BeadBoutiqueKC

Earrings Every Day...or not...or feature a guest artist!

2012-02-23T19:49:00.000-08:00

Mardi Gras must have been a bigger party than i thought.

I could not finish a pair of earrings for yesterday's blog. I tried two different designs. I had a glass of wine at hand to release the muse. I was MOtivated! But no worries. I took the night off. And i'm off the hook again because today's earrings were made by Melissa. From glass and wire. From scratch.

Melissa is a talented bead artist who works in several media. We've always looked to her for her expertise in beadweaving and her strong technical skills. Recently Melissa has ventured into metalwork and is creating beautiful cold-joined jewelry. Her metalwork classes at the shop are very popular. And very affordable, i might add. Get more info here about classes.

Melissa is also a lampwork artist and she made the headpins used in today's earrings. Very cool. And by the way, Melissa's glass beads are available at...the shop. How convenient!

Supplies:
(6) glass topped 5inch copper headpins
(2) ear wires

Th-th-that's all, folks.

Make wrapped loops incorporating a fancy wire technique and connect them as you go. Pretty! And swingy! That's a good thing!Thanks, Melissa!

Until next time, y'all...bead happy!

An Earring a Day says "Laissez les bons temps rouler!"

2012-02-21T19:51:00.000-08:00

Dinosaur Egg at Indian Head Park
near Study Butte, Texas

Heading towards Presidio, Texas

Wanna guess what today's inspiration is? Mais oui! C'est Mardi Gras, mes amis! Laissez les bons temps rouler!

I've always felt Mardi Gras should be the first day of the party season, rather than the last. Let's make it so!

Anyways. Earrings. Since it's Carnivale just about everywhere in the world where folks love a party, the scope of the inspiriation board is pretty wide open and just about anything - let me rephrase that - anything goes. I kept it simple and went with the colors of Mardi Gras in New Orleans - purple for royalty, green for money, and gold for beer.

You buy that? Sweet!

Actually, according to the official -well, it looks official -Mardi Gras website for the great city of New Orleans, the colors signify Justice, Faith and Power. Initial caps, even. Still don't believe me? Check it out for yourself at http://www.mardigrasneworleans.com/mgcolors.html

Supplies:
(2) 6.5mm round faceted amethyst beads (amethyst is Feb's birthstone btw)
(18) Swarvoski bicone crystals in various sizes and colors of green and purple
(6) 8mm or so gold round jump rings
(8) 4x6mm or so gold oval jump rings
(a few) 3mm gold round beads

(2) 3inch pieces of 20gauge wire for ear wires (i used 18gauge - ouch)

gold headpins (i only had 26gauge wire so i faked it)

Assemble components and wear them to the party. Or, better yet, Parties. Initial cap, even.

We gon' have some fun on the bayou! Aiieee!

An Earring a Day

2012-02-20T19:34:00.000-08:00

A bit of business...if you want an email notification when we post a new blog, there's an app for that. ha ha! No seriously. I won't share your email and you'll get an email only if i post. Any luck on this end and you'll get one most every day! Sweet. Go ahead. Sign up. You know you don't want to miss a thing.

Today's design has been percolatin' in my head for some time. I like to knot pearls and even gemstones so i thought i could incorporate knotting into an earring desing. Design, even. The only string i had on hand is C-lon in a burgundy and micro C-lon in a redder shade. The micro was too thin so i went with the burgundy and for beads i used glass drops. C-lon, by the way, is a nylon cord that comes in four weights, or thicknesses, and a wide variety of beautiful colors. It's great for macrame and kumihimo, and we carry it at the shop.

For a knotting project you need string about three times the desired finished length. Knotting uses a surprising amount of cord. Not really knowing how long these earrings would be, i cut a 24inch piece and threaded on the bottom bead and tied a knot above it with both strings. Then i just alternated clear glass drops on the left and right strings and knotted in between, tied on the soldered ring and attached the whole shebang to the gunmetal ear wire. Not bad. I think i'll put a gunmetal crimp cover over that last knot which will minimize it and add a touch of black to the top of the design.

Don't know how to knot? Come see us; we're knotty girls. A couple of good web sites include http://www.karipearls.com/ and http://www.jewelrymaking.about.com/ .

Woohoo! Two pair in two days! I've got a streak going!

Home Again Home Again

2012-02-19T19:04:00.000-08:00

We're baaaack! Got home last Wednesday evening after 5,580 miles of road. Whew. What a great trip. Family, friends, and the great American West. What's not to love. Sweet moments and bittersweet ones, too. I won't be going home again.

But enough about me. Let's talk earrings!!

After a hiatus of...ummmm, several days shall we say?... i've made a pair of earrings! Go me. My inspiration was from the book making beautiful bead and wire jewelry by linda jones (small caps as shown). She has a pair of "starburst" earrings that she says were inspired by Bollywood style. JUST in case you aren't familiar with the term, Bollywood is the informal description of the Hindi-language film industry that is based in Mumbai, India (thanks, Wikipedia!) But i digress.

A variety of factors kept me, again, from following through with the project as presented. For one, i couldn't pull together a satisfactory combination of beads. For another, i didn't really cotton to the finished design so i wasn't too sad that the bead combo didn't jell. BUT...i did take a main element and use it in my design. And sometimes, that's all you need. KISS, right?

And the best part, the focal beads are from Mom's eclectic collection!

Supplies:
20gauge copper wire
2 x Mom's glass heart beads

That's all. I made everything from the 20gauge wire.

One thing new i tried was "working from the coil" of wire instead of cutting of short lengths. It seemed like i used less wire so it might be worth a try. If you try it, you'll have to give some thought to the order of the beads you are threading on, and what end of the component you are making first.

So, using a cylinder of a size you like, wrap the 20gauge around a couple of times to make two complete circles and then cut like you would for jump rings. These are your hoops. Bend one end of the wire circle to form a loop as on the left end in the photo. Then twist the wire so the loop is to the back of the circle. Alternatively, you could leave the loop on the side, but i like the look of them to the back. After you thread on the drop, make a loop on the other end of the wire circle.

The design idea i "retrieved" from the pattern was the long center drop, or stem, as ms jones calls it. But instead of loading it up with beads, i placed only the one focal and left the remaining wire bare. Different look! Thread the drop onto the hoop.

Next, make two simple ear wires and two good sized jump rings from the 20gauge wire.Open a jump ring and thread on a loop, an ear wire and the other loop of the hoop. Close the jump ring and repeat for the other earring. Cool beans! I like 'em! I'm wearing them now and the copper wire is not bothering my ears. Yay for that.

So there ya go. Another pair of earrings. I've lost count and lost track but what the hey. We're having some kind of fun and that's what matters. Cheers!

