DIY Network

Crystal Chandelier Earrings From "Jewelry Making" episode DJMK-102

Light up your face without spending a fortune -- create your own glittering chandelier earrings!

For the last few years, Hollywood and the fashion industry have been showing off the most dazzling adornments for ears! Host Jackie Guerra and guest Anne Mitchell show how easy it is to create the same glamour at a fraction of the cost!

Materials:

(2) 10" pieces of 20-gauge wire in silver tone (Artistic Wire)
1/8 of a 2 oz. block Premo polymer clay, silver
2 oz. bottle Translucent Liquid Sculpey
Art Institute glitter (56 Pumpkin Opaque Ultrafine)
Silver tone lever-back earring hooks
8 amber AB 4mm x 6mm bi-cone crystal beads
4 orange faceted 4mm x 6 mm glass beads
6 clear iridescent faceted 10mm crystal beads
16 clear/silver crystal 5mm rondelles
16 silver tone 1 1/2" –2" headpins
WigJig Delphi wire tool
Round nose pliers
Needle nose pliers
Wire clippers
Mallet (used in leather crafting)
Pad
Toaster or convection oven (clay dedicated is preferred)
Oven thermometer
Flat baking tray
Oven mitts
Metal palette
Wooden craft stick
Paper towels
Sculpey Slicer clay blade

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	Figure A
	Figure B
	Figure C

1. Make clay beads: Condition the silver clay and roll it into a 3/8" thick snake. Cut one end off so it is flat. Cut off two 3/8" long slices.

2. Roll each slice into a ball. Roll the snake to 3/16" thick. Cut off one end so it is flat, then cut four 3/16" slices. Roll each slice into a ball (figure A).

3. Squeeze 1/2 of a teaspoon of liquid polymer clay into a metal palette. Add 1/8 of a teaspoon of pumpkin glitter with the craft stick, and stir it in completely. Add more glitter if necessary to created a good copper mix. Take the first ball of clay, dip it into the copper liquid clay, and roll the ball between the palms of your hands to get a solid coat of glitter on the bead. Keep dipping and rolling the bead until there is an even coat of copper glitter on the surface of the ball.

4. To create the bead, first insert a headpin through the center of the ball (figure B). Slide the head pin all the way into the ball so the head is flush with the side of the bead. Repeat for the 5 other balls of clay. Bake all 6 beads on the headpins for 20 minutes at 265 degrees (F). Allow beads to cool.

5. Place 1 thin peg into the wig jig at the corner. Place 3/16" peg along the diagonal 1 ½ " from the first peg. On either side of the larger peg. Place 3 thin pegs in a curving diagonal pattern. The first peg on each side should be about ¼ " from the center peg, the other two on each side should be evenly placed about 3/16" away from the first thin pegs. The pattern should be symmetrical.

6. To wrap the wire, first make a teardrop-shaped 1/8 " loop about 1 " away from the end of the one piece of the copper wire. Place this loop over the thin peg at the top of the earring shape. Continue to follow the pegs all the way around the bottom of the earring shape, making loops around each one. Bring the wire back up to the top peg.

7. Close the wire shape by first carefully lifting the wire off of the pegs. Wrap the longer end of the wire twice around the bottom of the teardrop loop at the top of the earring shape. Clip the excess of both pieces of wire, and make sure to tuck under sharp wire ends with the needle nose pliers. Place the wire earring pieces flat on the pad, and gently pound them a few times with a mallet to harden the wire. Do not pound the loop and twist at the top.

8. Attach hooks by opening the loop on the lever-back earrings. Hook on the wire shape and gently close the hook loops. To make the drops: begin adding beads to headpins, with largest bead at bottom (figure C). Cut headpin to be used for the center longer than the others, with lengths graduating from the center out to each end. Bead headpin for center of earring. Use loops to attach to wire loops of earring. Repeat for second earring.
   

RESOURCES :

AnKara Designs
Karen and Ann Mitchell, Owners
Creators of handcrafted jewelry and accessories, demonstrating artists and authors of Liquid Polymer Clay by Krause Publications
Website: www.AnKaraDesigns.com

The Clay Factory
Distributors of Premo, Liquid Sculpey, Atlas pasta machines, tissue blades
Website: Clay Factory

Sculpey Polymer Clay, Sculpey Glaze Gloss
Polyform Products Company, Inc.
Website: www.sculpey.com

Art Institute Glitter
(Art glittering system)
Website: www.artglitter.com

The #56 Pumpkin Opaque Ultrafine glitter can be found here.

Artistic Wire
Website: www.artisticwire.com

GUESTS :

Anne Mitchell
Website: www.annemitchell.net