Jewelry Basics with Marianne Arkins
Fellow dog lover and gardener, Marianne Arkins is a long time friend. I read her blog faithfully and I'm always amazed at how much she can get done in a day. Her pre-teen daughter is a chip off the old block and started her own jewelry business. How cool is that?
Today, Marianne and DD will take you step by step to create a simple set of earrings. But wait--there's more! One lucky commenter will win the earrings. That's for those of you whose hands hurt just thinking about twisting teeny-tiny wire. Take a look and comment!
Making a simple set of Holiday Earrings
Making this pair of earrings is pretty easy and they look so pretty!
1. Start with your basic supplies. We used Swarovski crystal beads in red and green, goldtone head pins, gold tone wires, and goldtone spacers. The only tool we needed for this were round-nosed pliers (a must have in any jewelry making toolbox).
2. Thread your beads and spacers onto the headpin in whatever order you desire.
3. Using the round-nosed pliers, make your loop. This is actually the hardest part of this creation ā I still canāt manage a decent looking loop, while my daughter is a pro at making them!
4. Slip them onto your earring wires ā these wires are super simple to use because you donāt have to leave the loop on the headpin open to put them on. They simply slide over the top of the āSā and you gently squeeze it shut using your fingers. Be careful using tools on the findings, as they can scar the metal if you arenāt careful.
5. Hereās the completed pair ā ready for a night out at the company Christmas party, or just hanging out with you while you finish your shopping.
The finished product |
*Any questions? Comments? Thoughts? Weāll be giving this pair of earrings away to one commenter so let us know what you think.
And if youāre looking for great gifts, a little bling or more, check out our store.
***
Marianne is originally from California but currently living in much colder New Hampshire with her husband, daughter, dog and cat, as well as a few hundred wild birds, chipmunks and a backyard bear that keeps trying to grab the feeders. She canāt imagine a world without romance or not having stories rattling around in her brain, and she uses comedy to get her through the obscenely long winter.
To learn more about Marianne Arkins please visit www.mariannearkins.com or her blog www.reading-writing.blogspot.com.
To learn more about Marianne Arkins please visit www.mariannearkins.com or her blog www.reading-writing.blogspot.com.
NOTE: For other DIY Christmas posts, go here. All contests for the DIY posts end 12-22-11, so you can comment on any previous post.
Comments
Love this blog, I'm just lazy at commenting :(
Merry Christmas!
Those earrings are super cute (though keep me out of the drawing since i have unfortunate metal allergies and wouldn't be able to wear them if i won)
Thanks Maria.
This year, he made me a cutting board that Paula Dean and Rachel Ray would die to have! Ha!
He gave it to me already so I can 'use it' for holiday cooking.
Melanie
My finished products don't always look like the I'm trying to example I see.
That's why we have daughters!
Ellie
I was trying to say "my finished products don't always look like the example I see.
Ellie
LOL. Leave it to my mother to run her own personal sweatshop.
My hat is off to you and DD, Marianne. It's very tedious work. It hurts my hands just thinking of those intricate twists and bends.
The end result is simply a beautiful pair of earrings that could go quite nicely with a combination of outfits because of the smart choice in colors.
Kaz, you cracked me up. I nearly snorted coffee onto my keyboard.
:-)
Happy holidays, Marianne!