Still On the Road - Challenge 2012

2012-02-12T21:36:00.000-08:00

Amigo watching Terry
from across the ravine

Rainy cold Sunday in Lajitas and across much of Texas. We stayed close to the house, venturing out for a walk or to throw discs across the ravine. I updated the website which took forrrrrrrrrever because of the weak wifi signal from the resort but i got it done and that was huge.

Yesterday was a drive past Presidio to the ghost town at Shafter which was a bit of a disappointment. Couldn't walk thru the ruins of the town but we took a few photos and drove back through Presidio where we stopped and had a meal at El Patio again. Tres leches cake, anyone? Oh my.

Wound our route back home stopping to look at canyons and hoodoos and balancing rocks along the way. Looked like rain was moving in so we just kept moving on.

Today the weather kept us in. I made earrings. Kelly picked the colors - amber and turquoise - and we played with beads a bit. Kelly quilts and her current project is a Fibonacci design (think the crosscut of a chamber nautilus). Her perspective is different from mine, much less rigid and freer with color. I'm uptight; what can i say?

But the earrings swing! And the colors look fabulous together and, all in all, we made such a pretty pair!

Supplies:
(4) amber beads, drilled on the diagonal
(4) 4mm Swarovski rondelles in crystal copper
(2) 4mm turquoise glass rondelles
22gauge non-tarnish brass copper core wire

Using bailing pliers so i'd get consistently sized loops, i made the components for the earrings and then attached them together, opening the simple loops like jump rings. Then because i didn't have any ready made ear wires in a suitable finish, i made some real simple interchangeable ear wires from the same 22gauge wire. Really should start carrying a file to take the edge of those ear wires!

Our days here are dwindling fast and there is still so much to do. Tomorrow it's Study Butte for the post office and hardware store and Mexican food at Rosie's. Tuesday we start our drive towards home. Bright spot: Pappys in Monahan Texas. Best brisket EVER. Another pair of earrings? Nah. I'll play catch up when i get home. Maybe.

Earring count: 36 earrings/ 40 days

Still On the Road - Challenge 2012

2012-02-10T18:26:00.000-08:00

Lajitas Peak

Another day in Lajitas. Where no plan is the best plan.
Yesterday we geocached and got our Texas badge.
Today, the boys went shootin' and the girls went walkin'.
Then we sat in the sun and watched the mountains.
Made a pair of earrings.
Pizza at the Long Draw.
A quick update of all social media.
Tomorrow? Quien sabe?

The inspiration for today's earrings came as i stepped out the back door. There's a large specimen of calcite setting at the foot of the stairs and little pieces frequently fall off. I picked up two pieces, washed them off and set them down on the mat.

Not drilled. Going to have to wrap them with wire. Uhh. Free form wire wrapping is harder than it looks. For me anyways! So i took a piece of practice wire and played a bit then went the 18gauge non-tarnish brass plated copper core wire and wrapped those rocks, baby!

Then i used 22gauge wire (same as above) and made ear wires. The earrings are a teensy bit heavy but hey, they're rock steady.

I really like these ear wires. I used them for the green discs and for at least one another pair. If you remember, it's a single piece of wire with a large loop and then the other end goes through your piercing.

So here's another pair in the challenge. ha ha! The challenge has morphed but we shall persevere and make earrings wherever we go!

Earring count: 35 in 37 days

On the Road - Challenge 2012

2012-02-08T20:30:00.000-08:00

Whewwwwww. Tuesday February 7. "You have reached your destination on the left."

Lajitas, Texas

Over 4000 miles from home so far. Since i posted Monday, i took a vacation day on Tuesday. Fair enough.

Today's pair is called Full Moon over Tucson.

Monday we drove east from Barstow. We planned to leave earlier and drive farther but we wanted to lighten the load in the car. We left Barstow two hours later than planned because it took us that long to find the shipping service and get things boxed and mailed.

The two hours included a nearly 30 minute wait, standing in front of the store with our trunk emptied to the sidewalk, staring in the window. Once we got in and to the counter which didn't take long, the ladies were wonderful and the young lady that packed our stuff did a professional job. It took a while.

One hundred pounds lighter, we're headed east for....Tombstone but we only make it to Tucson. Where many of the bead shows are still open. Where the suites on either side of us were vendor suites. Where i could have spent a day or two buying beads. Buying more beads. Seeing new items. Meeting vendors. Buying beads.

Since i didn't come prepared, we didn't stay. Left Tucson early on Tuesday and drove I-10 east through Las Cruces and then El Paso with Ciudad Juarez spilling over onto the US side of the line. Border Patrol very evident along the way. Big and showy. Lots of equipment visible at points of entry.

Left the sprawl of El Paso behind and dropped south soon after, heading for the Big Bend of Texas. Wiiiiiiiild country. Rugged canyons and wide washes. Large rocks poised to tumble down the high high canyon walls. And through it runs the river border we share with Mexico and all the excitement that brings.

Anyways, lots of driving through stunning country and maybe the next pair of earrings will reflect on that but for tonight, it's the color of the sky at sunset as we pulled into Tucson on a night of the full moon. ahhhhhooooooo!

Supplies:
shell rings, drilled through
mother of pearl beads, 10mm or whatever fits
coral beads
wire - i like 22gauge
ear wires

Assemble and put 'em on. I wish a round shape looked good against my face, because these are colorful and fun to wear with good movement. It's important for earrings to have movement, i think.

I should have something for you tomorrow, next day. Check back so as not to miss anything. Are you following us on Twitter yet? @BeadBoutiqueKC

On the Road - Challenge 2012

2012-02-06T21:21:00.000-08:00

Maybe it's obvious to some that i missed yesterday's blog. Technology and fatigue combined to deter me from completing it.

We left SF later than planned but not by much. With the car (over)loaded, we headed across the Bay Bridge on I-580 and then south into the Central Valley on Highway 99. What a great ride! Remnants of the extensive agricultural lands that once dominated that area still border the highway. Fruit orchards in manicured rows. Cherry trees pruned and groomed to a fare-thee-well festooned in pink flowers. Livestock in abundance. The land is flat flat flat looking all the way west and flat flat flat til it meets the foothills to the east.

We ran parallel to the Sierra Nevada Mountains on our eastern side, passing the turnoffs to the fabled parks of Central California: Stanislaus National Forest, Yosemite, Mammoth Lake, Kings Canyon. We cruised through Bakersfield to our destination for the day: Barstow. On the edge of the Mojave Desert.

What an adventure this is!

And the nature of an adventure is that you just never know.

Inspired by the sweet beauty of the cherry blossoms, i made a pair of earrings, photographed them....and then discovered that the hotel's WiFi wasn't working and that Terry's hotspot wasn't working and thus if there is no internet access then there is no blogging. OMG!!! In the midst of my great dismay of not being able to blog - OMG!!! - i had an internal headslap and realized that making earrings every night while on vacation with Terry was undercutting our time together. So i'm cutting back. I obviously now won't be making 365 earrings in 365 days - darn it! - but ima gonna keep on making earrings and ima gonna keep on blogging and ima gonna hope you'll be following along.

