It's funny how memory works. I was sure I had published a pic of these earrings on the blog. I don't make many earrings (apart for a couple for my grandma these are about it) so I remember this pair well. And I was pretty sure they were somewhere on the blog. Just couldn't find them. So eventually, I just looked up another photo of them on a forum, where I knew I'd also shown them off. A so-so photo, but I wanted to blog about these. Still not sure I had mistaken myself, I started writing thise post. One thing lead to the other and I needed a photo of my other clip-on rings. What do you know... What I couldn't find just searching the blog headlines on the Blogger dashboard, I found in my blog photo album. It was right there, next to the rings I wanted to insert. I just didn't think they were in this blog post so I never even read through it when I came to it in the list of posts with the earring label!
Why all this hassle? There's nothing spectacular about the earrings really. Well, first off I just wanted to show them as I love the flower beads so if I didn't have an old post to refer to I had to write a new one. The reason I even began to think about the earrings was this post at Art Bead Scene Blog. If you don't want to follow the link: it's about a new blog focusing on daily earring inspiration.
My input was really just to lobby for "non-pierced" earring designs. With the exception of Japanese beading and jewellery-making websites, I rarely see any projects like that. It's like everyone assumes that people either have pierced ears or, if they don't, they aren't interested in wearing earrings. The late might be the case for some, but not for everyone -- and I also believe some of those not wearing earrings would change their minds about clip-ons if they saw the different findings available today.
But let's first get back to my flower earrings:
I like this type of clip-ons as they doesn't squeeze the earlobe as those horrible chunky clip-ons I had as a kid in the 80's. And they look like "real" earrings/creols. Unfortunately, you can't put anything heavy on them or they'll fall off, but for simple, light-weight earrings they are one of my favourite choices. I do have these too (se pic below), which are similar but without the spring and therefore much cheaper.
Because I don't have pierced ears, I'm not in the habit of wearing earrings -- pierced, clip-ons or cuffs -- but sometimes I feel like making a pair. Add to that the fact that I'm a collector so once I discovered there were different kinds of earring findings for us without pierced ears, I almost began to collect them. Below is an old photo I took for my other blog when writing about "non-piercing" earrings. It doesn't include cuffs, but shows some of the clip-ons I have. The big ones actually belong to my sis and are supposed to have beadable sieves (mesh, perforated discs) attached to the front.
I'm sometimes thinking of making a new, revised post presenting different type of clip-on findings and cuffs (the classic ones and the "round-the-ear" versions). For some, clip-ons still mean the painful chunky earlobe crushers they remember from 25 years ago, but now it's easy to find many different soloutions to ear hooks and studs. The more people are aware of the alternatives, the more I think they would be interested in clip-on and cuff earrings.
Would you like to see a post on these earring findings or on clip-on earrings in general written by someone without pierced ears? I'd be happy to write it, showing different options, DIY clip-on findings and suggestions for designers wanting to make earrings for us "non-pierced" jewellery buyers. I'm no expert, but I'll do my best to help if you have any questions.
I think that is an intriguing concept. I remember those horrible clip ons. I wore them a lot even though I had pierced ears. Actually, I loved vintage jewelry when I was in h.s. (very uncool at the time) and would wear old earrings. I would be interested in knowing more, as I am not sure what is out there!
ReplyDeleteEnjoy the day!
Erin
As a person too squeamish to get holes put in her ears, I would love to see a post about alternatives - it would be a great niche resource :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for your feedback! It feels like a subject I'd love to write about so now it's probably just a matter of time.
ReplyDeleteReally interesting, I think it would be a great post. I'm intrigued as to why you don't have pierced ears - not in an accusatory way, I am just interested when it would mean you could have a greater choice of earrings to wear, and it's a simple procedure to get them done....I was one of those little girls who was absolutely desperate to get her ears pierced from a very young age so I'm always interested when others don't! And earrings are my favourite type of jewellery....
ReplyDeleteGood question. Like all kids, I had a period when I wanted to get my ears pierced but my parents said no. Later I grew less interested so at the time other girls my age were finally allowed to have their ears pierced, I wasn't really interested and there was no peer pressure like some other girls could experience. Probably hearing horror stories about girls I knew who got problems after having their ears pierced (professionally or by a friend at home) deterred me a bit, but it's not pain, holes that doesn't heal properly or allergic reactions that has kept me from having it done.
ReplyDeleteAnd then I never got into the habit of having wearing earrings on a daily basis. There have been times when I've thought of doing it after all and other times when others have asked if I shouldn't consider it, but most of the times I either don't think about it at all. Or I'll find earrings a nuisance (usually after having a pair tangling in my long hair or wearing a pair with rattling dangles). Or think my ears are ugly so I don't want to draw a attention to them. Plus I don't mind being the person that doesn't do things the same way everyone else does. It's like with a driver's license: the more people want to talk me into it, the less I want it...
So it is a bit of an oxymoron when I write about clip-ons, seeing I rarely use earrings myself. But the few times I do, I enjoy having the option of doing so without first having to perforate my ears. It feels so simple (though of cause I can't wear anything as tiny as many of the earstud designs available). And perhaps it's a bit of nostalgia, that I like them since I worn some as a kid when piercing wasn't even to think about.
You know, I rarely wear any type of jewellery. Even less so since I started to make my own: when I bought pieces I felt I had to wear them to justify my purchase. Now I don't have to do that. I've never had a job where jewellery has been suitable nor does it feel like everyday wear on the countryside (where I rarely meet people unless I choose to and dress accordingly). Ironic, isn't it? Love jewellery -- but using it...