Day 32 of Challenge 2012 - 365 days of earrings!!

Well, today was the celebration for my mom and it went really well.  The house looked great, the food was excellent and the guests were convivial and knew each other from previous get-togethers and it just flowed.  Sigh.  Tomorrow we leave this house that has been home for the past 50 years and head south towards TEJAS!!  Yeehaw!!

Tonight's earrings are the ones inspired by my mom's penchant for organizing.  Remeber those two brass bells?  Small things in small containers?  I kinda saved these for a night that i needed a quick project and tonight is that night.

Supplies are easy breezy:
(2) small brass bells
(2) 6mm jump rings
old chain cut into two more or less equal lengths (ha ha!)

Open jump ring and attach a bell and a length of chain
Repeat.
Done!  And, honestly, nobody will notice that one chain is a tiny link or two longer than the other.  If they do notice, they are probably too close, eh?

Jingle bells, jingle bells!  Yes it will be Christmas before i'm done with the remaining 333 pairs of earrings.....

Day 31 of Challenge 2012 - 365 earrings in 365 days

Alrighty then!  Today makes one month's worth of earrings!  Some have been inspired.  One or two were just get 'er done.  Not bad for 31 days of creative effort, eh? And it's been fun...sort of...no really...fun....

Today's pair were squeezed into the short time when my brother and his wife and daughter and our son all went out to dinner.  Terry and i begged off saying we wanted to get further along in the packing.  What we wanted was quiet and a moment where we didn't have to make a decision or clean or pack or lift or answer.

I swear.  This emptying a house is a seemingly never-ending project.  There is always something else to deal with.  And you can't dismiss it by saying you'll get it next time because, this time, there will be no next time.

So in the spirit of quickly, i pulled out the beads.  The silver plated Western dragons called to me but i want to spend a bit more design time with them.  Next was a selection of copper plated components.  Hmmm....haven't worked with copper in a few days...and those round frames have potential.  And oooh there's a couple of copper butterflies (or are they bows?). 

Funny how even when i want to move quickly through a project, i always slow
down when it comes to looking through the beads.  I just love beads! 

So, what to put in the frames?  Copper annnnnnd....turquoise!  A natural pairing, if you will.  Happened to have some little turquoise tube beads that fit the frames, a couple of copper head pins, and a couple of copper ear wires.  That's the supply list for today.

Rather than join the components with loops, i just threaded them all on a single head pin and, because i didn't wrap tight to the top bead, they kind of swivel around on their own and don't line up perfectly.  Perfect! 

So one month down and just 11 more to go.  That sounds better than 334 days to go, doesn't it?  Doesn't it?  Ummm..i'll have to get back to you on that one. 

Day XXX of Challenge 2012 - CCCLXV in CCCLXV

Got that?  Me neither.  I had to ask.

First order of business:  we've been in this house not 40+ but FIFTY plus years.  Makes me even more tired just knowing that!  Ai yi yi.  The clock is ticking faster!

Back to today's earrings.  Took a break from the endless sifting through of stuff i have no idea what to do with and walked down to Geary St which is our little business district.  Did an errand and then, walking to the other errand, passed the Hobby Company.  I love that little shop.  It has stuff for doll houses, models, general art supplies and in the back under lock and key, a little bead room.

 It's very small with a correspondingly small selection but i always look.  Today i found black Czech seeds in 8/0 and 6/0, and fold over crimps for the feathers i've yet to do.  And then i found the stash of charms from Tierra Cast.   

Tierra Cast is located in San Rafael, CA - right across the Golden Gate from SF.  Early in the years of owning Bead Boutique, i had the opportunity to visit them and got a tour of the facility and an in-depth explanation of their process.  They make good quality cast plated pewter items and we carry some in the shop and like them real well. 

So in that little bead room, in the back, nearly in the dark, i found charms and, in and amongst the cowboy boots and the butterflies and the feathers, i found dragons.  Gold plated Eastern dragons and silver plated Western dragons.  So i got me some.  And with just a touch of red for good luck, they became today's earrings.