Here are the earrings from yesterday. I had a strand of pink glass flowers that, naturally, i've had forever and i combined them first with pink Swarovski crystals and then Terry said i should use red so the second earring has dark red crystals. And i just let them be. You decide which color crystal you like best.

Also!!!! We're on Twitter!! I'm not sure why i'm so excited about it or what exactly we're going to do with it, but we're @BeadBoutiqueKC so follow us!

Earring count: 33 pairs/35 days

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

2012-02-04T21:24:00.000-08:00

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

2012-02-03T19:57:00.000-08:00

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

2012-02-02T21:50:00.000-08:00

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

2012-02-01T20:27:00.000-08:00

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

2012-01-31T22:23:00.000-08:00

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!

2012-01-30T21:36:00.000-08:00

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

2012-01-29T22:46:00.000-08:00

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!

Day XXV of Challenge 2012 - 365/365

2012-01-28T20:12:00.000-08:00

Rocky Mountain hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiigh in Colorado!

Woohoo! Left Hays just before 7am and, lemme tell you, it was cold. Western Kansas is much like eastern Kansas and eastern Colorado is much like western and eastern Kansas. Flat to the horizons. The road is stick straight. Then you notice you've been climbing and now you're at 3500 feet, then 4000, 4800 and then the magic mile 5,280 feet above sea level and you're still going up!

You're all wrapped up in watching the altitude climb (on your iPhone duh) until you come up over a rise and there they are. In the distance but still awe inspiring. We were about 40 miles east of Denver at that point and Terry's comment was how it would have taken the pioneers two days to travel the 40 miles we were going to cover in the next 30 minutes or so. Think on that for awhile.

Then Denver. And Saturday morning ski traffic. But who cares?? We were driving across the Rocky Mountains and the scenery was majestic! Rivers and rocks and big horn sheep and tunnels and gorges and snow blowing from the top of the mountains. It was wonderful.

We stopped in Grand Junction for the night and found Orrs' Trading Company and it's lovely manager, Debora, and we bought some beads and feathers and honey and there was plenty more we left behind. So tonight's pair is the outcome of all that and, furthermore, these were designed by Terry. Presented with no further ado and just 340 more pairs of earrings about which there will be much ado and to do and hoodoo and would you? Please? Just once? So he did.

Day 24 of Challenge 2012 -365 earrings in 365 days

2012-01-27T21:12:00.000-08:00

As we were driving across the vast flatness that is eastern Kansas, we were, uh, struck by its vast flatness. Then we we hit the Flint Hills at sunset. How beautiful it was! The rolling hills silhouetted against a sky aflame with pink and orange and the headlights of the oncoming vehicles were punctuation marks against the darkening sky.

All that beauty and, yet, when i sat down at the desk in the hotel room in Hays, Kansas....nada. Colors didn't come together. Beads weren't telling the story of the glorious views we had seen in the Heartland.

So i went to the beach instead. No worries, mon.

Supplies:
(2) 25mm mother of pearl discs
(2) lengths of chain i had lying around with little white drops already on it from a previous failed project
(12) 6mm Swarovski bicones to the rescue in ocean colors
(2) 10mm jump rings
(2) 4mm jump rings
(2) ear wires

To the left are the component pieces. And just fyi, i hung the chain on the inside curve of the disc.

I don't wear round earrings like discs and hoops as my face shape looks better with longer earrings but i think i'd wear these!

Especially if i was on the beach in Jamaica sipping a cold one and watching the waves roll in. Then i'd watch them roll away again.

And i'd do that for 341 days while i made that many more earrings out of seashells and sand crabs.

Day 23 of Challenge 2012 - 365/365

2012-01-26T20:42:00.000-08:00

Since we are hittin' the road tomorrow afternoon and much is left to do before then, i thought i would make a pair of earrings that featured (that's a mighty strong word for what is about to occur) a simple-looking technique i had downloaded from http://www.jewelrylessons.com/ many months ago. I was rifling through stacks of paper looking for something else and the printout caught me beady eye.

The technique is a variation of the "uh oh i don't have any headpins" theme or, alternatively, the "geez i'm so tired of using those boring headpins" theme.

This tutorial was posted to http://www.jewelrylessons.com/ by Donna Spadafore and she requests that she, as the designer, be credited. So be it. Here's the link to the tute but you'll have to sign in or register to get the deets: http://www.jewelrylessons.com/tutorial/knotted-headpin

Tutes and deets. Gotta love it.

Take a length of 22gauge soft or half hard wire about 1.5inches longer than how long you want the headpin.

Bend the wire up 1.5inches from the bottom like a hairpin. Squeeze the bend together. Gently.

At about 1/8inch from the bottom of the bend, bend the shorter wire out at 90degrees.

Then wrap that wire around the doubled piece of wire below where you just bent it.

Ms Donna says to cut the wire and file it but pshaw! That there is fer perfessionals. I jes' wraps it til it's 'bout done and calls it gud. Yessir.

Six attempts later, i called it good. 'Cause i have to save some energy for the remaining 342 pairs.

And i have to pack.

Day 22 of Challenge 2012 - 365 earrings in 365 days

2012-01-25T21:25:00.000-08:00

Back when silver was $7 or so for a troy ounce (as compared to the $30 or so of today) i didn't think twice about buying the silver items that caught my eye. And one of my most favorite silver things, then and now, is liquid silver - those thin little hollow tubes of silver that, when gathered onto multiple strands, flow and shimmer like a river dancing in the late afternoon sun.

Sigh.

I have yet to amass enough of these little heishi beads to make the necklace of my dreams, but in support of more recent fantasies, i raided the stash of enough to make today's earrings.

Supplies:

(6) 3inch pieces of 22gauge silver plated wire
(6) turquoise glass drops
(42) liquid silver heishi beads

(2) 10mm plated jump rings

(2) stainless ear wires

Straighten the wire piece as much as you like. A bit of curve can be a good thing.

Thread a glass drop onto the wire and secure with a briolette wrap. Don't use too much wire at this point.

Thread 8 heishi on one wire, 7 on the second wire, and 6 on the third wire.

Make a simple loop on each wire right above the last heishi.

Open a 10mm jump ring and thread the 3 wires and the ear wire onto the jump ring.

Close the jump ring and put those babies in your ear. Swingin'!

Repeat for the second earring.

All the earrings i've made so far are now on display at the shop. Makes for a fun collection but i do wonder where i'm going to put all 365 of the little objets d'art. I suppose that will work itself out. The trick is going to be coming up with CCCXLIII more of them.

