Charms for Post Earrings

I now have more of the stainless steel post earrings in stock.  These are so cool to wear and fun to create with.  You can read about them on my last post here.

I really prefer earrings that dangle but also love wearing these posts so I created some fun charms to hang behind the ear by adding them to the stoppers.  These are pretty easy to make and all you need are some chain, jump rings and little charms or crystals.

And if you prefer earrings that hang from ear wires, we now have some metal bezels for those as well!  These are stainless steel bezels with a loop at the top for adding ear wires.

The blanks are now available in our online store in our Jewelry Supply section.  If you are looking for earrings that are already made, we now have some listed in our Earring section.

New Earrings

I came across these cool bezel style stainless steel post earrings that came in various sizes.  I got them with the intention of using them for filling with resin but discovered they also work well with clay as the bezel has a lip on the edge which prevents it from popping out.

These earrings are now available in our online store in a variety of colors and in 3 different sizes.

If you would like to make your own earrings, I have some blanks listed in my jewelry supply section.  I have a limited amount right now with more on the way.

And I am also having a big sale right now which is only for 3 days so don't miss out!  Use the coupon code of your choice -- the more you spend, the more you save!  It can be applied to anything purchased in our online store including tutorials and DIY supplies.

New Jewelry Dishes

I came across some ceramic jewelry dishes on Pinterest a little while ago which inspired me to create these new pieces.  I loved the idea of having holes around the edge for hanging earrings.  There were a few challenges in creating these but I was determined to figure it out.

We've had several people ask us how we got the lace doilies to stick.  There are no doilies attached to these but only the impression made from them and then antiqued in paint.  I am happy to say that no doilies were harmed in the process and we can use them over and over again!

These dishes took quite a few hours to make plus several bakings.  The most difficult part is joining the 2 sections and finding the right forms so they maintain their shape each time they are baked.  These dishes are about 8 inches in diameter.  You can hang 21 pairs of earrings on the charcoal dish and 24 pair on the purple one. 

These pieces are now available at the Shuswap Artisan Market in Sorrento.

Left-over Mokume Made into Interchangeable Jewelry Pieces

After making the buttons for my new sweater coat from KLA Originals (see my previous blog post here),  I had some mokume patterned clay sheets left over from making the buttons so I had to make a few jewelry pieces and snaps to coordinate!

From the same mokume stack I ended up with an end piece that had more of the navy and golden bronze and another sheet with more of the turquoise green.  I made a pendant out of each of the sheets to create two different looks.  I mounted a snap on the back so they can interchange on the snap pendant (with tube bail) on a braided leather cord in navy blue.

I could have made a separate pair of earrings to match each of the pendants but since my earring beads and ear wires are all interchangeable, I decided a set that was reversible would be best.  I can interchange them on several different ear wire styles and just flip them around to the side I want to wear.

And of course a navy clutch purse to add some interchangeable snaps finishes off the whole ensemble.

Sharing the Love - A Ripple Heart and Earrings Tutorial

After playing with the ripple technique I discovered a cool way to maintain that 3-D texture (like a ripple potato chip) in our finished designs.  I wanted to share this with you and since it is almost Valentines Day, I thought I would show how to make a heart.  I mounted mine on a snap, making it interchangeable, but you can finish it off any other way you prefer.

For tools you will need two blades:  A ripple blade (B) and a very sharp tissue blade (A).  Here I have two types of ripple blades.  The one that does the tiny ripples (C) doesn't work the same as the one with the potato chip size ripple (B).

You basically need sheets of clay in assorted colors to create a stack.  I used 4 colors here.  If you have my Clay Color System, then you will have these recipes, but you can use any colors you like.  Just layer light and dark colors to create enough contrast and interest.

The colors I used was Kato Violet, Turquoise - (recipe #8-2) , Spa (recipe #8-6), Kato Violet and White Mix (recipe # 1-2).   The Kato Violet and Turquoise I rolled out thinner than the Spa and White Mix.

All the colors stacked would be too thick to put through the pasta machine so stack them in two separate piles.  The first three colors in one stack and the bottom two colors in another.  Run them through the pasta machine at a thick setting.

Stack the two clay sheets and run them through the pasta machine.  If one of the clay sheets is shorter, then just stretch or roll it so it is the same length.  Cut the clay sheet in half, stack and run it through the pasta machine again.  You can do this one or two more times, depending on how thin you want the stripes to be.

Cut your clay sheet into equal pieces and stack them into a pile.  Trim the block so the edges are even.

Stand the clay block so the lines are vertical and stick it to a ceramic tile or your work space so it won't move.  Here I have a blade on each side to square it up so it is nice and straight.

This also helps to line up the first cut so it is straight.  Once you have your ripple blade lined up (make sure you look at it right above as shown), cut your first slice.  This piece with be flat on the back and rippled on top.

Now the next slice you make will be with your straight tissue blade.  This will create a flat back and rippled front.

These first two slices are a mirror image of each other.  Set the slices aside to use later.  Slice again with your ripple blade and then your flat tissue blade again, alternating until the end of the block.

I managed to get 6 slices from this stack and I have them matched up to decide how I want to use them.

You can flip them around to see which way mirrors up best.  They can be used individually or as a pair.  To make the heart, I played around with the pieces to see which design I liked best.  I am using some plain textured Kato Violet to combine with it.

Once you decide how you want it to look, arrange the pieces onto a thin sheet of clay, making sure no air pockets are trapped between.

Cut out your heart or preferred shape, cutting through all the thicknesses.

To create a nice curve shape we like to use the bottoms cut from pop tins.  They are our favorite baking form and can be used the other way to create a concave shape as well.  I added a Swarovski crystal as an accent.  You can see my tips I posted earlier on working with Swarovski crystals here.

After baking your piece you can add a backing to finish it off.  Here I added one of our "prepped" flat snaps by covering the back with a thin sheet of textured clay and then pushed the prepped flat snap into the clay.  I then added our signature stamp and baked it again. 

Now my piece can be worn as an interchangeable bead on a necklace but can also be worn other ways such as a brooch or on a shawl stick.

To make some matching earrings, select two more pieces from your pile.  I think these ones look a little funky.  Cut or trim them to your desired shape or size and bake them on a ceramic tile so they stay nice and flat.

Roll out some clay for the backing that is a little larger than your front pieces and add a texture.  Trim the top of the clay sheets so they are even.

Flip the clay textured backings over and push in a jump ring or other finding of your choice for the top.  I like to lay the clay sheets back onto the texture so it doesn't get distorted.

Add some liquid clay to the backs of the baked earring fronts.  Here I am using Kato Poly Paste which is thicker and has a better hold. 

Lay the baked clay fronts onto the clay backing sheets and push them evenly onto the clay.

Trim the excess clay and smooth out all the edges.

Bake your pieces and don't forget to sand them after.  When our pieces are textured like these are, after sanding, we give them several thin coats of PYM11.

So I hope you enjoyed this tutorial and happy Valentine's Day!