May Day Earrings (We're All Ears Reveal)

May Day was the theme selected by Erin of Earrings Everyday for this month's We're All Ears Challenge. She suggested making earrings inspired by floral baskets or cones or even a Maypole. The notion of the flowers was what instantly appealed to me, though I didn't have an idea yet. It was only a couple of days ago that I realized I needed to hop on this challenge before it passed me by. And, I spent an entire afternoon struggling with designs before I finally landed on one that worked for me.

I love how the above earrings came together, but it was a long road to get there. Since I knew I was leaning in the floral direction, I began by thinking I might use tin to make some flowers. However, that seemed a little more complex than I had the time for. Instead, I decided to look through my tin bits to see if there was anything that might work a little more readily. I quickly found the sides from a Mary Engelbreit tin.

I thought that maybe I could cut it so that the yellow part would be a cone or basket with the flowers at the top. So, I tried to make a go of it.

While it is pretty cute in this picture, I couldn't help seeing it as some kind of weird ice cream cone. And, it was awfully big and kinda weird for an earring. So, I knew this wasn't the design for me and put away all my tin.

I sat and thought for a few minutes considering the inspiration. I even toyed with the idea of creating some kind of woven Maypole with kumihimo. But, then I realized that I probably had some glass flower beads in my stash that I could wrangle together into something. Sure enough, I found a small stash of them. I thought that I could use wire and twist them into some sort of bouquet that would fit into some findings to create a cone/basket. I specifically picked a pair of large antiqued brass flower bead caps because the petals were open and would work to attach a basket-handle. However, the wire-twisting was unpredictable and frustrating.

 I twisted three versions of that little bouquet before deciding that that technique just wasn't going to work. In exasperation, I considered just not participating in the challenge this month. But, I finally decided that I couldn't let some flowers get the better of me. 

There was a little bag of ball-end headpins on my bead mat. So, in a last-ditch effort, I stuck one into each of the six flowers I had for each of the earrings then stuffed the whole bunch into the flower bead cap. It looked pretty good. But, what was I going to use to hold them there? Well...I simply twisted one of the ends of a headpin under the base of the bead cap. And, it worked!!

 I pondered how they would hang for a minute or two, then grabbed a couple of long headpins and cut off the head. Simple loops were turned on each end, and the wire was curved over a marker. The loops were connected to the flower bead cap to make the basket handle.

Then, ear wires were added to complete the earrings.

I couldn't believe the solution was so simple. It was a fantastic reminder that sometimes I don't need to overthink things. 

And, the simple loveliness of these just screams of spring. 

Big thanks go out to Erin for the interesting theme. I definitely would not have come up with these beauties without her prompt. Now, head over to Earrings Everyday and check out the other designs made from the inspiration.

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Home is Where the Heart Is (We're All Ears Reveal)

Most months, Erin at Earrings Everyday chooses a theme for the We're All Earrings challenge. Since most of us are (or should be) sheltering in place in our homes, she selected "Home" and what that means to each of us as the theme for this month.

Almost immediately, I was struck with the cliche that "Home is Where the Heart Is." I have to admit that I'm no fan of cliches (unless they're supremely funny) and no fan of hearts. But, as I sit in my house and realize how blessed I am to share it with people I truly love and things that make me happy; I can deal with the idea of both because the cliche rings so true right now.

On thinking about my physical home, the first thing that came to mind was the green of our property and the green of our tin roof. Ahhhhhh, TIN!!! I spent no time sketching out a basic idea for my first pair of earrings.

Like the pendant that I made for the Honey Do List, I cut out, embossed, and colored the roof and house from a blank cookie tin bottom. The heart was cut from tin that was already the perfect shade of red. I made the roof and house match the colors of my own home.

Attaching the roof to the house got a little fussy, but I finally made It work with some blackened steel wire. And, in the end, I LOVE THESE!! My only regret is that I didn't think to add a heart to the back of the houses too.

While I worked on the tin earrings, I had another idea.