Day 21 of Challenge 2012 - 365 earrings in 365 days

2012-01-24T20:50:00.000-08:00

21. Does that make us legal?

If there had ever been a Plan A, today's pair would be Plan B. More likely C or D. But that's the creative fun in this here challenge! No plans. No worries. And, so far, 21 pairs of earrings in as many days. Woot!

I kinda like the mix of beads in this pair. There's natural shell, glass, and metal so it seems the design is about combining textures. The color is neutral. I wanted to add a pop of red but didn't have any suitable beads so went with black and i think doing so kept the design from losing its direction. hahahaha!! Like we had direction to begin with!

Anyhoo....

Supplies:

(2) heart shaped shell beads
(2) 6mm Swarovski bicones (jet)
(2) random metal beads (Are they bows? Are they butterflies?)
head pins and 24gauge plated wire
(2) gunmetal ear wires

I'd wear this pair, too! Just 44 more - oops! - make that THREE HUNDRED44 more pairs to not plan.

p.s. We're headed Out West this weekend. I'll be forced to engage in a bit o' planning if i think i'm going to make earrings while on the road for the next three weeks. yeehaw. I'll keep you updated.

Day XX of Challenge 2012 - 365 earrings in 365 days!

2012-01-23T21:25:00.000-08:00

Sometimes overthinking leads to blockage and that's what happened to me tonight. I thought lightning would strike twice and i would be INSPIRED by outside events again today. No such luck. I guess working on taxes doesn't give me a creative jolt. Go figure.

So i tried this and tried that and messed around - which is fun in and of itself but doesn't necessarily lead to a finished pair of earrings. Finally, almost in desperation, i picked up a pair of antiqued plated copper chandelier components. I tried black glass drops but really didn't want to have to do briolette wraps tonight although the black looked good with the copper. Tried this. Tried that. Tried the other. Nothing was clicking.

Well wouldn't you know it. Swarovski bicones to the rescue. The color was perfect. The shape is attractive. And, sometimes, making a few decent wrapped loops makes me feel like i've accomplished something, by gum. I'm going to wear these tomorrow!

Supplies:

(2) plated earring components
(6) 6mm Swarovski bicones (tourmaline)
(2) plated ear wires

Twenty pairs of earrings in as many days...
Can i stop now?
Not so fast, lil miss. You've got 345 more to go. Aiiiyeeeeeee!

Day 19 of Challenge 2012 - 365/365

2012-01-22T21:18:00.000-08:00

I rarely title the jewelry that i make but tonight's pair is called "Bad Hands".

My first inspiration was 49er red and gold. My final inspiration was Kyle Williams' fumble in OT.

Ah well.

Supplies:
(2) 6inch pieces of 26gauge gold plated copper core wire
(2) each of glass hand beads, matte gold frames, small turquoise beads
(2) 4mm jump rings
(2) gold plated ear wires

The glass hand beads are top drilled so i threaded the wire through until the bead sat in the middle, then folded the wire up like for a briolette wrap. Instead i used the vise pin and twisted the wire, stopping when there was a nice distance between the glass hand beads and the twist of the wire. Then i just threaded the wire through the frame, capturing the turquoise bead in the middle of the frame. Then a wrapped loop and a 4mm jump ring to attach the dangle to the ear wire.

It's a sad pair. Like 49er fans everywhere.

Day 18 of Challenge 2012 - 365 earrings in 365 days!

2012-01-21T20:47:00.000-08:00

Wow! We had a BUSY day at the shop today and my legs are tired! It's been several weeks since i've had the chance to put out like that (just checking to see if anybody's reading this) and i'm feeling it! Whew. I need a lie-down.

OK. Today's earrings are inspired by new product samples that one of our vendors had sent to us. It's basically the "wrapped loop dangle(s)" approach and reminds me of the hammered silver earring from early on, but different beads and elements make this pair unique.

Supplies:
(2) curved tubes in matte silver (NEW finish from Gordon's Nevada)
(2) 6mm Swarovski rounds (blue zircon)
1 foot of 22gauge German style plated copper core wire by Beadsmith
(2) leverback plated ear wires
(2) 4mm plated open rings

Assemble, and Bob's yer uncle Frannie's yer aunt.

Just 347 pairs left to do. How many pairs have you made? Check out our earring group on Facebook. There are some wild earring women on the loose! You ought to get in on the fun. Seriously.

Day 17 of Challenge 2012

2012-01-20T20:50:00.000-08:00

The grandbaby is visiting tonight so the earrings were quick and easy - truly! - and today's post will be even shorter.

(6) crystal discs
6mm round Swarovski crystal
(2) sterling bead tip headpins
24gauge plated wire
ear wires

See you tomorrow!

Day 16 of Challenge 2012 - 365 earrings in 365 days!

2012-01-19T20:48:00.000-08:00

There's been lots of conversation at the shop about this challenge of making 365 earrings in as many days. And i will be the first to say it is silly and, really, what's the point? The point is that its got folks talking about their creativity. And it's got folks sitting down and expressing themselves through their craft. Some are lucky enough to be able to create a lil sumthin every day. Others are making a pair of earrings every so often. Still others are on the bracelet a month track. And the best part? It's building a community of people who are sharing their love of making jewelry and who are reaching out to each other with words of encouragement and who are having fun together! It makes me feel better just typing those words! Play along. Make something. Post your photos on our earrings group Facebook page. And,most importantly, enjoy!

Today was Late Night Thursday at the shop so Day 16's offering is as easy as i could make it.

I've had these apple green glass discs made by Melissa for a couple, three years. They caught my eye as potential earrings early on in this adventure (Look! TWO of something!) and they've been lying on the mat waiting patiently.

When i used the ear wire design by Denise Peck in the Feb-Mar 2012 issue of step by step Wire Jewelry magazine for Day 13, i knew i'd be using it again with these discs. And sure enough, i did. But this time i used 20gauge wire instead of 18gauge and i much prefer the smaller wire.

The design called for spacers which, of course, i didn't have on hand <sigh> so i made some out of 22gauge color coated copper core wire. Black. Spirals. Ha ha! Necessity is the mother of desperation or some such. And with the copper wire for the ear wires, the design has a kind of freedom of expression about it that makes it fun. Which is our theme for today and most days, so it's all good.

Supplies:
(2) 6inch pieces of 20gauge wire
(2) glass discs
scrap wire to make coiled spacers

Here they be. Just 349 more fundays left! Seriously? Is that all?

Day 15 of Challenge 2012 - 365 earrings in 365 days!

2012-01-18T19:22:00.000-08:00

Today was definitely going to be an easy breezy project. And for the most part it was.

Except.....

I wanted to thread freshwater pearls onto the wire and they didn't fit. Imagine that. So instead of compromising my design (never!) and using a different bead, i pulled out that handy little tool we used with the corks back on Day 7. It takes a bit o' time and a bit more patience, but i was able to ream out the holes for both pearls quite easily. I really think i'm just going to have to put that mini hand drill in my tool pouch and let Terry borrow it from me.

