This week I still find myself inspired by a circus theme – a photo of an old Ferris wheel caught my eye while I was browsing Pinterest. That got me thinking about all kinds of carnival rides and I came up with 5 pairs of earrings all inspired by these carnival colors and attractions.
I’ve never been on any of the rides because they make me sick – but from a design perspective the colors, shapes and motion are fun to translate into jewelry. For all of these earrings I worked within the tight color palette inspired by my Ferris wheel photo, and antique brass/bronze wire and findings to enhance that vintage-y feel. The other thing that I love about this color palette is that all the opaque, bright colors look so good against dark hair…Nothing bothers me more than making a pair of earrings that disappears against my hair!
These earrings make me think of a teacup ride, with the little spot where you sit and spin around. My version has a vintage Swarovski jade bead, capped by Czech glass flower “canopies” and a vintage glass cube to suspend it all for some more motion.
These earrings remind me of those swinging “gondola” or “hammer” rides. The large pink Czech glass dumbbell bead is suspended from a column of vintage glass beads for a pendulum effect. When worn, these earrings swing just like one of those stomach-churning rides.
This is one of my favorite pairs. I just love making links out of 2-hole beads – It really highlights the unique shape of a bead like this 2-holed turquoise Czech glass bead. This pair of earrings makes me think of those long armed rides with the pod on the end where you sit and whirl around. More small vintage glass beads and a fire polished rondell complete the design.
To me these earrings represent a doorway into one of the “stationary” rides, like a haunted house of maybe a hall of mirrors. I love the blue window-cut Czech glass bead, topped by more vintage glass beads. I want to know what’s behind that door!
– Lindsay
