet that was a little elegant, a little boho. That is how this pattern came into my repertoire. 









The original bracelet is the one with the darker suede, which I found difficult to work with as it kept breaking in my hands as I knotted, or sewed the loops. Sigh. I did manage to finish this first version of the bracelet, but with much swearing. Kids, cover your ears.

Months later I was at a gorgeous Japanese ribbon store (Mokuba) where I spotted a synthetic suede that works like a dream. I normally hate anything synthetic, but I have to tell you that this stuff feels like the real thing. And the best part is that it holds up to the roughest beaders - that would be me. You can see the Mokuba version in the lighter suede ... wouldn't you agree that it looks gorgeous! A bonus was that it was about $2 a yard. what? I mean no brainer for me.

I forgot about this bracelet until a week or so ago when my Turkish friend came to me and said that she really wanted the bracelet to be a tad smaller. I took one look at the bracelet and remembered how much I loved this bracelet. But also how difficult working with real suede (a thin strip of it) can be. I decided not to pull it apart, and I would keep her's as is for myself. And for her I'd make a new one - enter new suede! So she has the new one with the lighter colored suede, and I kept the original one in the darker color. That's whats on my beading table this week.