MEGAN AUMAN

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Which size Silver on Steel Circle Earrings should you get?

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big unique statement circle hoop earrings available in four different sizes!

Even though I’m usually a necklace girl, there’s something about summer that always has me craving big earrings instead. And since I was designing the Silver on Steel Collection as we were heading into summer, I couldn’t help but keep adding bigger and bigger earrings to the collection.

But since I know it can be hard to tell the difference between earring sizes when you’re shopping online, I created this handy image to help you compare the four largest sizes of Silver on Steel Circle earrings!

1/ Large Circle Earrings – 1.5″ in diameter

2/ Extra Large Circle Earrings – 2″ in diameter

3/ Giant Circle Earrings – 2.5″ in diameter

4/ Gigantic Circle Earrings – 3.25″ in diameter

I really think you can’t go wrong with any size, but in case you were curious, the Large are my best sellers, the Giant are the style I wear the most (they are the perfect length with my hair), and my friend (and amazing stylist) Stasia Savasuk has been rocking the Extra Large pair all over IG! (And I added the Gigantic because I think they’re really fun!)

Plus, they’re all surprisingly lightweight and easy to wear! And of course, they’re all available in my online store!

using my paintings to show off my newest jewelry line

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art jewelry on a recent watercolor painting

When I started painting again, my first thought was to try and find ways to bridge the gap between my jewelry and paintings. (I’ve since decided to let go of feeling like they need to be related, but that’s a conversation for another post.) But since I kept my initial explorations with watercolor marker in a similar color palette to my jewelry brand, I found that my paintings make excellent backdrops for my new collection of silver on steel necklaces! (I’m even thinking about swapping my usual painted canvas displays for watercolor paper – especially when I fly to San Francisco for the American Craft Council show next month!)

And while I’m sure I keep the backgrounds a little more simple if I go this route for a show, I’m still excited about how the Zoe necklace (shown above) and the DeFeo necklace (shown below) look on top of these paintings!

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I started painting again! (And discovered my love for watercolor markers!)

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abstract painting - watercolor sketch by megan auman

After my trip to the Art Institute of Chicago back in April, I really started to crave painting again. (If you followed me back in 2013, you know that I went through a period where I did a lot of painting. You can see a lot of it in my archives and I’ve even still got a few paintings up in my online shop.) And while I want to keep the focus on my jewelry, I also realized I was denying a big part of who I was by not also giving myself permission to paint.

Fortunately, not long after that trip, my brother turned me on to watercolor markers, and it turned out they were exactly what I needed. I love the combination of the control of drawing with the spontaneity of painting. Plus, it’s really portable. (Which means I can turn painting into an activity I can do on the couch at the end of the day to unwind.)

I’m still doing some larger paintings on canvas as well, but right now I’m really loving playing with watercolor markers!

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mixing up my summer style

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summer style: polka dot tied shirt and striped high waisted midi skirt with statement necklace

I actually took these pics much earlier in the spring (and obviously right after I got my hair done, if only it stayed that good all the time) but I’m only getting around to posting them now. (Which makes sense, because this is definitely a summer look!)

After the one dress challenge, I’ve learned that some of my all time favorite outfits involve high waisted midi skirts, and I decided that shouldn’t stop now that summer is here. This outfit is my attempt to do a little pattern mixing (while staying in my favorite color palette). Who says you can’t make grey work in the summer? Plus, I’m obsessed with the way this Contra Composition necklace looks with this shirt! (Necklace available in my online store.)

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statement earrings for summer

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big unique statement hoop earrings for summer

When I first re-introduced my silver on steel collection, I started with the same sizes I had used in the original collection. But, true to form, I immediately found myself craving larger styles. And nowhere was that more true than in earrings.

While I may be a necklace girl most of the year, summer has me craving statement earrings. There’s just something nice about a statement accessory that doesn’t cling to you in the heat!

So I set out to create pretty much my perfect summer statement earrings, and I think I pretty much hit it out of the park with these giant silver on steel statement earrings. They’re super lightweight, full of impact, and incredibly unique.

Plus, they work with so many different summer styles, I’ve worn them with dresses and running shorts, and they work equally well with both! (And if you want your own pair, they’re available now in my online store.)

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four things that inspired me at the Art Institute of Chicago

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The Annunciation by Jay DeFeo

Last month, I went to Chicago for the One of a Kind Show. And while I was there, I took an afternoon off from set-up to visit the Art Institute of Chicago. I’ve been to this museum multiple times, but it had been at least five years since my last trip, and wandering through the museum was a bit like catching up with an old friend.

There were so many pieces I saw and loved, and I had the chance to to catch up with some of my old favorites. But there were a few pieces in particular that stood out on this trip (some of them familiar, and some of them new to me):

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lilac season and new/old silver on steel bracelets

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white lilacs and silver on steel stacking bracelets

Of all the seasons, spring is definitely my least favorite. (Thanks allergies.) But there is one thing I love about spring, and that’s all the flowers. And there’s no flower I love more than lilacs. I’m fortunate to have a number of lilac bushes outside my studio (both purple and white varieties) and the smell always makes me so happy.

Plus, the lilacs seemed like the perfect opportunity to show off the new(ish) silver on steel stacking bracelets that are now available in my online store.

These bracelets were actually part of my very first collection when I was starting my jewelry business, and after many years, I decided to bring them back. It turns out that, after years of making jewelry, my skills at making them are much better than when I retired them!

And it’s not just bracelets. There are earrings and necklaces too! So head over to my online store to check out the entire silver on steel collection.

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one dress challenge, day 13: block print embroidered jacket over striped midi dress

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creative outfit ideas: block print embroidered jacket over striped midi dress

I bought this embroidered coat when I was in India last year sourcing stones for the Contra Collection, but I’ve been trying to figure out how to style it ever since I got back. I kept trying to wear it with jeans, and couldn’t quite make it work. It turns out, that’s because it was made to be worn with a dress! (This dress to be precise!)

I love the contrast between the warm and cool shades of yellow and the pattern with the stripes. (Not to mention the stripes on the inside of the coat!) And I decided to add a Contra necklace with some color to it too, to further play with color mixing!

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one dress challenge, day 12: plaid shirt over striped midi dress and jeans

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creative outfit ideas: plaid shirt and striped dress over jeans

After spending most of the week layering other dresses over this month’s dress (resulting in some pretty fancy looks), I decided to mix things up today and go more casual, by layering the dress over jeans! I wanted the dress to be shorter (because a midi dress over jeans doesn’t really leave much jean showing), so folded up the mid section of the dress to give it a shorter hemline. Then I topped it off with a the plaid shirt, which serves the dual purpose of hiding the place in the middle where the dress is folded and making the whole look more casual. (Then I tossed on this Contra necklace for a little more visual interest under the collar!)

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one dress challenge, day 11: military vest and floral dress over striped midi dress

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creative outfit ideas, pattern mixing: military jacket and floral dress over striped midi dress

This outfit is the perfect example of how sometimes you just need more layers to make a look work. I really wanted to layer this floral dress I picked up on my last trip to India over the striped midi dress. Even after tucking the front of the floral dress up under the belt (to give a fun peplum effect), I still wasn’t totally feeling this look.

But then I threw on my trusty military vest, and it was exactly what I need to break up the broad expanse of floral and create some vertical lines in this look! (Oh, and I wasn’t trying anything fancy with that green belt. It was just the only belt I could find quickly!)

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