Creativity In A Nutshell

I had so much fun making these sweet scrabble tile earrings for my friend Olivia: Love on the Rocks


I really like the earrings, and think they came out great. I will be listing something quite similar in my Etsy shop soon, so stay posted! You can have some Love on the Rocks earrings of your own!

These fun Chinese inspired earrings are a gift for my friend Kali's 25th birthday! I first met Kali when I was working at Hallmark, and we've been good friends since then. I really hope she likes the earrings!


What's The Plan, Stan?

• I'm giving you these earrings too! Just follow my step-by-step tutorial and you can make them for yourself.

Ingredients:

• Two antiqued brass Chinese coin stampings
• Two Chinese character antiqued brass findings
• This is the closest I could find to the talisman I actually used for these earrings... Firemountaingems.com does not seem to carry the orriginal anymore :(
• Two gold plated earwires
• Two 6mm pale green glass beads
• Two gold plated fluted bicone beads
• Two small wooden beads
• Gold plated 22 ga wire
• 6 8mm gold plated jumprings
• 4 4mm gold plated jumprings

Tools Of The Trade:

• Chainnose pliers
• Roundnose pliers

Process:

• Create a wrapped loop using gold plated wire through two of the brass coins.

• Connect two 8mm gold plated jumprings to the earwires.
• Using another 8mm jumpring, connect the large coin charm to the 2nd of the jumprings

• Using a 4mm gold plated jumpring, connect the talisman charm to the 2nd 8mm jumpring.
• Create a dangle: place the green glass bead, then the gold plated bicone on a headpin. End it with a wrapped loop.

• Using a 4mm gold plated jumpring, connect the wrapped loop of the dangle to the 1st 8mm jumpring.

C'est Fin!

• Earrings for Alex
• Bali Silver Earrings Tutorial

I've been working all day, crafting a listing jewelry and it's been great! I wanted to put in a last minute blog tonight about my new items for sale in my Etsy shop

Classic Black and White Drop Earrings


Copper Bumblebee Earrings

Retro Coffee Bean Earrings

It's been qutie a hectic and crazy semester for me back at school. One great thing was moving into a new dorm room with my old friend Olivia, and my new friend, Alex. We just got grades back and Alex did oober fantastic for her first semester at college. I've made her some congradulatory earrings, and I think they're pretty swanky :)



What's The Plan, Stan?

• I'm going to give you a sneak peak of what went into making these adorable earrings
  

Ingredients:

• Solid Copper earwires
• 6 soild copper headpins
• 4 mauve freshwater pearls
• 2 indigo freshwater pearls
• 2 8 mm solid copper jumprings
• 6 glass seed beads
  

Tools Of The Trade:

• Wire snips
• Round nose pliers
• needle nose pliers

Process:



C'est Fin!

I am in love with glass beads, especiall Czech glass. There are many ways to work with glass. Check out my African Inspired Necklace , also made with Czeck glass, but with a totally different look and feel than what you might typically expect working with these kinds of beads. Since I started making jewelry, I have admired Bali Silver beads, charms and findings.



What's The Plan, Stan?
I have created a nifty tutorial using products sent by Artbeads.com as part of their blogging program. Try it out for yourself :)


Ingredients:

• Bali S-Clasp with Granulation and Wirework
• Bali Bicone Bead with Wirework
• 4 Sterling Silver Crimp Beads
• 10 Czech Glass Opalite and Alexandrite Picasso Roundels
• 4 Czeck Glass Alexandried Picasso Ovals
• Peacock Iredized Glass Seed Beads
• 3 Sterling Silver Headpins
• 4mm Sterling Silver jumpring
• 11 Lacy Agate 3mm rounds
• 17 Peacock Freshwater Pearls
• 9 Rice Shaped Peacock Freshwater Pearls
• Stringing material

Earrings:

• 2 Sterling Silver Headpins
• 2 Bali Bicone Beads with Wirework
• 2 Czech Glass Opalite and Alexandrite Picasso Roundels
• 2 seed beads
• 2 Sterling silver seed beads

Tools Of The Trade:

• Round Nose Pliers
• Needle Nose Pliers
• Wire Snips

• Flocked Beading Board
  

Process:

• Step One: Create the dangle pendant. Snip off the end of a headpin, leaving a 2" sterling silver wire. Create a wrapped loop on one end. Add a seed bead, then 1 Bali bicone, 1 seed bead. Finish with a wrapped loop. Use the 4mm jumpring to connect the segment to soldered end-ring of the Bali S Clasp.
• First segment: seed bead, peacock freshwater pearl, lacy agate round. End with a wrapped loop, connecting to the end loop of the Bali segment.
• Second segment: 2 seed beads, peacock freshwater pearl, lacy agate round. End with a wrapped loop, connecting to the top loop of the first segment.

