Fun in the studio

How to make super dooper fun fashionable swirly drop pearl earrings.

These earrings are absolutely beautiful and on of my most popular designs on my website Little Bridget Jewelry! I have been designing jewelry for 13 years and now I am going to share with you easy steps to make them. 

I love working with Pearls. I find them to be so beautiful and fun to work with, I am not sure I have ever designed anything with a Pearl I was not very pleased with. I have pearl necklaces, bracelets and earrings on my site and they all sell very well. 

It is said that Pearl's signify faith, charity and innocence. They enhance personal integrity and help to provide a focus to ones attention they symbolize purity and are known as a "stone of sincerity" Pearls bring truth to a situation and loyalty to a cause. It is believed Pearls treat digestive disorders and the soft organs of the body. They relieve conditions of bloating and biliousness, maybe that's why so many brides wear them on their wedding day! Pearls increase fertility and ease childbirth...or maybe THAT'S why brides wear them on their wedding day! Whether you believe in this or not I think everyone can agree Pearls are beautiful.

Today I am going to show you how to make super dooper fun fashionable swirly drop pearls. All of the materials are available at either a jewelry supply store of your local craft store. I suggest you use Sterling Silver wire or Gold Filled wire for your final product. I would recommend you practice on a cheap wire before you use your more expensive wire.

Have fun with this and by all means do not be a perfectionist! This will be a handmade piece of jewelry, your loving hands and beautiful soul will go into making this and it will be something to be proud of so you don't want to make it look manufactured! In the Native American culture if something appears perfect the artist will deliberately make a flaw because the only thing perfect is the Creator of all that exists.

Materials you will need

flat nose pliers round pliers

wire clippers

8mm Pearl

bench block
hammer

2 head pins with ball end

18 or 20 mm sterling silver or gold filled half hard wire

ONE. Thread your headpin through your pearl and loop on top and wrap the extra wire around the pearl.

TWO. Cut 2-4' pieces of wire. With your round pliers make a loop and a half at the end of both pieces of wire. Pinch the looped end to meet the other end of the wire making a 1/2 circle.

THREE. With your flat nose pliers, in the middle of the half circle pinch 1/2 of the circle and bend the wire to meet the looped end.

FOUR. Hammer the loop at the bottom and the center of the side of the wire that the loop is on.

FIVE. Loop your Pearl on the hammered wire. 

SIX. Put the earrings on and rock em!

I hope you enjoyed this mini tutorial, if you have any questions please put them in the comment box. Please take a look at my other earrings @ Little Bridget Jewelry and let me know if there is anything you would be interested in learning how to make. I feel so blessed to be able to make jewelry for a living and I love sharing what I know with people who want to explore their creative side. 
Blessings,
Karen

Fun in the studio!

Getting Hammered.

The only thing I like more then making earrings is making hammered earrings, and my favorite all time style are hammered hoops. I love the process of hammering and the look is rustic and beautiful at the same time. 

Here are a few simple steps on how to make this pair of very hip fun hammered earrings.                                                                                        

What you will need.

• 2 gemstones or more if you want to interchange them.
• 20 gauge sterling silver half hard wire
• flat nose and round nose pliers
• wire cutters
• sterling silver earring wires
• 4' 26 gauge ss wire

Choice in beads

These are faceted quartz I picked up from a bead show but you can get plenty of beautiful beads from your local craft or bead store, just make sure they are "top drilled"

One. String wire through your gemstone and make a loop. Center a top drilled gem stone on your wire.bend each end upward, crossing the wire to a X.Using your flat nose pliers, make a small bend on each wire to form a right angle.

TWO.Cut a 3-in. piece of 20 gauge sterling silver half hard wire (you can get silver wire at your local craft store but you'll probably have to go to a jewelry supply for sterling silver) Make a small hoop on each end.

THREE.Twist into your desired shape, this is the fun part. I normally do not match so I like to come up with shapes that are not exactly the same but complement each other.

FOUR. Hammer away! I like to hammer the curves more then the straight part of the wire, this gives it more dimension. Hammering will solidify your earrings shape.

FIVE. Loop your gemstone on the bottom of your earring loop and earring wire on the top loop.

Thank you for creating with me and I hope you enjoyed making your earrings. If you have any questions or comments please write them in the comment box.
Have a beautiful day.

Blessings!
Karen