Several weeks ago I signed up to participate in an mismatched earring swap / blog hop hosted by Diana Ptaszynski. I was bit hesitant since I rarely make jewelry - I even overheard Cynthia Deis say I get "whiny" whenever I do. Well, when I heard that I felt a bit of self defense kick in and thought really loudly in my own head: "I don't really whine, it is just more of a whimper. Just enough to make some designer near me take pity and finish up the piece for me." That's all - just a few quiet whimpers and the jewelry always gets finished. (- hey, it works for me )
Anyway, back to this earring swap. I signed up thinking - "How hard can this be, the earrings don't even have to match." So I put it off, put it off and put it off as the shipping deadline is closing in on me. I'm telling myself, don't worry - you are thinking of designs in your head; it won't be difficult; you can do this; tomorrow you'll start....all this because in reality I have zero design ideas - none, notta one. So the shipping day gets here and I make myself stand in front of the bins where there are most likely a couple thousand Elaine Ray Beads sitting waiting and hoping to be chosen to become a pair of earrings. I take a deep breath, reach for my bins and then the whining begins. Real, loud, self pitying whining. Why did I sign up for this, this is too hard, I can't design one - let alone two earrings; why can't I just send my swap partner a big handful of beads so she can design her own earrings. I whine some more and start pacing around, beads poured out of containers, beads poured back into containers, and on and on. Finally, my daughter Cora steps in and talks me down off the ledge of my kiln. Cora is level headed, she doesn't get frazzled, she asks a simple question: "Do you have any samples of 'mismatched earrings' to work from?" Tada! "Why, yes I do" - I say as my heart rate slows and my voice pitch lowers a bit. I show her Diana's original blog post inviting everyone to the blog hop. Cora calmly points out: "OK - it looks like Diana has a 'theme' to her earrings, lets start there." Smooth sailing from there on out. Thank you Cora.
Now, on to the earring reveal. All that whining, worry and work was well worthwhile. Take a look at the earrings that Carolyn Collins of Sparkling Waters Studio sent me:
WooHooo! I am sooooo lucky to have such a talented swap partner. In love with these earrings I am!
Here is what Carolyn has listed:
Fine .999 silver electroplated finding
Vintage jewelry box - art glass - key
Repurposed silver tray in keyhole shape, hand stamped
Close up of the back of the keyhole - these earrings certainly found love here in NC.
And here is a picture of the beautiful packaging Carolyn sent my precious gift in:
Well, now I"m so happy about this earring swap, I'm considering entering Diana's mishatched Halloween earrings challenge. But if I do, this time I'm going to start the whining right at Ornamentea's work table. Maybe someone will take pity on me......
Want to see some additional eye candy? Follow the list to all the swap participate's blogs:
Diana Ptaszynski http://www.
Lisa Liddy http://www.lisaliddy.
Kari Asbury http://www.hippiechickdesign.
Jayne Capps http://mamasgottodoodle.
Rebecca Anderson http://www.songbeads.
Lesley Watt http://www.
Lori Bowring Michaud http://www.
Renetha Stanziano http://www.lamplightcrafts.
Holly Westfall http://www.
Theresa Fosdick http://www.thoughtful-
Ali McCarthy http://www.
Shai Williams http://shaihasramblings.
Iveth Caruso http://www.creativeatelier.
Carolyn Collins http://www.
Kristen Stevens http://kristen-beadjourney.
Charlene Jacka http://clay-space.com/blog
Jan Onipenco http://www.MoltenMayhem.
Stephanie Woods http://www.rainydaysdesigns.
Eleanor Burian-Mohr http://www.
Shelby Foxwell http://www.
Mary Harding http://www.
Lisa Johnson http://www.Whimsyswonders.
Kashmira Patel http://www.sadafulee.
Penny Neville http://www.
Dee Elgie http://www.cherryobsidia.
Sarah Small http://www.bysalla.blogspot.
Carolyn Lawson http://www.
Karin Slaton http://www.backstorybeads.
Ashleigh Becker http://www.
Kay Hand http://www.creativetangent.
Rana L. Wilson http://ranaleadesigns.
Sandra McGriff http://www.
Dawn Pierro http://www.turtlemoondesigns.
Shelley Graham Turner http://www.
Karen Mitchell http://www.overthemoon-
Melissa Trudinger http://www.beadrecipes.
