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.

Put a Cap On It

I've been doing a little horse trading and buying of some elements I haven't used much in the past.

I'm seeing ceramic beads and bead caps that seem to be asking to be paired with my crusty line.

I admit prejudice toward ceramic beads from remembering big clunky  not so aesthetically pleasing ones from back in the 60's that usually accompanied jute macrame.

I had done a bead swap last year and when I received some ceramic beads of a different and more delicate persuasion I  became a convert.

Then I started to notice... notice some funky and some elaborate designs made by my fellow Etsians.

I noticed how they looked in other's creations and I vowed to acquire some.

I found Petra of ScorchedEarth through the circles I travel

She's making some crazy amazing bead caps

"Sublime in the Coconut"

and whimsical too.

Here I've paired her coconut bead caps with Natalie's from NKPbeads

subtle grey glazed saturn beads.

Those are my crusty headpins in the center.

Trying ways to use my own crusty limpet bead caps.

These sold immediately at the farmer's market. I had sellers remorse but was glad that I had some pics already.

Those were those yellow beads that nobody wanted. They just needed the right company

These started out totally different with a big hoop.

They hung too long and looked awkward

As I was dismantling them I saw that all my work didn't have to go to waste and I could turn them into more linear earrings

Petra's wonderful bead caps with some Bali bicones I'd been hoarding aside

She didin't expect to see them hanging upside down.

You never know how someone will see fit to use your supplies.

More limpet caps. I found myself high grading most of the recent ones I've made.

Now that I know how fun they are to use I shall endeavor to make more... for you

Natalie NKPbeads with some shiny numinosity elements

Coupla plain Petra beads with my crusties. Sets it off just right I think.

Numinosity limpets with lava and headpins and Bali bicones

Now these bead caps by Petra... I think I'm in love with the crusty crackle with the contrasting shiny glaze. I just love these!

More of Petra's bead caps

I wasn't thinking shrooms at the time. I had reversed the cap several times to see which way I liked best and this is what I settled on. 

There's a little bit o' color under there

Some more of Natalie's saturn beads with my crusties

This is a pair that's in the works. I was totally delighted to see what an NKPbead looked like with one of my criffles. This criffle was an orphan so I need to make another one to finish this pair of earrings.

Same here, just need to make another cobalt criffle.

I'm normally not a blue and orange fan  but I like the looks of this combo.

I'm about at the end of my outdoor shows now. I can't decide whether to set up next Saturday at our farmer's market. It's been getting windy and chilly  but for some inexplicable reason I had my best day there last weekend. I guess I'll keep checking the weather report.

Thanks so much for all of your thoughtful comments last post. I really do love hearing from you all.