Monday, March 27, 2017

La discrète!

Here are another series of earrings, more in earth tone colors.
I know it is spring and everyone wants color in their life especially during this period of the year.
Personally, I don't wear a lot of colors!
I like to be discret, so I will wear more brown, Ivory and pastels.
Plus, colorful items looks uggly on me! :)
The other day, I felt the urge to buy a new trench coat because it was so warm and I almost passed out on the street from the heat in my winter jacket.
The only trench coats I like were in two different colors. But in effort to change from my style habit, I tried the colorful one and I scared myserlf to death. Lol
Even the sales woman agreed with me.
She was nice and politely said "we are not used to see you in such color"
However, I really like red and I look great with.
Even if these beauties are made with earth tone colors, you can't go wrong with them. Because they can be matched with most colors.


Ilozumba
 Ilozumba means distant from home is forgotten  
I like the earthy feel of this combination of materials.
A pair of slim rustic hoops in buff stoneware and fired with bronze and river rock glaze were the start of this design. I then added rustic handmade lampwork, handmade ashanti brass and I adorned it all with faceted black obsidian. I then wire wrapped them with my own oxidized pure copper wire.
Even with such neutral colors, you are sure to be noticed and the center of attention with this amazing pair of earrings!! :)

 
I love these ceramic droppers so much!
It was hard to capture the beauty of these drops in picture.
A pair of wing droppers,  hand formed in earthstone glacier porcelain, embedded with leaf skeletons, and fired. Coated with black slip to fill in the skeleton of the leaf, sanded down, and fired again. Coated with turquoise crackle glaze and fired. And finally a layer of mother of pearl lustre glaze which captures and becomes the center of attention on this pair of earrings. I simply stacked a small carnelian stones with the most beautiful color, nuggets of turquoise and sandwiched with very unusual handmade lampwork beads.
They will be surely be a part of your everyday life story and you will never grow tired of them!

 Imbiana
Imbiana means unity in song
It is always so wonderful to find lampwork beads that have a tribal feel!
I no longer buy lampwork beads. I think I have enough lampwork beads in my current collection to last me for the rest of my life! Lol
These beautiful handmade pair of tube shaped porcelain beads are fired with a coil of nichrome wire wrapped around and down each for a dramatic and beautiful effect then dipped in lovely glazes. Then I added a tribal flair lampwork bead adorned with a dots in a lovely shade of purple with a squiggle line in shades of ivory.  I added black silver spacers and round tibetan agate with a cream band.  
At the top of the earring I added a large loop of copper to finish the piece.  I really liked making this large loop to finish the pieces. I felt that it added some elegance while at the same time was eye-catching, which gave each a  nice finish.

As always, thank you so much for stopping by.  
Merci beaucoup. :)


Sunday, March 19, 2017

Colors And Harmony!

"Colours are the smiles of nature"
Leigh hunt

I really like to blend colors together.  I try to blend them in an aesthetically pleasing way; as colors are pleasing for the eyes and for the soul.
If they are blended well, in harmonious way, it brings balance and makes the whole design look fantastic.
Colors are intimately linked in our daily lives.  Each one of those colors are associated with a state of mind and emotion.
Most of us don't realize it, but colors have an influence on our behaviour and sense of humor.
Unfortunately I don't have much to say today but I hope to be able to post here more often in the future!
There are so many details and items to take care of after I make a piece of jewelry, such as: photographing, creating an etsy listing and posting an article on my blog or on Instagram, etc... These details are not the most favorite part of my job as a jewelry designer.  But unfortunately these things must be done.  
I am currently working on a very special collection and I hope to be able to share it with you very soon.

I like the way, and the circumstances, in which the design came to me!
When it comes to buying my supplies, sometimes I know exactly what I want, and exactly what I will make with the beads I am purchasing at that moment.  Yet at other times, I have no idea what I want to make, but I KNOW that I must have and must hold the beads in my hands.

I bought these particular gemstones and lampwork beads that I used in this project at different time periods.  I didn't even remember that I had these lampwork beads But they just happen to match perfectly with the fossilized dinosaur bones.
The color of each, drew me to them; I knew that I must have them !

                Ifede

These earrings have fascinating fossilized dinosaur bone nuggets with a beautiful spectrum of colors which include: purples, blues, greens, oranges, and last but not least, red tones.  The nuggets are the focus of attention and dangle upon a loop of several Czech farfalle glass beads and then upon vintage swirled solid brass rounds that have a nice coppery finish.  Equally at the center of attention, are these beautiful sparkling handmade lampwork beads that are saturated with varying shades of purple, plum, blue, deep pink, and even some citrine.  The colors of the lampwork beads and along with those of the dinosaur bones...blend in such poetic harmony !


"Gem Dinosaur Bone refers to fossilized dinosaur bones that have been petrified with silica or quartz crystals which gives them their colourful, glassy appearance.
Petrified or Fossilized Dinosaur Bone increases energy and memory"


Amadia

A playful use of color here with these chrysocolla beads in their calming and soothing color.
It looks like the stones and lampwork were made to match each other, but that is a pure coincidence that Mother Nature's stones and the artisan's handmade lampwork are so perfectly matched.


"Chrysocolla, the king of carbonate copper gemstones.
The name chrysocolla was first used to describe the stone by Theophrastus, a Greek philosopher and botanist, in 315 B.C. The word was derived from the Greek words chrysos, meaning gold, and kola, meaning glue, referencing the fact that chrysocolla was employed from the earliest times by goldsmiths as an ingredient for solder, called santerna by the Romans, to weld gold pieces together.
Chyrsocolla is first and foremost a Stone of Communication. Its very essence is devoted to expression, empowerment and teaching.It is the stone of forgiveness, peace, and the strengthening of emotional bonds".
Source: Crystal Vaults
Ijeoma

What makes you think of springtime more than flowers?  So let's celebrate Springtime with this gorgeous pair of flowery earrings!  Don't you just love the combination of red and turquoise?


These earrings are a stunning mingling of: beautiful red tulip beads, unique red lampwork beads by the Canadian lampwork artist Kerri Fuhr, along with an African turquoise gemstone nugget, and vintage flowery bead caps.  Kerri's beads were my first purchase on Etsy back when I first started to browse online for pictures of beads and gemstones.  That's how my history with Etsy began, and it was back in 2010.
I love each and every single one of Kerri's pieces and I was so fortunate to be able to own some of her art.  Unfortunately, I can no longer afford them.

As always, thank you so much for stopping by.  
Merci beaucoup. :)