Having made one pair of earrings using Shrink Plastic, I couldn’t resist making a second pair! My “Madame Flutterby” asymmetrical earrings are bold statement earrings! Accented with fresh water pearls and novelty beads, these painterly Shrink Plastic floral forms and butterflies take center stage. Measuring 4” in length, they are feather-light, dancing delightfully with swing and sway and sure to turn heads! You’ll find these in my Etsy shop.
I made the beaded portions of these whimsical bead woven earrings while creating my “Geometric Lantern Drop Earrings” design. Later on I started working with Shrink Plastic and couldn’t resist embellishing the original pair with colorful Shrink Plastic flower shapes accented with fresh water pearls, novelty teacup beads, and sterling silver tube beads. Wow! What a difference from the “naked” pair shown in the tutorial photo below! Measuring 2.75″ in length and light as a feather, this pair arrives in a satin brocade pouch for gift giving/safe keeping!
The tutorial is also available in my shop and shown in here should you wish to make the beaded earrings and add your own adornments.
Light as a feather, moving to and fro with the grace of ethereal sprites, I’ve titled these one-of-a-kind asymmetrical drop earrings “Fairie Dancers”. Measuring 4.25” in length, they are composed of sterling silver, freshwater pearls, bi-cone crystals, novelty and seed beads, and hand-formed and colored Shrink Plastic.
I’ve finally finished my latest mixed-media art jewelry project…the “lei-la” necklace (titled thusly because it sits much as an Hawaiian lei does around one’s neck). I love the various shades of green juxtaposed against black, grey, and off-white…they represent the transition between winter and spring! Weeks were spent from conception to finished piece. It took a while to find the perfect “fit” for all these beads of embellished felt accented with shrink plastic and polymer clay. The beads needed their own space, so to speak, because there is so much detail in each. When strung closely next to one another, they just looked too cramped and lost their individuality and adding small glass beads to divide them didn’t work either. The perfect solution was separating each bead with sterling silver curved tube beads and floating curvy disks of shrink plastic! Measuring 29″ in length, this one-of-a-kind piece will be stunning worn against a white high-collared blouse or turtle-neck sweater. I’m torn between keeping it or selling it. I think I’ll hang on to it for the moment and just enjoy gazing upon this lei…at least until another new creation comes into existence!
My resolution is to spend more time playing and less time working this year. I’ve wanted to get my polymer clay out for the longest time and last week was devoted to that. I love to make components with no special purpose in mind other than to experiment with color and shape. It’s so nice to have these components in my stash for times when I’m in need of a bead that is “just right” for a particular project.
Happy Valentine’s Day! Why do I love this day so much? Regardless of origin it’s the one day devoted to love and it’s celebrated worldwide! Today there will be hearts and flowers everywhere, champagne and marriage proposals. What’s not to like? I’m running a sale in my Etsy shop until February 24 to celebrate. I’ve recently added new listings of jewelry-making components as well as several pieces of finished jewelry like the one-of-a-kind pair of earrings shown here. Use this code: BEMYVALENTINE24 to save 15% on everything in my Etsy shop!
I created this keepsake for my cousin in memory of our late Aunt Betty. The body of the heart is made of felt accented with shrink plastic components and novelty beads. The winged portion is geometrically beaded from an earrings tutorial that I designed several years ago. This keepsake is titled “Her Heart Took Flight”. In honor of Aunt Betty and Valentines day, use code: BEMYVALENTINE24 through 2-24-24 to receive 15% off in my Etsy shop!
This summer a 13-year brood of Cicadas will emerge in the same year as a 17-year brood. For the first time since 1998 13-and 17-year broods will co-emerge in the same year. Perhaps this news has subconsciously influenced my proclivity toward the color green of late. I’m sure there are many people cringing at the thought of all the cicadas that will emerge this summer, but I actually look forward to this event. The songs of cicadas remind me of carefree summers spent on my grandma’s farm and the adventures I had with my cousins. We would pluck snap peas and carrots from the garden, catch fireflies in jars at dusk, swing on the drooping branches of a huge weeping willow in the yard, and we’d go swimming every afternoon. And all of our activities were accompanied by the buzzing of cicadas…that constant rhythmical cadence of summer song! I just had to title this necklace “Leaf Hoppers”! The components of this long necklace are made of shrink plastic, polymer clay, and 1″ felt balls embellished with novelty and seed beads. The long black “cord” is actually a length of knit fabric-covered elastic. It measures 36″ in length.
Mossy, forest, jungle, so lush and verdant…green is one of my favorite colors and my go-to palette at the moment. This collection of beads composed of shrink plastic, polymer clay, and beaded felt are what I’ve been creating over the past two weeks. I started with a necklace idea in mind, but decided to just listen to the voice of my muse and see where she’d take me…she’s telling me to create more green beads as she finds the color so calm and restful. She’ll let me know when I should start assemblage and I’ll listen to her because she’s always spot on!
I’ve been having such a good time playing with Shrink Plastic and Polymer clay. I’m starting work on another necklace, but in the meantime I’ve put together these Creative Component Collections and listed them in my Etsy shop so you can have creating too!
Barbara is an artist specializing in One-of-a-Kind art jewelry and adornment. She hopes to inspire others to create beautiful objects. Follow her blog by signing up at: https://barbarabriggsdesigns.wordpress.com/follow-my-blog/
Barbara Briggs Designs 