Earring :: Ideas :: Inspiration

Poet and feminist Audre Loude once said: "There are no new ideas. There are only new ways of making them felt." I have heard this said before of any art form, that there is no "new" art, only reinterpretations of ideas already established. Think about going to a museum, be it modern or antiquity. Have you ever left feeling a deep impulse to just create? Something, anything -- so long as you get your say in the process of making something out of something else. I guess it's the same for those who watch sports and then feel motivated to go to the gym (said activity does not have an effect on me, unfortunately). 

That said, one of my main source of jewelry ideas is spending time in the jewelry department of stores such as Target and Macy's or browsing them online. I have been known to get lost in the sea of Etsy products and sketch some ideas from there, too. This past week I found some super cute earrings at Target and, with the new stash of jewels from LA's jewelry district, one pair lead to two pairs lead to seven new pairs of earrings:

This is the original from Target, priced at $40:

And here is the Bead Up version, priced at $19:

Amethyst, Agate, Pearl, and Crystal earrings, $19 

But then I figured, why stop at gold? Silver rocks, too!

Pink and Pearl Earrings, $18

Then I saw these earrings, originally from Anthropology but no longer on their site:

Which turned into my interpretation (based on the materials I had on hand, of course):

Pink Crystal Drop earrings, $19

And these Anthropology earrings:

Turned into these Bead Up earrings:

Pink Briolette Earrings, $20

Then I just kept going!

Gold and Leaf Gemstone Earrings, $20

Cerulean Blue and Gold Hammered Hoop Earrings, $16

Bridal Pearl and Crystal Earrings, $17

And while I was at it, I remembered a sketch I had drawn last week based on a design I saw in a bead magazine:

Which turned into this -- a new spin on an old classic!

Brass Birdie Goes to its Nest Necklace - Turquoise

I think this is the most productive jewelry makin' day I have had in awhile! 

Here's to another one!

Orphaned Earrings

Over dinner in Berkeley with one of my bridesmaids a few weeks ago I was caught off guard. "Christyn," my gal Quinn said. "I have a Bead Up project for you." Quinn pulled out an old school jewelry bag and placed on the table 4 earrings. Not 2 pairs of earrings, but 4 separate, orphaned earrings. "So each of these has their own story. Each of them needs a reincarnation!" I was thrilled to take on the challenge, and saw it as a great venue for a new blog entry!


So here is what Quinn gave me:

And here is what came up with:

For this first necklace, Quinn said that the brass heart charm meant a lot to her as she bought it while living in Mexico. She asked that I add a red charm of sorts. I figured, why add one when you can add two?! How I love red coral. 

Next was this super cute little gold squirrel and nut charm duo. I cut the nut part off of the bottom of the squirrel charm and filed it smooth, and came up with a cute little pairing. I didn't need to add anything else - it was already precious as-is!

Then was this rad brass octopus. What should go with an underwater creature? Well, a pearl of course!

Lastly was this precious little gold bird. This was actually from a pair of super cute earrings that Quinn had bought in Kansas... the little bird hung in between a gold ring as if it was in a cage or something. I have actually been playing with some of my own materials since I first saw these earrings to make something similar. Anyway, here is it's recreation!

Oh, and Quinn also gave me what was left of a plastic, yet totally realistic looking, amber necklace she bought abroad. Done and done!


So, do you have any orphaned earrings that need a second chance? Let me know and I would love to reincarnate them for you! Holla!