Supplies:
(2) 4inch pieces of 22gauge fancy round wire by Artistic Wire
(2) glass beads
(2) freshwater pearls
(2) 4mm jump rings
leverback ear wires

That fancy wire is quite soft but adds such a nice glint to the design that it's worth fussing with. So i fussed with it a few times and finally got it to where i was satisfied. Remember, this was to be an easy day. The glass beads are a bit large and quite clear and the drill hole is obvious. What to do. What to do.

Ha! Turn them on their sides! That's what i did. Day 15 is done.
Gone the sun. From the lakes. From the hills. From the sky.
(Was anybody else a Girl Scout?)
All is well. Safely rest. God is nigh.

And just nigh onto 350 days til i'm done.

Day 14 of Challenge 2012 - 365 earrings in 365 days!

2012-01-17T20:30:00.000-08:00

Bringin' in the big guns tonight! Well...their bitty bullets anyways. Terry bought me a brick of .45 brass shell casings as components for earrings. Awww...it must be love!

He was also there to resolve the first - and for a change, only - problem of today's project. The base metal head pins slipped right through the beads we had selected. grrr. And making a loop at the bottom of the bead spoiled the rounded look we were after.

So he took a length of 18gauge non-tarnish brass plated copper core wire, filed the cut end smooth, gripped the wire in a pair of pliers and then flattened the end with a brass hammer. Sweeeeeeeeeet!

You can see the wire below the pliers if you look hard. The copper core wire is soft enough and the 18gauge is big enough so that the wire flattens out into a headpin effect.

Armed with perfect caliber headpins, it was a quick draw to Day 14's pair. Bang!

Sure as shootin, we're aiming for just 351 more!

Corny, no?

Day 13 of Challenge 2012 - 365 earrings in 365 days!

2012-01-16T18:51:00.000-08:00

Wow. I should have more days off from work. Here it is before dinner time and today's earrings are finished and i'm writing the blog. Might even get to bed before midnight!

The design intent for today was to make a cage for...something. Something undrilled. Something unusual. Something. Anything. Found a couple of stones that i thought would work. Dyed a sorta pretty pinkish purple, these stones didn't need to be front and center. They needed to be camoflauged. Perfect.

First question: How long a piece of wire does one need to make a cage for something that is approximately 20mm? First answer: I don't know.

My first attempt fell woefully short. Then ten inches wasn't enough. Twelve inches wasn't enough. Any bigger and these caged stones would be too heavy for earrings. OK. I get it. These stones are not going to be included in the earrings of the day. But dang it! I want to cage something!! grrr.

Back to the cage made from the 10" piece of wire. Good size and nicely done...hmmmm...

Searched around the house. Found an old necklace i never wear. Didn't like it then. Don't like it now. But the beads might work. Colorful and, best of all, lightweight. Let's cut that bad girl up and recycle a couple of those beads. Perfect!

Supplies:
(2) 10" pieces of 18gauge brass plated copper core wire (all wire is non-tarnish brass by Artistic Wire)
2 random beads (with holes)
(2) 4" pieces of 22gauge brass plated copper core wire (20gauge would have been better but....)
(2) 5" pieces of 18 guage brass plated copper core wire for earwires

To make a cage, start at one end of the wire and make a spiral to the middle of the wire. Make a second spiral starting from the other end so that you have kind of an S shape.
Fold one spiral over the other and then pulll the wire from the ends to open the cage up a bit. You can manipulate the wire to open it as much or as little as you like.
Insert bead and since these beads have holes, i threaded a wire through to attach them to the earrings.

Then inspiration struck! I love when that happens. Instead of hanging the cages top to bottom from the earwires, i hung them SIDEWAYS! Wowser! They went from nice to neat-o! From basic to da bomb!

Did my version of the briolette wrap.....

Then i made earwires following the design by Denise Peck in the Feb-Mar 2012 issue of step by step Wire Jewelry magazine. Great idea but i'm not a fan of 18gauge wire for earwires. It's just too big for my piercings. Had i had 20gauge on hand i would have used that. But i really like the possibilities for this earwire and will definitely keep it in my earring design book.

Day 13 presents. I like this pair! And just 352 likeable pairs to go. I can dooooooooo it!

Day 12 of Challenge 2012

2012-01-15T22:06:00.000-08:00

I'm going to have to hurry to get this post written before midnight!

First, though. Terry insisted i repost the photo from yesterday's earrings. He said the earrings looked much darker than their actual color so here is a better photo. Look! You can actually see the white drops at the end of the chain. Niiiice. I see lots of potential using this basic earring design. I like the long wire in the back. You could definitely change the front wire and incorporate some different elements for a completely different look.

But onward. We have Day 12 at hand!

The inspiration for today's pair of earrings came from the hat band i've been making for Terry's black Stetson. I've been making this hat band for, oh, three years? But i'm thisclose to getting 'er done and since it is sitting out on the table begging to be finished, i used the colors in today's design. Here's the as yet unfinished hat band.

This was my first real attempt at off loom beadwork. It was to be a bracelet but i liked the design so much that i just kept stitching. The pattern is an original design by - me!

Today i had a little extra time so i figured i could finish a pair of fringe earrings using the Cheyenne Brick Stitch and a pattern from Irene Louise's book. Hahahahaha! I should so know better!

It took me soooooooooooooooo long that i ended up stopping halfway through the design and foregoing the fringe effect all together so that i could finish the second earring. But i really like this stitch and will definitely attempt it again. When i have an entire day, perhaps.

Irene Louise likes to use 15/0 hex beads in her earrings. I didn't have those anywhere on hand at home or at the shop so i used 11/0 seeds. I actually prefer the look of the round seeds, especially for the Native American designs.

Supplies:

11/0 seeds in turquoise, black, copper and silver

kidney ear wires

And because i didn't do the fringe, i added a picot edging to finish it off. Very pretty, don't you think? I'd definitely wear these.

So much for Day 12. What do you think we'll do tomorrow? Only one way to find out!

Day 11 - The bead goes on. And on and on and...

2012-01-14T20:57:00.000-08:00

How 'bout them 'Niners!

Today we were privileged to attend the lovely wedding of a young couple. I was so hoping to be inspired by the whole wedding atmosphere and come home and whip up a stunning pair of earrings that any bride would be proud to wear. The colors today were white, silver and blue - a very wintery combination and a very effective combination that i totally love.

It's really nice to have an idea. It would be even nicer if some of these ideas i have just carried themselves to completion and left me standing in awe of my powers of design.

I tried. I really tried. Lustrous white beads. Drops. Crystals. Sigh. Not to be.

