Art Fiber Earring Challenge

The challenge is to create art fiber earrings. The challenger?!  My good friend Pat Reisenberger: http://thecraftyretailer.blogspot.com/.

I love paisley.  Paisley is a symbol for me, along with the dragonfly.  For me, it's a symbol of beauty and renewal.  I love it in my work and has been lending itself well to my wirework for over 10 years.  Love it!  So I incorporate my favorite elements: wire, paisley, art fiber.  Cool. 

The process involved in discovering a way to meld the two is often times my favorite challenge in my work.  Lately, my process often involves multi-media.  Off loom weaving, wirework, art fiber are my most commonly visited elements. 

So, the three incorporated nicely here and I love the finished earring.

In this photo, I have finished the wire framing and have wrapped it once with hand-dyed silk ribbon.  I am in process of wrapping one earring with crystal and seed beads.  

In this photo, both earrings are done and wrapped with beads and silk.  Cool.  They look awesome.

Next, I am playing with ideas of how I want the finished earring to look.  Dangles? No dangles? More wire, maybe chain?  I don't know?!

In this photo, you can vaguely see I have added a bit of chain and have dangled off of them 8mm fuschia AB Swarovski crystal facted rounds with some teal crystal rhondelles.

Finally, I add some amethyst 4mm bicone in the upper curl as well as a sheppard's hook earwire.  All in all, a nice effect. 

 Here they are finished in the sun of Phoenix, Arizona.  Still hard to see, and so I add the final photo.