 |
 |
|
 Geometric Dangles
Design by Candie Cooper
These simple earrings add style to any outfit, whether casual or dressy.
Materials
- Precious metal clay
- Beads: 2 red bicone, 2 black tubes
- 2 (20-gauge) sterling silver eye pins
- 2 sterling silver ear wires
- Smooth plastic mat
- 150 grit sandpaper
- Waxed paper
- 6 playing cards
- Olive oil
- Dishwashing soap
- Kiln
- Clay roller or brayer
- Square cutters: 1/2-inch, 1/4-inch
- Toothpick
- Dremel tool with a #55 drill bit
- Brass brush
- Polishing cloth or a tumbler filled with stainless steel shot and water
- Round-nose pliers
- Wire nippers
Finished Size
1 3/4 inches long
Project note: Read all manufacturer's instructions included with metal clay before beginning.
Instructions
| 1) |
Place plastic mat on work surface. Lay sandpaper with textured side face up on mat. Rub a teaspoon of olive oil on hands before handling clay to prevent the clay from drying out while working with it. |
| 2) |
Roll a small amount of metal clay into a ball slightly larger than a marble; place clay on top of sandpaper. Place a stack of six playing cards beside clay ball. Proceed to roll out clay to this thickness. Gently pick up clay slab; remove sandpaper from work surface. |
| 3) |
Place the clay on plastic mat with textured side face up. With square cutters, cut out a pair of 1/2-inch squares from clay; cut out a 1/4-inch square from the center of both squares. |
| 4) |
With a toothpick, make the start of a tiny hole in one of the outside corners of clay square by gently pushing the tip of the toothpick into the clay, being careful to not place hole too close to edge. Note: Do not push toothpick through clay completely. Repeat for remaining square. |
| 5) |
Let squares dry on a piece of waxed paper. Squares will be fragile at this stage, so handle carefully. |
| 6) |
When dry, lightly sand the sides of the squares to clean up edges. Following manufacturer's instructions, fire the squares in a kiln. Once fired, finish drilling the holes with Dremel tool and #55 drill bit. Sand the reverse sides of squares. |
| 7) |
Add a small amount of dishwashing soap and water to brass brush; brush the surfaces of the squares to remove the white finish. Polish the squares using either a polishing cloth or a tumbler. |
| 8) |
Slide a black tube bead and a red bicone bead on an eye pin; use round-nose pliers to form a loop above top bead. Trim excess wire. Open bottom loop and slide on one of the metal squares. Close loop securely. Open loop on ear wire; attach remaining loop of beaded eye pin. Repeat to finish second earring. |
|
Source: Metal clay from PMCSupply.com
Copyright © September 2005 Simply Beads magazine. All rights reserved. |
|
|
|
|
Was this newsletter forwarded to you?
Want it delivered to your in-box every three weeks?
Sign up here
|
|
|
Happy Beading!
Barb Switzer
Editor, Simply Beads magazine
|
|
© Copyright 2008 DRG. All rights reserved.
Your privacy and security matters to us. Click here to read our privacy/security pledge.
Terms of Use
Mailing address: DRG, 306 East Parr Road, Berne, IN 46711
No part of this newsletter may be reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or via any other information storage and retrieval system, without our written permission.
|
|
