Home Again Home Again

We're baaaack!  Got home last Wednesday evening after 5,580 miles of road.  Whew.  What a great trip.  Family, friends, and the great American West.  What's not to love.  Sweet moments and bittersweet ones, too.  I won't be going home again.

But enough about me.  Let's talk earrings!!

After a hiatus of...ummmm, several days shall we say?... i've made a pair of earrings!  Go me.  My inspiration was from the book making beautiful bead and wire jewelry by linda jones (small caps as shown).  She has a pair of "starburst" earrings that she says were inspired by Bollywood style.  JUST in case you aren't familiar with the term, Bollywood is the informal description of the Hindi-language film industry that is based in Mumbai, India (thanks, Wikipedia!)  But i digress.

A variety of factors kept me, again, from following through with the project as presented.  For one, i couldn't pull together a satisfactory combination of beads.  For another, i didn't really cotton to the finished design so i wasn't too sad that the bead combo didn't jell.  BUT...i did take a main element and use it in my design.  And sometimes, that's all you need.  KISS, right?

And the best part, the focal beads are from Mom's eclectic collection!

Supplies:
20gauge copper wire
2 x Mom's glass heart beads

That's all. I made everything from the 20gauge wire.

One thing new i tried was "working from the coil" of wire instead of cutting of short lengths.  It seemed like i used less wire so it might be worth a try.  If you try it, you'll have to give some thought to the order of the beads you are threading on, and what end of the component you are making first.

So, using a cylinder of a size you like, wrap the 20gauge around a couple of times to make two complete circles and then cut like you would for jump rings.  These are your hoops. Bend one end of the wire circle to form a loop as on the left end in the photo. Then twist the wire so the loop is to the back of the circle.  Alternatively, you could leave the loop on the side, but i like the look of them to the back.  After you thread on the drop, make a loop on the other end of the wire circle.

The design idea i "retrieved" from the pattern was the long center drop, or stem, as ms jones calls it.  But instead of loading it up with beads, i placed only the one focal and left the remaining wire bare.  Different look!  Thread the drop onto the hoop.

Next, make two simple ear wires and two good sized jump rings from the 20gauge wire.Open a jump ring and thread on a loop, an ear wire and the other loop of the hoop.  Close the jump ring and repeat for the other earring.  Cool beans!  I like 'em!  I'm wearing them now and the copper wire is not bothering my ears.  Yay for that.

So there ya go.  Another pair of earrings.  I've lost count and lost track but what the hey.  We're having some kind of fun and that's what matters.  Cheers!