We're All Ears: May

Earrings Everyday is hosting their monthly challenge based on this image. "The Greek legend is that there was a boy of astonishing beauty named Nerites. He was a lover of the sea-born Aphrodite. When Aphrodite was invited by Zeus to join the gods on Mount Olympus, she invited Nerites to join her. He refused, preferring to stay in his home, the sea. In revenge she metamorphosed him into a seashell."

 Thank you Earrings Everyday for hosting.

Zigzag Nerite shells - Neritina Communis - from Atlantis Shell Co

This monthly challenge seems to be really helping my earring mojo. I still prefer simple earrings but I have decided that is OK. I can admire all the amazing designs I see on the hop but I can still stay simple.

I do not have anything close to these shells in my stash and there is no way I could order anything and have any chance of it arriving on time. So - what to do --- I decided to work with the seashell theme but not limit myself to what was pictured.

Abalone? They are shells - I love the shape of these beads and hanging like this reminds me of the waves washing in the tiny shells from the inspiration photo.

Enjoy! and thanks for visiting.

Mojo Challenge: Week 8 - Colour Palette Inspiration

Find a color palette to use as the inspiration for your next jewelry design. Pick a color palette that isn't your go-to colors! Think outside the box this week.

 

Click here to see the original post for this week. Thanks again Heather.

 

 



I am not sure which was more difficult this week - finding the palette or making the jewellery. I decided to make a bracelet this week since I have avoided them for this group of challenges so far. Not sure I am a fan of memory wire though. The bracelet tends to fall off my wrist very easily. I am doing some research to see if I can find any suggestions to fix this issue.

So, here is my palette from Design Seeds...

And here is my bracelet ---- I used a variety of vintage wooden, metal, resin, bone, and coconut beads and spacers...

Hope you like it. Enjoy!

Mojo Challenge: Week 7 - One Colour

"Make a piece of jewelry with just one color, varying to value (light & darkness), shape and texture for interest."

 

Click here to see the original post for this week. Thanks again Heather.

I am really confused though - I thought I was so up to date and I find this is week 8 already ---- I need to get my post for week 7 up. "I am late - I am late - for a very important date"  --- Not sure how this happened but all will be right with the world very soon. I have been making a number of monochromatic pieces this week and nothing was striking my fancy. I wanted something simple - to wear with a colourful sun dress - I did not want to use any metal - I know this type of necklace can look very cheap but I was determined to either overcome that or love "cheap" which ever came first ----- And I do love this - enough to make a couple more for layering - I used only bone beads but they all vary slightly in colour due to natural dyes. I also varied the shape ---- I randomly selected from a bowl of different shapes and sizes and placed them onto my beading wire. I was fortunate enough to have a number of bone clasps as well. I am very happy with my results.

Thanks for visiting. Enjoy!

Mojo Challenge: Week 6 - The Poetry of Beads

"Create a piece of jewelry inspired by a poem, quote or a song."

 

 

Thanks Heather for the great multiweek challenge. Click here for the link for this weeks post for the multiweek MOJO Challenge.

DISCOVERY

I was fortunate to be able to attend a week long retreat with Susan Lenart Kazmer at Hacienda Mosiaco in Puerto Vallarta this past winter. At the start of the week Susan gave each of us a word for the week --- mine was discovery  ---  at the time I was somewhat unimpressed with my word - I wanted something sexier, more romantic, more "something"......  But as the weeks go by I am more and more intrigued by my word - life is a discovery and I am in discovery mode. I am almost 60 and I had been thinking my time for discovery was ending - I thought I was moving into a stage of contentment - but discovery????? Well here I am discoverying so many things - new jewellery techniques, new recipes, new paths to walk, it seems there is new around every corner.

I have taken some liberties with this weeks challenge. There is no poem, quote, song, ????????  just a word. I did not want that word to be too obvious. I wanted it to be a discovery. I also wanted it to be a piece I could wear constantly. I have stamped a single letter on each disk and hung them vertically from a sterling chain. Could not be simpler but it achieved my objective. (And I hope it is at least a nod to the challenge this week.

Thanks for visiting. Enjoy!

7th Do Over Challenge Reveal

I decided to give the 7th-do-over-challenge hosted by Jeannie of JLD Studio a try. Jeannie ships you an older piece of her jewellery and your challenge is to redo the piece. Thanks for the challenge Jeannie.

Pieces I received ....

 

 

I received a piece created with dark blue and black paper beads, light blue plastic flower beads. silver spacers and wire wrapped silver beads. The instructions said it was OK to create one piece from all the pieces I received. Since I like "weightier" necklaces I decided to combine the paper and the silver wrapped beads, add some black vinyl heishi and some African glass donuts. I used the original silver toggle and added some silver spaces to complete the piece.

 

detail with challenge beads

 

Thanks for visiting. Enjoy!

 

And one more this ----- here is the list of participants. Hop around and see where creative inspiration has struck.

 

Jeannie K Dukic
Dagi
Judy Campbell
Veralynne Malone
Christine Murrow
Shai Williams
Lola Surwillo
Christina Hickman
Katrina Taylor
Becky Pancake
Roxanne Mendoza
Charlene Jacka
Inge von Roos
Mary Govaars
Penny Houghton
Beti Horvath
Ginger Davis-Allman
Molly Alexander
Linda Britt

 



We're All Ears: April

 

Earrings Everyday is hosting their monthly challenge based on this image from the Pottery Barn catalogue. Thank you so much for hosting.

 

A very interesting inspiration piece if I do say so.

 

Yellow and green? birds? berries? I had to give this one a lot of thought.

 

I decided to do something new for me. You may already be aware that earrings are not my favorite things to make ---- so ---- I decided to focus on shape, and then colour in the inspiration photo.

 

The first pair of earrings remind me of the stack of plates in the foreground of the photo. Simple but effective I think. I know I will wear them.

  

 

Colour was more difficult. I searched and searched my stash for olive green...... then any green, I love green - why are there no green beads when I want them......  I think these beads hit the nail on the head. And the openness reminds me of the branches.

 

 

Thanks for visiting. Enjoy!

Mojo Challenge: Week 5

"Take apart a few older designs and use the pieces to create a new creation." 

Thanks Heather for the great multiweek challenge. Click here for the link for this weeks challenge of the multiweek MOJO Challenge.

This is the necklace I decided to take apart. Dark wooden beads as well as matte lucite beads. Not a combination I would tend to use today. But the beads are good.



before

But what should I do - I do not think the small wooden beads have enough presence to become the main focus of the necklace..... but ....... they do mix very well with the bicone banana leaf beads from Mzuribeads. I love the natural feel of these beads - great to combine with the wooden beads. I am really pleased with the new necklace.



after

Now what do I do with the Lucite beads? Maybe mix them with silver?

another after

I used more Mzuribeads, some vintage Moroccan silver, some Thai and Bali silver, some larger lucite beads and of course the original lucite beads. Much better use of the beads from the original necklace I believe.

Thanks for visiting. Enjoy!