Art Jewelry Elements Earring Challenge

I am thrilled to take part in the Art Jewelry Elements Earring Challenge! I love doing various challenges and blog hops because they force me to find the time to be creative; it's too easy for me to put my muse in the back seat when life gets hectic--and that makes her very, very cranky!

What is great about this challenge is that we have to use an art jewelry element in the earrings--this mean there has to be handmade components, minimizing the mass-produced as much as possible. As someone who also makes handmade lampwork, I am very passionate about using handmade components as much as possible!

My first two pairs just happen to use clay components from the same artist: White Clover Kiln. I wanted to use two different artists' beads, but when my muse hollers, I listen.

The first pair turned out so beautiful--it's nice to have a vision make it to reality!

The camera can't catch the beautiful hues in the purple clay domes, which cradle pewter bead caps, and opalite rounds. Opalite is one of my favorite "stones" even if it is manmade. I love the iridescent quality, and it pairs beautifully with the purple and silver tones.

Next are a pair of dangling "flowers".

The purple flowers are again from White Clover Kiln, and have a gorgeous underhue (is that a word?) of a periwinkle blue. I paired some seed beads with the clay flowers to give the illusion of real flowers, and used some funky head pins I found at one of my local bead stores. I love these, too--they will be hard to put up for sale!

Be sure to visit Art Jewelry Elements today, so you can see all of the gorgeous creations other artists have put together. The talent is astounding and somewhat intimidating! But most of all, it is inspiring!