Should i just make 335 more of these?

Supplies:
(2) antique gold plated Eastern dragon charms by Tierra Cast
(2) 4mm Swarovski bicones (siam)
(2) Vermeil bead tip head pins
(4) 4mm gold plated jump rings
large kidney ear wires in plated antique brass

Thread the bicone on the bead tip head pin and make a wrapped loop.
Open one 4mm jump ring and thread on the dragon, the bicone and the second 4mm jump ring.
Close the jump ring.
Hang the dangle on the ear wire from the second 4mm jump ring.
Repeat for second earring.

These have got to be good luck earrings!  This is the Year of the Dragon in the Chinese zodiac.  I was born in the Year of the Dragon.  In the Chinese calendar, the only decade birthday you celebrate in the same year as your zodiac sign is your 60th.  Guess what.

Day 29 of Challenge 2012 - 365/365

Day 29 and we're feelin' fine!  Rained today in San Francisco and i think the green growing things are confused because here it is February 1 and the flowering plum are doing just that!  What the....??

Last night Terry suggested that my mom be the inspiration for the next pair of earrings.  For those who don't know, my mom passed away last August and we are in SF to go through the house and celebrate her life with a party this Saturday.  Well.  "Going through the house" does not quite capture this undertaking.  We are, in essence, going through my mother's 87 years, my dad's 85 years, their 50+ years together, the 40 years we've lived in this house, plus whatever my brother and i and assorted family have added to the stew.  Ai yi yi.

Not to lead you to believe that everything remained untouched until we arrived.  Not at all.  But there is still plennnnnnnnty to go through and the clock is ticking.  Ai yi yi.

As for my mom inspiring a pair of earrings, she is everywhere i look. There is no lack of inspiraton.  But what made me laugh was a pair of small brass jingle bells.  Mom was forever "getting organized." ( Oh my.  That's been MY new year's resolution for the past 10 years!)  Her method of organizing was to put small things in small containers.  So there are lots of small containers - film cannisters, little tins, little jars, little boxes - filled or not-so-filled with small things.  I found the bells in a drawer.  There were two of them and bingo!  Pair of earrings!  You think?  Follow me as we dance down the path that is my convoluted route to finishing....anything.

the brass bells

my first idea.  KISS.
and get 'er done.

but more is better!
 longer is also better!
hahahaha!
 fools said i you do not know!



Supplies:
(2) small brass bells
(12) twisted connectors in antique brass plate
(10) top drilled small glass daggers
(4) 8mm jump rings in antique brass plate
26gauge plated copper core Artistic Wire in non-tarnish brass
(2) interchangeable ear wires in antique brass plate

These are so pretty!

Attach glass daggers to connectors with 26gauge wire using a briolette wrap.
Thread 3 connectors with attached bead onto one 8mm jump ring.
Open a second jump ring.
Thread one connector with attached bead, one connector with no bead, and a third connector with attached bead onto the second jump ring.
Thread the middle connector with no bead onto the first jump ring.
Close all jump rings.
Slide top jump ring onto interchangeable ear wire.

Wow.  Threehundredthirtysix more days of changing my mind every two minutes.  I can't wait.
 

Day 28 of Challenge 2012 - 365 earrings in as many days

Today was a short travel day.  Just 4 hours from Reno over the Sierra Nevada mountains to San Francisco.  Whew.  Stick a fork in us 'cause we are about done.  Fortunately we are here for a few days which will give us a chance to catch our collective breath before heading on.

After a very West Coast dinner of fresh crab, fresh french bread, white wine, avocado and salad, i sat down for a little earring therapy.

Well, i guess everything is starting to look the same and like i've seen it before so i had to dink around for quite some time before coming up with something i liked. Beads weren't working Colors weren't working.  Design was non-existent or looked forced  Didn't have enough of what i wanted to use.  But hey.  At least i looked good whilst working.  hahahahahaha!

