On my worktable...

On my worktable right now!

Maybe this needs to be clarified: On a part of my temporary worktable also known as living room table in a lot of piles and boxes lying and standing around. Also the term temporary is used in a very broad definition. It started somewhere and it might end sometimes, that could be called temporary, or not?

I drilled some plastic toys a long time ago. Time to wrap and use them finally! I like miniature animals. They are as weird as they are cute!

I found some old crocheted rings I made years ago. I made a lot of earrings with them and then I got bored of creating them. Now I may be tempted again. Or I may even find some more already finished rings ;)

I also bought a box with copper wash rings. Difficult to get, I had to order them online! Nowadays they are mostly not made from pure copper anymore. 

After annealing I played with texture, oxidised them, polished them again... Aren't they all ebautiful?!

Look at all the pattern made with only two hammers. All the not roundish ones are made with a simple household hammer. My favorite hammer ever!

In my hand you see my absolute number one textured copper ring! The secret? More force, less control ;)

I also can show you a lot of necklace UFOs...

This could also just be a bead assembly for a market ;) But I combined some cermaic beads from Karen Totten with some of my polymer clay beads and a pendant. Actually I love how they work together. Just the worst to come: What kind of chain/string/necklace to add?

This is an older polymer clay pendant I made. I love the bird and the bright blue but until now it was just colelcting dust. So, I had to start somewhere!

I made a pendant from a uglibead headpin made by Julie. I could wrap it after making a double loop! The golden leather and a lot of the czech glass beads are from several Curiosity kits Rebecca is selling at her Curious Bead Shop.

I also started using one of my bird skulls! Oh, I just love all of them! With crackles and metallic spots... 

Here you can see how I actually start: Randomly assembling beads that are just telling me that they belong to each other. I don't know how the elefant jumped into the imade. He was not meant to be there... but you have to see how well he looks on the numinosity bead made by Kimberly (the etched glowing one)! Is there a organic rustic playful style? I don't know but he will stay ;)

Uhm... the picture of the new wings is actually not very good. They reflected the evening sun to well and were still on the paper towel drying. But I made some more! I used one for myself (one of the small ones at the top) and will start adding some of the other to my shop. I was asked for these and so here we go. They will probably also be my last for a long time. I can't stand too much repetition ;)

"Wild sea" - Earrings

I am not sure whether you may understand why I had to give this name to these earrings. Seeing them, the gorgeous shades of blue, the added green and turquoise, it was not my first association but it stayed. Maybe it is due to the white speckles in the blue enamel, but I feel the waves. The crushing of the water, the life inside the ocean, the algae coming along...

The enamel copper are numi-sticks made by Kimberly Rogers from Numinosity. I hoard her work, beads and sticks, like the treasures they are! Just look at all these different shades of colour!

I added oxidised copper wire, 15/0 seed beads and green cotton embroidery yarn.

The colours all go perfectly together and the soft yarn and hard glass as well as the clear blue and rustic metall are beautiful contrast. To be honest, using numi-sticks, it is not difficult to make beautiful earrings!

And yes, if you are tempted, please give in to your temptation! You can get them here ;)

"Forgotten" - Earrings

You may say that I am really fond of this style of chain. This time I gave the brass fish bone chain a light brown patina combined with some green patina It is always a more random than controlled process but the result is so stunning organic, weird and ancient looking!

The earwires are made from oxidised copper wire, the same material I used to wrap the czech teardrop glass beads.

Look at the blue and green colours! It reminds me of old artifacts found in the sea or deep down in a dark and old forrest.

They could fit into tribal or post-apocalyptic jewelery (thanks Julie for that category, yes, soooo me! ^^). It also looks organic and alive and weird but still beautiful.

And again, one step further, you can find them here in my shop :)

"Touch of colour" - Earrings

Yellow! You see it? I used yellow! And surprisingly: I love it! The name touch of colour may be a little bit.... mh... understated? Because they are full of colour. But for me it was to add a touch of colour to your life :)

I used some of my last small pieces of pink silk I got from Kathy from BBay Moon Design. The wrapping for the silk tassels was done using oxidized copper wire and waxed linen cord with some czech glass beads.

You see? They glow in the sunlight!

They are also in my new shop here :)

"Black wings" - Earrings

Sweet little dangling earrings, I am trying my best to create earrings that are me but may also be a little bit smaller. In the last time I tend to make really long earrings. I love that and also wear really long earrings but they are not for all. So here we go with little black butterflies!

The butterflies dragonflies (somehow I got stuck on butterflies, sorry for that ;)) are brass stamping that I oxidised with liver of sulphur (yes, it is tricky, but I got the trick now... in about 50% of my tries ;)). The ear wires are made from oxidised copper ball pins I made.

