We're All Ears: October 2014

It's time once again for the monthly earring challenge hosted by Earrings Everyday:  We're All Ears.  It's super simple to play along.  Each month, Erin Prais-Hintz chooses an image (or images) to inspire participants on the first Friday of each month and then we share what we made on the third Friday.  That's it, no other rules!

This month Erin shared two collages of marbleized paper art.  You can see that post with all the information on both artists' work HERE.  As soon as I saw Jemma Lewis's work, I knew what beads would be the focus of my design this month.  I had just ordered some yummy lampwork with raku frit from SueBeads that seemed just the thing... now I just had to wait for them to arrive.

Here are the beads I was eagerly waiting for.... photos from the Sue Beads Etsy shop.  Aren't they just yummy?!

Now, I have to admit that when I make earrings with lampwork beads I'm guilty of just adding some little metal spacer beads to either end of the lampwork and calling it good.  I guess I just want the glass to shine and keep things super simple.  For this month's challenge I wanted to break out of that rut and try something a little outside my comfort zone.  So here we go...

First up, I paired Sue's yummy turquoise set with some matching Picasso finish rice beads that I dug out of a fun bead mix and some little blue green rondelles.  I added in the little copper plated bead caps (to take me further outside my normal comfort zone) and wire-wrapped them all on a copper headpin.  This is a pair that I may not be able to part with... I think I've fallen in love!

For my second pair, I decided to use brass findings and keep my bead dangles a little more tame as far as shape goes.  But to spice things up a bit I punched an extra set of holes in some hammered brass rings and added the beads to those instead of just putting them straight on the ear wires.

This is a blog hop.  Please check out the great designs everyone else came up with over on Earrings Everyday HERE.