It’s been a while since I blogged last and I’ve missed it. Long days, short nights, and out-of-town stays have made it difficult to get a post in recently, but hopefully things will even out a bit. I’m back today to share some earrings I made for Earrings Everyday Nov Challenge. The theme was seedpods and how could I pass that up??? You all know how much I love seedpods and dried grasses. We were given several wonderful vintage illustrations including this lovely reference.
I liked these sketches because the emphasis is all about form and shape. I’d already been photographing seedpods and dried flowers like crazy this fall, and here are a few more of my own taken in autumn gardens.
I just love the textures and shapes of these amazing little miracles. Dried thistles, like the one below, are among my favorite subjects to photograph at any time of the year, but especially once the buds have dried away, because the bristly forms are so fascinating.
Milkweed pod is exceptionally beautiful too. In this photo, the seeds are just about to emerge and be blown away by the wind to a new home. Oh, how it thrills me!
For my earrings, I wanted to focus on the form of the various seedpods and put some of my newly found metalsmithing skills to work. I cut a couple different shapes from copper with my new friend, the jeweler’s saw (we’re becoming best buds), applied heat-patina, and textured the pieces.
“Samara” pairs the copper-formed maple seed shapes with tiny Czech glass beads which I wire wrapped from the earwires. I twisted the wire ends into decorative curly-queues to add a bit more textural interest.
“Fall pods” were kept similarly simple by just the addition of a cluster of garnet drops for a splash of fall color. These remind me of the berries and seedpods that are so common among the fall hedgerows of the parks I like to visit.
I wanted to also make a pair of lotus pod earrings, but ran out of time. Using seedpod forms is a perfect match for metalsmithing in copper and I’m excited to do more! I loved being able to translate favorite elements of nature into jewelry. It’s like capturing a little bit of their beauty to enjoy all year round. And now I’m off to work on my other jewelry challenge that’s due by the end of the month.
Blessings to you,
Sarah
anordinarymiracleday 
Awesome! These both turned out great! Love love your fall pod earrings.
Beautiful earrings! Love both pairs. Great job on the metal components: the shape and texture is amazing!
Such a wealth of inspiration right outside your door! I am so glad that you shared your new metalsmithing skills. I like the direction you are going! The added details of the curly wire and the little berry drops really sets these apart. Thanks for joining in the challenge with me. Check back on December 4th for the next We’re All Ears Inspiration! Enjoy the day! Erin
These look great and copper was just the right metal to choose for your pod forms. Glad you are enjoying using your saw, a whole new world to explore. Looking forward to seeing where this takes you next, I miss my metal bench…xx
Wow. You and your saw must be made for each other. These are fabulous. And I love all your nature photos. Plant shape diversity is endless inspiration for art.
These are wonderful! I hope to do more metalworking in the future, too. I love the pods with the garnet drops with the copper.