Sunday, September 9, 2012

Earring Extravorgazma

I'm going to go backwards in time with my earring making spree.
I wanted to start with the pair in which I'm most proud.
( how's that for proper grammar?)

These were made with some metal tile that I found out near our desert property.
I brought a few of my pre-cut pieces back with me from Arizona.
I have a goodly stash to return to November but for now this is it.

Look how the light comes through them
Those are faceted pyrite lashed on with silver wire.
I can't keep hoarding my silver stash just because it's expensive now.
Yeah I kept these little torch fired copper enamel rounds for myself so far.

Revisiting my "roadsmithed" design with smashed bottle caps that I find on the streets in Bisbee.
Those of you that have followed for awhile might remember them.
Oh, we have litterers here in Alaska but it's a big highway with lots of wide open space.
I think there are more can people here that litter anyway.
And huge ditches and lots of brushy stuff, not so convenient as curbed pavement for searching.
And big snow plows and road graders scrape the roads clean.


Got some new and different supplies in a trade with Kim from Flotsam Tide

I find it's best to put newly gifted supplies immediately to use.

And you just might be able to see how she influenced these.
I haven't done much of the chainy work before.
Spacing is important I realize now.
How many times did I have to fasten the charms so they didn't overlap too much?

Found some old supplies that I made into these simple earrings.
Somehow little perfect frames aren't me anymore but I tried to funk them up with some lava and trade beads. Put on some extra long silver earwires to glam them up a bit so they weren't too pedestrian.

There was a time when I was going to sell out all of my tribal & trade beads since my style had veered away from that style. Imagine that, they've come back  'round to me again

 I finished this pair with NKPbeads


Petra of ScorchedEarth's ceramic rings, Kristi Bowman's charms
and my last set of baubles- double ended headpins on copper.
I do need to make more of those again sometime.



This is where I riffed off of an amazing design of earrings that I got in a trade with Darlene of DarliciousHouse
( I said riffed off, not ripped off and am happy to say she feels the same way. I checked with her to make sure)

My headpins matching the faceted carnelian



Multicolor matchsticks with some faceted opal

I finished these too. You know how I was squawking about doing custom pieces?
I just needed one criffle to match the other one.
Did I get it right?....no!
Different sizes and different colors. I ended up using a different stray orphan from my work table just because I wanted to finish these.

I'm at the end of my outdoor shows now and will be stocking some of the local galleries and shops in addition to several nice warm indoor shows.
The next one will be  "The Bad Girls of the North" in Fairbanks at the end of the month.
Great name eh?
They serve cocktails and hors douvres and the women they are happy cruising through with their wine glasses.

Oh, and one big question for those of you  that have the new activity feed on Etsy.
What do you think of it?
I happen to absolutely love it but was shocked to find that so many abhor it.
Must be because I have a Mac and follow such great folks because it all looks scrumptious to me.

20 comments:

  1. Kimberly, if you held your breath and clicked your heels 100 times, you couldn't be pedestrian, ever. I love those ones with criffles and terracotta!

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  2. Ohhhh, I love your earrings! My favorite are the faceted carnelian and the multicolor matchsticks. Oh and the chain ones too! Very inspiring post.

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  3. Hooray for strays! Kim these are absolutely beautiful, really each pair is delicious and unique. I love what you did with those extras and how you stacked the carved horn, and drew out the colors in the hand painted Bali wood facets with your headpins. That color palette is exquisite. Also the spacing on the chain earrings looks perfect (blushing over here). Truly you have such a wonderful advantage over us all with your own gorgeous components, I am in love with your copper work, headpins and those criffles are a texture hounds dream. xo

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  4. Oh you have been busy! Love the first two as they contain my fave - brutalised metal. Specially love the 'diamonds on the sole of her shoes' shapes of the first pair!

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  5. You are really branching out with your work and taking it in all kinds of new directions. Love you fave but really enjoyed the diversity of bling you have created! Yum Yum Yum....xox

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  6. oh these are so special ......kim your earrings are wonderful .....I had to zip off facebook before I could answer about the velocity of a sparrow to speak to my Dad on the phone and when i got back to the puter you had disappeared as fast as a sparrow's wing ......:)

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  7. Wonderful work Kim! and wow you have been busy, perhaps you are getting the cold stay inside and create things days that seem to be in my neck of the woods. The snow will be soon upon us!

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  8. What a diverse range - you have def been on a creativity spree! You have something for everyone there and yet they are still ear-marked with your unmistakable style. So productive - I am a bit jealous!
    x
    sue

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  9. great gads! you have been busy. the show sounds like a hoot. they used to let people walk around the recycled art show with wine, then it got all shut down.now just a show, no wine.:) new activity feed on etsy? do tell.xoxo

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  10. Yup, you have been a busy woman! Lots of very cool stuff here for sure...I really like your
    double ended head pins! I feel like I'm in slow motion compared to you!!

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  11. All wonderful Kim such great new ideas...
    What new activity feed? Don't think I got it... Looks the same to me
    What's different?

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  12. Beautiful work as ever, Kim. That carnelian - WOW! -sus

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  13. Your active life sounds a dream, Kim! Nice work. Activity feed? I have to go check it out...

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  14. i think the new activity feed (which isnt so new anymore i mean its been all year right like this?) is great. and its like anything else ie: facebook timeline.

    i love seeing this splash of new work/color! good stuff woman

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  15. Adore that hot orange set. Thank you for the convo, always a pleasure to hear from you. Loving the combinations a textures, lush.

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  16. Those earrings at the top with the blue? The ones that look like shoeprints? Love. LOVE! What beautiful work you do!

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  17. I love the first pair too. My favourite by far!

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  18. They're all gorgeous, but I'd say the first pair are my faaaavorite, too!

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  19. the 2 2nd to last pairs- simple yet totally love the design. they're all awesome!
    xoxoxox

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  20. You've got some gorgeous jewels there, woman. And your grammar ain't bad either. :0) The Bad Girls of the North show sounds like a lot of fun.
    xoxoxo

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