Red, White and Blue!

Happy Independence Day!

Flag on my back deck a couple years back!

Star on my backyard fence!

Read more about them on Earrings Everyday!

Frilly Hoops on Earrings Everyday!

Hi friends!  Haven't been here in a while, so thought I would share my Earrings Everyday post with you, just to have something new here!!!

My normal mode of creating is based on  "one-of-a-kind" pieces, with a few limited edition pieces here and there.  I like this mode of work,  because I tend to be a bit like my ADHD son and get bored/lose focus easily!  Currently, though, I am gearing up for a couple of Holiday shows in the next couple of weeks and need to be in production mode and have been going back through past work to find a few items  I think bear repeating.

A few months ago I created these fold formed hoops. I had been wanting to make more of these, but not really these, though..you know? After sifting through my scrap metal, I decided to change the overall shape and bling them up a bit.

I got the copper ones done, and totally fell in love, so I hauled out my tiny hoard of sterling sheet.  It is so expensive, I have been holding on for just the right project! I think I'll go ahead and use it up on more of these...what  do you think?

Copper Leaves on Earrings Everyday!

Been playing!

September already...

Wow...time sure does fly...the last week has gone by in a blur!  My son started middle school, then Thursday, he had the audacity to turn 11! Imagine that!

Here he is with his cake...don't laugh at my decorating "skilz"...at least it is not a Wreck!  He always asks for lemon!

Then it was Labor Day weekend, and my birthday (I'm proudly 54), and now I am back at my 9-5 (blah)!


The cool thing is, in just a couple of weeks, ArtBliss is here!  Sadly, the class I was going to take with Diane Cook had to be cancelled, but I replaced it with Stacie Florer's Ranch Hand Earring class...I was already signed up for her Heavy Metal bead class.  I can't wait to see all my buddies I know will be there!!

Oh, it is my day over on Earrings Everyday...go check out Sea Flowers.

Thanks for stopping by! Hope your September is a great one!

And the NEW winner is....

drumrolllllllllllll.......

....llllllllllll......

wait for it......

Oops!  I forgot to take the Earrings Everyday members out of the pile, and in my delirium of getting things accomplished, didn't think of it until this morning!

The winner is Suzanne!!! Suzanne - send me you snail mail address and I will get these out to you!

Thanks to all who left fabulously sweet comments!  You all rock!  I wish I could send everyone a pair.  I will be doing another one just on my blog soon!

Earring Giveaway....

at Earrings Everyday!

I thought I would re-create the earrings from my Bead Soup the other day, since I got so many sweet comments on them, this time using very cool borosilicate artisan beads from JavaBead.  Embellished with my hand formed copper bead caps and torch-fired enamel headpins.  Simple design, but they pack a punch!

How can they be yours?  Head on over to Earrings Everyday and...

1. Leave a comment.
2. Follow Earrings Everyday
3. Blog about the giveaway or Earrings Everyday in general (provide link)
4. Share on Facebook or Twitter

and, because I love my readers, earn extra entries by commenting here and/or following my blog!

Winner will be drawn Sunday evening.  Good luck!

Metal Ruffles...more fun with foldforming!

I have been having a blast experimenting lately with foldforming metal, after my sweet hubby gave me Charles Lewton-Brain's fabulous book Foldforming for our anniversary.   There is something so satisfying about taking a piece of raw metal and torturing it into submission!   Annealing, folding, hammering, annealing, hammering, annealing, opening, hammering some more...it is hard to stop! It also feels so freeing to know that aside from the little copper beads on the earwires, these are completely fabricated by me.

These started out as long leaves that I was going to enamel or add bead dangles to, but knowing today was my day on Earrings Everyday,  I decided to curl them around my ring mandrel to make hoop earrings.  I think they turned out pretty well!

I will definitely be adding these to my inventory, as well as some variations.  Deciding which side of the fold would show on the outside was sort of an "eeny, meeny, miney, mo" process.  I think the next ones will be reversed.

Pale Tropics on Earrings Everyday

Rosy, Posy on Earrings Everyday

Rosy Posy Hoops at Earrings Everyday

Spring Fever Ramblings

Having a 9-5 job when Spring decides to flirt with your senses is totally unfair!  Granted, it has been  a very mild winter here in Maryland, I am so ready for warmer weather, green grass, and flowers!  The spring-like temps yesterday and today have me unfocused on my admin work and chomping at the bit to go and dig in some dirt!

Unfortunately, I have suffered with an off and on headache over the last 3-4 days...just when I think it is gone, it's knuckles tap me on the side of the head again..."I'm baacckkk"!

My day on Earrings Everyday....Confetti!

Here are a couple more pairs of earrings I created a while back featuring my new love of  bezel cups...

Handwrought copper  disks with faceted blue chalcedony; lampwork by SueBeads

Sterling disks with tiny turquoise cabs;  Picasso finish Czech glass drops

Have been working on some custom orders...including a silent auction piece for one of my co-worker's Breast Cancer fundraiser and a special gift for my son's Scout leader...she has been his den leader all the way through Cubs, and will continue into Boy Scouts.  Hope to have photos of these to show soon!

Speaking of Scouts, B crosses the bridge on Saturday!  Will take lots of photos!

Oh, I almost forgot...I am still going to have a giveaway based on my Bead Soup leftovers...will get a post up soon, I promise!

Hope you are all enjoying the spring-like weather and aren't stuck inside at your desk!

Happy Random Valentine's Day!

Hello, all my sweet friends out there!  I'm not going to apologize for being so scarce around these here parts lately, and really, I have no excuse!  I am trying to work on other aspects of my life and somehow haven't felt the compulsion to share! Never fear, however, we are all fine and will get back into a rhythm eventually!

Want to win these earrings and more?  Go visit Earrings Everyday and find out how!

Have been meaning to post a pic of Ben and his car after his CubScouts Pinewood Derby...no prizes this time, but he had fun!  We just went to our 1st Boys Scouts meeting in preparation for crossing the bridge!  He may even go to sleep-away camp this summer!

Bead soup photos are coming later this week!  The stash I got from my partner is amazing and I really like what I sent  her!  Just have to edit some photos.

Happy Valentine's Day to you all...hope your special cupid out there shoots some arrows of love through your heart!

Azure - Earrings Everyday

My turn over at Earrings Everyday!

Earrings Everyday

So, one of the very cool things that happened this year...actually last year, but really close to this year...was that I got a note from Heather Powers of Humblebeads, Art Bead Scene, and Earrings Everyday fame, asking if I would be interested in being a part of the Earrings Everyday blog!  Wha? You better believe it! There was a bevy of talented artists there, so it was an honor to get the invite!

Today was my 1st post!  Go on over and share some love!  If you haven't already, you should follow the blog...everyday there are new, lovely and innovative earring designs posted.  And if that weren't enough, there are also some very cool ideas for displaying and marketing your own jewelry creations!  Go forth and investigate!