Reflections of Growth {Earrings of the Month}

The end of the school year almost always brings to me tears with the chaos that ensues from tying up all the loose ends and unfinished projects. But, as my boys were reflecting on their respective school years and finalizing their summative assessments for various teachers, I took some time to pause and look at the tremendous growth we’ve seen this year. No tears, just deep breaths. From their typing skills to their analytical abilities, this school year has taken my kids to new heights. So, on that note, I was inspired to create pieces that – to me – illustrated growth and change. I had some Rhyolite from a trip to Oregon a few years ago and love how the colors remind me of an old growth forest – with its palate of green and brown and I used green onyx for growth and the glittering Golden Pyrite represents success.

Oregon Rhyolite, Golden Pyrite, Hematite, and green onyx are handwired with sterling silver findings to create one-of-a-kind pieces just for my subscribers. Enjoy!

"From the Inky Depths" Choker and Earring Set {Donation}

I’m always happy to support local organizations with donations of EcoChic Designs’ pieces. So, when a friend asked me to donate to a fundraising event for her son's school, I didn't hesitate. This choker - and coordinating earrings - will be up for bid at a fundraising event for MAOS at the end of this month...

From the Inky Depths

A hefty pewter octopus is the focal point of this choker and earring set. Inky purple, deep red, clear, and murky brown recycled glass beads, faceted smoky quartz nuggets, hematite rounds and twisted barrels, bronzite, ocean jasper are hand-wired with the sterling silver to create this one-of-a-kind piece. 

MAOS is an advanced college preparatory academy in a public school setting with over 250 students from diverse socioeconomic and ethnic backgrounds throughout Monterey County. Some of their collaborating partners include: Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, Moss Landing Marine Lab, CSU Monterey Bay, Hopkins Marine Lab, Monterey Bay Aquarium, and Naval Postgraduate School.

OLIVE My Earring Club Members!

It's the end of the month...which means that my next month's creations for the earrings-of-the-month club gals goes in the mail today.

Having won a recipe contest through We Olive, I roped some friends into joining me and my family at the Paso Robles Olive Festival, an all-day celebration of all things olives. We sipped olive oils, bent olive branches into crowns, spooned olive jam onto olive oil crisps, slathered olive oil lotion onto sun-baked skin, and cooled off with olive oil ice cream – topped with balsamic vinegar. What we didn’t do, that I thought we would: taste olives. You know, the actual fruit. I envisioned tubs of green, almond-shaped cerignola; slightly wrinkled, almost midnight gaeta olives; and the green picholine to the purplish liguria all swimming in their pools of delicious brine.

So, while dreaming of olives, I decided to make that the theme for this month’s Earrings-of-the-Month selection: Olives!

The earrings are made with eco-friendly olive-shaped acai seeds handwired with sterling silver, lava beads, and hematite. Here’s what my vendor writes about their acai beads: “Our beads are made in our small workshop in South America. The workshop is clean and workers receive a fair wage so everybody's happy! Plus collecting and selling seeds creates income for the indigenous people. Without this income, the rainforest is often destroyed to provide for a more agrarian society.”

Kazuri Beads

Years ago a friend invited me to a Kazuri bead party. Click here to read the whole story about Kazuri beads. The short version: these are made by women in Kenya, giving them gainful employment through a marketable handicraft. Kazuri, in Swahili, means "small and beautiful."

I picked up several great beads that evening, but I held onto them, waiting for inspiration. I finally used one in a pendant that a customer saw at the TREAT YOURSELF craft faire yesterday. But she didn't want a pendant, she wanted earrings. Luckily, I had a matching bead at home.

So, I handwired the Kazuri beads with hematite to create these beauties. Hope she likes them.

Deep Ink Necklace

I came across these hefty, beautiful pewter beads by Green Girl Studios and immediately snatched up some ocean-themed ones. I made this Deep Ink necklace because I love octopi and I love deep, regal purple.

A pewter octopus bead hangs at the center of this piece, handwired to a sterling silver bubble with a small hematite round and a larger purple fluorite round. Recycled inky purple nuggets, amethyst nuggets, oxidized sterling silver chain and more hematite rounds complete this necklace that closes in the rear with a sterling silver lobster clasp.

 

Click here to purchase this piece or see more photos on my etsy site.

Java Queen Earrings

Wearing these earrings makes you feel like a queen...and, the different colors of smoky quartz remind me of all the different shades of coffee - from the strongest black to the palest latte.

Faceted and smooth smoky quartz are handwired with hematite and brushed sterling silver dics to form these one-of-a-kind earrings. The earrings hang from sterling silver French wires.

Click here to purchase these from my etsy site.

March 8, 2011 Update: These have been purchased.  Thanks, Paula.  Enjoy! ~CMM

Tulip + All Shades of Denim = All Mine

Everyone has seen pink tulips and red tulips, yellow tulips and white tulips; there are even green tulips.  But the only shade of tulip that doesn't seem to exist is blue.  Even tulips with 'blue' in their names - 'Blue Ribbon', 'Blue Champion', 'Blue Parrot' - are more purple than blue or are a deep indigo.

Still I decided that I needed to make a blue tulip necklace to keep for myself and I wanted to use all the shades of denim that I could muster so it would pair nicely with another favorite of mine - comfortable blue jeans.  Here's what I created...

A heavily-plated sterling silver (over brass) tulip bead cap is handwired with faceted iolite rondelles, a denim-colored freshwater pearl, recycled teal glass, hematite rounds, and hefty faceted nuggets of aquamarine to form this one-of-a-kind necklace. It closes in the rear with a sterling silver lobster clasp...and it's mine, all mine!  But if you like these colors, let me know, and I'll happily create a similar piece just for you.