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These kanji earrings use a new technique I’ve been working on – a way to combine paper jewelry with sparkling rhinestones, classic glass jewels, and glass cabochons. Paper + glass = sparkly earrings. And this new technique saves me time – which makes them cost less!
Here’s a new pair. These kanji earrings say Tsuma, or Wife:
The simple black kanji has a smattering of color as if adding a shadow; so you get a bit of depth, and in these earrings, a bit of sparkle.
Of course, since these are made with a paper design under glass, they make a great first year anniversary gift. Not that that’s a hint or anything 🙂
(Yes, it is.)
Yikes, it’s been a while since I’ve posted! Don’t know how that happened but I am definitely getting into it lately. And I wanted to post a pic of a necklace I just finished.
The kanji Ai, or Love, is probably the most popular and requested kanji for custom work. Which makes sense when you think about it. When somebody is asking for a custom necklace or pair of earrings for a loved one, well, they want to convey that love! And hearts, well, to a lot of people in Western culture, hearts mean Love.
And that’s a nice sentiment for a present, I think 🙂
I recently had a request for a redo of a pair of earrings a customer had found online. I thought this would be a nice way to show that yes, custom colors are always possible!
Here are the earrings she saw onsite:
And here are the custom colors she requested:
They could have been radically more different, of course. Black background. Bright colors. The thing is, the customer – that’s you – you get to choose 🙂
It occurred to me as I was writing the title of this post that “green paper earrings” has more than one meaning.
The color is green, that’s the most obvious of course. But the materials are also green – as in eco friendly and non damaging to the planet. Also very sustainable. I use recycled paper for the inner layers of Paper Jewels – as well as for the padding inside my bubble wrap mailing envelopes. And I use post-consumer white recycled paper even for the ‘face’ of the earrings – it costs a bit more but of course it’s worth it.
Here’s my new design:
The Japanese kanji says “Ei”, or “Eternal”. And of course they can be made in other colors – her favorite, for instance!
I saw this idea over on Pinterest and fell in love. Take any plain dish – and turn it into a personal gift or work of art 🙂
Actually I think the one in the pic has poetry written on it – or it might be Edgar Allen Poe (The Raven?). But no matter. Buy a simple plate at the thrift shop. Write your favorite muffin recipe around the edge using a Sharpie.
Then bake the plate for 30 minutes at 150 degrees in your oven (or more – I’ll doublecheck on that). Presto! The writing is permanent.
Then bake the muffins, load the plate up, and take them to your sweetie or favorite neighbor as a gift. You get to show off, you get to play with a new art form, and your sweetie gets his (or your) favorite muffins. This is a win!
P.S. And of course, what a darling way to make a personalized gift for someone special. An anniversary gift for your fave couple – with their names and wedding date. A birthday gift for your mom with a quote she loves. You get the idea!
P.P.S. Oops! I almost forgot to give credit! I couldn’t find the original source – but it was first pinned by the beautiful Marissa Villasana on her ‘Crafty’ page – and she has some wonderful ideas over there to check out!
This is going to be exciting. I’ve been experimenting with a new technique – and some super affordable Paper Jewels.
One of the reasons Paper Jewels are expensive to make is because they are incredibly time-consuming. There are approximately 30 steps – and hours of work, in small increments, to complete each piece. So I thought, there ought to be a way to make a more inexpensive Paper Jewels line that incorporates some fun kanji designs – and takes less time – and, well, costs less too!
Well there is, and here’s a sample:
The kanji says Bijin, or Beautiful Woman (or hot babe!)
It makes a great gift for your sweetie. The paper design is behind a sheer glass cabochon – replacing layers of (time consuming) lacquer. The chain is an 18″ faceted ball chain, silver plated over brass – both easy to use and easy to trim to size if you like.
She’ll love it – and it costs way less than “traditional” Paper Jewels. Like, $25 versus $55 or so.
If you and she are on a budget, she’ll love the price thing, too 🙂
Okay, “diamonds” is a little bit of an exaggeration. The teardrops on these earrings are faceted rhinestones – ‘diamonds’ for us ordinary mortals who have too many bills to pay but still love sparkly pretty earrings, maybe with the help of a discount coupon from sites as couponscollector.com! These earrings have the Japanese katakana (kanji) that says Eien, or Eternity – so they are actually wonderful for wedding earrings, or a first anniversary gift from a husband to his new bride 🙂
I actually just sold the pair pictured – and have started a new pair or two for the shop, so stay tuned. Or of course you can request a custom color for any Paper Jewels. Just ask!
PS Diamonds are the birthstone for April – so these earrings (or others with crystal ‘diamonds’) are especially appropriate. Just saying 🙂
Even though I’m not supposed to say it, I am crazy about these earrings – I love the color, I love the floral accent, and I think the Japanese kanji is graceful 🙂
The deep pink adds a burst of color to your winter outfit – and it looks great in Spring, too. The kanji says Onna, or Woman.
The earrings are lightweight of course, and not too big (about 1-1/4″ long) and the earwires are sterling silver. This is the way jewelry ought to be (I know I’m biased, but still) – fun to wear, a little bit funky or crazy, and comfy.
And did I mention pretty?
I’ve put up some new selections with the Japanese kanji “Bijin” – which means beautiful woman, or hot babe 🙂
This is one of the most popular kanji choices at Paper Jewels – which I think is kind of cool. People want to tell their sweeties that they’re beautiful (or hot!) What a nice thing to tell your honey 🙂
Here are some new choices:
You can find them here:
Sapphire Vintage Glass Heart Lariat Necklace with Bijin Kanji
and
Pink and Purple Bijin Earrings
and
and Turquoise Bijin Earrings.
Tell your sweetie she’s hot – you’ll make her day!
You know I’m always talking about decorating with white – and I really do love it. White, and/or neutral, mostly. But that makes color even more important and vibrant when you do add some. Take a neutral room (make a neutral room) and then add a splash of color – and it really sings.
Imagine how gorgeous these would be in a white room!
I found them at a terrific vintage Etsy shop, Design Through Time. There are lots of goodies over there – you’ll want to go peek 🙂
She also has another shop on Etsy, ModernSpecific on Etsy, where I found this fabulous
Vintage Rosti of Denmark Melamine Yellow 4 Liter Mixing Bowl.
See what I mean about the color just singing to you?
Even if the items I’m showing here are gone when you go look – she’s got lots of treasures. And (I think) all vintage. So: good design, reasonable prices, and fabulous character pieces. Go look!
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Coolness
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Eco friendly
Gardening
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