We're All Ears :: April Inspiration Reveal

 This month's earring inspiration was the tablescape pictured below. 

I have to admit that this challenge had me stumped for quite a while. Initially I was attracted to the colors. However, after littering my work table with trays of beads, I discovered that out of thousands of beads, I don't own a single chartreuse or olive-colored one. Then I noticed the crescent shapes of the bird's body and the dipping bowl. Voila!  Off to my new disc cutter to cut a crescent shape. Sitting on my work table was a food-themed cookie tin waiting to be repurposed into a piece of jewelry. Food-themed? Table setting? This was kismet. 

After cutting the discs, I added some antiqued brass, Indonesian glass, and bone beads and attached  handmade earwires. Fun!

But there were still all of these cool graphics on the tin. Inspired by one of the panels on the tin (keeping with the food motif), I cut a pendant focal, riveted it to another piece of tin, and added a dangle of a domed tin disc and glass bead. After stringing some bone and brass beads and crimping the beading wire to antiqued brass rolo chain, I had a funky matching necklace. 

I absolutely loved this project! Thank you, Erin, for the inspiration. Now off to the blog hop to see other creative interpretations.

An InLinkz Link-up

Whimsical Tin

I really hit the tin jackpot at Goodwill the other day. The whimsical pattern and color palette of this tin resulted in a fun and funky earring-necklace set. 

I cut, textured, and patinated a piece of brass sheet and then riveted a tin disc and bail onto it. Glass,  crow, and brass beads add a pop of color to the brown suede cording. 

To the domed tin discs, I added magnesite, bone, coral, and brass beads. The handmade earwires are brass.

Zentangle

When I am not making jewelry, hanging out at the beach, writing, or working in my garden, I can be found drawing. I've always like to draw but hated to have to draw a likeness of something. Zentangling, however, is a completely different thing altogether. I spend the best part of every day in a zen state while drawing whatever patterns find me, focused but relaxed. 

* This piece was inspired by the pussy willows blooming in my front yard.

* These are some of my favorite tangle patterns. I actually had to use my Optivisor to draw this one, as the details were so intricate!

Tin Obsession

In thrift or antique stores, I simply cannot resist looking for tins. I most certainly have enough already, but the collection continues to grow. Alright, I guess that qualifies as an obsession. Let's add beads and findings to that list. Or really any single thing related to jewelry-making. But back to the tin. I love finding beads to go with the color palette of the any given piece of tin. The other day I snagged a few tins at Goodwill, and here is what resulted. Disc-cutting, filing, dapping, hole-punching, riveting - such fun tools!  I hate it when I make something and then can't part with it! 

* vintage tin, crow beads, antiqued brass, vintage pink bead (from one of my mom's 1960's necklaces), black suede leather (adjustable)

* vintage tin, antiqued brass, glass, handmade earwires

* vintage tin, antiqued brass, glass, vintage beads, handmade earwires

Disc Cutter Experiments

I love this new disc cutter! Yesterday I made these blue and white domed discs for the earrings and experimented with riveting a disc onto sheet metal for a necklace focal. Discovering that my hole punch only reaches so far into a metal piece for the largest hole size for riveting, I had to adapt and wire wrap the blue disc to the metal piece instead of riveting, which I had planned. Lesson learned. I did, however, get a chance to rivet some blue tin to the top of the metal as a bail. I had some blue suede that matched perfectly, so I used that to string the focal. I love the cobalt glass beads and the blue and white striped trade beads. I'm excited to wear this new set tonight at a CD release party for a favorite local band.