15th Anniversary Celebration - Day 11

It’s Day 11!

Can you imagine? We're on the final stretch of my 15 Days of Content. For those just tuning in, this is just my little way of celebrating the fact that this blog has been around for 15 years. I've been having a lot of fun sharing projects I've been working on, as well as challenges and components I've been tackling.

For today's entry, I’m going to do something a little different. 

If you’ve been reading this blog for awhile, you know that much of the time, I get inspired by colors—the way different colors look together, the way that certain combinations evoke certain moods, that sort of thing. Yet that is not the only thing that inspires me. Sometimes, I’ll get an idea—or a theme—in my head, and I just want to create everything I can around that certain idea.

That’s what happened while I was working on this particular entry. The idea?

Tea.

Specifically, tea paraphernalia—teacups, tea saucers, tea pots, you get the picture. So, with that in mind, I present my newest thought-collection: 

Time for Tea

I made six things for this collection: three hairsticks, and three pairs of (almost identical) earrings. Some of these items are more like thought experiments--not entirely finalized designs, but still cool enough that I want to show them off.

First up, is a fun Alice in Wonderland, Mad Hatter inspired hairstick:

This hairstick is definitely on the heavier side. I’m thinking it might just be a prototype; I'd want to change it up and make it lighter if I was going to sell it. I really like how it looks, though... it's really striking when worn.

This next hairstick is also on the heavier side.

While the above hairstick is all about bright colors and fun patterns, this one is more sedate, in shades of blue and white and black:

Like the previous hairstick, this one is also pretty hefty. It's a little more manageable to wear, but also something I would consider a one-of-a-kind prototype. The design might require some tweaking, but it was definitely fun to experiment with.

Unlike the first two, this last hairstick is definitely one with a finalized design. Instead of colored teacups, I used charms in different metal tones. I even included a teapot and some tea colored Czech glass to round out the look.

It is definitely not as heavy as the other designs. Overall, it is more balanced, and more likely to stay in place when placed in a hairstyle.

Oh, and I tried to make it so that it looked like everything flowed out of the teapot when worn:

So, those are the hairsticks. Now it's time for the earrings!

Three almost identical pairs--one in silver, one in brass, and one in gold. I used the same Czech glass beads in all three pairs... I think it's pretty neat how the different color metals make the beads look different from pair to pair.

So! Those are the pieces that I have to share today. I have a few more ideas that I would like to try--a few with tea bags, some in more tea-inspired colors--but these were the ones I was able to make in time for this entry. I always like taking ideas and exploring different facets of them. If I come up with more tea-inspired jewelry, I'll be sure to share it!

Thank you so much for stopping by today. I always enjoy sharing a little bit of my thought process when it comes to designing jewelry... I hope you enjoyed it, too.

Feel free to stop back tomorrow for Day 12!

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Another way I'm celebrating is by offering a coupon code for my Etsy store!

Simply use the code BLOG15 when checking out for 15% off! Code expires once my 15 Days of Content is over, on August 3rd.