Wednesday, December 24, 2014

Have Heart, Have Faith - Day 12 - Twelve Days of Christmas

As Decembers races along and we all get caught up in the hustle and bustle of Christmas, try to take a few moments to remember the reason for the season: the birth of Jesus Christ. With that in mind, I have chosen a heart motif made of two angel wings, "stitched" together with love, along with a word spacer to convey the message Have Heart, Have Faith and spread goodwill amongst all people. Here's what you'll need to make these earrings: 4  x 9x24mm silver angel wing charms 2 x 6mm Swarovski Siam Bicone Beads 2 x 6x26mm silver Faith spacers 2 25 x 12mm silver end connectors 16 x 4mm silver jump rings 4 x 6mm silver jump rings 4 x 6x7mm silver oval jump rings 4 x 4x6mm silver oval jump rings 2 silver earring wires Tools: chain nose pliers; flat nose pliers; round nose pliers; flush cutters. String the crystal on a head pin and bend it at a 90° angle just above the bead with flat nose pliers. Take care not to chip the crystal. Trim the en...
Monday, December 22, 2014

Putting on the Glitz! - Crystal-Filled Mesh Tube Earrings

Are you rushed for time and still needing a great pair of earrings for the festive season? Well, here's a quick and easy pair that are glam enough for your Christmas celebrations yet they are sleek and modern, making them perfect for ringing in the New Year. These tear drop earrings use mesh tube to hold sparkly gold and clear crystals and then they're topped with filigree cone ends to finish off the look. Here's what you'll need to make your Putting on the Glitz! earrings: 14 4mm Preciosa Aurum bicones 20 4mm Preciosa AB Crystal bicones 2 gold filigree 4-petal bead caps 17x12mm 4mm white mesh tubing  (this one is similar) 2 4x9mm Gold Foldover Cord Ends 2 gold head pins 2 gold earring wires Tools: chain nose pliers, round nose pliers, flush cutters, scissors. Tip: Nylon Mesh Tubing will fray and unravel a bit as you work with it so always allow a little more than you need for your project.   Cut an 11cm (4 ⅜") length of tube mesh and in...
Saturday, December 20, 2014

Delicate Crystal Snowflake Earrings

It's the middle of summer in Australia and in my little corner of the world, it's on the rather hot side. But that doesn't stop me from dreaming about the romantic notion of experiencing a white Christmas one day. With that thought in mind, I was inspired to create snowflake earrings that catch the light and glisten like snowflakes as you move. These earrings are lovely and lacey and even look a little bit like filigree when you're wearing them but they are a bit on the challenging side because of the detail. Making them is fiddly but if you've got a few hours up your sleeve and you have patience, then this is a challenge worth accepting. Here's what you'll need: Artistic Wire 28-Gauge Tarnish Resistant - Silver 2 x 5mm crystal Swarovski bicones 24 x 4mm Preciosa Crystal AB bicones 24 x 2.5mm Swarovski Crystal AB bicones 2 x 8mm silver rings with internal diameter of 6mm ( feelinginspired.com.au ) 2 x 4mm silver jump rings 12 links of...