So today's earrings are a punt. But they turned out pretty good despite me.

Supplies:

20gauge wire (i think this is square wire, actually)
8/0 seed beads
3.4mm drops
chain

Make a loop on one end of a 5 inch piece of wire.
Thread 8/0 seeds in your choice of color to cover one half of the wire.
Bend the wire in half into a long oval.
File the end that will go through the ear.
Attach a drop to the chain by opening a link and adding the bead.
Open the loop on the end of the wire and attach the chain.
Close the loop.

Not bad, eh? And just 354 ideas left to bubble to the surface! I'm psyched!

Challenge 2012 (Day 10) - 365 earrings in 365 days

2012-01-13T21:14:00.000-08:00

Day 10! Double digits, baby!!

For today's earring extravaganza, i thought i would try forming wire into a shape reminiscent of earrings i had back in the day. Back in the day in my case equals the late 60's and early 70's in San Francisco, so think hippies and beads and love is all you need.

I started with 22gauge copper core colored wire in a lovely ice blue but i didn't have the beads on hand to finish out the design so i switched over to 20gauge copper wire. Forming the wire free-hand was a bit of a challenge and it took me a couple of tries to get it close to right. I could have used a jig - homemade or otherwise - but a) i didn't have one on hand naturally and b) i like the look of wire that's been worked over a bit.

Ninety minutes later (could i be any slower?) i had two fairly similar wire shapes and then it was "just" a matter of finding the beads to complete the design i had in mind. I finally settled on black drops and black and turquoise seeds. KISS, right? (Keep It Simple Sister)

Choosing the drops meant i had to do the briolette wrap again but i think i've discovered a little trick. Let me work it out a bit more and take a few photos, and i'll share it.

Then i used simple loops to attach the 3 seed beads. When i make double loops, i like to have the loop faces alternating directions. To achieve this lofty goal, have the first loop facing you when you start to form the second loop.

And that's all there is to it.

Supplies:
(2) 6-inch pieces of 20gauge copper wire
24gauge copper wire to attach the beads
(2) black glass teardrop beads
(18) 11/0 seed beads in black (12) and turquoise (6)
ear wires

I used my handy bailing pliers to form the "chandelier" part of the earring and then the usual assortment of flat nose, round nose and cutters to complete the job. I kinda like these. Terry said they looked elegant. Sweet! And, just 355 pairs left to do! Go me.

Have you found our group on Facebook? Search for "earrings!!!" and join up so you can post photos of earrings you've made. I'd sure like to see what you all are creating!!

Happy trails to you until we meet again.

Challenge 2012 (Day 9) - 365 earrings in 365 days!

2012-01-12T20:56:00.000-08:00

It was Late Night Thursday at the shop so the plan was to do an easy pair of earrings for today's entry. On my way out i grabbed the last two 20mm raspberry colored acrylic beads that have been sitting around for a year or more. I've been wanting to do a long chain/bead combo for a couple of days and i thought these beads would be light and bright. Easy breezy lemon peasy! Stick a headpin in it and i'm done for the day.

Of course not.

The first couple of attempts were pretty standard: headpin, bead on top and bottom of large bead. All equaled BORING. Then inspiration! What if i made it look as if the chain is threaded through the bead?!? As if the bead is floating on the chain?!?

And that's what i did.

Supplies:

silver plated chain (from years ago! still looked shiny bright)

18gauge silver plated copper core wire

(2) 20mm acrylic beads

ear wires

The chain didn't fit through the bead hole so i made a double eyepin sort of deal with the 18gauge wire. It was a bit tricky making the eyepin because i wanted it to sit very close to the bead so the chain would look like it just continued through. So i made one eye, threaded the bead on and then flailed around trying to make the other eye. It wasn't a tidy process but i got 'er done by golly.

One caution: be sure you cover the chain, or wire for that matter, with your hand as you cut it. Pieces o' metal can go flying across the table with surprising force.

Then i opened the eyepins and attached the pieces of chain, and then opened the ring on the ear wire and attached the end of the long piece of chain. And voila! Day 9 is lookin' fine. Why didn't i add a bead to the end of the chain? Because that would have been PREDICTABLE!! These earrings need to go on a cruise to somewhere warm where you don't have to wear a lot of clothes so you can show them off against your skin.

And they really do look good on!

9 down, 356 to go...

Challenge 2012 (Day 8) - 365 earrings in 365 days!

2012-01-11T19:23:00.000-08:00

Button button who's got the button? I saw a pair of earrings made with buttons in this really cool little book titled 1000 Jewelry Inspirations by Sandra Salamony (Quarry Press) and thought "cool! i'll do a pair like that!" Well, of course, it didn't turn out quite "like that" but buttons were the starting point and we went from there. I'm trying to use beads and things that i already have on hand. I do have to raid the shop for findings because i'm low on ear wires, headpins, rings, and the like. The buttons were still on the original card from, oh, probably five years ago and i actually had several colors to choose from. Simple, round, plastic, washable, two hole buttons....

Supplies include 24gauge and 18gauge silver plated copper core wire, 10mm jump rings, 6mm soldered rings, ear wires, two blue 11/16" (18mm) buttons, and frosted glass drops. Drops are fat little teardrop shaped beads with a hole in the tapered end of the bead. Argghh! I see more briolette wraps in my future!

Cowgirl up and get 'er done, darlin...

And i have to say, i don't usually sit down to make a pair of earrings and walk away satisfied 15 minutes later. I try my original idea and of course it doesn't quite work. I started this pair with clear drops and they just d-d-d-disappeared into the background so i had to redo hoping the frosted drops would work and fortunately they did better. Then the first wraps i did, i used a wrapped loop and that made the drops all hat and no cattle so i had to redo using a simple loop and that worked better. Do you get my drift? Start here and loop-de-loop around and over yonder and back until it jells. Good thing i enjoy the process as much as the product!

OK. Three drops are dangling one each to a soldered 6mm ring. The soldered 6mm rings are threaded onto an approximately 8mm jump ring that i made from the 18gauge wire because, of course, i didn't have any jump rings that size on hand. I could have used a 10mm jump ring but it didn't look right. The 8mm jump ring is threaded onto a 10mm jump ring that goes through one hole of the button. A second 10mm jump ring is threaded through the other hole and a soldered 6mm ring is also on that 10mm jump ring and connects to the ear wire. Thank goodness a picture is worth one thousand words! These are actually kinda cute. Day 8 is done. Uh oh. We're gettin into higher math here but i think i have 357 pairs to go.

Challenge 2012 (Day 7) - 365 earrings in 365 days

2012-01-10T19:12:00.000-08:00

Hahahahahaha! These earrings make me laugh! Lately, as you may imagine, i view everything as potential earring components. So when i finished the last of this lovely imported French wine and discovered i now had TWO corks...