That little head lamp is a fashion must have!  See all that beady stuff on the mat?  Didn't use any of it.  Went a whole 'nother direction.

The final design is deceptively simple but it took me quite a while to come to it. Once i decided on the design, i still had obstacles to overcome. I started with tiny crystals and they were too small.  I tried a mix of colors and that didn't work.  I tried all one color and that was boring.  Got it finally and i actually like them!

Supplies:
(8) 4mm Swarovski crystals (2 each of tourmaline, emerald, fern and peridot)
(6) pieces of liquid silver
(2) 2.5inch plated head pins
(2) 4mm jump rings ear wires

Thread four crystals on the head pin from dark to light with a piece of liquid silver between each one.
Make a wrapped loop at the top of the head pin.
Open the jump ring and put on the dangle and an ear wire.
Close the ring.

You might think a longish straight dangle like this would be look stiff hanging down but the crystals and the liquid silver make it shimmer and adding the jump ring between the dangle and the ear wire gives it motion.  Success!!

Question is, will we be as successful for the next 337 pairs of earrings? 

Day 27 of Challenge 2012 - count 'em 365 earrings in 365 days!

Cousin Ray checking out photos on the Ipad

Lovely time in Las Vegas with cousins from my dad's side of the family.  Today, on the road again 95N to Reno. We stopped in Beatty - you really should look on the map.  Words cannot describe how EMPTY this part of the country is - for a quick meet-up visit with a third cousin.  Then we stopped in Tonopah, an old silver mining town, and my dad's hometown, for a too short visit with my dad's cousin Ray who is 95 years old.  As of last October, he was still driving the Caddy to Reno and back!

Made it to Reno, the biggest little city, just before dinner time.  We're staying with my cousin (from my mom's side) and her husband, and Dimi is an excellent excellent cook.  It must be the Greek genes. Tonight it was short ribs braised in a burgundy reduction with a side of polenta flavored with gorgonzola cheese. and a salad of winter vegetables.  Dessert was English trifle.  Well, we had to eat SOMETHING!

Oh.  Earrings?  Almost overlooked them in all the excitement.  Can you guess what the black components are?  The crystals are Preciosa, which we are now carrying in the store.  They are much less expensive than Swarovski and have just about the same blinnnnng factor.

Supplies:
10mm Preciosa crystals.
black components
7mm jump rings
wire
ear wires

Put the crystal on a double wrapped loop and attach to the 7mm jump ring.  Attach the jump ring to the black thingie.  Have you figured out what they are?  Tassels!  Oh, that was obvious, you say?  Did you recognize them as tassels from a strand of those pricey little faceted gemstones?  Yep.  I saw i had two of them and i figured they would make a lovely pair of earrings.  Am i right?

Alrighty then.  Open the ring on the ear wire and attach the earring.  Repeat.  Ta da!  Your go-to earrings for that LBD.  Sexy and sassy.  Can i come up with sexy and sassy again sometime in the remaining 338 pairs?  You'll have to tune in to find out.

Day 26 of Challenge 2012 - 365 of 'em in 365 of 'em

A more leisurely start today had us on the road about 8am. Our destination: Lost Wages baby!

But first, more dramatic and stunning and awe-inspiring and - i reckon you get the idea - scenery as we drove through Utah. I'll post some photos in a couple of days, but take my word for it; we were like little kids. "Look there!". "Look at that!". Look! Look! Look!

Whew.

Before getting to today's entry, i have to add that yesterday's pair is called "Crazy Eights".
Perfect, no?

OK. Today's pair is also made from items bought at Orrs'. These are carved wood with inset turquoise. Very lightweight. I combined them with more of the coral discs you first saw with the hammered silver wire.

24gauge copper wire
copper plated ear wires

Straightforward double wrapped loop for the discs.
Remember to attach the feathers BEFORE closing that loop. Oh. Right. Gotcha.

And that's it.

Just two more days til we reach our destination and just 339 more days of earring madness.  Yes!