The Nature Collection: Clay Earrings For The Wanderer

Maybe it's the winter blues or my unending obsession with living in such a lush, green mountainscape but I couldn't get the warm tones of nature out of my mind as I began creating my newest collection of Lauren Likes Clay Jewelry.

It started with the seashells and morphed into florals, rich tones and woodsy vibes.

This collection is one of my favorites and I believe these pieces are classic enough for anyone to live and versatile enough to work with any outfit.

The collection is live and is ready for you to adorn yourself with the songs of leaves rustling in the wind, textures of live oaks and sandy seashells, and clothe yourself in the patterns of ferns and ivy.

Shop the full collection here.

Curious as to what my creative process is as I create? Let me show you!

My Creative Process When Creating A Jewelry Collection

I started with a few small ideas: seashells, ivy textures, and darker tones.

I also looked inside my own jewelry box and realized I missing a few key colors that I wear frequently: deep greens and browns. So, I set out to start creating.

I played around with a few shapes and colors, these jungle green mostera leaves on mustard yellow suns were some of the first pieces I made along with the peachy seashell inspired ones.

From here, it was all coming together and I knew my theme would be: nature.

I created a moodboard in my planner using a few photos I had taken, some cutouts from vintage books and pulled together a tight color pallet featuring the different greens you find in nature, taupe, and some small pops of light peach and mustard yellow with brown mixed in.

From here, I let myself create, I look at my colors, at my supplies, and I mix and match creating what feels interesting to me.

Then, I get more focused and I start trying new to me techniques and experimenting with how to level up my creations and grow my skills.

Next, I assess. I laid out everything I had created and made a list of what was missing and what still needed some work.

This big picture work is important when creating a collection. Its fun to experiment and play around, but eventually - if you want cohesion and have a bigger goal, you have to step back, get clear on your parameters and make a plan to work within these markers.

One of the last pieces I created, coming from these parameters, were the daisy chains and they are my favorite!

They came from a combination of all the steps in the process. From my early days wandering thrift stores and taking photos of vintage flowers on cookie jars, to creating a theme of nature, to choosing a color scheme, and learning new techniques - like creating links. And thus! Daisy Chains were born!

The parameters can sometimes feel like a fence trapping us, but really they are an important part of the process that guides us and pushes us towards greater ideas and creations.

I learn this lesson over and over.

I hope you enjoyed taking a peek at my process a little more and I really hope you love the new collection. I can see everyone wearing these pieces! From weekday work meetings to Saturday's spent vintage shopping days, there is something for everyone in here.

I hope when you wear them they help you remember the beauty and freedom we feel in nature. The expansion. The deep breaths. The adventure. The exploration.

Shop here and grab your favorite pieces and don't forget Mother's Day is coming sooner than you think! A classy pair would make a great gift for all those lovely moms in your life!

Happy adventuring and creating friends! Stay curious and look great doing it.