The first order of business was to drill a hole lengthwise in each of the corks. My husband, bless his heart, always has just the right tool and this time was no exception. Using his mini hand drill, i drilled in from each end of the cork and then used an awl to enlarge the hole enough for wire to pass through. This is a sweet little tool! I found it online at http://www.welburngourdfarm.com/ and, according to the website, it is ideal for making teeny tiny holes. We know it works on wine corks! I might have to get my own. Terry keeps a pretty close eye on his toys.

Once the corks were drilled, it was easy going. I had a couple of brown glass heart beads to dangle from the bottom and i used 22gauge copper core color coated wire to form the loops. I had to use a briolette wrap on the glass beads. Not my preference but ya gotta go with the bead hole flow, right? And.....here they are! Lucky Day 7! Corks, glass beads, and 22ga wire. Sweet!! I wonder how many corks i'd need to make a necklace? A long necklace...............

Challenge 2012 (Day 6) - 365 earrings in 365 days

2012-01-09T17:30:00.000-08:00

Today's earrings are pretty straightforward but, once again, pretty beads and, in this case, fancy wire make a difference! I'd definitely wear this pair.

Before i get into the earrings themselves, i have a dilemma i'd like to put before you all. WHAT am i going to do with 365 pairs of earrings??? Our daughter suggested we display them at the shop, hanging them above the top row of goods and going around and around the walls as needed. Gettin dizzzy just thinking about that! They aren't for sale just yet. I'm thinking we might auction them off next January (in lots of 10 pair ha ha) and then donate the proceeds to......And that's where i'm stuck. Any ideas? Last year i participated in the Craft Challenge for the Wounded Warriors of the Special Forces. Don't quite know what happened to that deal as the gal doing it got sidetracked by some other stuff but i liked the idea of supporting our soldiers and their families. Anyways, leave a comment if you have a favorite charity. We've got a few days before we have to have a decision, right?

OK. The fancy wire i mentioned earlier is a Beadalon product called, you guessed it, fancy wire! It is a copper core wire plated with non-tarnish silver. And what it is is wire that has been twisted and then drawn to smooth out the bumpy edges. It has a bit of a glint and adds a hint of elegance without bulk. I used 22ga and found it to be very soft and easy to wrap.

Speaking of wraps, i like to use bailing pliers so that my loops are the same size throughout the project. Bailing pliers have two different sized jaws and the jaws aren't tapered like a round nose. Instead each jaw is the same diameter top to bottom so no matter where you place your wire, the loop will be the same size. Ha ha!...come to think of it, i can use FOUR tools to make a wrapped loop: bailing pliers to get the loop size, round nose to grip the loop while i finish forming it, flat nose to hold the loop while i wrap the neck, and cutters to cut the tail. Hard way Harriet for sure!

So here is today's pair! I used 6 green turquoise discs, two chips of quartz crystal, the fancy round wire, and stainless ear wires. Because i was using wire and not headpins, i formed a tiny loop at the bottom of the crystal chip. Again, this design is simple but effective. And depending on how you arrange the beads, it'll look different every time. Just 359 pairs left to do!! I'm on it. I'm so on it.

Challenge 2012 (Day V) - 365 earrings in 365 days!

2012-01-08T19:50:00.001-08:00

And the next entry in the seemingly never-ending earring saga (is this really just the fifth day?), is a study in spirals. Working with wire is an extended learning process for me; each time i try a wire technique, it seems like the first time. I've made spirals before. Not thousands of them, but a few. Using a project from the book Complete Guide to Making Wire Jewelry (Art Jewelry Books by Kalmbach Books), i first had difficulty deciding which way the instructions meant for me to bend the wire. Perpendicular, you say? To what? The 90-degree bend in the river? The photos didn't help. Maybe i was just overthinking the process but it didn't get any easier with successive spirals. Nevertheless, i pushed through the brain fog and created a pair of spiral-happy earrings. AND i had a lot of help from my husband, who is also trying really hard to teach me to take decent photos.

Supplies:

22ga colored copper wire

black ear wires

round nose pliers

chain nose pliers

cutters

ruler

Cut pieces of wire ranging in length from 1.5" to 2" or even 2.5"

Make a simple loop at one end of each piece. Go here for the how to:

jewelrymaking.about.com/od/wiretechniquesinfo/ss/050808.htm

For short dangles, measure about 1/8" from the bottom of the loop.

For longer dangles, measure about 1/2" from the bottom of the loop.

Listen hard at this point: "Grip the wire with the tip of your chainnose pliers, and bend the wire 90 degrees. This bend will make the stem of the wire perpendicular to the loop."

Got that? Great! You'll do it several more times.

Now make a spiral up to the 90 degree bend. Go here for the how to:

www.artbeads.com/wire-spiral.htm

When you have all the spirals you can stand to make which for me was about six per earring, open a fairly large jump ring and slide the dangles on in a pleasing order.

Attach an ear wire, close the jump ring and admire your spirally handiwork!

And here's Day Five! Ooooooooooooo! Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

Only 360 pairs of earrings to go!

By the way, scroll down to leave a comment and be sure to "follow" this blog!

Challenge 2012 (Day F-f-f-f-four) - 365 earrings in 365 days!

2012-01-07T19:02:00.000-08:00

Thank goodness for beautiful beads because they make a basic design look like something special.

Day four combines nephrite jade briolettes with Swarovski crystals. Nephrite jade is the jade that is found from British Columbia down to New Zealand and probably other places. Nephrite jade is an important component in the art of the native peoples of the Pacific Northwest. Here's a photo of my little jade inukshuk which, if you remember, was the symbol of the 2010 Winter Olympics held in British Columbia.

From http://www.inukshukgallery.com/ - The mysterious stone figures known as inuksuit can be found throughout the circumpolar world. Inukshuk, the singular of inuksuit, means "in the likeness of a human" in the Inuit language. They are monuments made of unworked stones that are used by the Inuit for communication and survival. The traditional meaning of the inukshuk is "Someone was here" or "You are on the right path."

"You are on the right path." I like that!

OK. Back to the earrings of the day. Briolettes beads are drilled across their tops and require a slightly different wrapped loop technique from beads drilled through their little beady bodies. Briolettes, especially gemstone briolettes, often have narrow drill holes and that can make the tip of the bead fragile so when you are sizing wire that will go through the drill hole, don't force the wire. How do i know this? Guess.

How to do the briolette wrap:
http://jewelrymaking.about.com/od/wiretechniquesinfo/ss/011007.htm

For the second component i put three 4mm Swarovski crystals on a piece of wire and made a double wrapped loop, attaching one end to the briolette. Isn't the yellow crystal a nice complementary color to the green jade? Thanks for the suggestion, Donna!

Then, because once again i forgot to bring home what i needed, i had to fabricate the ear wires. sigh. What was that about "You are on the right path"?

