Anna Sofia Designs

Plaid

Marcella necklace, with plaid Japanese Chiyogami paper.  Plaid plus Chiyogami equals fabulous.  

"Daria" earrings.  

Happy holidays to you and your loved ones, with much coziness, tasty treats, warmth, and joy!

Paper Bracelets

Simira bracelet, with paper from India and smoky quartz beads.  

 

Lecia bracelet, with Japanese Katazome-shi paper, and red coral beads.

 

Cadencia bracelet, with Katazome-shi paper from Japan, and white coral beads.

All three paper bracelets (and three other new ones) are available in the shop.  Happy day to you.

Paper Earrings-To-Be

A bunch of paper beads, before they become paper earrings. I grouped them in a random shape (love looking at all the colors together), which now looks sort of like...  Michigan?  No. The mitten is backward and has no thumb.  A geography whiz would look at the shape and name the state or country.  That person is not me. ;) 

 

Reds!  The polka-dot rectangular paper beads are going to be triple dangle paper earrings, like these, but patterned. 

So what colors do people go for? Red is up there, though it's surpassed by orange (at least with my paper jewelry). People's color tastes vary quite a bit. But consistently high is greens and blues.  Even in summer, cool tones outnumber warm tones.  

And then are the neutrals.  There's a steady interest in black and cream or black and white, and shades of brown.

 

The tiny squares will become earrings in the same color scheme as these, but with one extra color, and in this style. 

The paper beads from the above three photos were made with Japanese Chiyogami paper, Katazome-shi (also from Japan), Nepalese Lokta, and some marbled Brazilian paper.  

A lovely day to you.

Pattern Sections

A new arc-y striped pattern of Japanese Chiyogami paper I recently found and had to have.  I love the pattern and the colors - chestnut, mocha, orange, cream. But I wanted to use these colors separate from each other.

I cut apart each arcing section - some only an inch long - and separated them into piles.  (Each pile will live in its own clear sleeve). Some of the pieces are little, perfect for small or narrow paper beads. Once I start cutting apart sections of a design, it's super compulsive, in a healthy obsessed-with-paper way. 

 

Rectangular paper beads in three lengths that will become long swingy triple-drop paper earrings.  I love these stripes. They vary in thickness; some are diagonal, some arcing.  I can use papers like this one, and lots of others that only have little sections of patterns by cutting them apart.  Yes!  I love cutting paper!

Have a wonderful, extra delicious week!

Orange Interlude

Tangelia necklace, made with orange Lokta paper from Nepal.  Triple tiny circles (each is 1/4") and sterling silver chain.  The color of clementines.  I love seeing the small wooden crates of clementines in the market around the holidays.

 

Mirabelle necklace, made with orange and cream polka dot Chiyogami paper.  A deeper orange, like tangerines.  So many sumptuous shades of orange in fruits and vegetables.

 

Trina necklace, made with Italian Bertini print paper.

All three are now available in the shop.  Have a great start to your week! 

Paper Bliss

Do you have that one favorite crafty thing that gets you giddy butterflies heart-leaping happy? Is it clay, wool, paint, fabric, wood, a crisp brand new fine point pen, embroidery thread, watercolors, metal? 

 

Mine is paper.  And here is some Lokta paper that just came in the mail.  I floated out of the post office on air. 

 

Bits and flecks, rough and smooth textures, and the colors!  All from the Lokta bush in Nepal.  I so appreciate the Lokta bush, it's inner bark, and the people who turn that bark into paper, which I then get to turn into jewelry.

 

Whisper of pale cream-peach.  Coral melon.  Deep berry jam.  Soft lilac.

 

The Lokta bush renews itself again and again.  What a wonderful thing.

I'd love to hear your favorite crafty medium.  The thing that by its texture or weight or shape or possibilities brings you joy.  

Raspberry Marbled Paper Necklace

 "Nunziatella" - paper necklace made with marbled paper from Italy, and Swarovski crystals. I love this stone-patterned paper, in bubbling raspberry and plum.

 

Purple Finch male, with warm raspberry-toned feathers.

 

The area around his eye is soft plum, and there are faint patches of cream blended with raspberry on his chest.  I'm continually amazed by the colors and patterns in nature.

Anna Sofia Designs On All Things Paper

I'm so excited to be featured on All Things Paper!  Ann Martin's blog is one of my favorite daily reads - paper art, paper craft, many many different groovy paper creations.  I'm pretty much beside myself right now. :)  Thank you so much Ann!

Black And White Paper Necklace (And Birds)

"Genevieve" - paper necklace made with Chiyogami paper from Japan.  This took a while to make, and I really enjoyed the process of crafting each little piece.  I loved putting it all together and wire-wrapping and connecting all of the slim paper bead bars.  I'm happy with how it came out.  

If you've stopped in here before (say hi, I'd love to meet you!), you know I *heart* birds, so here are some color coordinated feathered friends:

 

A Black-capped Chickadee.  

 

A White-breasted Nuthatch.  

And there you have it.  Have an excellent Wednesday!

New Jewelry With Leaf-Shaped Paper Beads

"Tiziana" necklace, made with burgundy marbled paper from Brazil. 

"Jessamina" earrings, with marbled paper from Italy.

"Mariska" necklace, with marbled paper from Brazil.

Each of these pieces have some of the paper leaves I was recently making.  Available in the shop.