• Third segment: 3 seed beads, peacock freshwater pearl, lacy agate rounbd. End with a wrapped loop, connecting to the top loop of the second segment.

• Step Two: Create the first strand. Start in the middle with 1 rice shaped freshwater pearl, then add 12 seed beads to either side. Add 1 lacy agate round to either side. 10 seed beads, 1 lacy agate, 10 seed beads.

• Add 1 rice shaped freshwater pearl to either side. 10 seed beads, freshwater pearl, 10 seed beads. Add 1 glass roundel to either side. 10 seed beads, 1 freshwater pearl, 10 seed beads, 1 glass roundel, 10 seed beads, 1 roundel.
• Add 8 seed beads, 1 freshwater pearl, 6 seed beads, 1 roundel, 4 seed beads, 1 crimp bead, 1 roundel

• String the wire through the soldered jumpring of the clasp. Thread it back through the roundel and crimpbead. Crimp and trim. Do this to both ends. Be careful not to crush a seed bead or two while crimping.

• Step Three: Create the second strand. Start with stringing 10 seed beads. Add a peacock freshwater pearl to either side, 3 seed beads, freshwater pearl, 10 seed beads.

• Add a freshwater pearl to either side, 3 seed beads, freshwater pearl, 10 seed beads.
• Add a glass oval to either side, 10 seed beads, freshwater pearl, 3 seed beads, freshwater pearl, 10 seed beads.

• Add a glass oval to either side, 10 seed beads, 1 lacy agate round, 10 seed beads, 1 lacy agate round, 3 seed beads, 1 crimp bead.
• Sting the wire through the soldered endrings of the clasp and crimp. Unhook the clasp and hold out the second strand, using the end you have not yet attached to the clasp. Wrap the first strand around the second strand as tightly as you can, until both ends are the same length. Loop the wire through the endring of the clasp and crimp.
• Step Four: Make the earrings. Place a Bali bicone, glass roundell and glass seed bead on each sterling headpin. End with a wrapped loop. Connect to sterling silver earwires.

C'est Fin!

*I have recieved these products free of charge from Artbeads.com to honestly review in this blog. I have not been paid for my endorsement as it pertains to the products received*

Hello Ladies and Gents! I certainly have been a busy crafter lately!
I've created a brand new fun tutorial working with some stunning Bali beads and Sterling Silver components from Artbeads.com as part of their blogging program.

So, what's the difference between Bali Beads and Sterling Silver?

• Bali Beads are only made in Bali, Indonesia. Every single bead and component is hand-made, and they are well known for their intricacy. They are generally less than 92.5% silver, and so are not quite sterling. However, the Bali Beads at Artbeads.com are listed as Sterling. As more couries are attempting to mimick Bali Beads, the market is flooded with Bali-style beads. These may or may not be equally fantastic, however they are not handmade in Bali, Indonesia.
• Want to learn more? Check out the Wiki article on Bali
• Sterling Silver is a copper-silver allow 7.5% copper to 92.5% silver. The copper gives the alloy added strength.
  

What's The Plan, Stan?
These delicate earrings are fun to make and certainly pack a punch. I'm going to walk you through the process step-by-step :)

Sterling Silver Flower Drop Earrings

Ingredients:

• 2 Bali Pendants With Flower Design
• 2 Sterling Silver Head Pins (or 2 2inch pieces of Sterling Silver 22ga wire)
• 2 Sterling Silver French Ear Wires
• 2 4-5 mm freshwater peacock button pearls
• 2 2mm peridot rounds

Tools Of The Trade:

• Wire Snips
• Needlenose pliers
• Round nose pliers

Process:

• Step One: Snip off the head of the headpin, leaving you with a 2 inch piece of Sterling Silver wire. Create a wrapped loop on one end of both headpins. Add the peridot round and then the freshwater pearl.
• A tip for working with Sterling Silver: If you've been used to working with plated findings and components, working with Sterling is going to be a bit of a pain for you. It's soft, very maleable and thus it can be a little hard to get it to do what you want it to. Take your time and be patient. A pair of nylon-tipped pliers may be helpful to prevent scratching.

• Step Two: As you begin the second wrapped loop, add the Bali Pendant before you wrap the wire around the base.

