The theme for this month’s We’re All Ears earring design challenge is “autumn” The hostess for this challenge, Erin, introduced the theme with a lovely Ode to Autumn on the Earrings Everyday blog. Autumn is my favorite time of the year, and autumnal colors are a year-round inspiration.
I am not ashamed to admit I have a not-small collection of metal leaf charms. Some of my favorites are enameled steel. They have such a gorgeous depth of color. I made these fall berry cluster earrings with a pair of the brown leaves.
These earring are bursting with autumn colors. Orange and red crackle glass “berry” clusters dangle over amber brown leaves on copper wires. These earrings are available in my Cactus Frog shop on etsy.
A couple years ago, I made these fall leaf earrings from impressions of fallen leaves collected around my home. They’re polymer clay that I hand painted with pan pastels and acrylic paint. I’ve been meaning to make more this year, but somehow keep forgetting to collect leaves. It could be because it’s still so hot and humid outside that I don’t feel like taking a leaf-collecting stroll around the neighborhood yet.
The red maple leaf charms on these fall earrings were made from real leaf impressions in polymer clay. The leaves are paired with brown goldstone beads and antiqued brass wires. These earrings are available in my shop on etsy.
Instead of some new fall leaf impression earrings for this challenge, I made some acorn impression earrings. These are the first polymer clay acorns I’ve attempted. I intended them to have actual acorn tops with polymer clay bottoms. I have a bag of acorn tops – collected from beneath some local trees – but haven’t worked out how to add a wire bail without cracking them. So I made a silicone mold from one and used it to form the tops of these acorn charms. I didn’t get a very detailed mold, but I think you can still get the general idea.
Acorn charms sculpted from polymer clay on Vintaj brass earwires. I keep looking at these earrings thinking they need “more.” Like some little beads wire-wrapped up the front of the ear wires.
Many thanks to Erin for the design challenge and inspiration to make more fall earrings. Here’s hoping the weather here is similarly inspired to turn away from summer. Be sure to hop over to the Earrings Everyday blog to see how Erin interpreted this theme.
The acorn tops look pretty real to me! I think your process is a success.
All of your earrings are lovely. I especially like your your acorns. They look great/
What a wonderful collection of earrings. And you definitely should make more of the polymer clay leaves. They are very pretty.
I love them all! Love the leaves you made. The veining is perfect as is the color! I wonder if you sacrificed one of the acorn caps to a really tiny drill bit. I think that little polymer clay acorns would be lovely! Keep at it! Happy fall! Thank you for always playing along with me at We’re All Ears. Enjoy the day! Erin
I love the fallen leaves!!!
Oh, these are fantastic! I really like the two made from the natural elements you’ve collected. your paint job on the leaves is so fantastic, and the mold from the acorn is awesome too. Wonderful job!
The acorn earrings are cute and the first pair has ridiculously fabulous colours but still my favourite is the second. Fallen leaves are delicate, Though they look stronger because of the colours, they tear away as soon as you pick them up. Your earrings and charms have encapsulated that feeling very well
You have a great talent for color work! I especially love the fallen leaves – they look very real. I also admire your pairing of the focals with well-matched accessory beads and components.