It's a pretty simple one: dictionary paper, watercolor hearts, glass pebbles, and solder - done! I  even recorded a video to show you how easy it is to make the Home is Where the Heart is Soldered Earrings.

Both sets of these earrings are really lovely.

And, they're a great reminder of how special our own homes are, how we ache to be there after a long vacation or bad day at work, how there's nothing better than our own beds and our own people. And, the kicker is, that staying in that place that we love to be will help keep others and ourselves safe. So, let's do that!

Now, from the safety of your own home, head over to Earrings Everyday and see what everyone else made to represent their own homes. Thanks to Erin for another wonderful inspiration.

Earrings Everyday Reveal - Rock Formations

The inspiration for this month's We're All Ears Challenge from Earrings Everyday is the sculptural land art by Jon Foreman. As soon as I saw the sample pictures from Erin, I knew I could come up with something. 

It was the textural elements of the rock formations that really captured my attention. I considered several different mediums to create something tactile and bumpy. Remembering that I had little time to complete my contribution, I fell back on what I knew - tin.

I used the plain bottom of an old cookie tin since I knew I wanted to color the pieces myself. Then, a disc-cutter was used to punch out the smaller circles from the tin before punching the larger circles. I felt that it would be easier to align everything that way. And, it was. 

From there, I sanded all the edges before breaking out my Vintaj Patinas in deep turquoise and opalite. These two blended beautifully together. 

I felt that the colors echoed the light, washed-out hues I saw in the artist's work. 

Once the patina was dry, I used dimpling pliers to add the texture that had stood out to me in the inspiration photos. 

I tried to get some of the symmetry seen in his work but struggled a bit with that.

The patina was sanded off the raised dimples before being coated with a matte sealer. 

I added the glass beads to the open circles to give the earrings a little weight and additional texture.

With the addition of ear wires, these earrings were done. While I don't think these are any kind of exact representation of Jon's beautiful artwork, his sculptures absolutely inspired every step of the creation of these from the get-go. Thanks to him and to Erin for issuing this fun challenge. I needed a break from some of the other things swirling in my head. 

Make sure you head over to the We're All Ears reveal at Earrings Everyday to see what Erin and other artists made with the inspiration!

Peek at my Weeks (Jan 19-Feb1)

These last several weeks have been rough, so there's very little to see, but I kinda hate to have a huge gap in these posts. Most of my days consist of me caring for my grandmother who had several strokes and now for my mother as she just had surgery. But, let's take a peek. 

On Sunday (the 19th), I pulled out both the crockpot and the instant pot. In the crockpot was a roast for dinner while the Instant Pot was brewing up chicken stock. These dueling appliances would help ensure dinner and leftovers for the coming week. 

With a few minutes at home on Monday, I started pulling together ingredients for my next edition of the Bead Box.

Then, it was off to my mom's for a sunny day while sitting with my grandmother.

Oh, that's not my grandmother, but my niece's cat who was also enjoying the sunny day.

I was also able to get a little work done on Tuesday as I shared the earrings I made for the January We're All Ears Challenge. 

Though I'm not typically a morning person, it's necessary for me to leave the house just as the sun is rising in order to get to my mom's house before she heads to work.

On Wednesday, I was treated with this beautiful sunrise as I headed out the door. 

Much of the rest of the week was spent trying to fit everything in as I juggled chores for my house and caring for my grandmother. That Saturday was also my mom's birthday as well as an obligation in Mobile. Back at home, I worked on more chores.

Sunday was a bit of rest before I headed back across the Bay for Mardi Gras Ball rehearsal. Though  I knew I wouldn't be attending the ball, I wanted to participate in as much of the build-up and prep as I could. 

Mobile, Alabama is the original home of Mardi Gras in the States after all!

After spending Monday with Mawmaw, I returned home to puppy snuggles on the couch. 

It was good to relax as I knew the next few days would be rough.

Mama's surgery was on Tuesday. While I fretted in the waiting room, finding this gem among the kids' books brought a smile to my face.