• Step Three: Wrap the extra wire nice and snug around the freshwater pearl. Use your needlenose pliers to make the loops on either end of the headpin perpendicular to one another so the Bali Pendant will face forward when the earrings are worn.

• Step Five: Using your needle nose pliers, attach the sterling silver earwires to your earings.

C'est Fin!

*I have recieved these products free of charge from Artbeads.com to honestly review in this blog. I have not  been paid for my endorsement as it pertains to the products received*

Want to buy the orriginal?

These past two weeks have been crazy busy for me, but I'm finally sculpting out some time for updating my Etsy shop. Here are some of my new treasures, available for purchase on Etsy.

Brass is all the rage these days. But, did you know there are all kinds of brass and brass finishes? As I said in my previous post, What Are All Those Metals Anyways: Brass is an allow of copper and zinc, so it's generally darker and not as brilliant as copper. The more zinc, the darker the brass. The more copper, the redder the brass. It tends to be pretty hypoallergenic.



What's The Plan, Stan?
I'm going to walk you through the process of making these simple, but really beautiful earrings, using gold finish brass butterflies, while also giving you a little information about working with brass stampings.

Ingredients:

• 2 Gold Plated French Earwires
• 2 Gold Plated 1 inch eyepins
• 2 5mm crystal quartz rounds
• 2 12mm Gold Finish Brass Butterflies
  

Tools Of The Trade:

• Needle Nose Pliers
• Bent Nose Pliers
• Round Pliers
• Wire Snips
  

Process:

• The actual process for making these earrings is really easy:
• First connect the eyepin to the butterfly. 
• Add your crystal quartz round and finish with a wrapped loop.
• Connect your earwire.

Some Extra Information:

• Gold Finish Brass is not actually gold plated. The brass has actually been treated with a chemical to make it bright and shiny - like gold. Vintaj brass has been treated with a different solution to make it look tarnished and antique. There are a wide variety of finishes in brass, and all of them are fun to work with.
• Although brass does tend to be hypoallergenic, I used gold plated findings and earwires for added protection.
  

C'est Fin!

Bead Artist Showcase
Your work could be right here! Submit your own brass earrings to Creativity In A Nutshell via email to cagarp@plymouth.edu. Feel free to include pictures, anything new you tried and suggestions you have for improvement.

More Similar Fun Stuff!

• Just What Are All Those Metals  
• Monday Madness: Weekly Earring Project 2
  

More Stuff on the Information Highway:

• Art Jewelry Forum 
• Want to try working with brass wire? 
• Making Jewelry With Brass Components

I love the unreserved sparkle of vintage costume jewelry. It's so beautiful and reminds me of playing princess when I was younger. It's easy to find some vintage costume jewelry of your own. I got my pieces from a yard sale ages ago and just recently had the time and inspiration to play around with them. Keep your eyes open for broken or incomplete pieces that you can modify.



What's The Plan, Stan?
Using a few different vintage costume jewelry pieces and some lovely Swarovski beads, we are going to create an entirely new necklace and set of earrings to show off some lovely sparkle.

Ingredients:

• For this specific necklace, I used an old necklace with these really pretty metal flowers set with Austrian Crystals and tiny pearls in the middle, as well as an old clip on earring. I took the necklace apart, using just one of the flowers for the pendant, and the main earring piece is also going to be used. There were great crystal dangles on the earring as well, which I will use on the necklace to accent the pendant. Oh also, I used the lovely chain from the necklace, complete with the clasp. to complete my new necklace. If you can't find vintage pieces quite like this, you have a couple options:
• Modify the design! You're a crafty individual and I have faith in you! (Please send some ideas, I'd love to hear them!)
  
• Look around on the various beading sites to see if you can find something similar.
• Peach colored fresh water pearls
• 6mm Swarovski Crystal Silk faceted rounds
  
• 4mm Lacy agate rounds
• 3mm silver plated jump rings
• 6mm silver plated jump rings
• 4 silver plated crimp beads
• 4 silver plated crimp bead covers
  

For the Earrings:

• 6mm Swarovski Crystal Silk faceted rounds
• 5mm Swarovski Colorado Topaz roundells
• 4mm lacy agate rounds
• Silver plated headpins
• Silver plated french earwires
  

Tools Of The Trade:

• Bent nose pliers
• Needle nose pliers
• Round pliers
• Wire Snips
  

Process:

• First, I created the pendant for the necklace. This process will totally depend upon what sort of fun findings you have found. I created a nice dangley chain using jumprings from the upcycled vintage earring and attached the great crystal dangles. Then, I attached the earring to a headpin with a beautiful Swarovski faceted round, connected to my upcycled flower finding. I'm really pleased with the affect.