The tiny lampwork beads just add a touch of colour: Dark and still bright red! They are made by Michelle Bryant.

They are sweet and still dark and a little bit rustic and... sweet! Okay, it is early in the morning, still drinking my first coffee and in my head it makes "awww...." seeing them, so I just keep repeating myself because nothing more intelligent comes out of my neurons right now ^^

I still have to think about a surprise for my first shop customer (there has to be one that is for sure!). I also added these black butterflies dragon flies to my new etsy shop here. 

"Just be" - Earrings

I had some small leftovers from the beautiful pink leather I got from Kathy (Bay Moon Design) during the Swap n' Hop. It is a really wonderful soft leather that is actually moving! I have some other leather that looks the same but it is rather stiff in comparison.

I used the leather scraps to create some tassels and just combined it with some bright turquoise czech glass beads I got in one from Rebecca's "Curiosity Club" where I get a lovely (and sometimes challenging) bead kit every month.

Both colours are just bright and together they make me smile and think of summer!

Somehow I have Formentera in my mind, the water, the island, the people, the music, just the feeling... The moment where I am just am. In the moment. Content. Happy. 

Therefor they got the name: "Just be".

And yes, I am brave! I also listed them in my etsy shop! Go here for a view :)

"Urban jungle" - Earrings

Here we go: Movement! They dangle with every step, at every moment like they are dancing! 

Long. Yes, they are really long. Maybe too long for most people but quite often people are also surprised how well and comfortable really long earrings can be!

I got these bronze connectors from a friend a long time ago. I loved their shape and pattern but they were too uniform for me. But now with a little bit of vintaj patina added, they are beautiful!

I used them as a guide for my colour scheme. Bronze and copper, shades of green, blue and brown with some clear accents in between. Earth colours, combined with a long and dangling style, these earring have a tribal feeling. 

Just so you get an idea how long they are as well as how beautiful they move! Since all the parts are seperate links made with copper wire, the long dangles are not stiff at all. 

If you are tempted to have them all for you, they are here in my etsy shop (which I am still building up). .)

"Gothica" - Earrings

Again... earrings that are difficult to capture on photos. Or rather to capture their movement and beauty!

The earrings have such a beautiful dark and romantic feeling. The dark oxidised copper and brass looks old and work like they were hidden somewhere for a long time. An old treasure found again...

The lampwork headpins are made by Julie Wong Sontag from uglibeads. She always leaves the wire really long so I could make the hole loop out of it and wrap it around the glass too. Just for the sides I added some more copper wire to balance the whole look.

The headpin moves freely below the dark flowers. As you may already know: I love dangling earrings!

See how the wire part inside the glass seems to glow? It is the same red copper like the middle of the flower and next to the purple and dark copper, it really seems to glow from inside!

Maybe you noticed: I finally started to fill in my etsy shop (took me long enough, I know... put since I don't know when I will find some time for the next market, it was long overdue....!).

You can also find these lovelies there!

After a long time some new polymer clay beads!

A few new beads I made! At first my favorite ones looking dark and organic, with a lot of textured surfaces and pattern. I get better at just letting go and I think this is something I really need to learn more. Because the end result is just "me". 

The grey polymer clay is super sculpey firm. I used some tiny leftovers from Rumpel. I gave him the clay for his sculptures (will show you a new one as soon as it is arriving its new owner ^^) but have to say that I also just love this clay! It is not an easy one to work with if you are used to smooth polymer clays. But it is firm and hold the tiniest details perfectly. For example: I can add texture and roll a bead afterwards in my hand without smashing the details!

The downside: Grey.

But I added some eye powder (pure loose pigment eyepowder, not really cheap but gorgeous colour!) on the surface. It adds a slightly violett-blue shading without adding too much glitter and shine. More like a subtle hint adding depth. 

Maybe in comparison with the polymer clay just combined with acrylic paint on the left. This is the original light grey colour! I also love them with the light grey, but the others I just love!

Next to the organic ones I made some more colourful ones too!

From pink to red...

...to more red...

...and red on blue...

...to candy colour glossy shine pink! They really shine! 

But you know... I have to start the pink advent calendar early enough and christmas is never ever far away ;)

By the way: I started adding stuff in my etsy shop for the first time. It may take some time for me to add more. I thought I should add a lot in the beginning but I realized that I rather need small steps. Addings one item after the other, slowly... but it will grow as sure as my bead stash.

I am also thinking about adding some beads too. Anyone open for super shiny pink? ;)