Earrings - Hoops, Black Cats, Lambs, Shells, and Heavenly Blues

I've been having fun with black plated hoops and other goodies I bought from Studio Sen on Etsy (materials for the first 3 pairs of earrings).

The first two pairs of earrings are mine... but I have more of the 'ingredient's available.

Going in Circles Earrings

The blackplated hoops are 2" (5omm) in diameter and adorned with a lovely hammered sterling hoop. The ear wires and head pin are also sterling silver.


I love the contrast between the smooth black matte hoops and the shiny textured sterling hoops. The black plated hoops are very filigree and look elegant against the silver.



Black Cat Earrings

The little black cats are made from mother of pearl and I love their cute little faces. They are surrounded by laser cut filigree hoops in the same smooth blackplating as the hoops above. The hoops are quite large (55mm) but because of the elegant filigree design also extremely light. The findings are all oxidised sterling silver.



Little Lamb Earrings

These are so cute - little mother of pearl lambs surrounded by green frosted Japanese seed beads (aka grass) on silver plated just over 1" (30mm) hoops. The headpin is sterling silver. These will either go in my Etsy shop or you can buy them directly now for £10.



Shell Circle Earrings

These are just sooooo stylish and elegant. A vintage brass shell with a lovely gingerbread patina hangs within a blackplated hoop. I've used blackplated ear wires for these as well. The headpin is oxidised brass. Available now or later from my Etsy shop for £12.



Heavenly Turquoise Earring Selection

My friend as me to make her some sterling earrings with the long oval design that I have used for other earrings (e.g. Pink Grapefruit Set and Happy Tears Set). She wanted pale blues but I wasn't quite sure what kind of feel she was after so I made three different pairs.

The first one is my personal favourite.

Pebble Earrings

I've used wonderful beads in striated blues - one pebble is a turquoise frosted blue, the other is a creamy very pale matte blue - and combined them with seedbeads in coordinating blues. The ear wires are handformed and hammered and the earrings are about 2" long. These will be £12.


Rose Bud Earrings

In this set I combined lampwork beads in a blue,white and pink rose design with Swarovski beads in pale blues and a very soft rose colour and a few matching seedbeads. The sterling silver ear wires are handformed and hammered and the earrings are about 2" long. These will be £12 now or later from my Etsy shop.



Blue Daisy Earrings

These are so pretty and dainty. Glass flowers are combined with faceted and seed beads in coordinating blues and embellished with little drops. All findings are Sterling silver. The sterling silver ear wires are handformed and hammered and the earrings are about 2" long. These will be £12 now or later from my Etsy shop.

Felted Magic Flowers

I am so proud of this set as it is my first attempt at felting. :-)

The rope was wet felted - by sprinkling strands of roving in green and pink and pink silk strands with soapy water and rolling it in a sheet of bubble wrap.






The flowers are similar to those in my silk flower garlands as they've also been made from silk rods. However, I didn't use any cocoons this time but needle felted a green flower shape for the silk petals to sit on. The beads in the centre are carved mother of pearl three-petal flowers and creamy white glass pearls.

The necklace is a lariat design with a loop half hidden by the flower and two of the leaves feeding through the loop. The other leaf hangs separately.


The leaves were made with the needle felting method by laying out strands of roving in green and pink and stabbing it with felting needles to get the fibers to felt together. I added detail with two different greens and the rows of pale green seed beads.



The length of the bracelet is fixed and it slips over the hand and onto the wrist in the same way as a bangle. I have used fabric stiffener to ensure that it stays in shape nicely.


Below you can see the bracelet on my arm. It looks so pretty and delicate and it's lovely to wear because it so soft and light.


The flower on the bracelet and two of the leaves in detail:


A detail shot of the flower itself.
This set will be part of my new wedding collection. I think it would work really well with a traditional white, or pink wedding gown or even a deep dark red, a brown or a green one. Apparently, white is not necessarily the colour of choice for a wedding anymore. The set is organic and very, very delicate and pretty, although it's not fragile as I've made sure that everything is sewn on properly and that it is sturdy enough to withstand the trials of a wedding day.

It would also look great with a prom or ball gown or at that special dinner.

Bloomin' Marvellous

Nope, I haven't been working my fingers to the bone, these are all pendants I've made a while back and didn't have any chain for, or as in the case of the last one, hadn't decided quite what to do with them. I bought some lovely sterling silver chain at the BMF on Saturday and I think I've put it to good use. :-)


Daisy, Daisy... Necklace

I love the simple shape of daisies and I wanted to make one in sterling silver wire, so I did. LOL I added lovely crayon red Japanese seedbeads and wrapped them around the centre.



The pendant is very light but quite large (5cm or 2") and it hangs from a lovely 40.6 cm (16") chain.


Here you can see all the tiny red seed beads wrapped around the centre of the flower (the back is flat and all wire ends have been securely hidden).



Pretty in Pink Necklace

This is similar to the Daisy, Daisy necklace but I've used a thicker gauge sterling silver wire and added the most gorgeous, delicious fuchsia pink chalcedony briolette to dangle in the centre.


The heart has been hammered, oxidised and polished to give it texture and a lovely satin shimmer. I've used lovely smooth, bright sterling silver snake chain and the wire wrapped around the chalcedony bead is also lovely and bright in contrast to the oxidised heart.

I'd tried lots of different ways of hanging this heart - handmade chain, larger chain, satin rat tail in bright pink, leather, belcher chain, nothing quite worked, because the heart is so striking it needed something slinky and stylish to stay the star of the show.

