The sun is shining this afternoon, but the chill in the air is still enough to remind me that's it's still winter out there. A few weeks ago I was walking down the street towards my apartment building and the frozen trees were catching the lights so beautifully that I had to run upstairs and grab the camera. It was a bit challenging to capture the branches because the wind kept moving them, but with a ton of shots and some editing, I was able to get some good ones.
The glittery brightness of these brown branches was actually enchanting...so, when I got the note from Artbeads.com about the blog partner program for this month, I knew exactly where I'd go for inspiration: the trees!
Pearls...glowing Swarovski crystal pearls. The bigger the better. Brown, copper, and bronze are warm on the inside and glistening on the outside. My lovely friend, Casey, asked for a necklace with "something green and brown" so I immediately went for the big brown pearl and combined it with a mix of brass chain, a green garnet nugget, and a few smaller bits including a faceted green pearl and some lava rock. I love the mixture of textures and chain. Luckily she did, too!
I've become obsessed with brass lately, so this pretty brass toggle had to be part of the mix. I used to think "base metal" was just that...too base to be used. But, as sterling silver moves out of the realm of affordable, I am totally digging the look of copper and brass. Artbeads keeps their selection nice and fresh, so just about every time I place an order, there are a couple of clasps in the mix.
Since I really wanted to make the most of those luscious pearls, I used a few more in combination with little faceted green pearls (I've never seen these before...picked them up at a trunk show at Bead Haven), some smaller Swarovski pearls, and lava rock...all finished off with another pretty deco brass clasp.
As a little bonus, Artbeads has offered a special discount to us, the awesome blog readers of the world...it's an exclusive 15% off coupon that's good until the end of February. To use the coupon, just copy and paste the code below into the ‘Coupon/Gift Certificate/Gift Card Code’ box of your shopping cart and click ‘apply’.
Exclusive Design Partners coupon code: ZZ-DESIGNER-0211
------------------------------
Disclosure...As a a part of Artbeads.com blogging program, I received the big brown pearls and the square toggle free of charge. It's my responsibility to use them and let you know if I love em' or hate 'em. I am not being compensated by Artbeads.com for my endorsement as it pertains to the products received and reviewed.
Great pieces Jen! Seriously, my trees look the same way today! Except the sun isn't shining. Those little icy crystals on the branches just inspire creativity!
ReplyDeleteHave an awesome week!
{Hugs!}
Love that bracelet!!! The colors and textures are gorgeous. The brass toggle on the necklace is lovely. All the colors work so well together.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for creating the beautiful copper and green jewelry for me. Love all the pieces: necklace, bracelet, and earrings. I'm so impressed that with my brief description of what I wanted, you were able to turn those ideas into such creative, pretty pieces. Thanks again, and I look forward to ordering more custom jewelry!
ReplyDelete