Several of you are actually playing along with Challenge 2012 and, so far, we are all laughing. Remember, there are no demands and no demerits. Let's just have some beady fun!!!

Day four presents...

Challenge 2012 ( Day Threeeeeeeee) - 365 earrings in 365 days!!

2012-01-06T20:00:00.000-08:00

This pair reeks of pushed-to-the-wall but the basic design is solid. The shape looks good on most everybody and it's easy to make each pair unique. My original design for today didn't come together because i didn't check the size of the hole in the jade teardrops against the gauge wire i brought home with me tonight. grr. Doesn't fit. My search through my personal stash yielded nothing that appealed. uh oh....running out time for day three...

So this is what i came up with in the end. The main beads are cool. They are from my mom's collection. The seed beads would have worked with more thought but i completed the first earring and then discovered i didn't have enough of the green bead. grr. sigh. Not starting over though, just beading through. And this pair is #3.

And blessedly simple.

BEGIN by assuring you have sufficient beads to complete the design.
Fill a length of 22ga precious or plated round wire with beads.
Select enough beads to fill the wire to a medium sized tear drop shape.
Wrap one end of the wire around the other to set the shape and size of the drop.
One or two complete wraps is enough. Cut off any tail.
Use chain nose pliers to bend the second wire to 90 degrees then complete a wrapped loop with it.
Attach an ear wire.
Repeat for second earring.

Can you spot the design flaw?

So until i get different wire, that first design idea is on hold.. But it is going to be sweet!

Pair #4 coming up!

Challenge 2012 (and beyond!) - 365 pairs of earrings in 365 days!

2012-01-05T18:52:00.000-08:00

Alrighty then! The second pair of earrings in our Challenge 2012 is good to go!

These earrings are based on a design that i saw in a magazine last year and it caught my eye from the get go so what better time to give it a try than today!

And, even more fun, this was my first completed - although tiny - attempt at metal work!!

Ima gonna do MORE!!!!!

Supply list:

(2) 1" pieces of 14gauge square sterling wire

(6) 6-7mm coral discs

6" piece of 22gauge Artist Wire in non-tarnish silver

earwires or posts

hammer, steel block, rubber block, hole punch, round nose pliers, chain nose pliers, cutters, file, marker

Hammer the 1" pieces of sterling silver wire until flat. I laid the steel block on the rubber block to deaden the noise a bit. The silver will flatten out and lengthen somewhat. I used the chain nose pliers to hold one end of the silver so i could hammer the middle. I did this after i hit my thumb not once but three times. OK. Maybe i need to use a tool for this. D'oh. But i'll tell you what. Hammering metal is a BLAST!!!

4x4 steel block by Euro Tool
Available at Bead Boutique

When the piece of silver was as flat as i liked, i used the file to smooth the ends a bit. (Full disclosure: i actually started with a 1.5" piece of wire but that made the flattened metal too long for my taste so i had to shorten it.)

Then, i used this nifty little hole punch tool to punch a hole in one end of the flattened metal. I marked the spot where i wanted the hole but still ended up with one of the holes a leetle too far off center, almost off the metal. Luckily still usable though.

hole punch by Euro Tool
Available at Bead Boutique

The final thing was to stack the coral discs on a length of the 22-gauge wire and do a couple of of wrapped loops to attach the coral beads to the metal and then to the earwire. Pair #2 is done!! Only 363 left to do! Tomorrow's pair will be a LOT simpler design than this but, i have to say, today's earrings made me smile!

365 pairs of earrings in 365 days

2012-01-04T20:06:00.000-08:00

My intent was to start this personal challenge on January 1st as that would have been a neat and tidy way to manage these 365 pairs of earrings, no? Pair one on 1/1 and pair ~~365~~ 366 on 12/31. Alas. Life is rarely tidy enough to stay contained in those itty bitty rigid calendar squares and so, after spending the first couple, three days of 2012 in pain and then recovering from that pain, i'm starting today. Yay! Besides, now i just have to come up with 365 pairs. Hey. Small blessings abound. You just have to be ready for 'em!

Rules of the game. Ummm......let's not have any rules. Instead, here are a couple of guidelines that i plan to follow for this challenge.

1. One pair of earrings per day. No fair stockpiling.

I think that's it. Sweet!

Play along if you'd like! Start whenever. Stop whenever. It'll be fun! And you'll get at least one new pair of earrings from this silliness. Also, feel very free to make the designs i post here. I'll include a list of supplies and some basic instructions.

Here's pair #1. Only 364 more to do!

Garnet is the birthstone for January so this was a no-brainer. For days, though, i thought i had some beautifully faceted garnet briolettes and i had this elegant design all laid out and then after the pain, reality kicked in and these were the garnets i had on hand. So i used 'em.

Supplies:

6 garnet beads approximately 2x3mm

3 or 4 black headpins 2.5"/ 24 gauge

2 black earwires

round nose pliers

flat nose or chain nose pliers

cutters

Technique: closed wrapped loops

How fun!!!! Now if i can just get this blogging business down to a manageable time, i'll be doing swell! See you tomorrow!

Special Forces Warrior Foundation Challenge - week 2

2011-03-30T17:35:00.000-07:00

wow! There is a LOT about the kit components that i don't get. The mix of colors - wait! the pinks don't match! The nothing-but-crystal and pearl beads - what no stones? too girly! And they are all so different that i am stymied by how to combine them.
My latest favorite technique is knotting so, naturally, i tried that. mmmm...has potential but it doesn't excite me. Good fallback technique if all else fails. Simple stringing....oh wait! there's more i don't like! I can't get a pleasing symmetrical pattern with these beads. Melissa reminds me that it's a CHALLENGE. Well, i'm feeling challenged alright! And have you seen the company i'm keeping? Yikes! They're scary good! Real beaders with vast repetoires of technique! I want my contribution to bring in lots of auction dollars for the Craft Warrior Foundation, too!
Then inspiration strikes! Not too long ago, i dangled a bunch of oddball glass beads from six inches of chain and added enough of a length of multi-strand seed beads to make a necklace. Customers loved it! That's what i'll do! And it'll be great! What do you think?

Special Forces Warrior Foundation Craft Challenge

2011-03-26T09:18:00.000-07:00

Well..here's the first blog post for BeadBoutiqueKC! I'll start with a photo of the Special Forces Warrior Foundation Craft Challenge kit components and i'll include a link to Craft Warrior's etsy site so you can read more about this event. All the elements are Swarovski beads.

The black heart is a 30mm Wild Heart bead; there are 14mm, 8mm and 6mm pearls, 2-hole bars, rounds and teeny bicones, and those black faceted square beads are drilled through each side. Hmmmmm!!

Click here to visit Craft Warrior's etsy site.

Check back to watch our progress on this piece. We only have a couple of weeks to get 'er done!