"Urban jungle" - Earrings

You ever made somethig you instantly fell in love with... just to realize to can't keep it because it doesn't look good on you? I so wanted to keep these earrings. I just wanted! I love their organic look, their movemet, how long they are but still they don't look heavy but light due to the movement, all the red sparkles and organic texture... I could go on and on. 

They speak to me, they are really me... and still, with my hair lenght at the moment, my red hair colour... it didn't go together. I took me some time to say good-bye to them and to take them with me to a market. I even prized them completly true (still struggling with that) and up until now they were the most expensive earrings I had.

They sold. At the first market.

But at least I know they are loved and this is why I couldn't keep them. They should not be hidden and forgotten, covered in dust in the last corner (I know I exaggerate ^^), they should be worn and loved!

The big red ceramic connectors were from a giveaway I won from Niky (go over to her blog silverniknats, she creates gorgeous pieces, especially with old coins!) and are made by Petra from scorched earth. The were my first beads from her but I think I need more now...! ;) The tiny lampwrok beads under the organic looking big czech glass beads are made by Michelle Marie Bryant.

"Dreaming" - Bird mask made with polymer clay

Do you know this kind of surreal feeling: Hey, I actually made this? 

I have it with this bird mask. 

It is made with polymer clay (Fimo classic as well as a lot of other scraps of clay I had at hand... some of it even neon yellow!). At first I used a paper template to cover with metal foil and then a first layer of polymer clay and bake it. In a second step (a step that took weeks, I just worked on it from time to time) I created the beak and added the feathers. Every single feather was cut in shape and formed onto the mask. Just a very basic and simple shape with clean lines to make a feather but because they are all different, it is working really well. 

I covered the baked mask with surface prep from Christi Friesen "Swellegant", added a first layer of black acrylic paint and then several layers of "Swellegant" silver. It will fill out little gaps and small details are lost. But that is perfect because then it looks more and more like one single piece and not a combination of different pieces. In the last coat of silver I added the darkening patina while it was still wet. After it dried I coated it at first with the sealant before I added highlights with the silver again on top. I am using this order now since I sometimes had the problem that even after waiting for several days to let the metal coat and the patina dry, if I would add new metal to highlight raised areas it would also oxidise.  

The curve of the side nicely goes into the curve of the beak. 

Just look how well it turned out with the beak and the nostrils and the tiny wee feathers around it. The beak was just smoothed out by hand before baking and I left it as it was afterwards. This has the effect that in all that irregularities the silver and patina formed their own organic pattern.

"Across the ocean" - Polymer clay turtle

It is odd that I am now using fb so much. I never liked it in the past and I am still not feeling comfortable with fbs (not really existing - yes, in this regard I am really european/german) privacy policies. But my family finally got me into it because it is the easiest way to let everyone participate even across oceans... and then I found all the special interest groups for beads, jewelery, art and polymer clay. 

They got me. *sighs*

One of the german polymer clay groups was hosting challenges from time to time. Last year autumn there was a challenge for either a snow man (no, thanks) or a turtle (ok, it is meant to be a challenge after all).

My idea was to create the typical shape of a turtle (in the ocean, not on land) and then use my new surface treatment to create the feeling of something old and overgrown. 

Organic, crusty, grown, ocean... 

In case you are wondering about the wire: This IS actually a bead. Maybe you could call it a pendant but honestly that is also just another kind of bead or not?

If you want to smile: Rumpel is still teasing me with my simplified definition of what a bead is... "...it has a hole in it" ^^

"Story beads" - Earrings

The same shape but a complete different style: Insteadt of the hammered metal pieces I use a long stretch of beads! They are fun to make and just look and move lovely :)

"Moments of colour" - Earrings

Huh... I didn't write really a lot in the last time. But I already prepared a lot of images (and yes, I am creating even more all the time ^^) and now, finally, I am coming back to show them to you!

Here some images how I create my dangling earrings:

All you need is thick wire. Mostly I work with copper but also with silver filled wire. Maybe as soon as the silver price is dropped even a little bit further also with pure silver ;)

I cut small pieces and anneal them with my Dremel torch. This is really necessary to prepare it for all the hammering. I also pickle them using vinegar and salt to get rid of the fire scale.

...this is after hammering! I use a normal small household hammer and a miniature amboss. Just look at the gorgeous texture! For oxidation I use liver of sulphur and to clean the upper part I use either steel wool (the one you get to clean litchen tools) or nail files ;)

To add a touch of colour and movement, I will add czech glass bead drops. I already have quite a collection of them in a lot of different sizes.... and I want more! Every time I see some bead drops, I just have to have them!

They look good with ready-made ear hooks as well as handmade one. Depends on the style you want and where the eye shuld be drawn to,

The beads are just wrapped with wire (0,6mm) that I also anneald, pickled and oxidised before using... oh, I nearly forgot: I also add a protective layer of Renaissance Wax and buff it slightly!

Some are longer, some are shorter... I made really a lot of them until now and I still love their look (that is surprisingly clean for me ^^). 

I am also not the only one loving them... nearly all I made are already gone! I would create more but it is difficult to hammer in an apartment late in the evening. ;)

"Just a thought" - Earrings

It is extremly difficult to catch the subtle colours of these bead combinations. I tried hard with different light settings (all daylight but the ancle and amount and weather conditions... ^^). I also tried to play with editing features... but no, there are just hints of colour. Beautiful but difficult to catch. 

I love their movement and how they catch the light. They are subtle even though they are really long. Oh yes, I am so into really long earrings today. I wear this style "long and dangling" all the time!

Last weekend I participated at my first market this year: "Happy Pop-Up Market". It was absolutely great, with cool music, a stunning location and even better food :) 

Next weekend you will find me at the "SonderpOsten". It will be just across the street in the park in front of our aparment! 

I also really need this just to relax and get other ideas and thoughts... because at work it is really hard. Not the research itself, that is something that still fascinates and motivates me. But just one moment everything seemed okay and the next everyone is struggling, caught between the powerplays of the ones at the top. *sighs* ...and even while I know this logically, in  my heart I can't get over the fact that they just don't care. Not at all... not what broken pieces they will leave behind.

Creating calms me down and these earrings, they are called just a thought... just a thought but it made me smile :)