The editors over at the Art Jewelry Elements blog have come up with another fun challenge this month... and it has to do with using art headpins! What's an art headpin, you ask? It's a headpin handcrafted by an artisan... something beyond just a balled end... something that has the potential to be the focus of a design... a show stopper. Here's a great collage put together by Lesley Watt from the AJE team to show some examples of art headpins in designs and on their own:
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| Collage from Art Jewelry Elements blog |
There's some great stuff out there in the jewelry making world for sure! I have to admit that I've been a little bit timid (ok, terrified) to use my small collection of art headpins in my designs. I mean, these are special, one of a kind pieces and if I screw it up, I don't get another chance. When I'm using "normal" headpins, if I botch something it's not a huge deal. I just cut the wire and start over. Not so once the fancy pants headpins come into play!
For this challenge I picked a set of awesome, crusty looking headpins from Havana Beads. I had been making some variations on a theme from the earrings that I just made for this month's We're All Ears challenge (you can see those HERE if you missed them) and got a wild hair to try something similar with this set of headpins and accent beads and some flame painted copper rings.
My original intent was to use both the headpins and the spacers together, but when I started putting things together the earrings were just getting too big for my taste... in part because I felt the headpins needed the larger sized copper rings to look right. I kept it simple and just added faceted amazonite rounds on either side of the headpins.
Remember those accent beads? I couldn't let them languish alone without their friends so I whipped up a pair of earrings with them too. No fancy art headpins here, but I wanted to share them anyway.
And while I didn't make this last pair for this challenge (they were for the June We're All Ears challenge from Earrings Everyday) they do represent my only other recent foray into using art headpins. They feature lampwork glass strawberries from Thornburg Bead Studio.
I really had intended/hoped to do more designs and break out more of my art headpins, but a super busy schedule and some unexpected travel sort of threw a monkey wrench into my plans! Never fear, there is a lot more headpin goodness to be seen out there since tons of other folks participated this month... hop around to see what everyone else came up with!
Guests:
AJE Team Members:
Those blue headpins are delicious!!! I really like your earrings. Nicely done.
ReplyDeletelove the finished earrings. I would have gone with the original idea just because I have big earlobes that can handle heavy earrings, and I think those two beads would have been amazing together, but they are lovely nonetheless.
ReplyDeleteYour choice of headpins and beads is fantastic, and you assembled beautiful earrings that remind me of sand and ocean for the first ones and of a quiet lake for the second ones.
ReplyDeleteI love the more simple designs for ear rings and these really appeal to me :)
ReplyDeleteBeautiful work! Your second pair of earrings is so pretty!
ReplyDeleteLaura :)
Oh, I love the earrings with the rustic headpins and the metal ring! They are gorgeous :)
ReplyDeleteWow, lovely earrings. :)
ReplyDeleteBeautiful earrings! I agree with your decision for not use the larger beads with those headpins. They look perfect with the smaller amazonite beads.
ReplyDeleteCompletely know what you mean about being afraid to use the artisan head pins! I'm afraid I'm going to need to redo it and they will be ruined! Yours turned out wonderful I especially love the strawberries!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful work! Love that seafoam green :)
ReplyDeleteFantastic variations on a theme with the coper circles. You had me at "sea foam" though. Thats my palette! Gorgeous! Thanks for joining us Sarajo!
ReplyDeleteAha! I knew I couldn't be alone in my fear of "ruining" art headpins. Your earrings turned out gorgeous. I'm a sucker for copper with any shade of blue-green.
ReplyDeleteLove what you do with copper! Nice to see what you can do with you push yourself beyond timid feelings.
ReplyDeleteI love all your color combinations, but seriously, how cute are those strawberries! Love it! Thank you for playing along with us!
ReplyDeleteI've ruined headpins before. It's so disappointing! Breathe a sigh of relief though, these are fantastic! Thanks for participating in the challenge and for reading AJE!
ReplyDeleteI was admiring those crusty greenish blue headpins when they first came out. So lovely to see what became of them. Excellent job!
ReplyDeleteMona
What beautiful earrings you have made! I really love the first pair the colours are just beautiful!
ReplyDeleteAll of your earrings are wonderful. You picked great headpins and created wonderful designs with them. Well done!
ReplyDeleteSquee! Love the headpins you chose but omg the fruit earrings!
ReplyDeleteOh my....so love the colors!!! Great job!
ReplyDeleteThe blue and copper earrings are great, and the fruit ones are so cute! Thanks for playing along!
ReplyDeleteI bet the earrings with the dangles make music when the wind hits them. I love all of your designs.
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