• Once I was satisfied with the pendant, I attached two 4mm jumprings to the flower petals, allowing me to attach wire for the necklace on either side. String the wire through a lacy agate round before crimping, in order to protect the necklace from getting too worn and breaking. Crimp and cover with silver plated crimp bead covers.
• Now just string the beads following the same pattern for both sides of the necklace:
• 3 freshwater pearls
• attach your crystal dangle using a 4mm silver plated jumprings
• 3 freshwater pearls
• 1 lacy agate bead
• 1 Swarovski faceted round
• 1 lacey agate bead
• 2 freshwater pearls
• Crystal dangle
• 2 freshwater pearls
• 1 lacy agate bead
• 1 Swarovski faceted round
• 1 lacey agate bead
• 2 freshwater pearls
• Crystal dangle
• 2 freshwater pearls
• 1 lacy agate bead
• 1 Swarovski faceted round
• 1 lacey agate bead
• 2 fresh water pearls
• 2 lacey agate beads
• crimp bead
• 1 lacy agate bead
• String your wire through a 4mm silver plated jumpring, then back through the agate bead and crimp bead. Crimp and cover with the crimp bead cover.
  
•  Attach jumpring to upcycled chain. If the clasp is still intact, use it! If not, attach another one using a 4mm silver plated jumpring.
• For the earrings: Place first a Swarovski faceted round, then a roundel, then a lacy agate round. Finish with a wrapped loop. Attach to the silver plated french earwires.
  

A note about lacy agate : agate is a natural gemstone that comes in a million different shapes, colors etc... I happened to have to really lovely, but also very pale, blue lacy agate rounds in my bead supplies. For this set, I wanted something that was light in color, which would enhance the overall light feel of the necklace. If you can't find any light blue lacy agate, go with something light in color and you'll be good to go.

C'est Fin!





Bead Artist Showcase
You work could be right here! Submit your own upcycled vintage costume jewelry to Creativity In A Nutshell via email to cagarp@plymouth.edu. Feel free to include pictures, anything new you tried and suggestions you have for improvement.

More Similar Fun Stuff!

• Aztec Secrets: Jewelry Set Project  
• Sparkling Wine: Necklace Earrings Set Project  
• Classic Decadence: Vintage Inspired Earrings Project

Create the look of funky foreign ephemera stamps with these post-office inspired earrings.



What's The Plan, Stan?

• Use two postage stamps (either real, or not :) to create twin scrabble tiles charms, which will be used to make a simple, yet distinct pair of earrings.
  

Ingredients:

• Two scrabble tiles
• Two stamps (I bought a small pack of scrap booking stamps - made to look like they're from all over the world, however, there are literally tons of options out there. You can use some stamps you have in your own collections, you can buy some real exotic stamps online, you can make your own...)
• Tacky Glue
• Glossy Accents (or similar)
• Two eyepins
• Two ear wires
• Four large jumprings
• Two small jumprings
• Two pyrite rondelles
• Two shell 4 mm rounds
  

Tools Of The Trade:

• Drill with small bit
• Scrap piece of wood
• Paintbrush
• Needlenose pliers
  

Process:

• Measures and mark two holes on each scrabble tile - one on top, one on bottom. Drill :)
• Cover blank side with think coat of lightly watered down glue. Place postage stamps on top, then add another coat of glue. Allow to dry. Repierce the holes with a thumbtack, safety pin etc
• At this point you can add further decoration to the tile with Pearl Ex Pigments, sharpies, colored pencils etc. I left mine as it is. Allow to dry completely.
• Cover each surface with glossy accents.
• Once the tile is completely dried, add the jumprings. Attach the earwires to the top jumprings by linking them with the small jumpring. 
• Connect the eyepin to the bottom jumpring. Add the pyrite rondelle, then the shell round. Close with a wrapped loop.
  

C'est Fin!

Bead Artist Showcase
You work could be right here! Submit your own BLANK to Creativity In A Nutshell via email to cagarp@plymouth.edu. Feel free to include pictures, anything new you tried and suggestions you have for improvement.

More Similar Fun Stuff!

• Tutorial: Scrabble Tile Charms and Pendants  
• Project: Scrabble Tile Jewelry 
• Classic Decadence: Vintage Inspired Earrings: Project
  

More Stuff on the Information Highway:

• Recycled Crafts
  

It is such a pleasure to be able to work with Swavorski crystals. They glisten! They shimmer! They radiate! This set of jewelry is inspired by Aztec treasures, in delectable hues of copper and teal.



