Last Minute Gift Idea: Leaf Earrings

Hi Everyone!

Are you ready for the holidays?  Do you need a last minute gift idea for a friend or family member?  You've come to the right place!

We invite you to join the Last Minute Gift Ideas blog hop with a great group of talented designers.  Hop from blog to blog and find easy, fast and amazing last minute gift ideas.

You can also win a great prize!  Visit all the blogs participating in the hop, leave a comment, and you can win a $100 Visa gift card!

Earrings are always a great gift.  Here's some mixed media ones that will be sure to be a hit.  Leather is such a popular jewelry medium right now, and all you do to create the leaf is use a die cutter.  You can find the tutorial here.

Leather Leaf Earrings

 
While I really like these in tan suede and dark red, I wanted to try a different color to show how versatile this idea is.  Here's a necklace I made using turquoise leather.  For more on this necklace, go to this link.

Blueberry Tassel Necklace

Blueberry Tassel Necklace Close-up

As you can see, it's a very versatile design idea.  With so many colors and textures in leather and suede, it's easy to create your own version for any occasion. 

More ideas - try a different die cut, use leaf or other fancy chain, use pre-strung dangle chain, add a smaller leaf, a filigree stamping or other layer in between the leaf and the chain.

You have plenty of chances to enter to win a $100 Visa gift card each day of the hop, on any of the participating blogs.  Everyone is eligible to win whether you're in the U. S. or international.  The prize winner will be announced on Christmas, December 25, on einatkessler.com

Here's the hop list:

Ola Khomenok
Patti Hodder
Kathy Clement
Alexandra Morein
Sandy Trefger
Gloria Stengel
Pam Bray
Einat Alagem
Keren Tamir
Terry Ricioli - YOU ARE HERE!
Katelyn Grosart
Einat Kessler
Susan M. Brown
Steph Ackerman
Eileen Hull
Rita Barakat
Mahe Zehra

In order to win, leave a comment answering the question - "What is your favorite 'can't live without' craft supply or tool?"
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Happy Creating and Happy Holidays!

Terry

Winter Woods Necklace

Hi Crafty Friends!

The winter issue of Craft Ideas is out in its digital edition and will be on newsstands soon.  It is filled with all sorts of great crafts for winter making and decorating.  Embroidery hoop ideas, how to use those coloring pages and ideas for decorating the kids' rooms are among the many ideas available.

Craft ideas

Of course, there are some jewelry designs for those of you who love beading.  Among them is one of mine!

Winter Woods Necklace

I love to mix different elements in my jewelry.  Here there are two different ceramic beads, three kinds of gemstones, glass daggers and wood combined with natural brass chain and spacers.  I tried to evoke a wintry scene with this piece - a view of snow-decked pines and firs, rocks half hidden under caps of white.  And, I'm pleased to say - the photo is mine, too.  I found the perfect old board with it's grays and peeling white and green paint.

Check out Craft Ideas; it's always full of great crafting inspiration!

Happy crafting!

Terry

Pretty Palettes November Challenge

Hi friends!

Today I'm designing with the Pretty Palettes November Challenge. Erin Prais-Hintz held a photo contest to come up with this month's palette.   Here's the color palette generated from the beautiful photo of lamb's ears and maple leaves by Susan Conaway.  Follow the link to her blog, which is filled with gorgeous fiber art!


Erin chose these beads from the Bead Gallery(R) line at Michaels.


Here's what I picked up at Michaels.

My favorites are the first strand; it's green banded agate and combines almost all the colors in the palette.  I also found a pendant that looked just like a lamb's ear leaf.  I added some fire agate rounds, faceted Czech glass in greenish turquoise with flecks of brown, and gold spacers.  Although I didn't pick up quite the same shades in the palette, the colors are all in the photo.

The first thing that I did was remove the bail from the pendant.  I used brass wire to make my own wrapped bail. 

To embellish the pendant, I added an antique gold oak leaf tied on with waxed linen with a few beads on the ends.  Then, I strung the pendant on a strand of the Czech glass turquoise beads.  I added another strand of the banded agate and fire agate and attached them to an antique gold rope-textured jump ring.  I tied red deerskin lace to the jump rings and tied them at a length that I could slip over my head.  I considered gold chain instead of lace, but I like the informal feel of the leather. 

Banded Agate and Turquoise Necklace

Not a very inspired name, but it's the best I can come up with for now!

Here are the earrings:

I happen to have both lambs' ears and maple leaves in my yard, so I couldn't resist placing them in the photo!

Thanks for the inspiration, Erin and Susan!