Mama's surgery went well enough that she was able to go home that evening rather than staying overnight at the hospital. 

I still stayed the night at her house to make sure she and Mawmaw were well-cared-for. Then, after a long day with the two of them on Thursday, there was more Ball prep as I headed over that evening to help prepare food for the event. 

Friday was more of the same, but Saturday was the big day - The Ball. I spent the morning helping to decorate as well as getting a look at some of the other decorations that I would miss that evening. But, I had my own plans.

Pat and I had dinner out then headed to the Seanger in Mobile for a concert.

We saw The Indigo Girls!!

It was a wonderful show and a great way to finish up the week. 

I'm hoping that I'm starting to find some routine in this new schedule and can begin to get some work done - especially now that mama is healing well. Though, Mawmaw isn't improving as we had hoped. We'll get through it, we have to. 

I did find and share a few snippets of inspiration over these two weeks that I'll share here for you.

• These beautiful sky-gazing embroideries from Maria of Desert Eclipse Studio are so lovely!
• If you're working on Valentine crafts, these Valentine Flower Images from The Graphics Fairy might help. 
• I'm always loving the jewelry tutorials from Moois Van Me. She created a round-up of all the ones she shared in 2019 so you can find them all in one place!
• A simple sliding knot is one of those skills that I'm constantly having to look up in order to remind myself of how they're created. Make and Fable shared a concise tutorial on making one.
• Have you see the amazing bird sculptures created by Lisa Lloyd from PAPER!? You must see them!
• I'm a sucker for anything fairy-related, so I was quick to bookmark these Flower Fairy images from The Graphics Fairy. 
• Over at Hearty Craft, you can learn to make a Valentine Card Stitched with Silk Ribbon.
• This DIY Diffuser Necklace is seriously easy peasy!!
• While I'm not a knitter, this Knit Your Own Necklace Cord Tutorial caught my attention. 
• I am IN LOVE with these Fantasy Sketches from Renata Krawczyk. 
• Nunn Designs shared three video tutorials on making embroidered jewelry. 
• Make a chunky Chain Reaction Bracelet with this tutorial from Jewelry Making Journal. 
• Emmi Khan creates beautiful embroideries of organs that incorporate nature. Just dreamy!
• For more inspiration, check out this list from Daisy Yellow of 22 Practices to Cultivate and Nurture Creativity. 

As I continue to try to work on my goals, I'm reminded that everyone has obstacles to overcome, and we all have to just keep pushing forward. Here's hoping your dreams are in sight! 

Classic Blue Earrings (We're All Ears)

Blue is my absolute favorite color, and there's barely a shade I don't like. So, I was excited to find out that the Pantone Color of the Year for 2020 is Classic Blue. It is indeed a dark, primary, classic blue. And, Erin at Earrings Everyday used it as the January Inspiration for the We're All Ears challenge. I was running behind and rushed to pull together any elements that included the color, grabbing anything that fell into the range, and altering pieces that didn't.

A beautiful blue cookie tin with white and tan slashes on it caught my attention first. I cut ovals from it and textured them in an embossing folder before riveting them to distressed teardrops of a golden tin. 

From a distance, there's something reminiscent of "sailboats on the water" about the ovals. 

While I had the embossing machine out, I ran a couple of Vintaj blanks through it. 

They were colored with lapis Vintaj Patina and sanded. I then used Sailboat Blue alcohol ink to color both sides of clear buttons.

The nature of using an embossing folder means that the backs are a reverse of the fronts.

I also uncovered small plastic flower cabochons in the right shade of blue.

I attached them to small brass filigree pieces with E6000 glue. From them, I hung small rings in which hang lapis lazuli beads to continue the blue theme. 

I think these are my favorite of the three pairs I was able to complete.

While the reveal date was set for the 17th, I lost track of time and let it get away from me. However, just as soon as I realized it, I focused on busting out these designs. And, Erin left the link tool open for a few extra days for those designers falling behind like myself (Thank you, Erin!) 