What's The Plan, Stan?
We're going to use some lovely copper Swarovski beads, mixed with subtle turquoise hieshi beads and delicate fresh water pearls to create an Aztec Treasure of our own.

Ingredients:

• Necklace
  
• 12 6mm Swarovski Copper Faceted Rounds
• 4 12mm Swarovski Copper Cosmic Crystals
• 6 4mm Swarovski Silver Plated Smoked Topaz Ring Channels
• 21 6-8mm Turquoise hieshi Beads
• 12 4-5mm peacock fresh water pearls
• 11 2inch silver plated eyepins
• 24 4 mm silver plated jump rings
• 22 5mm silver plated jumprings
• 2 sections of silver plated chain, about 2 1/2 inches long
• 2 5mm oval silver plated jumprings
  
• Bracelet
• 8  6mm Swarovski Copper Faceted Rounds
• 18 6-8mm Turquoise Heishi Beads
• 2 silver plated crimp beads
• 2 silver plated crimp bead covers (about 4mm)
  
• 1 silver plated toggle clasp
• 16 iris fresh water pearls
• 2 4mm silver plated jumprings
  
• Earrings
• 2 12mm Swarovski Copper Cosmic Crystals
• 2 2inch silver plated eyepins
• 2 silver plated french earwires
  
• 2 2.5mm Swarovski indigo bicones
  

Tools Of The Trade:

• Needle Nose Pliers
• Bent Needle Nose Pliers
• Wire snips
• beadboard (not required but highly recommended)
  

Process:

• First, you want to set out your beads on the beadboard. This necklace will have two main sections, each on eyepins. The first section: freshwater pearl, Swarovski cosmic copper bead, freshwater pearl. The second section: Swarovski copper faceted round, 3 turquoise hieshi beads, Swarovski copper faceted round.
• Over all Pattern: Section 1 in the middle. Either side of necklace: Swarovski Smokey Topaz Ring Channel, Section 2, Swarovski Smoked Topaz Ring Channel, Section 1, Swarovski Smokey Topaz Ring Channel, Section 2, Section 1
• End with a third section: fresh water pearl, Swarovski copper faceted round, freshwater pearl
  

• Take all of your sections and place them on silver plated eyepins. Close eyepins with loop. Do not use a wrapped loop, since it will not match the opposite end.(Note that you will need to be extra careful, making sure that all of your loops are entirely closed so the necklace doesn't fall apart).

• Attach a 4mm jumpring to either end of each section, including the Swarovski Smokey Topaz Ring Channels
• Attach a 5mm jumpring to both 4mm jumprings on each section
• Attach each section together using the 5mm jumprings

• Attach the chain sections to either end of the necklace using two 4mm jumprings
• Attach clasp with two oval jumprings
• For the bracelet, follow this pattern:
• Working left to right: 
• 3 freshwater pearls 
• 2 turquoise hieshi beads, 
• 2 fresh water pearls, 
• 1 Swarovski copper faceted round, 
• 3 turquoise hieshi beads, 
• 1 Swarovski copper faceted round, 
• 2 freshwater pearls, 
• 1 Swarovski copper faceted round, 
• 3 turquoise hieshi beads, 
• 1 Swarovski copper faceted round,
• 2 fresh water pearls, 
• 1 Swarovski copper faceted round, 
• 3 turquoise hieshi beads, 
• 1 Swarovski copper faceted round, 
• 2 freshwater pearls
  
• 1 Swarovski copper faceted round
  
• 3 turquoise hieshi beads
  
• 1 Swarovski copper faceted round
  
• 2 fresh water pearls
• 2 turquoise hieshi beads
• 3 fresh water pearls
  
•  End with a crimp bead, attaching a 5mm jumpring to either end. Use a silver plated crimp bead cover. Attach small toggle clasp to jumprings
• For the earrings, first place a 2.5mm Swarovski dark indigo bicone on a silver plated headpin. Then the Swarovski cosmic copper bead, lastly the freshwater pearl. Close with a wrapped loop, attaching the silver plated french earwire.
  

C'est Fin!

Bead Artist Showcase
You work could be right here! Submit your own version of Aztec Secrets to Creativity In A Nutshell via email to cagarp@plymouth.edu. Feel free to include pictures, anything new you tried and suggestions you have for improvement.

More Similar Fun Stuff!
Sparkling Wine: Necklace Earrings Set Project