The Summer 2015 issue of Jewelry Stringing is a fun issue with necklaces that feature tassels, turquoise, druzy, and mixed metals. I have two pairs of earrings inside. I wanted to share them here to give you some ideas for your own summer jewelry.
Jade Flower Earrings
The first pair (on the left) feature jade rings (the kind that are supposed to be worn on your fingers). The wire wrapped flowers were created with faceted rose crystals and brass beads caps. Flowers are always a safe bet for summer designs.
Turquoise Square Earrings
The second pair (on the right) included dyed howlite squares (that look like turquoise) and wooden beads. The squares and wooden barrels are Bead Gallery beads from Michaels; the wood squares are from Hobby Lobby. There are quite a few other pairs of earrings with turquoise components in this issue. Turquoise is a hot trend for summer, plus the dark wood gives them a bohemian vibe which is still very popular.
Simple Is Best
Guess which design took the longest to make? The first one! I kept trying to make those earrings more complicated, adding more flowers, chains, tassels, wire wrapping. All those additions made the earrings look messy and cluttered. Eventually I submitted the very simple version shown here. Sometimes simple is best!