Over the Top Tribal

Green Jasper Carved Bone Necklace

In an ongoing quest to add new and interesting techniques and materials to my jewelry designs, I have been doing more designs substituting cord for beading wire. I like the look of jute, but I use mostly braided nylon cord because it comes in such beautiful saturated colors and because it doesn't fray easily. If I want the natural look of the jute in the piece, sometimes I will use both nylon and jute. Of course, jute is usually going to require larger holes in the beads as well, so if I use the nylon along with jute, I can use either to go through the bead and get the best of both in the finished piece. My plan is to include more and different types of fibers in future pieces.

This technique lends itself well to my tribal style.
Stone and Bone Tribal Pendant Necklace

The colors of the cord contribute to this fringe earring design.
Copper Metal Clay Flower Earrings with Fringe

Chrysalis Jewelry on Artfire
Chrysalis Too on Etsy

The Kristi Kollaboration

Mayan Style Copper Clay Earrings

The "kollaboration" to which I am referring is between me and Kristi Bowman-Gruel. We found one another on Facebook, and I have been using her metal clay components since she first began to sell them. It was a pleasant surprise when I found Kristi because we share an appreciation of rustic style jewelry. So, of course, the components that Kristi designs are rustic and sometimes tribal, both of which fit well into my approach to jewelry design.

As you can see, we both have a wild side. I love to come up with new ways to use these amazing components, so you will see them often in my work. The earrings in the above left photo are called "Rag and Bone", and are listed in my Etsy shop.

Kristi is branching out into polymer clay (in the picture on the left) and is applying her uniquely original style (she calls it "wonky") to this new medium. I look forward to working more with her polymer clay creations and whatever brilliant idea she may dream up in the future. The bracelet on the left is also available in my Etsy shop.

Gloria Ewing
Chrysalis Too on Etsy
Chrysalis Jewelry 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

Earring Challenge Reveal 17

Southwestern with an attitude! I have blended these gorgeous rustic lampwork beads from Outwest with inverted triangles of copper that I have hammered and perforated.

Crispness in the air signals the coming of autumn, so I had to try my hand at making leaf charms. I wanted them to be rustic and understated. They have been dapped to achieve a slight wave effect as you would see in a fallen leaf. I paired them with green prase and golden orange lampwork beads from Yvonne Johnson of Firestone Lampwork Beads.

Chrysalis Too on Etsy
Chrysalis Jewelry on Artfire