The chain is 16", the pendant just over 2" (5.5cm).



In Bloom Necklace

I love this necklace - it's full of the colours of Spring.



I've made 'branch' from shaped, textured and oxidised very thick silver gauge wire, then wrapped lots of semi-precious beads.

I've used carnelian (orange), prasiolite, peridot, amazonite, and chalcedony and hung the pendant from more lovely sterling silver snake chain, this time 18" (ca. 45 cm). The pendant is just over 2" (5.5cm).



Calla Lily Necklace

Another labour of love. The calla flower was made from copper sheet: first cut, then shaped, hammered, filed, sanded and oxidised.



Next, I've added lovely beads - freshwater pearls in white and taupe, mother of pearl, and a white tiny shell. The pendant is again about 2" (5cm) in length and hangs from a double-link vintage copper chain about 16".


Free Necklace

The making of the copper bird has been described earlier, I've further oxidised it and achieve a lovely colouring - almost like oil on water.



I've added home made figure of eight links and vintage lucite and glass beads, rock crystal, and white jade to make up the chain. The beads and chain are graduating in size from small starting on the wing of the bird to much larger back to the tail feather of the bird.

The necklace has no clasp and just slips over the head.

Here you can see the detail of the colouring on the swallow. It looks like it is flying and the chain looks like those pictures showing the flight of birds in books about birds.



Below is the chain in more detail:

The last of 2007

Here's some jewellery I prepared earlier. ;-)

Blackberry Heaven

The first creation is a bracelet made of memory wire, silver plated curved beads, little round spacer beads and vintage blackberry AB beads. These are absolutely wonderful. They are black with a gorgeous AB coating. The bracelet is very light and there's nothing like this out there.



Circles within Circles

This is one of mine. :-) I love circles and used all the rings I had in my secret stash to make this. There are vintage flat rings, round rings that are either plain, hammered or patterned of different sizes, and a single oval ring, but all are connected with oval jump rings that have been soldered by a little pixie I know. To finish it off I've used my favourite 'Chanel' toggle clasp and I added a little tail to the back of the necklace with another set of rings attached.


Bracelets

Oyster Cult

I got myself some gorgeous pearls and had to make something with them. The colouring of the large pearls used in the bracelet below reminded me of oysters. I have teemed them up with smaller copper coloured pearls, old rose gold and green Givre daggers and beads, little faceted pale green round beads and Magatama drops. The bracelet has a lovely fluid feel and look to it that is organic and sparkly at the same time.

Early Autumn

This bracelet combines all the colours of early Autumn - from pale golds to greens to ambers and reds. I have used small green and chocolate brown freshwater pearls, deep red carnelian drops, golden shimmery amber, and Magatama drops in pale frosted amber and translucent gold.



Roses are Red (or sometimes white)

The following bracelet reminds me of a brother Grimm story called 'Snow-White and Rose-Red', which I read as a child. I've used a vintage chain with modern findings, pearlescent Magatama drops interspersed with ruby red Swarovski bicones. I love the slightly spiky look the bracelet has, although, trust me it doesn't feel like it. :-)


Honey Dew

The colours of the next bracelet are very soft and it looks almost edible. I've used Citrine, mother of pearl (round beads and chips), white jade (round beads and chips), honey coloured jade and topaz chips with glass pearls and deep chocolate brown Magatama drops.



Red Clusters

The next bracelet is a very different design from the others. I've used connectors made with deep ruby red Swarovski beads and copper bead caps to link clusters of beads (Magatama drops, tear drop beads, frosted and crackled round beads in shades of red that have been strung on bits of copper chain). A lovely coppery flower charm finishes off the design.



Starshine

This bracelet is mine. I made it for selling but found when I got ready for a Christmas party that I needed something to go with my gorgeous vintage butterfly necklace. This was the perfect match. I have used icy heart and star charms on bronze chain with pearlescent Magatama drops in creamy and stark white and very, very pale green.




Snow and Ice

Here's another white creation. I have used a mix of silver grey Keishi and small nugget freshwater pearls in grey and larger ones in white, white carved bone beads, and Matagama drops in pearlescent white and very, very pale green. I love the icy look and shimmer of the bracelet on the silver plated chain which is finished with a little snowflake charm.




Chocolate and Blueberries

Another 'yummy' creation. I've used shell beads in blue and dark chocolate brown, mixed them with dark amber and blue crackle beads and chocolate brown freshwater pearls and daggers in metallic brown and peacock blue. Frosted intense blue Magatama drops finish it off and give it an organic feel.

Wire (Crochet) and Sea Glass
And finally, here are some more of my sea glass creations. There are more to come. I've made some more this year which will be in a new blog entry.

By the Sea
I love this necklace, it's so special. Very heavy, too. I've used an oval frosted stone found by the seaside (see the upcoming 'Trips in 2007' blog entry) in Southwold, a piece of sea glass (probably found by Alison somewhere on the beach in Nice, and a gorgeous rock quartz nugget (very large) all encased in antique gold wire crochet. The chain is vintage brass and the 'pendant' was finished off with Magatama drops in cream and white, white jade and carved bone beads, and glass pearls. The clasp is particularly pretty with lovely little swirls.


Sea Bed
Another sea glass creation, this time with a large piece in pale green, wire encased and embellished with (real) amber, chalcedony and sapphire nuggets, with a pale blue glass pearl, Miyuki delicas, and an Art glass bead thrown in for good measure.