handmade holidays 2014: crushed pyrite

As soon as I saw the etsy listing for a bag of crushed pyrite, I knew I had to have it! I wanted to play with it and see what I could come up with! I still have more to play with, too. So who knows what else I'll put together. But these earrings were made for a friend whose pinterest feed this autumn included some sparkly druzy earrings. I know that pyrite isn't druzy, but it's got a similar effect: nubby nuggets of sparkling stone, different bits catching the light at different angles. These are mounted on brass bases with gold-plated ear wires. I really love the look and the way the ring of brass around the outside of this blank provides a kind of frame, neatening up the jumble of crushed pyrite in the middle. Hm ... I think it's likely I'll wind up making a pair for myself, too!

handmade holiday 2014: green garnets and copper

Wow, it's been a long time since I've posted. Cass and I came down with a really bad headcold that kind of wiped us out from Thanksgiving until just recently. That woodland birthday party? Cancelled. I have a few more bits and bobs from it to share. Actually, we were able to freeze a lot of the things I made for it. So we'll have a ridiculously fancy post-holiday game day feast in a week. That'll be fun.

But in the meantime, I've been loading up with freelance work and job interviews, so much so that  holiday presents have kind of fallen by the wayside. Many things will be late this year! But for now, at least, I have a few things done - and a friend's recent post  on her own blog has been great motivation to get back in the saddle.

So, without further ado, let's begin the parade of handmade gifts for this year (mixed with the remnants of my birthday-party-that-wasn't). I made this pair of copper earrings with green garnets for a dear friend with a maybe slightly more minimalist and edgy/cool sense of fashion, but similar color preferences. So, I confess, I made the earrings I would love to wear. =) She slipped them on tonight as we worked in the kitchen to make (and then eat!) a fancy dinner together and I loved the way they echoed her long, elegant neck!