Metal Therapy

When designing jewelry, my ongoing challenge is finding balance between disciplined technique and crazy unbridled creativity. I really can't have one without the other. Too disciplined is uninteresting, and too crazy is just chaotic. The earrings above lean more toward the disciplined end of the spectrum. I hammered the copper shapes and applied a darkening patina first, then the red patina later, and finished them with wire wrapped connectors. While the earrings below are a little crazier, with two colors of patina (blue and green), that have been wire brushed to reveal some of the brass metal beneath. Then a layer of slate gilder's paste over the patina to give a little added dimension. I have connected the brass charms to donut beads (from Outwest) with antique bronze wire and darkened copper wire.

Chrysalis Jewelry on Artfire
Chrysalis Too on Etsy

Rag and Bone

A recent acquisition of a dozen or so strands of bone beads from one of my favorite vendors at a gem show has prompted the theme for this AJE Earring Challenge Reveal 21, "Rag and Bone". In the above pair, the "rag" is actually recycled sari silk. The brilliant red color is great with the black and white batik bone beads and Kristi Bowman's Lotus Seed Pods. In the design below, I stacked the rectangular brown fish motif bone beads with green turquoise and natural colored carved bone discs, and added copper accents and ear wires.

Rag and Bone Earrings on Etsy

Fish Bone Earrings on Artfire

"Ancient" Artifacts

For this weeks AJE Earring Challenge Reveal 20, I designed earrings to look as though they were just uncovered at some remote archeological dig. Darkened copper with a layer of copper relief to which I have added a verdigris patina. Brass rivets add to the primitive look of the design.

Another primitive earring design using copper metal clay discs from Kristi Bowman and terracotta colored ceramic daggers from Petra Carpreau, that have ancient looking characters painted on them in black, very similar to what you might expect to find on the wall of a prehistoric cave.

Copper Relief Earrings
Ceramic Dagger Earrings

Fabulous Fall

Though it never seems long enough, fall is my favorite time of year. Fleeting moments of vibrantly colored foliage in hues that grow stronger until the leaves are saturated and begin to fall like feathers from their hosts. Brilliant yellows and fiery red maples stimulate the senses, perhaps even more so because we know it is only for a short time.

This collage is a sampling of my jewelry pieces designed in the vivid colors of the season using stones, seed beads, mixed metals, leather and silk.

Chrysalis Too on Etsy
Chrysalis Jewelry on Artfire

Summer Whimsy

Orange Polymer Clay Earrings

August signals summer's waning days before the season changes again. Still hot and steamy, but each day mercifully a little shorter than the one before. There is a frenzy of warm weather activity taking place, because we know our time for such things is limited.  

That frenzy is what I wanted to capture in these new whimsical summer earrings.  Orange polymer clay discs by Kristi Bowman, to which I have added a waterfall of brightly colored Greek ceramic and Czech glass beads, with a couple of copper accents.

Gloria Ewing jewelry on Etsy and Artfire.

Peek of Summer

It is supposed to be a play on words Peek and Peak, maybe someone will catch it? Anyway, we are half way through the summer season and it has been a little shorter than usual this year, so I thought it deserved a little celebration. Boldly colored copper and pewter jewelry pieces with a casual summer 2013 attitude.

Red Flower Earrings
Copper Charm Bracelet
Turquoise Yellow Copper Earrings
Sunburst Pewter Earrings
Copper Heart Polymer Clay Earrings

Boho Tribal Flashback

OK, you know how old I might be to even think of a title like that:) but I love that style and I always will love it. Not everything that happened in the 60s was bad; much of it was an awakening of mind, consciousness and perception (with or without chemical enhancement). Instead of being a country that was content to be isolated from the world, we opened up our thinking to include America's heritage from the native tribes, acknowledgement of eastern religions and customs, and a realization that our life style and freedom, no matter how much we cherish it, is not the only way of life.

When you think of the colorful images of that era, they are mostly hopeful and uplifting. It was a rebirth of idealism, which is a wonderful thing if you are not blinded by the rheteric and neglect to research the facts. That is the most political comment I will ever make on this blog.

Copper clay components handmade by Kristi Bowman of Kristi Bowman Design on Etsy.

You can see more boho tribal jewelry here or here.