Make sure you head over to the Earrings Everyday reveal post to see what Erin and the other participating artists made in this beautiful blue. 

Peek at My Week (Dec. 15-21)

I'm pretty pleased with how this past week went. If felt productive, though it probably wasn't. 

We started the week with breakfast at Waffle House. As I seasoned my cheese grits, I realized they were smiling at me. I knew it was a good sign. 

From there, I spent almost the whole day in the craft room.

Something in me was aching to solder, so I began the process by creating little bubbles and wrapping them with copper foil. But, I didn't stop there (you'll see!)

I also broke out the carving tools to make a tile stamp.

Once the weekend was over, I was determined to finish my Christmas shopping as soon as possible. So, I made it a priority to get as much of it done on Monday as I could. A traffic jam took up a huge bulk of my time and wore down my patience, but by early afternoon, I had all but two gifts. I rewarded myself with more playtime.

I knew that if I was going to break out the soldering iron, I wanted to have a pile of things to solder rather than just a few. So, I worked on coming up with a few more interesting pieces. I LOVE those two 3D pieces.

On Tuesday, I got one of the two gifts I was lacking as well as caught up on my regular chores and errands. And, while I was out, I decided to look at reading glasses since I've caught myself squinting at fine print and detail work. 

While I refuse to ever grow up, age is starting to catch up with me. OH NO!! But, I can see much better now. And, no worries, I'll go see an eye doctor after the holidays. 

Wednesday was spent at my mom's where I forced myself to finish the last of the gifts (it was a simple online thing - I don't know why I saved it until last.) But, I did a little happy dance knowing that I was done. I'm usually one of those who finish up on Christmas Eve. 

Thursday was spent almost entirely in the craft room once again as I got the last of the baubles wrapped with copper foil.

Then, I realized that I hadn't done anything for the We're All Ears Use Your Leftovers Challenge yet. So, I quickly gathered some designs and busted them out while the sun was still up for pictures to be taken.

While outside taking pictures, I saw that our dead palm tree by the pool (it was dead when we moved in) had finally fallen over.

After we got it off the gate, we started getting ready to head over to a friend's for dinner and a movie.

On Friday, nothing on my list was accomplished as I was determined to get my charms soldered. It took me extra long as I had so many and had decided to play with incorporating wire into some of the pieces. A few of them turned out beautifully, but I got a little overzealous and over-ambitious with one of them.

I was so intent on the wire and solder, I squeezed the pliers too hard and cracked this one. At least it wasn't one of my favorites!

Speaking of favorites, once they were all soldered, patinaed, sanded, and cleaned, I was surprised that this little bubble ended up as my favorite. 

I'm still pretty smitten with the shadowbox, but can't stop staring at the shape of the loops I made on this one. Dreamy!!

Since the shopping was done and I had made it through all the soldering, I turned my attention to wrapping the presents.

Much of Saturday was spent in this form of crafting. (Hey - there's tape, scissors, ribbon, and decorative paper, you can't tell me that's not crafting!) I watched a couple of Christmas movies and busted out the task. I can't believe it's all done and I can just enjoy the rest of the season!

Pat and I popped out for a late lunch and picked up a present for Zoe.

 We watched another Christmas movie while she exhausted herself crewing on the extra-long squeaky snake. Bliss!

After so much time getting to craft this week, I feel almost overwhelmed with inspiration. Let me share some with you:

• Did you know that you could download over 300 art books from the Getty Museum? Now you do!
• I love so many of the Unique Handmade Ornaments on this list from Pillar Box Blue. 
• JustATish Designs shared her take on making Fabric Bracelets. 
• My sewing is probably not up to par yet, but how adorable are these DIY Star Pillows?
• I love all the color that's packed into these Colored Pencil Ornaments. 
• Using an old clock to make a little scene is nothing new to me, but that doesn't mean that these Winter Snow Scenes in Repurposed Clocks aren't divine. 
• I've have swooned over this amazing fantasy jewelry from ManiklD and think you should too!
• This Joyful little resin necklace from the Ice Resin blog would make a great gift. 
• The use of wire and old fabric in these Demin Angel Ornaments absolutely suits my style. 
• And, I love the old-fashioned ornament shape for these DIY Felt Ornaments. 
• Speaking of felt, check out the mini felt acorn wreaths. Too stinking cute!
• These DIY Blackberry Earrings are yummy!
• I'm going to have to get my hands on a bunch of crepe paper and make my own forest of colorful bottlebrush trees. 
• The delicacy of these Paper Star Ornaments gets my attention. 
• OH MY WORD! THe combination of embroidery and clay in these works of art from Justyna Wolodkiewicz is something you NEED to see!
• As the year begins to wrap up, I'm already thinking about the new one and considering creating a vision board. Here's a simple walk-through I just found on creating your own vision board. 

So that's it for my week. It's been pretty good. 

I hope your holiday is absolutely amazing. Happy Hannukah, Merry Christmas, and Enjoy Celebrating however you do it!

Use Your Leftovers | Earrings Everyday Challenge

It's become a fun tradition to participate in the last Earrings Everyday challenge of each year. You see, for the past several years, Erin has made the challenge all about using up the leftovers still on your desk after a big crafting session. First, let me apologize that I didn't include this challenge in my December Inspiration List as I actually didn't see it until this week! Sorry!! Even worse is that I didn't get started on the challenge until yesterday. 

Erin encourages participants to place their supplies in a muffin tin or other divided tray to help organize everything before the making begins. It really helps!

But, to begin, I had to scour my desk for what to use. I found that I had a bowl of inspiration from my Using Vintaj Patinas crafting session. 

There were also lovely little sets of keys that one of my best friends had gifted me for my birthday. I had fortunately paired everything up for use as earrings eventually. Perfect!

I narrowed down the pieces that felt the most inspiring at the moment. 

Then, a lightbulb went off. You see, Erin takes the opportunity to make the Leftovers challenge a Giveaway as well. And, last year I won! However, I realized I've been hoarding the goodies she sent me, and they were still on a shelf behind me. 

In addition to these beauties, she included a little pack of findings too. But, I focused in on these for the challenge and added a couple to my tin. 

And, here's what I made.

These large shapes were my favorites from my Vintaj session, and I couldn't wait to use them. Since they are so large, they didn't need but a small compliment to finish them. I only added a pair of salvaged red beads flanked by bead caps and ear wires before calling them done. 

Knowing I wanted to include some tin in my earrings, these came into being. 

The hearts on the keys drew me to the tiny tins with hearts on them. However, I'm now questioning my use of the blue beads and wondering why I didn't just use red ones (or something else entirely). These may get reworked. 

Again, I knew the selected Vintaj piece didn't need much added. 

To prevent these from being too fussy, I punched a second hole on them from which to dangle a gold-colored glass bead.

I love these! They incorporate the two bead sets I selected from my winnings from last year. 

The Humblebeads bead and glass bead just felt right together. I have to admit that it took me FOREVER to find the holes in those glass beads. I've never seen holes run in that direction on a teardrop. Initially, I was going to wrap them so the points faced up, but it felt better to let their uniqueness shine. I only added bead caps and spacers to these.

Another favorite pair in the bunch are these.

I did add holes to each corner of both of the Vintaj blanks before dangling the little crystals and adding the hanger. But, that was all they needed. I think they're romantic and fabulous.

Again, I turned to my tin to make this final pair of earrings.

These were ones I experimented with acrylic paint pouring on. I sealed them with a gloss varnish before punching a hole and adding the little gold keys. I think they're cute.

So, that wraps it up for me. I'm so happy I found Erin's challenge at the last minute and was able to bust out a few designs for it. I hope you were able to play along. Don't fret if you just heard about the challenge too. Erin will have the linky tool open until the end of the year so you can join in and maybe even win the goodies she's offering up for this year's giveaway. And, even if you just can't participate, make sure to head over to the Earrings Everyday We're All Ears reveal to get some inspiration from Erin and the other participants.