Funky brass triangle earrings with Swarovski crystals

My grandmother is 94 years old, which means that we don't see eye-to-eye on a lot of things. While I admire her, especially as a talented knitter, one bit of advice she's always giving me is to "not kill yourself," "do the best you can," "whatever will be will be." She has very middle-of-the-road expectations for me; she wants me to do well and is proud of me, but doesn't care if I'm the best or the most successful.

It's great that she accepts me for who I am and for trying my best, and I love her for looking out for me. But the competitive go-getter in me just isn't like that. I LIKE to succeed. I LIKE pushing myself. I LIKE exceeding my expectations. I'v never been able to just sit back and accept things; whether it comes to music or writing and now jewelry making, I've always attempted to make it to the next level.

Take the craft fairs that I signed up for. It's not even about the money for me; it's about people liking my stuff enough that they'd dare to pay me and then wear it. I don't expect to get rich from making jewelry, but I do hope to get some acknowledgment of my efforts.

My grandmother was surprised when I shared that I've made over 100 pieces so far and was of course like, "Well, don't kill yourself." I found this to be pretty funny coming from the woman who never stops knitting! I'm definitely not killing myself; if anything, making jewelry is relaxing for me, which I why I've made so many pieces in a short time.

I agree with my grandmother in that I shouldn't push myself to a point where I'm no longer happy. But for now, stretching myself as an artist and salesperson is making me feel excited and revved up -- so what can be wrong with that?

Speaking of being creative, the jewelry that I'm going to share today are my brass triangle earrings. Honestly, I'd forgotten that I'd made these -- it was that long ago -- until I found them in the bottom of my jewelry box yesterday. I created these when I was teaching myself how to make basic wire shapes and was very excited when I successfully crafted triangles. I then added three Swaorvski crystals to each earring to give some color. They look a little like stoplights or Christmas trees, but well, I like them! I could see wearing these triangles to a club or a party -- some kind of fun event where eccentric jewelry is welcome.

As the craft fairs approach, I'll have to make more jewelry and try techniques that I haven't yet used. I will have to push myself and well, I can't wait!

To purchase my jewelry, head to Naomi's Designs or Naomi's Studio.

Brass Mondrian Earrings With Swarovski Crystals

I have to admit, I'm getting a little impatient because I still haven't made a lot of sales on Etsy. I realize that it'll take time, but it's frustrating to get many views and "hearts" on items -- and then not make any money from it. I'm trying to do everything that I've been advised to do to get buyers' attention, but I guess I still need to do more work.

Hopefully, I'll do better with craft fairs. I'm excited because I ordered new business cards today with my shop name on it! They look really nice, at least on screen, and I can't wait to get them. I also ordered Naomi's Designs stickers and magnets. I considered getting T-shirts, but felt that that was going a little overboard. But I can give the stickers and magnets out to customers as a cute way for them to remember me. As soon as the cards arrive, I'll include a photo of one.

As for my item du jour, these are what I call my Mondrian earrings. I'm a big fan of modern art, especially artists like Picasso, Dali, Pollock and Mondrian. If you're not familiar with his work, he's known for painting squares with splashes of primary colors:

I love how his paintings look so simple at first, but as you look at them, you realize how complex they are. I'm no Mondrian, but I decided to make earrings based on his designs. I used brass wire to create a series of squares and rectangles and then wove in red, yellow and blue Swarovski crystal bicones. I don't know how many people will recognize that they were inspired by Mondrian, but they look really cool, anyway. They have a unique shape and would look great with a simple black top. I don't know if they'd go so well with a dressy outfit, but they work as statement earrings.

I'd love to do Picasso-inspired earrings, but I don't know how well I can represent Cubism with wire. Might be a fun challenge, though!

To purchase my jewelry (and you know you want to), head to Naomi's Designs or Naomi's Studio.

Brass and lattice garnet wire earrings

I originally designed these brass and lattice garnet wire earrings for a princess. That's not a figurative princess, either; we know a young woman who is royalty is Nigeria. I made her a pair of these earrings for Christmas and chose these colors because she looks amazing in jewel tones, like deep red. She loved them and has actually asked me to design a matching necklace.

I don't usually design for royalty, but when making jewelry for friends, I do try to think about what colors look best of them. What surprised me about these earrings is that the garnet and gold combo looks great on almost anyone who has dark hair. I have brown hair and eyes and pale skin, but I liked how they looked on me.

It took me many hours of practicing to get the nine-loop lattice design down, but now that I know how it, I use it often in my jewelry. One of the things I love about the lattice is that it's perfect for hanging gemstones on the bottom loop. I just love the shape of these, as well as the colors.

I've unofficially named these my "princess earrings" in honor of my friend.

To buy my jewelry, check out Naomi's Designs. or http://www.artfire.com/users/NaomisDesigns.